“Yes, perfect,” she interrupts, beaming at me. “Can we take Rosa with us? I know she would love it too.” My expression must reflect my thoughts because she swiftly clarifies, “Just to the club, not dinner. I also want the dinner to be just the two of us.”

I sigh. “Sure. I’ll have one of the guards drive her, so she can meet us at the club after dinner.”

Nora squeals and throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you! Oh, I can’t wait. This is going to be so great.”

And as she heads out for lunch with her parents, I get together with Lucas to figure out how to secure a popular Chicago nightclub on a Saturday night.

* * *

“Wow, Julian, this is amazing,” Nora exclaims as we walk into the high-end French restaurant I chose for our dinner. “How did you get a reservation? I heard people have to wait for months . . .” Then she stops and rolls her eyes. “Oh, never mind. What am I saying? Of course you of all people can get a reservation.”

I smile at her obvious excitement. “I’m glad you like it. Let’s hope the food is as good as the ambience.”

The waiter leads us to our table, which is in a private nook at the back of the restaurant. Instead of wine, I order sparkling water for both of us, and also request the tasting menu after first explaining the restrictions associated with Nora’s pregnancy.

“Very good, sir,” the waiter says, bowing slightly, and before we know it, the first course is on our table.

As we nibble on asparagus risotto and langoustine ravioli, Nora tells me about her lunch and how happy her parents were to celebrate this birthday with her. “They got me a new set of paint brushes,” she says, grinning. “I’m guessing that means my dad’s no longer as skeptical about my hobby.”

“That’s good, baby. He shouldn’t be. You have an amazing talent.”

“Thank you.” She gives me a glowing smile and reaches for her water glass.

As we talk, I find myself unable to look away from her. She’s radiant tonight, more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her. Her strapless blue dress is sexy and elegant at the same time—though much too short for my peace of mind. When I saw her coming down the stairs tonight, in that dress and her silvery high-heeled shoes, it was all I could do not to drag her back upstairs and fuck her for three days straight. It doesn’t help that she used some kind of make-up that makes her lips shiny and extra-lush. Every time she wraps those lips around a fork, I picture her sucking my cock and my pants get uncomfortably tight.

“You know, you never told me what you were doing in that club when we first met,” she says when we’re halfway through the third course. “Why were you in Chicago, in general? Most of your business is outside the US, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I say, nodding. “I wasn’t here for business in that sense. An acquaintance of mine recommended this hedge fund analyst to me, so I was interviewing him for the position of my personal portfolio manager.”

“Oh.” Nora’s eyes widen. “Is that the guy you were meeting with the other day?”

“Yes. I liked what I saw two years ago, so I hired him. And then I decided to go out and see a bit of the city—which is how I ended up in that club.”

“You weren’t worried about security back then?”

“I had a few of my men with me, but no, Al-Quadar wasn’t yet a major threat, and besides, I didn’t have you to worry about.” It wasn’t until I acquired Nora that I became this paranoid about safety. My pet doesn’t know how vulnerable she makes me, doesn’t realize the lengths to which I would go to protect her. If I had been certain that Majid would let her go unharmed, I would’ve given him the explosive and whatever else Al-Quadar demanded.

I would’ve done anything to get her back.

“Were you planning to hook up with some woman that night?” Nora asks, taking a sip from her glass. Her tone is casual, but the look in her eyes is anything but.

I smile, pleased by her apparent jealousy. “Perhaps,” I tease. “That’s why most men go to clubs, you know. It’s not for the dancing, I assure you.”

“So did you?” She leans forward, her small hand tightening around her fork. “Did you pick up someone after I left?”

I’m tempted to tease her some more, but I can’t bring myself to be that cruel. “No, my pet. I returned to my hotel room alone that night, unable to think of anything but this beautiful, petite girl I met.” I also dreamed of her. Of her face that was so much like Maria’s . . . of her silky skin and delicate curves.

Of the dark, twisted things I wanted to do to her.

“I see.” Nora relaxes, a smile appearing on her face. “And the next day? Did you go out again?”

“No.” I reach for a crab-stuffed fig. “I didn’t see the point.” Not when I was so obsessed I spent hours looking through the pictures my guards took of her.

Not when I already knew I’d never want any woman this much again.

Chapter 23

Nora

By the time we walk out of the restaurant, I feel like I’m in seventh heaven. Our dinner tonight was the closest thing we’ve had to a real date, and for the first time in months, I’m feeling hopeful about the future.

We may never be “normal,” but that doesn’t mean we can’t be happy.

As we drive to the club, I allow myself that daydream again, the one where Julian and I are a family. It feels more real now, more substantial. For the first time, I can picture us raising our child together. It wouldn’t be easy, and we’d constantly be surrounded by guards, but we could do it. We could make it work. We’d live on the estate most of the time, but we’d travel too. We’d visit my parents and friends, and we’d go to places in Europe and Asia. I would have a career as an artist, and Julian’s business would be something that’s in the background of our lives, instead of front and center.