Page 161 of The Heart You Kept

“Fired up.”

First woman in history who would ever dare to tell my men off.

“Okay, I’ll call her. Bye.”

I immediately dial her number. Ring, ring….

“What do you want?” she snaps.

A broad smile covers my face at the sound of her angry voice.

Even furious, she’s hot.

“I believe you meant to say, Hello, Edward.”

“Nope, didn’t mean to say that,” she fires back. “I meant to say, what do you want?”

“I’m in London.”

“So I heard.”

“Watch your tone, miss.”

“Don’t fucking dare miss me,” she snaps. “You tell your guards to leave me the hell alone.”

“They are there for your safety and they will be staying with you for your safety.”

“No, Edward.”

“This is nonnegotiable, Alora, I need you safe.”

“Why? So you can ignore me all the way from London?”

“You’re angry that I haven’t returned your calls?”

“I’m not angry. I’m infuriated.”

I smile, even fighting with this woman excites me.

“I haven’t answered your calls because I wanted to see you in person, I didn’t want to fight with you over the phone.”

Silence.

“I will be home on the weekend,” I tell her.

“No.”

“We can discuss your guard situation then.”

“I don’t want guards at all, ever. This isn’t a spy movie and you’re going way too far.”

“Just humor me until I’m back in the country.”

“You know what I find funny?” she fumes.

Here we go. I roll my eyes.

“You tell me to not see other people and to wait for you and then you go missing for the week?”