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I smiled, knowing he was waiting for me to say that I’d changed my mind, but I hadn’t.
“I’ll get you a car of your own in a couple of weeks,” he said, handing me a silver-plated business card. “In the meantime, Greg is going to drive you to Corey’s place tonight, and my doctor will call you the second he gets back from vacation. Were those two suitcases all the clothes you brought from Seattle?”
I nodded. “Kelly is bringing the rest of my stuff in a U-Haul later.”
“Understandable.” He still looked concerned, as always. “Whenever you have some free time, let me know, and I can have a personal shopper take you to buy new clothes if you’d like.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m late picking Claire up from the spa. I’ll see you at the end of the month at the quarterly executive meeting.”
“The end of the month? I won’t see you until then?”
“Maybe in passing,” he said. “We have a lot of planning to do for the wedding.” He stepped closer and almost kissed me, but he settled for a whispered “Love you” instead. Then he walked away and headed toward the elevator bank without returning my coffee.
I looked down at the business card he’d given me and ran my finger along the embossed letters. Whether I liked it or not, I was officially a member of his world of thousand dollar suits, over the top cars, and business cards that cost more than two months’ worth of my former rent.
It’s just temporary until I earn enough to start over again...
***
LATER THAT NIGHT, Isat in the backseat of a town car as Greg drove through a coastal neighborhood outside the city. Tucked behind a large private gate, each home stood half a mile apart, with a perfect, unobstructed view of the ocean.
I snapped pictures as the car made its way up a winding hill and parked next to a black Ferrari.
“Wow...” I couldn’t stop staring.
Stepping out, Greg opened the back door for me before getting my luggage out of the trunk.
I sat still for a few seconds and let out a breath as I looked over the house. When Jonathan told me that Corey volunteered to let me stay at his place for the next few weeks, I was surprised. Given our estrangement over the past years, I would’ve never thought he would agree to this—especially since he’d sent me that email right after the party. Then again, if anyone knew how bad my sleeping fits could get at night, it was him.
I can’t believe I tried to seduce him when I was drunk. What the hell was I thinking?
Grabbing my purse, I got out of the car and walked to the front door. Before I could ring the bell, Corey opened the door wearing a thin white T-shirt that hugged his arm and ab muscles in all the right places, and a pair of grey lounge pants that exposed his perfectly carved “V.”
I stared at his right bicep, where a black tattoo of entwined words snaked up his sleeve.
“Hi,” he said, his voice deep.
“Hi...”
“Are you going to let us in, Mr. Walters?” Greg was behind me with my bags in his hands.
Corey kept his eyes on mine, and he opened the door a little wider. “Come in.”
I stepped inside, and Greg set my things against the wall.
“I trust you’ll take these to Miss Statham’s room. Mr. Walters?” he asked.
“I will.”
“Thank you, Greg,” I said.
“Always.” He handed me one of his silver-plated business cards before shutting the door and leaving us alone.
Corey stared at me for several seconds, setting my nerves on fire without saying a single word. “Let me show you to your room.” He moved past me, leading the way through a living room with panoramic windows and through few stark white hallways.
Opening the door to a room in the corner, he hit the lights—revealing a bright blue bedroom. It was twice the size of the suite I was leaving behind at the Four Seasons. There were grey blankets atop the bed that bore my name in cursive and multiple editions of Scrabble on the desk.
He walked over to a door on the other side of the room and pushed it open. “You have a balcony to yourself,” he said. “And you have your own bathroom, so there’ll be no need for you to come to mine.”
“Is that a threat?”
