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“You know who. Laila,” she says.
I automatically glance at the hallway, expecting either Magnus or Laila to be there. I haven’t seen Laila all that much since I went for dinner with her. Since our little tryst in the wine bar bathroom. I’ve thought about her a lot. Every damn night as I’m falling asleep, I can’t help but try to listen to her. Even when she’s snoring. But I’ve been trying to respect her wishes to keep things professional again.
In some ways it’s been easy. She’s busy with the boys, and even though I’m their PPO, I go with Magnus everywhere. I never see her at breakfast or lunch, only at dinner, and then we’re surrounded by this one big chaotic family. The only time I’m ever alone with her is if one of us is in the library at night having a drink and no one else has shown up yet. But even then, she doesn’t stick around.
In other ways, it’s been hard because, fuck, I like being around her. I’m still finding my footing with this household, still trying to navigate this royal family and the twists and turns of this job. It should be straightforward, but when it comes to Magnus, nothing is straightforward. Laila is the only thing that’s grounding me at the moment, a tie to a time when things felt more solid, and reliable. I crave that sense of stability.
And to be honest, I crave her. That taste of her that I had did nothing to get her out of my system. Instead it acted like a drug, the slow-release kind that keeps you coming back for more. She’s in my system now, whether she wants to be or not. And I know she doesn’t want to be.
“You’re rather paranoid, you know that?” Lady Jane muses, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
“It’s my job to be paranoid,” I tell her.
She squints at me. “Perhaps. But don’t think I haven’t noticed how you look at Ms. Bruset.”
“I don’t look at her any differently than I look at you,” I say, reaching across the table for the French press and pouring myself another cup. I make the gesture to fill up hers, but she briefly puts her hand over her mug, laughing.
“Yes. You do,” she says. “And it’s not how any other young man, or old man for that matter, would look at her. You’re not just seeing her as a beautiful woman, you’re seeing her as someone who means something to you.”
I swallow. “She’s my friend, if that’s what you mean.”
“You know it’s not what I mean,” she says, whispering as she leans forward, a gleam in her eyes. “But I won’t pry further. Just know that I know.”
“Hate to break it to you, Lady Jane, but you don’t know anything,” I tell her before having a sip of the coffee. This is my third cup this morning. Not sure if this is going to help or hinder my day.
“By the way, when are we supposed to go to the cabin?” I ask her, changing the subject.
She laughs. “If Magnus is telling you to pack your bags now, it means you’re leaving now. As in today.”
Perhaps this third cup is needed after all.
When I’m done drinking it I head to my room, about to pass by Laila, who is stepping out of hers.
Damn it. I wish I could just give her a nod and move on, but I can’t. With her hair pulled back, her striking face, a few freckles showing on her perfect nose, and her long teal sweater and leggings, she manages to be someone worth losing your breath over.
Someone I can’t ignore.
“Hey,” I say to her, blocking her path. “Did you hear the news?”
She sighs and glances up at me, looking tired. “About the kikut?”
“Yes. What does that word mean, anyway?”
“It’s just the name of the cabin.”
“It doesn’t mean anything in Norwegian, like murder death trap or something?”
I actually make her smile.
“If it did, I wouldn’t warn you,” she says.
“Have you been there?”
She nods, pressing her lips together. “Yes. Just once, in the summer. It’s nice. But it’s going to be crowded. Pack warm and bring your earplugs.”
“If I can handle your snoring, then I can handle anything.” The truth is, I can’t wear earplugs. I need to be alert to the smallest sounds. It’s a wonder that I’ve trained myself to sleep deep enough and yet wake up at a moment’s notice.
She barks out a laugh, and I grin in response, my chest getting this effervescent champagne feeling at the sound and sight of her. “Oh, you haven’t heard Einar yet. You have no idea.”
