When Rhys returned with Feyre to work on Tuesday, he wished he had opted for the honeymoon immediately instead. His seemingly abrupt marriage had sent his Board of Directors into a frenzy for power. After he had spent most of the week squashing down their rebellion, he turned his attention back to Hybern and found the man had made a grab for power while he had been distracted. Hybern had started illegally moving workers into the Illyrian Mountains. They were not being well received by the local clans which made Rhys feel slightly better, but it meant Hybern was poised to strike. While he sent emails and made calls to the local politicians demanding to know why they were allowing this monstrosity, Feyre became a crutch he depended on far too much.
She had returned to well wishes from the Velaris companies and plenty of scathing emails and messages about her being a gold digger. Several men had propositioned her, hoping to get Velaris Incorporated status for their companies because they believed her to be easy. Cassian had evicted them with little more than a glare. Rhys would have done worse to them, but he hadn't known about them until well after the fact, and Feyre had refused to give names of the men or the businesses they were representing. She had informed him very bluntly that she didn't trust he wouldn't go for blood when he was already so worked up with everything else. Unfortunately, she was right. He would have no qualms about ruining the business of someone that even hinted that Feyre was whoring herself out.
When she wasn't doing her own work, Feyre was in his office helping him organize his work and staying with him late into the evenings to make sure he had done everything he felt he could. Then she would bring him home to where food was always waiting. She had returned the favor of giving her an extra day off with him several times over as she did everything in her power to make him forget about Hybern once they were home.
He had inquired into how Tamlin had managed to sneak a card into the gifts, but it had been well publicized where they were after the wedding had started so it wouldn't have been hard to sneak something onto the gift table. The only question was how he had gotten into the venue or had gotten someone else into the venue to do it unnoticed. He didn't believe for one second any of his invited guests had brought it in for him. His fellow CEO's were not impressed with Tamlin working with, or rather, for, Hybern. And none of them had been all that close with him before.
The entire week had been filled with media coverage of photos of them together entering the gallery and several shots through the windows of the gallery of the celebrations. Commentary had ranged from Feyre's unique gown, to the small size of the wedding, to speculations on where they would go to vacation though everyone agreed Summer Hospitalities would be involved because Tarquin had been invited to the wedding.
When Friday rolled around, Rhys found Feyre tucked into her office still working after even Lucien had left. She smiled up at him the moment he paused at the door to admire the shining nameplate that marked her as Feyre Nox, Velaris Incorporated Chief Executive Officer.
"I'll be just a moment. I just have a couple more notes to make on my last meeting and then we can go," she promised.
"Actually," he rubbed at the back of his neck. "You remember Keir Gold, Mor's sperm donor?" He would never stoop to calling the man her father if he could help it. Not even Mor called him her father anymore.
"Yes," Feyre stopped typing and turned to give him her full attention.
Of course, she remembered Keir. He was the reason she was a wealthy woman in her own right as she now held his shares. His threats to her had had his removed.
"It turns out he went to Hybern and is taking his revenge on me that way," Rhys blurted out. He had had Azriel monitoring the man ever since he had been removed expecting some sort of revenge, but they had lost track of him until recently. Now he had resurfaced within Hybern's ranks, though certainly not very high ranked. It spelled out problems for the company. He, Mor, and Azriel were all staying late to rework the security system in case Keir knew more than he let on. It was something Feyre certainly could stay for, but it wasn't necessary, and she had stayed late with him every other night.
"So, it will be another late night. Should I order dinner from somewhere?" She was already reaching for her phone but stopped when Rhys shook his head.
"Why don't you go home? Paint and start enjoying the weekend," he suggested. Hurt flashed in Feyre's eyes at the suggestion and he all but ran to get to her side, to cup her face and kiss her brow. "Not that I don't love having you here, Darling. I always need you at my side, but I feel bad that all week you've been staying late with me and taking care of me. I want you to have some time for you. And I truly don't know how late I'll be tonight."
He felt Feyre relax under his touch, enough that he wished he was going home with her. Enough that he wished that when they would get home together, he could enact a rule that all clothing be banned from weekends at home, save for their family dinner. He could only imagine Cassian being all too fond of that rule. But it was unlikely this particular weekend would have any sort of time for that. With the news of Keir joining ranks with Hybern came far more work than he could afford to give his attention to when he had an entire company to manage on top of that. He'd need to work through the weekend, another thing he would have to apologize to Feyre for.
"You promised we'd have a real dinner tonight and have a weekend together," she reminded him. He had made that promise, that morning when she had groaned about the early hour as his alarm went off. It had been his bribe to get her out of bed though she groaned about the early hour every morning. His beautiful wife was not normally a morning person.
"I know," he folded her into his arms. "I hate disappointing you, but I have to take care of this."
"I know," she breathed back at him. "I just want you to know, you owe me."
"There was never a doubt," he pressed another kiss to her brow. He absolutely hated the situation. "I can have a driver take you home if you'd like." She had made progress on learning to drive and working towards her driver's license but not enough he could hand her the keys to his car and send her on her way.
"Wake me when you get home?" She asked finally.
"I'm not going to make that promise," he sighed. If she was sleeping, he wouldn't wake her. He preferred she get all the sleep she wanted. She deserved her rest, and if he was being honest, he didn't want her noticing if he came in well after midnight or closer to dawn which seemed far more likely. She would either get worried or be upset with him for working so late, or both. None of those were options he liked.
"Fine," she murmured. "But you really owe me."
"More than you will ever know," he assured her and finally released her. "I'll be there when you wake up in the morning."
He left her to finish up her work, returning to his office to call up a driver to bring her home. He did owe her. He had promised a weekend together and a real dinner together that wasn't shared over his desk. It was only a few minutes later she stopped by his office on her way out to give him a kiss.
Mor and Azriel arrived half an hour later. They ordered in a meal, got comfortable, and started discussing staff screening, building wide bug searches, new security equipment, and new protocols that wouldn't violate their employees' rights. The main part of the discussion was cut off as Mor fell asleep in her chair while Rhys and Azriel discussed parking garage access. By then it was already three in the morning. With a sigh and a promise to resume their conversation the following day, Azriel took Mor home and Rhys took himself home.
He expected to find Feyre curled up in bed, more likely on his side of the bed or in the dead center as she tended to do when he got out of bed before her or she went to bed before he did. Instead he found the living room lights on and Feyre curled up on the couch with a blanket, asleep while some obscure movie played on the television.
Not wanting to risk waking her and letting her see the time, he went to change out of his work clothes, came back, turned off the television, and shifted her just enough to settle in behind her on the couch. Feyre didn't even wake as she turned over in his arms and buried her face in his bare shoulder. He knew in the morning his neck would likely hurt but he couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else as he drifted off to sleep.
He awoke to the smell off coffee and quiet voices coming from the kitchen though it was still dark in the living room. Feyre was no longer in his arms and opened his eyes to see the curtains had been pulled over the windows. With a groan he stretched and heaved himself off of the couch to wander towards the voices and where precious coffee was waiting for him.
Feyre met him at the doorway of the kitchen, dressed in one of his old t-shirts and a pair of leggings, holding out a cup of coffee to him. Beyond her he could see Cassian occupying the stove while Mor dozed with her head against the island counter top and Azriel read the paper. Rhys glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was only eight. He had barely been home a little over four hours. No wonder Mor was sleeping on his kitchen island.
"You can go and sleep some more if you want," Feyre murmured to him as she slipped the mug of coffee into his hand. "Cassian only just started on breakfast."
"Only if you come with me," he informed her. There were still dark circles under her eyes telling him she hadn't slept for too long. He wondered how long she had waited for him before she had actually fallen asleep, and for that matter, how long she had already been awake with his family there. "I don't remember telling you that you could leave me to sleep on the couch by myself."
"I must have missed that in the vows," Feyre teased. "Really, you didn't get much sleep." He could see worry darkening her eyes, so he cupped her face and kissed her softly.
"We'll go to bed early tonight and maybe even make it to the bed," he promised. "But until then I need to keep sorting things out so maybe next week will be less hectic, and then I might possibly begin to start paying you back for everything you've been doing for me."
Feyre only stayed with them through breakfast before she disappeared into her studio. Rhys doubted she would have gone to paint at all if he hadn't been flashing looks her direction even as his family started speaking about some of the new protocols they had discussed overnight in front of her. She truly deserved the weekend to enjoy herself despite knowing she was probably enjoying herself far less because he was working.
They took a break for lunch, which was provided by Sevinda. Cassian had gone to pick it up and had come back to report that Sevinda's small restaurant was packed. The woman had blamed the increase in business solely on their wedding and them handing out her card. Rhys did not feel one ounce of guilt about it. If he could bring more business to Velaris owners, he would.
Feyre appeared halfway through them eating lunch, paint splattered on her arms, her face, and in her hair. It reminded Rhys far too much of when they had 'painted' that sheet with their bodies. That sheet that Feyre had somehow gotten framed like it was a canvas painting and had covered one white wall of her studio with it 'for inspiration' she claimed. He was lucky not one member of his family had been up in her studio since it had been hanged. Not that there were very obvious tells about how the painting had been done, but there were some clear handprints that were not Feyre's. Azriel was at least astute enough to likely guess Rhys had been involved and then extrapolate to the how.
His family didn't leave until close to midnight, taking away any promises he had made to Feyre that morning about going to bed early. He found her just freshly showered of paint and getting ready for bed herself when he searched her out. He was ready to give her a thousand apologies for every broken promise, but she didn't even bring it up. Instead she rubbed his shoulders and back until he released some of the tension he had built up in them over the day and pulled him down on the bed.
The next day went much like the first but when Cassian came to claim dinner was set up in the dining room, his family had gotten up and left rather than stay for dinner. When Rhys had gone to the dining room he had found Cassian had set it up for two and even had had the audacity to light a candle. He dragged Feyre out of her studio after helping her clean up, and they finally enjoyed a real dinner between just the two of them.
"How are things going?" Feyre asked softly when dinner was mostly gone.
"It's going to be a massive undertaking this next week," Rhys sighed. "But in the end, it will be for the better." New IDS for every employee that gained them access to the parking ramps, to the building, to restricted areas, and even into the cafeteria based on their level of security clearance. Setting up of security in the lobby to check every ID as employees came through. Even a new process for how visitors checked in at the front desk and were brought around the building.
"More long days and nights this week then?" She asked.
"No," Rhys made sure to meet her eyes as he said it. "At least, not because of this if they do happen. It will come down to some new development with Hybern if I do end up staying late this week."
Cassian was setting up the new security measures with Azriel while Mor handled the new IDs. Rhys wasn't involved in any of it after the initial planning. His family had insisted. More than insisted. Had all but told him he needed to spend some time with his wife.
"And tonight, Darling, I am all yours for whatever you want." And as exhausted as he was, he would do whatever she wanted. If she wanted a marathon of sex to make up for them barely having the energy over the last week and all of the promises that had been broken to her the last few days, he would somehow find the energy for her.
"Whatever I want?" Feyre asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Anything," he promised, already feeling his body preparing for taking her wherever she chose.
Feyre stood and reached a hand down to him. He took it and smiled as she led him up the stairs to their bedroom. Without a word she began to strip him of his clothes and directed him to lay on the bed. But Feyre remained clothed as she circled the bed to her night stand. He expected some new toy she had bought to torture him. But instead she produced a sketchpad and a box of charcoal pencils.
"I was hoping you'd let me draw you," she said finally.
Rhys could only smile at her, wanting to kiss her for her simple request. Of all the things he had expected her to ask of him, this wasn't it. But it as very much something Feyre would ask.
"Draw away," he waved at his naked body and tucked a hand under his head to watch his beautiful wife as she appeared to examine him in the same was she had reserved for the masterpieces in the art museum.