Chapter 2

When I got home, Elliot was moving things into the study.

I stood in the doorway and watched him. "You're sleeping in the study now?"

He smiled at me, easy and natural. "Work's been keeping me up late. I don't want to disturb your sleep."

"Right." I didn't argue.

Keeping himself pure for her, I supposed.

I went to the bedroom, pulled out Dominic's business card, and looked him up on my phone. I'd gotten his number from the property management office at Natasha's building — that whole thing only worked because the property wasn't registered in her name.

I hadn't expected much. What I found stopped me cold.

Dominic Kingsley. Kingsley Group. Companies upon companies, some of them names I actually recognized.

He was that wealthy.

No wonder he'd given that flat, tired little smile when I mentioned Elliot's income.

"Sweetheart, want some coffee? I made it myself." Elliot appeared at the door.

I shut my screen quickly.

He set a mug in front of me. Then he took my hand, the way he used to. "I've got a student — her family's quite well off. I'm trying to bring in some investment for the academy, so I've asked her to come by tonight for dinner. To chat."

I looked up at him. "Which student?"

"Natasha." He said it lightly, the name falling out of his mouth like it meant nothing at all.

"Sure." I smiled. "Should I cook?"

"I'll handle it. You don't have to do anything." He reached out and touched my face, eyes warm. "Nothing at all."

I held his gaze for a moment and felt something go blank behind my chest.

He was still so good at this. If he'd fallen out of love with me, why go to all this trouble?