Tattooed in Moonlight

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The smell of coffee pulled me from sleep before the butler's polite knock. I rolled over, momentarily confused by the soft sheets, the lavender scent, the fact that sunlight streamed through floor-length curtains instead of the familiar Manila skyline.

Right. I was still in the Javierres estate.

I tugged on Travis's shirt again—oversized, ridiculous, but the only thing I had. When I cracked the door, the butler informed me breakfast would be in the garden.

But when I arrived, only Mavis and Thaddeus were there, already immaculate at nine in the morning. Mavis in a pale silk blouse, pearls catching the light. Thaddeus with a folded newspaper, posture ramrod straight even as he buttered toast.

"Kaira, darling!" Mavis's face lit like I was the most delightful part of her morning. "Sleep well?"

I sank into a chair, hair a tangled mess. "Define well. I didn't dream of intruders, so... yes?"

She laughed softly, pouring me tea herself. "That's a start."

Thaddeus folded his paper with military precision. "We'll be leaving in an hour."

I blinked. "Leaving?"

"Yes," Mavis said, her tone regretful. "An emergency at home. The twins need us, and their school in Melbourne can be quite strict about parental presence when issues arise. At fourteen, everything feels monumental."

"Twins?" I echoed.

"Our youngest daughters," Mavis explained, her smile warm. "Two little hurricanes. They would have adored meeting you, but exams kept them. Next time, perhaps."

"Next time," I repeated weakly. "As if this is casual."

"Of course it is," Mavis said lightly, as though I hadn't just pointed out the absurdity. She reached across the table, her hand warm on mine. "We can't wait to see you again, darling. Perhaps at your engagement party."

I nearly inhaled my tea. "Engagement party?"

Her smile widened, entirely unbothered by my choking. "Yes, of course. It's only natural. Travis always keeps his word."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Thaddeus stood, already buttoning his jacket. "Take care of her," he told Travis, who had just stepped into the garden. The words weren't a suggestion. They were an order.

Travis inclined his head once. "I will."

And just like that, Mavis kissed my cheek, Thaddeus offered a dignified nod, and within minutes they were gone—swept into a waiting car, off to the airport, vanishing as swiftly as they'd arrived.

I sat there stunned, croissant halfway to my mouth. "Do they always... exit like that? Drop life-altering statements, then leave?"

"Yes," Travis said, seating himself across from me.

Of course.

We ate in silence for a while, the clink of silverware against china almost too loud in the quiet garden. The estate stretched around us, manicured hedges, roses climbing trellises, the labyrinth glinting in the sun.

Finally, I set my fork down. "So. The tattoo."

His gaze lifted, steady and unreadable.

"What about it?"

I gestured vaguely toward his back. "You can't just... have a celestial dragon that glows in the moonlight and expect me not to ask questions. That's not normal ink. I Googled. There is no such thing. Unless you're secretly radioactive, in which case I'd like advance warning."