Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,23
seems satisfied—or at least silenced—with my answer as he draws in a deep breath, his eyes falling down to his copy of the report. Then my laptop starts ringing, and I know it’s time for Roy and me to jump on our Zoom call.
As I reach the terrace, I see Petra from afar, sitting at the table and watching the last rays of light as the sun slowly sinks beneath the horizon. Cynthia is a genius—she knows Petra hates to show her physical incapacity in front of me, so she has been mindful enough to seat Petra before I arrive. Not that it bothers me, but I’ve noticed that Petra hates to display her limited mobility around other people. I guess it’s a matter of pride—I’d have probably felt the same.
“Hey,” I greet her, giving her a peck on the lips.
As I sit in front of her, her gaze remains glued on the scenery behind me. “You missed the sunset.” And her tone tells me she knows exactly why.
I turn to look at the horizon. True, the sun is already gone, resulting in rich hues of red blended with orange, purple, and crimson in the sky. “Ah, well, there will be many more.” I find myself drawn to her exposed collarbone and the pendant she is wearing. A quick sigh escapes me, remembering when I put it on her. Damn, I’m the luckiest man alive. “You look absolutely stunning today.”
“Only today?” she asks in a tease, her brows raising in amusement.
Her humor twists my lips into a smile, and, playing along, I say, “Yep, only today.”
And I manage to get a laugh from her. “You look nice today too.”
Petra doesn’t waste any time telling me all about her aqua gym and deep-tissue massage session. She always has something interesting to share, and, despite the fact I’m still in total awe that she is here, all I can do is smile as I try to focus on what she is saying. I guess I will need some time to get used to the idea that she is finally back. Then, Maria comes in and places our starters on each side of the table. Once she leaves, Petra falls silent, probably engrossed in her thoughts as she stares absently down at her plate. And I’m like an idiot, observing every inch of her face, her hair, her lips…
“Once my classes start again,” she says in a low voice, “um, maybe I could move in with you to your condo.” With an ounce of timidity in her voice, her gaze goes up to meet mine as she waits for my answer.
“You know that’s not possible.” It hurts like hell to smash her hopes and watch her smile fade away. “Your dad is looking forward to you going back to Park Avenue.”
Blowing out a breath, Petra doesn’t hide her discontentment, and her eyes drift away, staring past me at nothing. “Why is Dad so insistent about that?”
“He just wants to spend some time with you,” I tell her. “After six months in a coma, you can’t blame him for that.” But Petra is not naive. She can see through me like no one else, even if she doesn’t say a thing about it. In an attempt to reassure her, I add, “We can spend the weekends together.”
“We are in the twenty-first century. Couples live together even before getting married,” she points out. “I can see him from time to time.”
The last thing I need is another fight with Roy. After all the arguments we’ve already had since Petra woke up, my friendship with him is within a hairsbreadth of falling apart. “Look, once we are married, we’ll live every single day together,” I tell her, sounding as confident as I can. “Just enjoy your last months there.”
Petra takes a mouthful of her food and keeps quiet while chewing. Then she drinks a bit of her juice, still considering my advice. “Alright,” she mumbles, her gaze on mine. “I guess I can survive a few months there.”
We exchange a quick smile, and I reach for her hand, giving it a kiss. “I truly appreciate the sacrifice, Miss Van Gatt.” My tone is sarcastic, and she plays along.
“I hope so.”
The sound of her laughter is enough to fill me with joy.
Regardless of what the future holds for us, a part of me still believes I will marry her.
Fuck, what a fucking mess I’ve gotten myself into…
But my critical thinking and rational minds pull me back to