Chapter Forty-Two

~ Nikki ~

I know the precise moment when he leaves the bed. I’m asleep and Jameson is stealthy enough to not jar me awake. Subconsciously, though, I sense the loss. I roll over from where he’d been spooning me and stare at the empty space next to me, only dimly illuminated by the soft blue glow of the alarm clock. I sigh with resignation and tell myself I at least got a few hours with him. Then I reach for the alarm and set it.

When the gentle chimes rouse me later, I toss off the covers and stretch. I slip into the hotel robe Jameson has left for me and gather up my clothes. I literally peek around the door to ensure Simon isn’t afoot just yet. The coast is clear, so I scurry off to my room and hang my dress. I also peel back the covers on the bed and even go so far as to pound on the pillow a bit, so that it appears as though I’ve slept here.

Not that I should obsess over what the butler thinks, but then again… I’ve already established that I do, indeed, obsess over what butlers thi