Page 81 of Damian’s Conquest

34

Everybody was pacing in the conference room, which didn’t make Naomi feel any better. She hated waiting for word about how the mission was going. Why was it taking so long to hear back from them?

Every five minutes, she looked at the large clock on the wall, only to realize that time was passing at a snail’s pace.

“Damian’s very well trained,” Amaury said from behind her. “Don’t worry. He’s been on much more dangerous missions before. He can handle this.”

She turned to him and forced a smile. “I’m still nervous.”

“It’s normal. You care about him.”

She met Amaury’s gaze and realized for the first time how much Damian had inherited from his father, not just his blue eyes, his dark hair and chiseled face, but also his confidence and his charm.

“I do.”

“Don’t worry, he’s pretty indestructible.” Then he suddenly looked past her toward the door, and his gentle expression turned to one of adoration.

Naomi looked over her shoulder and saw Nina breeze into the room. She was dressed in tight jeans, and a figure-hugging top and cardigan, her blond hair short, her eyes already seeking those of her husband.

Naomi’s heart skipped a beat. The way Amaury looked at Nina reminded her of how Damian had looked at her when they’d made love.

“Chérie,” Amaury said, as he pulled Nina into his arms.

“Hey, baby, I came as soon as I heard. Any news yet?”

“It’s too early.”

“Hi, Naomi,” Nina said with a smile.

“Good morning, Nina. It’s nice to see you again.”

“How about you and I go to the lounge for some breakfast?” Nina asked.

“I should stay here to wait for news from Damian,” Naomi said, while her stomach betrayed her and growled.

“You two go,” Amaury said in an encouraging tone. “I’ll let you know the moment we hear anything.”

“You sure?”

Nina took her arm and whisked her away, and Naomi allowed it. Perhaps some food would calm her nerves. Nina took her to a lounge on the first floor, which looked more like the first-class lounge at an airport complete with complimentary food and drinks than a cafeteria. Not that she’d ever been in a first-class lounge.

“I’m not sure I can eat anything.”

“You need to,” Nina said with a smile. “It’ll be a long day. You need to keep up your strength.”

As they filled their plates with pastries, fruit, and other breakfast items, Naomi had to admire how calm Nina was.

They sat down at one of the comfortable sectionals, and Naomi noticed that there were only a few other people in the large room, and they kept to themselves.

“Aren’t you afraid when your husband or your sons are out there trying to take down criminals?”

“Of course, I’m always afraid of what could happen,” Nina said with a soft smile. “But Amaury, Damian, and Benjamin are strong, and they’re well-trained. They can take care of themselves.”

Naomi bit into a Danish, pacing herself so she wouldn’t eat too much, though the food was very tempting, and the previous night she’d emptied an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream instead of eating dinner. Nina ate with great appetite, and Naomi was surprised at how she managed to keep her slim figure if she always ate like that.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Nina asked and pointed to Naomi’s plate.

“Oh, I am, but I can’t eat that much, or my weight will just balloon.” She made a gesture to Nina’s figure. “You must tell me how you stay so slim.”