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“So that’s how I got here,” I murmur. “I need the five grand to be able to afford a hotel room long enough to get a new apartment.”
Adrian purses his lips, his hand stroking across the Doberman’s head that he calls Jewel.
“Well, I may have a better solution. If you accept my proposal, it makes the most sense for you to move in with me, wouldn’t it? I have plenty of guest rooms. You can have your pick. You would save money and I have no problem giving you your advance anyway,” he says pragmatically.
His face and voice are still unaffected, but his spine is a bit tense. I am staring down at Charity again, trying to avoid the way his eyes feel on me. They’re so incredibly heavy.
I don’t say it out loud but I’m afraid that after all this time, he’s found me. My father. My nerves are pulled taught, and I feel like I’m ready to run at any minute.
There is a silence that stretches between us, making the air heavy, and I feel like it’s humid, so much so that I might be drowning in it. But once I look up at Adrian, I see no judgment, no real pity, only a solution being found. He doesn’t sympathize with my problems; he doesn’t offer me comfort, and it almost makes it better. I don’t think he could truly understand me, so why should he try?
I don’t answer right away, and he walks further into the room, finding a seat across from me in the overstuffed armchair that looks as if it’s made to make people uncomfortable. But Adrian leans back, looking confident and comfortable.
“I’m not sure if I should go that far,” I answer. “Moving in with you, when we are pretty much strangers...”
I pause, biting my lip. It is possible that this is a bad idea, turning him down. He can take it wrong and decide to retract the offer completely.
“You moving in here makes the most sense. You will be safe, we have the best security, and you will never be alone,” he motions to the dogs.
I resist the desire to deny him again. He’s right, the safety the hotel offers is massive. Having the dogs would be even better. I would blow through my savings within two weeks to afford a room here. It would be better to stay with him. I tap my foot nervously.
“Alright, but I want to stay in the room farthest from yours,” I demand.
Surprisingly he laughs, a dark and sinful sound that has my thighs clenching and my stomach flipping. I look at him from under my lashes before trying to turn my attention back on the dog who has been so wonderful to me.
“What mix is she?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No idea. I don’t care either way. She is something special.”
I smile at her. “That she is.”
He pushes off from the armchair and motions for me to follow him. I am hesitant to leave Charity if I am honest, she is so sweet. But his glare grows harsher the longer I stall and finally I sigh as I offer the dog in front of me one last pet and then follow behind him.
Lights flicker on as we walk down the hallway opposite where he had turned when he needed to change. I open my mouth to ask where we are going but am quickly cut off by Adrian.
“Your room will be here. You can stay tonight, and we will collect your things tomorrow,” he says, stopping at a doorway, not offering me a chance to argue.
He begins to walk away when I finally find my voice. “Wait! Don’t I get a say in this?”
“What say? Your place has been made unlivable and there is no reason for you to stay in a room for one night when you will just be moving here tomorrow. This room is the farthest one from mine, which was your condition. You will find all you need in the adjoining bathroom,” he raises his brow. “If you have any questions, you are welcome to ask.”
From the look on his face, I definitely am not welcome to ask just anything. I also doubt he will welcome being woken up for any reason. My mouth opens like I’m a wooden puppet, but no sound comes out and I stand there searching for something to complain about, just to make a point. But there is nothing. He’s being more than hospitable, especially for someone as awkward and grumpy as him.
I finally shrug silently and close my mouth. Seeming pleased with the fact that he has won this little battle, Adrian nods and wanders off down the hall towards his bedroom, stopping for a moment to pat his leg and call his dogs to him. I watch him interact with the girls, denying to the ends of the earth that my heart melts a little at the sight of him cooing over them.
I turn to go into my new bedroom for the next few months. The lights don’t automatically turn on like in the hallway, so I flick the switch on the wall and the room is bathed in a warm glow. The walls are painted a light gray. It’s barely noticeable if not for the eggshell white of the walls just outside in the hallway. The sheets are a crisp white, and the cover is a light green. I find the pops of color he chose when decorating to be interesting. Different than what I expect from the man just half a suite away from me.
I step into the bathroom, where he said I would find what I need. I find towels laid out; I wonder if it was by a maid or maybe by Russell. Is every bathroom like this? An unopen toothbrush and other amenities sit in their respective places on the counter. The only thing I’m missing is something to sleep in.
I wander back down the hall, where Adrian disappeared, and I knock. There’s the sound of a groan and the door opens to a less than thrilled looking man.
“I was wondering if you have pajamas?” I ask hesitantly.
He stares at me for a moment and at first, I think he is going to say no before he says, “Wait here.”
He comes back and shoves some clothes in my hands, snapping the door closed in my face. And that is how the rest of my first night at Adrian Saunders’s suite is spent.
Alone, but safe.
