Secret Destiny: Sins of Odyssey Book 1 by Kathy Kulig Read Free Book Online

for work. I should invite them over for dinner soon. What do you think?”
    She smiled but continued flipping through the album. “I’d love to have them.”
    She talked as if they were living together, and he liked that a lot. Maybe he should bring the topic up again. When he was in town, they practically lived at her place. The last time he brought it up, they agreed to wait. His job, her studies, all was not the best environment for a steady relationship. But everyone had challenging schedules and busy lives.
    “Great. Come have breakfast. Do you want to eat there or on the bed?” he asked.
    When she looked up, he noticed the glitter of tears in her eyes. “The bed is fine.” She got up and put the album down.
    “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” He placed the tray of food on the end of the bed and pulled her into his arms.
    “I’m okay. Just looking at these old pictures got me thinking.”
    He smoothed her short, dark hair out of her eyes. Without the long blond wig, she had more of a pixie face and less of a seductress face, but he liked both sides of her. He kissed her, but she returned the kiss with less enthusiasm. Something bothered her. “Thinking about what?”
    “I love this house. But if I sell it, my financial problems would ease a bit. It may take years before I could afford another home. I do want a home. I have so many memories here. It would be hard to leave it.”
    “Then don’t sell it,” he said. “You’re doing okay. This side job pays well, and we’re discreet. Oliver sets up the clients and prescreens them, which makes it even safer. I can always move in to help out. It’s more than that Paula. I want to be with you. I want a home that we share together. It’s hard, I know, when I’m away. When I’m in town, I want us to be together.”
    “I thought you needed space.”
    “Not true. My regular job requires a lot of travel, and I was afraid it would strain a relationship, so I avoided getting serious with anyone.”
    “I know, but…” She hesitated.
    “Tell me.”
    She looked up at him. “I’m worried about what this job at Dark Odyssey is doing to us. What if we end up liking it too much? We’ve not had much sex alone since we started. I’m worried that sex will become just a job, an act. Each assignment is hot and fun and we’re making great money, but at what expense if we lose something between us, what we have together?”
    He read between the lines. “When you first got into law school, you said you wanted to keep our relationship casual. No words of love, no plans for the future while you focused on your studies. And I agreed. And then your parents died a year apart. That’s a lot to handle.”
    “I know.” She held on to his hands. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to do this to help me out, because you think I have a lot to handle.”
    “I’m here because I want to be. I want you, and I’m willing to wait. I’m not going anywhere.” He touched her cheek and ached to kiss her again. Was she pulling away again, looking for an excuse to end it between them? “Don’t make any big decisions now. Don’t sell your house. Finish school and then decide what you want, what you need.” He left out the part about her deciding if she then would still want and need him. He wouldn’t give her the opening to end it. Not yet.
    “All right. Too much stress right now for big decisions. I’ll get through school and then decide. But we have to be careful with this job.”
    “We have been. Don’t worry.” He hugged her, and his heart broke at the thought of losing her. He could be falling in love, but didn’t dare go there or tell her. She didn’t need to hear that right now.
    His cell phone rang, and he considered ignoring it until he noticed Oliver’s number.
    “Morning, Oliver,” he said as he put his plate down on the window seat and sat next to Destiny. She had her neutral lawyer expression on, so he couldn’t read her and didn’t know if the call