Page 20 of Forever: The Companion

EIGHT

“Sir, we’ll be arriving at the house in twenty minutes.”

“Thank you.”

The partition between the front and back of the car closed again, allowing Renzo his privacy from the driver.

Lush greenery, brightened by a sun so high in the bluest of skies, cloudless and stretching so far, had Renzo more than happy to be sitting in the backseat of a car for once in his damn life. The driver at the front had closed the partition between the front and back seats as they were chauffeured from the airport to the private residence he’d rented for the week, but the back windows were down.

Just a crack, not much.

It was enough, though.

To smell the air.

The island.

All the water.

Usually, he’d be the one in the front seat driving. He preferred that, really, because he didn’t like giving someone else control of a vehicle. Today, he didn’t have a single damn to give because not only did he have the best view of the volcanic mountains, thick with lush forests ahead of them, but also of the woman napping in his lap.

That flight?

So long.

Lucia had done her best to stay awake for most of it, not wanting to miss a thing. He knew that feeling, but at the same time, he didn’t blame her when she’d finally fallen asleep in the seat next to his after the plane had landed and she’d snuggled in close. He was used to staying up for hours on end, constantly. Forty-eight hours with eyes peeled wide open was fucking nothing for him because that was one of the first things The League had ever taught him to do.

You have no limits.

He couldn’t forget those words.

He didn’t.

Drifting his fingertips through the length of Lucia’s dark hair, smoothing out the strands with each stroke, he finally took his attention away from the views outside to admire the one in his lap. Those long lashes of hers fanned against her skin, and her lips stayed in the pout of her sleep, making her pretty features far softer.

She looked happy.

Relaxed.

And wasn’t that everything he wanted?

God, he hoped this week gave his girl everything she didn’t even know that she needed. Lucia worked nonstop—was still the most motivated person he knew, frankly. She woke up with a smile and went to bed with one, too. It was one of the reasons he loved her the most. You know, next to literally everything else about her.

Sometimes, he wondered if they took nearly enough time for one another in their very busy lives. Hell, there were times when he felt as though they barely even saw each other. He’d just get back from one job for The League only to be immediately sent out on another. Sure, he could refuse them, being he was an independent contractor for them now … but he didn’t know how to slow down.

Lucia never told him to.

She worked damn hard, too.

He never told her to stop.

Of course, then he had moments like these. Quiet moments. All he had to do was stare at her—the world seemed a little slower around him—and all he seemed to think about was that he could do this exact thing for the rest of his fucking life with her.

Absolutely nothing.

Just stare at her.

Maybe that was the thing.