“Tomorrow,” he said. “It’ll be late, around ten at night, by the time I reach your house.”
“Tomorrow. Oh, I can’t believe it—and late is fine. I’m lucky to get home by nine-thirty, anyway. I’ll be here. Waiting.”
“I have work to do there, too, you know. I have to introduce your partners to any number of excellent potential clients, so they’ll realize they owe it to you to let you go right away.”
She beamed, even though he wasn’t there to see it. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re coming back now. It will be so good, to be with you every day—even if I do spend way too much of every day at work. But I’m going to change that. When I’m through at the firm, I’m going to make sure I never again take a job where I hardly see my son, where I’m rarely with my husband.”
“I do like the sound of that.”
“Good—Oh, and I forgot to tell you. Trevor will be so pleased to see you. He’s been asking for you.”
“Tell him I’m on my way.”
Chapter Ten
Sydney was waiting at the picture window in the living room Friday night when the long, black limo pulled in at the curb. The sight of his car had her heart racing and her pulse pounding so hard, it made a roaring sound in her ears.
With a glad cry, she spun on her heel and took off for the door. Flinging it wide, she ran down the front steps and along the walk. He emerged from the car and she threw herself into his arms.
He kissed her, right there beneath the streetlight. A hard, hot kiss, one that started out desperate and ended so sweet and lazy and slow.
When he lifted his head, he said, “I thought I’d never get here.”
She laughed, held so close and safe in his arms. “But you are here. And I may never let you go away from me again.” She took his hand. “Come inside …”
The driver was already unloading Rule’s bags. He followed them up the front walk. Joseph followed, too.
In the house, the driver carried the bags up to the master suite and then, with a tip of his cap, took his leave.
Joseph remained. For once, he wasn’t wearing those dark glasses. But he still had the Bluetooth device in his ear. And he carried a black duffel bag.
Rule looked slightly embarrassed. “I’m afraid Joseph goes where I go.”
Sydney spoke to the bodyguard. “I hope you don’t mind sleeping in a separate room from His Highness.”
The severe-looking Joseph almost cracked a smile. “Ma’am, if you have a spare room, that would be appreciated. If not, the sofa will do well enough.”
“I have a guest room.” She indicated the doorway at the end of the hall. “The kitchen is through there. While you’re here, make yourself at home. You’re welcome to anything you find in the pantry or the fridge.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
She turned to Rule. “Are you hungry?”
His dark eyes said, Not for food, and she felt the loveliest warmth low in her belly, and a definite wobbliness in her knees. He told her, “I ate on the plane.”
So she led the way up the stairs and showed Joseph to his room, indicating Trevor’s bathroom across the hall. “I’m afraid you’ll have to share the bathroom with my son.”
“Thank you. This will suit me very well.”
Before joining Rule in her room, she tapped on Lani’s door and told her friend that Rule’s bodyguard was staying in the guest room.
Lani, reading in bed, looked up from her eReader, over the top rims of her glasses. “Thanks for the warning—and don’t stay up all night.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Say hi to Rule.”
“Will do.”