Wiping at my wet cheeks again, I remove all the happy tears, hearing a rough sigh leave him.
"You have company," he states at the exact time a soft, hesitant knock draws my attention to the double doors. "I will see you soon. Put some clothes on before you let the soldiers in, but they must stay inside the floor when you are awake, Fawn. They have strict orders."
Then he's gone.
Soldiers…I've never heard him refer to them as that before. And I always call them henchmen because'soldiers'sounds like they're going to war. My stomach knots up for reasons I don’t care to analyse, so I slip from the mattress and throw on a robe and rush to the door.
The silky material whispers around my legs as I walk. The luxurious feel of expensive fabrics is still new and exciting to me.
I swing the door open.
Surprised, my eyes land on Clay's sisters-in-law Cassidy and Shoshanna, and I grab the tails of the robe, tightening them around my waist when I see they are fully dressed.
As is appropriate at 6:00 pm, Fawn.
I smile.They aren't out with him…
Cassidy is dressed casually in a yellow t-shirt and yoga pants, while Shoshanna is in a red halter with jeans, the denim fashionably ripped open around the thighs. She understands the worn-but-new-trend, and with her curves, the strategically faded denim clings to her body, stretching and drawing my eyes to the plump parts of her I wish I had more of—
"Hey," I say in a long, drawn-out way, forcing my gaze from her thighs as I leap over the line for the appropriate time spent ogling someone you aren’t dating.
"You seem surprised," Shoshanna interjects, combing her fingers through her silky dark hair.
Cassidy beams. "You had no idea that we were in Dubai too. Did you?" Before I can answer, she snort-laughs. "Classic Clay. Need-to-know basis for just about everything. Max is the same. Getting information that isn’t immediately important is like pulling teeth from a bear. I just got, "Pack for Dubai, little one," without much explanation. He does always pack for Kels though, because we forgot her favourite shoes once, and I didn't fret. She's not even four, ya know? She'll get over it quickly. But every. Single. Tear. Is devastating to Max. He can't handle them. He spoils her…Sorry." She giggles again, outwardly far more awkward than me. "I ramble."
"No. It's fine." I say, gripping my forehead, cradling it. "I'm sorry. I had no fucking idea you guys were here. I'm glad you are though."
“We came on a different plane,” Cassidy says. “Your first time flying so—” She shrugs a little. “I guess he wanted you to have privacy or something.”
Clay's statement on the phone tumbles into my mind as if for the first time: "Even a business meeting sounds like a carnival when my brother Bronson is around." Of course. If his brothers are here, then so are their partners. That aspect of the conversation didn't really materialise, drowned out when he had said,"I assure you, I'm as uncomfortable with our distance as you are."
I smile, rolling my eyes at myself. "Actually, I should have known you were here. Clay told me on the phone just now. He said Bronson was there with him."
"We have come to have dinner with you," Cassidy says, engulfing me in her small but strong arms. “Kids are safe and tucked-in bed. The ladies will eat and play.”
I stiffen.
Combating my body's predisposition to push her away, my skin reminds me I'm not a fan of touch these days. She is practically a stranger. Her entire torso is touching mine. Besides Clay, I'm not sure I've had another person touch me this closely, for this long—will this cuddle ever end?
She finally releases me and skips into the room, and I cloak my uncertainty by smiling harder than feels normal.
"Room service fricking rocks. Frick," she coos through a laugh. "This suite is amazeballs. I love these little carvings. And this view! Shoshanna, look, you can see the fountains. They'll be down there somewhere. Being menaces, I bet."
Shoshanna follows her in, both soon making themselves comfortable on the sofa. I see thesoldierswaiting expectantly, and I attempt the Clay Butcher nod for them to enter. They do. And I'm kind of chuffed about it.
Immediately finding a place along the wall, they once again become one with the furniture.
I close the door behind them.
"You have a lot," Cassidy says, following my attention to the men around the room. "I have a few as well. My main guard is Carter, but he's watching over Kelly and Stone at the moment. Shosh has guards too. She has more than she knows about," Cassidy quips as though she has the intel.
"I haveHenri.Predominately. He watches over my sister as well," Shoshanna grounds, before gazing at me, her tone shifting in a formal way, in a clinical way, bringing to the front of my mind the memory of her performing my ultrasound—a lump builds in my throat—and myPap Smear. She's a doctor.Dr Adel?I think she introduced herself at the time. "How are you feeling today?"
"Ah.Fine… Why?"
"It's been a very stressful few weeks, and stress can do strange things to us," she confirms. "And your first time flying, too. That’s a lot. If you ever need anything, I'm always here for you. Okay?”
I chuckle a little. "Did Clay put you up to this?"