g to protect me. What am I
going to do with him to make him open up more?
82 | P a g e
E L JAMES
He stirs and I still, not wanting to wake him, but it has the opposite effect.
Damn! Two bright eyes gaze at me, blinking.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Go back to sleep.” I try my reassuring smile. He stretches, rubs his
face, and then grins at me.
“Jet lag?” he asks.
“Is that what this is? I can’t sleep.”
“I ha一ve the universal panacea right here, just for you, baby.” He grins like a
schoolboy, making me roll my eyes and giggle at the same time. And just like
that my dark thoughts are swept aside and my teeth find his earlobe.
Christian and I cruise north on the I-5 toward the 520 bridge in the Audi R8.
We are going to ha一ve lunch at his parents’, a welcome-home Sunday lunch.
All the family will be there, plus Kate and Ethan. It will be strange to be in so
much company when we’ve been on our own all this time. I ha一ven’t had an
opportunity to talk to Christian most of the morning—he was holed up in his
study while I unpacked. He said I didn’t ha一ve to, that Mrs. Jones would do it.
But that’s something else I need to get used to—ha一ving domestic help. I run
my fingers absentmindedly over the leather upholstery of the door to distract
my wandering thoughts. I feel out of sorts. Is it the jet lag? The arson?
“Would you let me drive this?” I ask, surprised that I say the words out loud.
“Of course,” Christian replies, smiling. “What’s mine is yours. If you dent it,
though, I will take you into the Red Room of Pain.” He glances swiftly at me
with a malicious grin.
Shit! I gape at him. Is this a joke?
“You’re kidding. You’d punish me for denting your car? You love your car
more than you love me?” I tease.
“It’s close,” he says and reaches across to squeeze my knee. “But she
doesn’t keep me warm at night.”
“I’m sure it could be arranged. You could sleep in her,” I snap. Christian
laughs. “We ha一ven’t been home one day and you’re kicking me out already?”
He seems delighted. I gaze
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