“Always.” My arms circled her petite body, and I brought her close to press a kiss to her forehead. She was more valuable than my money, my homes, my vault of jewels. She was the single most important thing in my life—and she had a beating heart that I had to protect. I’d never known love, not like this, and I hadn’t felt love at all since the night I’d lost my family. She seemed to fix that—or at least put a gauze over the wound. “Je t’aime, chérie.”

She pressed her forehead against my chest. “Je t’aime, mon fiancé.”

I kissed her again because I loved the way that sounded on her perfect lips. I hugged her tighter, not wanting to let go, wanting to stay for just another moment. But I forced myself to pull away, forced myself to do what must be done.

But I did leave my heart behind—in her hands.

The camp was exactly as it should be.

The guards were always surprised by my unexpected visits, but never unprepared.

My horse was taken away, Nathan went to retrieve my dinner from the kitchen, and I silently walked beside Magnus as we entered my cabin. The second I was on the premises, I stopped thinking about Melanie and focused on the things that required my attention.

Magnus seemed to know I was in a bad mood because he said, “Talk tomorrow?”

“No.” I pulled my sweaty shirt over my head and tossed it aside before I grabbed a bottle of water and my favorite scotch. I moved to the couch and took a seat, getting the water down before I started on the drink I really wanted.

Magnus noticed my unusual behavior but didn’t comment on it. He took a seat.

We talked about securing the deal with the Colombians, if Alix was still being a bitch, other matters that required my attention. It was all business first—the reason I was there. I drank my scotch as we talked.

He didn’t.

Guess he was more pussy-whipped than I was.

“I don’t understand the risk you’re taking. The risk doesn’t outweigh current profits.”

He resisted me at every step—and it was fucking annoying. “A business can’t grow without risks.”

“But we don’t need to grow. We’re already the biggest—”

“And we can be bigger.” I flashed him a hard look. “When will you understand that, even if I had everything, it still wouldn’t be enough.”

Magnus finally backed off and rose to his feet, his mood soured by our disagreement. “Goodnight.”

“No. I have something to say to you.” This was the real reason I was in a foul mood.

He turned back and stared at me, a leaner and younger version of myself. We were two years apart, but sometimes that felt like a lifetime.