“Even though it won’t change anything, either.”
“Yes.”
Mouth trembling, she knew that, like him, she didn’t have a choice. She would go with him and believe what she believed, that he would change, and one of them was going to lose.
She nodded jerkily, but before she could step forward, he leapt to meet her, not letting her walk through broken glass to get to him. Then he was cupping her cheek, tilting her lips up to the hungry weight of his own. She moaned, knowing what that taste was now. That narcotic that filled her with hope when he kissed her. Love. She was madly, deeply, hopelessly in love with him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“YOU’RE NEGLECTING YOUR DUTIES. The Australian agreements have completely fallen apart.” His grandmother had called him on the carpet before he’d even digested his breakfast.
“Both parliaments have risen for the year. The committees adjourned,” he said.
“Yet I am informed the deadline is the end of the year. If it’s not finalized, we start over in the new year.” She held out a missive.
He took it and quickly gathered how certain opportunistic corporations were manipulating the fine print, trying to push Elazar into a stress position and a renegotiation that would be advantageous to their own interests. She was right. He should have caught on when the meetings had begun experiencing delays two weeks ago.
“This is the first I’m hearing of this,” he muttered.
“Because you’ve been distracted. Dating. Shopping.”
He gritted his teeth. Trella was preparing to move her design house’s head office to Lirona. The fashion industry was waiting with baited breath for her to purchase her property. Real estate and tourism would boom the minute the new fashion district was born. Squiring her to potential locations, ensuring the choice worked as well for Elazar as it did for her, fell right into Xavier’s trade negotiation bailiwick.
His grandmother ought to be thanking Trella, but she only said, “Mario has set up an emergency meeting of the council. You’re expected at ten o’clock. We cannot afford to lose this, Xavier.”
Duty. It was killing him. Quite literally chipping away at his flesh. His belt had had to go in an extra notch and the scale had him four pounds under his usual weight. He had no appetite. Of course, he was on his wife like a stallion with a mare every chance he got. No wonder he was skin and bones.
Bristling with culpability, he returned to his apartment. He would have to hurry to make the meeting, but he was more aware of the clock ticking down on his marriage.
In a few days it would be Christmas, his one and only with his son’s mother. Then their marriage would melt away like snow under rain. Gone, gone, gone.
He nodded at Vincente to leave his jacket on the bed and dismissed him, then he went through to Trella’s room, where he slept every night with her naked body resting against his. They tried to keep a low profile but were fooling no one, except possibly themselves. Despite the intensity and excruciating pleasure and profound satisfaction they gave each other, they had to keep rising and moving apart.
Soon that would be permanent.
Not yet. His hand closed in a tense fist. He wasn’t ready.
“I have to run to a meeting—” he began as he entered.
She sniffed and turned with surprise. She had showered while he’d been to see the Queen and wore only a slip. She was on the phone.
“Esta bien, Mama. Te amo,” she finished and signed off, then swiped her cheek.
His heart lurched. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She turned away for a tissue. “Ramon and Isidora arrived safely at Sus Brazos. Gili and Kasim will be there tomorrow.”
And this was her first year apart from them. She was homesick. She didn’t have to say it. He watched her wither daily, saying nothing because they both left many things unsaid, aware their days with each other were numbered. They didn’t want to waste them with animosity and problems they couldn’t solve.
Guilt assailed him, though. He was stealing time with her. Neglecting his duties while he neglected her needs. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you want to spend Christmas with them, you should.”
“With Tyrol?” She brightened.
“Bella.” He hated saying no to her, but it echoed in his voice. “You’re upset. You miss them.” She was going to need them more than ever soon.
“I can’t leave him! He’s still feeding in the night. I would miss him.” She waved in the direction of the nursery, where a nanny took him for a bath every morning while they ate breakfast and started their day. She softened her tone, her expression so vulnerable she put an ache in his chest. “You could come.”