Page 43 of Let Me Keep You

If Eric has my number, then they know exactly where I am. I just want to be left alone. While I’ve never been one to run from my problems, if they show up here, they’ll be the ones who find trouble.

CHAPTER TEN

GEMMA

I wake up with the sun beaming on my face. It’ll be another hot day, but luckily, I won’t be in the office sweating my ass off. Daddy sometimes goes into the garage on Saturdays to catch up on maintenance, sign for special deliveries, or to clean, but I take the weekends off.

Turning, I notice Robert’s side of the bed is empty and the sheets are cool. He never sleeps in with me and is typically drinking coffee in his home office by the time I get up.

“Morning,” I say when I find him in the kitchen.

He’s already showered and dressed while I’m in comfy shorts and a T-shirt. His black hair is combed and he’s freshly shaved. Robert never stops working, and on a typical day, he wears slacks and a button-up shirt or a suit if he has a business meeting. His motto is to dress for success because he never knows who he’ll meet that day.

While I admire his drive, always having to be on my A game when we leave the house is exhausting. I’d love to lounge for an afternoon and watch old eighties movies, but he never has time for that.

“Good morning, darlin’.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “How’d you sleep?”

Robert takes a seat at the kitchen table, and I pour myself a cup of coffee and add creamer before sitting across from him.

“I slept fine. How about you?” I hold the warm mug in my hands.

“Great.” He smiles at me before grabbing the newspaper and giving it his full attention.

I normally sleep at his house on the weekends, though I wish he’d stay at mine every once in a while. Although he insists I keep my things here, I still pack a bag every time. He’s almost become militant about me moving in, but I haven’t caved yet. I’m biding my time, which is quickly running out, because soon, we’ll be married.

“Did you eat breakfast yet?” I glance around, noticing the counters are spotless.

“No, I was waiting for you.”

I blow on my coffee before taking a sip. “What’re you hungry for?”

“Something light. I have a lunch meeting with Greg Klein at one. Eggs and toast would be great,” he says without looking up at me.

Biting into my lower lip, I swallow down the words that will inevitably start an argument. I wasn’t aware he had a work meeting scheduled, and I was hoping he’d spend the day with me, but I shouldn’t be surprised. He’ll do his thing, I’ll do mine, and we’ll meet up for dinner like usual.

“Sure.” I move behind the large marble island, then grab a pan and the ingredients from the fridge.

As I prepare our food, I contemplate texting Katie to see if she’s busy this afternoon. Everleigh’s working at the boutique until six, and while I could go visit her, Saturdays are the busiest, and I don’t want to get in the way.

Once Robert’s breakfast is done, I set his plate in front of him with a smile.

“Could you get me a glass of orange juice, darlin’?”

“Of course.”

After he’s settled, I prepare my food. By the time I join him, he’s nearly done eating.

“You should skip the toast,” he suggests without hesitation, flipping to a different section in the paper as I dip it into the yolk.

I blink hard, freezing before I take a bite. “What do you mean?”

“Do you think you’ll be wedding-ready by March?”

I clear my throat before setting my food down on the plate. “I thought Winnie was coordinating⁠—”

“Not that. Your body. Will you be ready to wear a dress and be photographed? Our wedding photos will be posted all over the internet.”

He finally makes eye contact with me.