AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I worked with a designer, but it was my vision. The art is all pieces I’ve purchased.”
The pictures on the wall were landscapes of fields, farmlands, and cliffs by the sea, some were abstract, some realistic. They all made we want to go to the places they represented. “I love the way it feels here. I thought….”
Worth raised his brows. “What?”
“Never mind.”
“Laurie, you can say whatever you want.”
“I thought I would feel like I didn’t belong. I didn’t think your place would feel…homey.”
He smiled. “One can manage a luxurious aesthetic and comfort simultaneously.”
“You’ve done that perfectly here.”
“Come on. Let me show you the rest.” I followed him into the kitchen which had everything any chef could want.
“Do you cook?”
Worth shook his head. “No, it’s all for show. Sad, isn’t it? It’s only been used when I’ve had a caterer come in.”
“If I’m here long enough, I’ll cook for you.”
“Long enough?”
“I’m staying until we find Beck and get him home safely.”
“Laurie, that’s not what I?—”
I held up a hand. “Until we find Beck, we’re not going to talk about what happens beyond that.” I couldn’t. The stress of Beck being taken was too much without worrying about whether I could trust that this thing with Worth would last.
Worth studied me for a few moments.
“All right. I know I already agreed to that, but I would love for you to cook for me if you want to. There’s no obligation, though. I don’t expect you to do anything here except enjoy yourself as much as you can. You’re as safe here as you would be anywhere, safer in fact. Carter had state-of-the-art security installed, and as you saw, we have our own personal guards. They’ll be here around the clock.”
“I trust you to keep me safe.” That was true. My physical safety was going to be attended to as well as anyone possibly could. I had no doubt about that. My heart on the other hand? I wasn’t so sure about it, but I had chosen to take that risk. I couldn’t blame Worth when I knew exactly who he was going into this.
I’d already had his attention for far longer than anyone would have expected, and I believed he was sincere when he told me he cared about me, but I also knew back here in New York, things would be different.
Worth showed me his bedroom. It was big, bright, and as well-designed as the rest of the apartment.
I noticed he’d put both our bags in his room. I suppose it was ridiculous to ask him to put me in the guest room, but somehow committing to staying with him—in his own bed—unnerved me. It was like I was pushing this game of pretend too far.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me here in your space? I don’t want to be in the way?—”
He placed a finger over my lips. “I wouldn’t have you anywhere else. If I could spend every moment of the day in this bed with you, wrapped around you, holding you tight, that’s what I would do. The only thing keeping me from that is finding Beck.”
“I just…I know you’re not used to anyone staying with you, and if you’d rather I slept in?—”
“Laurie, I’d rather you stayed right by my side every moment of the day.”
“Okay.” I wouldn’t push any harder. I wanted that too. I just didn’t want to ask for more than he wanted to give.
He waved toward a guest room and a study, then hurried us to a set of stairs that led to a private area on the roof. “This is my favorite thing about my apartment.”
The rooftop garden was set up with a small koi pond, tall plants in pots, luxurious lounge furniture, and a chiminea for a fire. It was like we had been transported back to the Caribbean.
“I love it up here,” Worth said. “I have heat lamps in storage,” he nodded toward a tiny shed. “I bring them out when it gets cooler and the fire isn’t enough for warmth. I come up here all year round. I have to change the plants in winter, of course, or rather, my garden service does.”
