to change. Things couldn’t stay the same and include Orion. Haley and Ivy had talked to her about that much at least.
Orion was worth it. Every day he proved to her that she deserved a better life, and she wanted to live it with him.
ORION FROWNED AT THE axle. Was it just a little bent? Or was it his imagination?
He really wished Jennifer would have told him she wanted a bicycle. This was a situation of his own creation. He’d jumped too quickly to fulfil casual wishes and made her uneasy.
It was a delicate balance still. Some days Jennifer relaxed easily into life with him. Others it seemed to chafe.
He wanted to give her the world. Everything. But that wasn’t what she wanted.
Where was all that glorious patience he’d talked about in the beginning?
The door opened and Jennifer shuffled out to join him, still wearing the ridiculously fuzzy slippers Milan had sent her as a gift. Orion glanced up at her face and paused.
“What’s wrong? Did you call Zain?” He knew she’d muttered about needing to do that since going to the range earlier today, but he hadn’t known why.
“Yeah,” she muttered and perched on the edge of the outdoor sectional.
He set the axle aside and faced her. “And?”
Orion held his breath.
Was she going back to work?
They’d only gotten six weeks together.
“I’m no longer field rated.” She wiggled her right fingers. “I can’t be. Not when I lose feeling after a dozen shots.”
Damn.
He’d noticed her shaking the hand out, but he’d hoped she was just being cautious. Her shots had been perfect.
On the other hand, if she wasn’t going to work in the field, what did that mean for them?
“Zain had it all figured out.” She blinked at the sky. “I mean, all of it. I told him, he said it sucked, and he was sorry. I thought he’d just let me go easy, you know?”
Orion stilled.
What was Zain’s grand plan? Was it going to take her away from him?
“Zain suggested taking a bit more time. He talked about how I’m due vacation time I’ve never used.”
“And?” Orion grit his teeth. He shouldn’t speak right now, or else he might beg her to never leave.
Her gaze lowered to his. She looked...dazed?
“Zain wants me to go to hospitality work. Part time for now,” she said.
“Hospitality? What does that mean?” He was frantically trying to figure out if this new role could somehow work with the life he wanted to build with her.
“AG Hospitality, they’re responsible for lining up safe houses, supplies, serving as go-betweens for service providers and our people in the field.” She chuckled. “I haven’t had to use them, but the guys make it sound like fairies just magically drop everything they need where they need it.”
“Okay... So, where would you be based out of?” he asked.
“Um, that’s what we need to talk about...” She gripped the side of the cushion on either side of her legs and looked down at him. Her silky hair fell forward over one shoulder in a dark curtain while the late afternoon sun made a riot of color behind her. “Zain wanted to know if I’d be staying here or relocating.”
Orion took a breath and nodded. He had to be patient. “What do you want to do?”
She bit her lower lip, but didn’t look away from him. “I mean, that’s really up to you. I’m the homeless one here, co-opting a whole income producing area of your business.”
He couldn’t take it.
Screw being patient.
He dropped the axle and reached for her, taking her hand in his. “Then stay. I’ll move all future cottage bookings elsewhere. We can make the second bedroom an office for you and you can do whatever Zain has for you out of here.”
Her face twisted into a familiar cringe. “But—”
“Jenn. The longer you’re here, the less I want you to leave. It’s taking everything inside of me to not just lock you up and tell you that you aren’t leaving.” He chuckled, but he meant every word. “If you want to stay, stay.”
“I just worry you’re going to resent losing the cottage or something,” she muttered.
“I lose the cottage, so what? My old apartment becomes a luxury suite and I get more privacy to be with you. I don’t see a problem here.” He’d been brainstorming a plan. Was it time to tell her? “The other week when I had lunch with Max before he left? Well, a realtor friend of ours paused to talk and according to him our