Page 140 of Discretion at Its Finest

I pulled her closer, letting my lips graze her shoulder—right where her robe had slipped, my hands already lifting her slip. Because that was our routine. Every time she asked for something that could ruin both of us… something that was implausible… she offered herself first.

And every time, I let her. I said yes, whether to her body, to her voice, or her impossible requests.

And tomorrow would be no different. Tomorrow, I would walk straight into the lion’s den for her.

But tonight?

Tonight she was mine.

The road narrowed the farther north we drove in upstate New York, trees rising on either side like dark pillars guiding us toward the estate. A second SUV kept its distance behind us, just for precaution. The woman beside me was precious cargo.

Genevieve sat, hands folded in her lap, gaze fixed on the snow-thick woods rushing past her window. She hadn’t spoken in ten minutes. Her fidgeting and light hyperventilation told me exactly what was going through her mind.

I tightened my hand on the steering wheel, exhaling through my nose as the estate’s outer borders came into view, high gates, stone walls, cameras. The pinnacle of old money arrogance.

Her hand slid toward mine, hesitant and trembling, until her fingers curled around my knuckles resting on the gear shift. Her grip was tight and desperate. The closer we got, the more she shook.

“Reid…” she whispered, voice breaking in small pieces. “What if it’s too soon?”

I kept my eyes on the road, feeling every word she’d spoken in my chest. Her breathing turned shallow, her hand shaking harder in mine.

“What if she isn’t ready for this?” she choked softly. “What if we ruin everything? What if this entire trip is a mistake?”

Fear sat in every inch of her posture as she spiraled, and I hated it. The past had such a grip on her, clawing at the edges of her mind, the uncertainty of it all tightening like a noose around her throat.

I shifted my grip, turning my hand under hers so our fingers interlocked. Then I pulled her delicate hand to my mouth, pressing a slow, steady kiss to the back of it.

“Genevieve.” I kept my voice firm and grounding.

Her eyes flicked toward me, all glassy and terrified. “What if we’re not ready?” she whispered.

My thumb stroked the back of her hand once.

“What if,” I murmured, “now is exactly the right time?”

She swallowed, hard. “I’m scared,” she admitted, voice cracking. “She’s… she’s built a life without me. And I have no right to disrupt it. I don’t know if she’ll want me. I don’t knowif she’ll want you. Eugene already rejected me,” she whispered. “What if she does the same after meeting you. What if—”

“Vieve,” I cut her off.

She sighed. “…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” I muttered. “We can leave at any moment, you know that. You say the word, and we turn around.”

“You won’t be disappointed?”

I flicked a glance at her. “I came for you,” I said, placing another kiss on her skin. “I’m ready when you are. If you’re not, then we wait until that day comes.”

“…I love you. So much.”

I didn’t loosen my grip on her hand as we reached the gates. Warm golden lights spilled across the snow beyond them, the Russel estate glowing like some holiday spectacle carved into the forest. Stopped at the barrier, I looked over to my beautiful wife. The one I’d do anything for. The one who followed me to the end of the earth and brought me back to the world.

“I love you,mon amour.” My lips found hers, claiming and calming her in the same breath.

The gates soon opened and I pulled away, giving her one last chance to back out, one last chance to make our way back to our little corner of the world. The one where I kept her for myself. The one I was convinced was enough for us.

But when she nodded, I turned back to the road, crossing the threshold.

I knew there was no going back. Whatever waited for us inside that estate… we’d face it together.