Only one lamp was lit by the door. There used to be more lights in the evening, but Amandine had thought it wasteful.
“Darling, we can afford it,” Gavin had told her.
“Still… Let’s not be frivolous with electricity.”
So one light it was. He didn’t mind. Whatever made her happy was fine by him.
He unlocked the door. Their housekeeper, Luna, didn’t come out to greet him. She never stayed after dinner-time unless he or Amandine specifically requested it. He walked up the winding steps to the master bedroom suite on the second level, his dress shoes clattering on the cool marble floor.
The master bedroom suite was what had sold Gavin on the mansion five years earlier. The room was big, with three ceiling fans and windows that looked out to the green and lush garden surrounding the house. He’d redone the walk-in closet and the bathroom before moving in. After the marriage, he’d told Amandine to redecorate if she wanted, but she’d declined, saying everything was already perfect.
A night-light illuminated just enough for him to see inside the bedroom. Amandine was curled up in bed, her body moving with every breath she took. She looked so small and vulnerable in her sleep. Carrying his shoes, he walked across the freshly waxed hardwood floor carefully, trying not to wake her up. He slipped inside the big walk-in closet, shed his clothes and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
As the pungent taste of mint coated his tongue, he suddenly realized he’d never gotten a chance to call Amandine back. He’d wanted to know why she’d called even though she’d said it wasn’t urgent. Damn it. He rinsed his mouth. Too late to talk now. He should’ve stopped the meeting for a few minutes and spoken with her. As his wife, she deserved it.
He didn’t have the time to linger around in the morning. His first appointment started at seven thirty sharp, and she seemed to be sleeping in these days.
He crawled into bed, and she moved over and curled against him. She was all softness and fresh apple, and his cock swelled. It’d been close to two months since they’d had sex. Damn it, he wished it weren’t so late so he could seduce his wife. And he wished he didn’t have to work so much, so he could spend more time with Amandine, but he needed to watch over everything at work to ensure nothing unexpected happened. Then there were the charities and foundations he supported. Thankfully Amandine had taken over many of them, but that still didn’t free him from the hours he needed to devote to them.
Her left hand rested on his bare chest. The sapphire and diamonds on her finger gave a muted sparkle in the night light. They looked good on her—perfect actually. The ring had belonged to his grandmother who had been the greatest love of his grandfather, and it seemed apt that Amandine wore it now. Did she have any idea how much he wanted to spoil and coddle her?
A small frown appeared on her brow, and he kissed it, willing it away. Her happiness was paramount to him, yet no matter what he did, he couldn’t help but sense a vague undercurrent of dissatisfaction from her. However, every time he gently probed, she smiled the maddeningly serene smile of hers and said nothing was wrong…while her eyes grew remote and guarded.
One more hectic day for him, then they’d have their anniversary to enjoy. His schedule was insane right now, crammed with so much work. Still, it was worth it to spend the afternoon and evening of their anniversary together, even though it was a workday and he rarely took time off. As much as he needed to be in the office, he couldn’t dismiss a sense of unease that his wife was slipping away from him.
If you remembered to do things like call her back, she might not be slipping away. You need to figure out how to make up for not returning that call.
How should he make amends? He scowled as he mentally flipped through his calendar and didn’t see any free slot for a while. Going to a concert or to an art gallery opening was out.
The second-best thing to offer would be a week-long stay in Paris for her and Brooke. Though the latter was her assistant now, she’d been Amandine’s best friend first. Gavin had hired her mainly because Amandine trusted her.
The all-expense-paid trip should make up for whatever slight Gavin had caused earlier that day. Women would forgive almost anything for some luxurious girl time and good shopping. And he was certain Amandine would too, especially when she saw her anniversary present.
*
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Titles by Nadia Lee
The Hearts on the Line Series
Book 1: Vengeful in Love (Natalie Hall & Alex Damon)
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
Book 2: Reunited in Love (Kerri Wilson & Ethan Lloyd)
The Ever After Series
Book 1: A Happily Ever After of Her Own (A retelling of Beauty and the Beast)
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
Book 2: One Kiss (A retelling of The Frog Prince)
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
Ever After Bundle: Books 1 & 2
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
Other Titles
Ashwyn: Cinderella Retold with an Erotic Twist
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
The Last Slayer
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
Destiny Entwined
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
How to Format Your Manuscript for Kindle and Nook
US :: UK :: DE :: CA :: AU
About Nadia Lee
Bilingual former management consultant Nadia Lee has lived in four different countries and enjoyed many adventures and excellent food around the globe. In the last eight years, she has kissed stingrays, got bitten by a shark, ridden an elephant and petted tigers.
She shares an apartment overlooking a river and palm trees in Japan with her husband and son. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found digging through old Asian historical texts or planning another trip.
To learn more about Nadia and her projects, please visit nadialee.net. To receive updates about upcoming works from Nadia, please visit nadialee.net to subscribe to her newsletter.
Reunited in Love Page 26