I don’t know. I think people have asked him. He just won’t say.”
“Oh. That’s too bad. I bet there’s a story there.”
There was a story there, and Belinda only knew a small part of it. Fitz still hadn’t told her more than the bare bones of his background. And it struck her then that something was wrong with that. How could they be in a real relationship—even trying one out like they were—if he wouldn’t tell her who he really was? They were together now, but they weren’t together all the way.
But maybe Ariana had a point. Maybe she should just ask. If he wouldn’t tell her... well, then that would say something she needed to know.
FITZ SHOWED UP AT BELINDA’S house at seven o’clock that night. Like every other night for the past two weeks, he was hungry and excited and practically shuddering with anticipation.
Every night he spent with her was better than the last.
She was working on dinner when he arrived, so he followed her back to the kitchen, happily picking up a knife and chopping up vegetables for the salad when she asked him to.
Belinda wore all black—a long, soft tunic top with yoga pants—and she looked gorgeous and sexy and relaxed. She was making a bolognese sauce for pasta, and Fitz couldn’t resist sticking a fork in so he could taste it, laughing when she swatted him away.
He’d never had evenings like this before. Dinner with his favorite person in the world. Good food and laughter and conversation. Intimacy. Hot sex. Then a night of sound sleep. He really hadn’t realized that life could be so good. That he could enjoy himself so much and not have it taken away.
She asked him about his day as she stirred her sauce, and then she told him about showing Charles’s sister the storefront and her idea for the dress shop.
“I don’t think it’s going to earn a huge profit in this area, but if she’s smart, it might break even,” he said, thinking about the possibilities.
“I think she’d be fine with that. Her family has a lot of money, I guess. She said she just wanted something worthwhile to do, which is perfectly understandable.” Belinda slanted him a strange little look. “She was asking about you.”
“What about me? Did she suspect we’re together or something?” He stiffened slightly, afraid that Belinda would be worried if word of their relationship started to get around. He wasn’t ready for anything to get in the way of what they had. Not yet.
“No. No, nothing like that. I think she was interested in you. She said you were cute.”
Fitz’s eyes widened, and he burst into laughter. “What? You’re joking.”
“No, I’m not. She did say that. And why are you so surprised?” Belinda propped her wooden spoon on the side of the pan and turned around to grab Fitz’s shirt and pull him closer to her. “You are cute.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You think I’m just with you for your personality?”
Fitz couldn’t help but melt a little at the words and the warm faith in her eyes. “Well, my personality and my skill in the bedroom.”
She snorted.
“Hey!” he objected. “I’m not bad in the bedroom.”
Spilling over with giggles, she gave him a little hug and then turned back to her sauce. “You’re very, very good in the bedroom. But you’re also pretty cute, and you shouldn’t be surprised if other women notice it. As long as you’re not going to start noticing them.”
Fitz shot her a quick look. He murmured soberly, “I haven’t noticed any woman but you for years, Belinda. You don’t really think I’m going to change my mind now, do you?”
She blushed and lowered her eyes before she slanted him a little smile. “That’s good then.”
“Yes.” He leaned over to kiss her. “It’s good.”
They returned to their meal prep, both of them hiding their sappy feelings. When the food was ready, they sat at the dining room table to eat. They were about halfway through when Belinda said casually, “Ariana thinks you’re European royalty in disguise.”
Fitz almost choked on his bite of salad. “What?”
“That’s what she said. It’s either that or you’re in witness protection.”
“Great. Excellent options.”
“Well, you can’t be surprised if people think up all kinds of possibilities. Since you won’t tell anyone.”
“There’s really nothing to tell.”
She nodded, her eyes on her plate. “I get why you don’t want to share with everyone about what happened to your family. That’s hard. But you won’t tell people your name or where you’re from.” She