the table and helped me to my seat before taking his own. He cut into the wedge of hard cheese, placed it on a cracker, and handed it to me.
“Thank you,” I said and then took a dainty bite.
He stared at me across the table, his expression reserved. “You’re not the same as you were four days ago.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “We just—”
“I’m not talking about sex. I know how your body reacts to mine. I’m talking about the fact that you’re treating me with cool detachment.”
“I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you think.”
He shook his head slowly. “I left almost as soon as I brought you here. I haven’t called or texted in four days and you act like you don’t care. Furthermore, you didn’t send me a slew of texts wondering when I’d come home.”
My brow furrowed. “Was I supposed to? I’m not your girlfriend. You don’t owe me anything, Hadrian. We have a contract. What you do with your own time is none of my business.”
“You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what again?”
“Not acting the way I expected you to.”
“Sorry, I’ll try to be better about that,” I said with a grin.
He pointed a finger at me. “Stop it.”
“Stop what?” I demanded. “I’m just being me. I’m being honest. If you want me to pretend to be mad at you for leaving me alone on this gorgeous island with more than enough things to occupy my time, I guess we could role play. I didn’t know you were into that.”
“I don’t like this side of you, Eden.”
“What side of me is that?”
“This cool, flirtatious side of you. You’re acting like a Rex girl.”
“I am a Rex girl.”
“During our time together, you’ve never behaved like one. Your reactions to me have always been honest—and for lack of a better word—volatile.”
“So you did think I was going to be upset that you didn’t communicate with me for four days, didn’t you?”
“I told you as much,” he groused. “You continue to surprise me.”
“You’re not a man who likes surprises,” I stated. “You were surprised that I called you on your shit. You didn’t like it, so you left.”
“Called me on my shite?” he barked. “I don’t have shite.”
“Oh, honey,” I drawled condescendingly. “We all have shit. Even handsome billionaires.”
“Careful, Eden,” he warned, a muscle in his jaw ticking.
“Careful what?” I demanded, rising from the table. “Should I be worried that you might nullify the contract and send me home? Go for it. You want me to be your plaything? Fine. You want to pick me up whenever you want and then set me aside like a toy? Fine. But if you thought leaving me alone for four days without a word would make me sit and pine for you, you picked the wrong Rex girl.”
I swept from the rooftop terrace in an emotional blaze, made even angrier when I realized Hadrian had been inside of me not that long ago and the proof of him was running down my leg, reminding me that I was nothing more than a whore.
I woke up to a pair of wild, blue-gray eyes.
“Gah!” I reared back into my pillow, trying to put distance between Hadrian and me.
Sunlight filtered through the glass doors leading to the balcony, bathing the room in a fresh morning glow.
“How did I get here?” I asked in confusion. “I distinctly remember falling asleep on the theater-room couch.”
“You did. I carried you to the bed. You didn’t even notice.”
I lifted the sheet and saw that I was still in my pajamas from the previous evening and let out an exhale.
After leaving Hadrian on the rooftop terrace, I’d showered in an attempt to remove his touch from my skin, but it hadn’t worked. I still remembered the feel of him, the scent of him.
“How long have you been awake?” I asked, blinking the sleep from my eyes.
“A few minutes,” he replied.
“Why were you watching me sleep?”
“Curiosity.”
“About?”
“How you managed to fall asleep after our fight.”
“Brandy.”
“You drink brandy now?” he asked.
“I finished off the last of your scotch in the decanter while you were gone. I had to settle for the brandy.” I stared at him for a moment and stated, “You were up most of the night.”
I didn’t wait for confirmation because I didn’t need it. His sleepless night was in the shadows under his eyes.
He rolled over onto his back and lifted his arm to prop it behind his head. I made no move to scoot closer.
“I pride myself on