trying to blow past the whole thing. “Um, not really. I guess this is our least secure crew hotel at the moment.” The thought made me start giggling again.
He held a hand out for my key card, and I gave it to him without a word.
“I would prefer if you stay at a more secure place when you visit the city. I’ll arrange it,” he said, shocking me.
I shook my head. “No. No. No,” I told him clearly. “I don’t know what you think is going on here, but you are not going to take control of my life. You can just rule out that scenario right now.”
His mouth set in a hard line. “We’ll talk about it when you’re sober.”
He was crazy, I decided. “You can talk all you want. That is not happening.”
He noticed the open connecting door as we entered my room. He gave me a questioning look, going through the door, as though he had the right to search the place.
“Stephan’s room?” he asked from Stephan’s room.
“Yes,” I answered.
He came back in, closing and locking the door without asking. I just went to the bed and lay down, closing my eyes.
“I need to set my alarm,” I told myself out loud, reaching for my little bag. I had dropped it on the floor somewhere between the door and my bed.
“I’ve got it,” James told me, and I heard him moving around.
I heard the little sound that meant my phone had been plugged into a charger.
“Thank you,” I murmured, eyes still closed. “You can go now. I’ll wake up on time. I’ve never been late to work. I’m not gonna start the habit tomorrow. As soon as my head stops this spinning, I’ll be falling asleep.”
He didn’t respond, and I heard him moving around my room. He went into the bathroom, coming out just a moment later. The bed dipped as he sat beside me on the bed. I felt and smelled a cool, makeup removing wipe on my face.
I tensed up in surprise. What’s he doing? He gently wiped my entire face, even wiping my eyelashes carefully to remove my mascara.
“You hardly wear any makeup,” he said absently. “You have a lovely complexion.” That was such a sweet thing to say that I had to snort.
“Look who’s talking, Mr. Beautiful,” I said.
“Perhaps I’ll just call you Mrs. Beautiful,” he said to me, leaning down to kiss just the tip of my nose.
I felt him get up again, returning after just a moment. When I felt his fingers on the button of the waistband of my shorts, my eyes shot open, my hands moving to block him. The only light in the room came from the bathroom, but I could still make him out.
“What are you doing?” I asked slowly.
He brushed my hands away, unbuttoning my shorts and sweeping them down my legs in a quick, smooth motion.
“Taking care of you,” he said mildly. “I told you and Stephan that I would. I’m getting you ready for bed right now. And if you start throwing up all of that poison you drank tonight, I’ll take you to the bathroom and hold your hair out of your face for you. Hold still. I’ll have you changed faster if you don’t fidget so much.”
Strangely, I obeyed him, and he had me out of my clothes and into the thin cotton shift I had packed as a nightgown.
He removed my bra like a pro, never touching a thing beyond my back and shoulders. He barely jostled me as he did it. It was rather impressive. He even folded my shorts carefully, and hung my blouse up, as though he did this everyday. He tucked me in carefully.
What a strange billionaire , I thought to myself.
When he finished, he came to stand over me. He looked down at me, hands in his pockets, looking like he wasn’t sure what to do next. It was a strange look for him.
“You can sleep here,” I told him. “If you can handle the lack of security.” I couldn’t help but tease him about that.
He sucked in a breath. “Do you mind if I just
He held a hand out for my key card, and I gave it to him without a word.
“I would prefer if you stay at a more secure place when you visit the city. I’ll arrange it,” he said, shocking me.
I shook my head. “No. No. No,” I told him clearly. “I don’t know what you think is going on here, but you are not going to take control of my life. You can just rule out that scenario right now.”
His mouth set in a hard line. “We’ll talk about it when you’re sober.”
He was crazy, I decided. “You can talk all you want. That is not happening.”
He noticed the open connecting door as we entered my room. He gave me a questioning look, going through the door, as though he had the right to search the place.
“Stephan’s room?” he asked from Stephan’s room.
“Yes,” I answered.
He came back in, closing and locking the door without asking. I just went to the bed and lay down, closing my eyes.
“I need to set my alarm,” I told myself out loud, reaching for my little bag. I had dropped it on the floor somewhere between the door and my bed.
“I’ve got it,” James told me, and I heard him moving around.
I heard the little sound that meant my phone had been plugged into a charger.
“Thank you,” I murmured, eyes still closed. “You can go now. I’ll wake up on time. I’ve never been late to work. I’m not gonna start the habit tomorrow. As soon as my head stops this spinning, I’ll be falling asleep.”
He didn’t respond, and I heard him moving around my room. He went into the bathroom, coming out just a moment later. The bed dipped as he sat beside me on the bed. I felt and smelled a cool, makeup removing wipe on my face.
I tensed up in surprise. What’s he doing? He gently wiped my entire face, even wiping my eyelashes carefully to remove my mascara.
“You hardly wear any makeup,” he said absently. “You have a lovely complexion.” That was such a sweet thing to say that I had to snort.
“Look who’s talking, Mr. Beautiful,” I said.
“Perhaps I’ll just call you Mrs. Beautiful,” he said to me, leaning down to kiss just the tip of my nose.
I felt him get up again, returning after just a moment. When I felt his fingers on the button of the waistband of my shorts, my eyes shot open, my hands moving to block him. The only light in the room came from the bathroom, but I could still make him out.
“What are you doing?” I asked slowly.
He brushed my hands away, unbuttoning my shorts and sweeping them down my legs in a quick, smooth motion.
“Taking care of you,” he said mildly. “I told you and Stephan that I would. I’m getting you ready for bed right now. And if you start throwing up all of that poison you drank tonight, I’ll take you to the bathroom and hold your hair out of your face for you. Hold still. I’ll have you changed faster if you don’t fidget so much.”
Strangely, I obeyed him, and he had me out of my clothes and into the thin cotton shift I had packed as a nightgown.
He removed my bra like a pro, never touching a thing beyond my back and shoulders. He barely jostled me as he did it. It was rather impressive. He even folded my shorts carefully, and hung my blouse up, as though he did this everyday. He tucked me in carefully.
What a strange billionaire , I thought to myself.
When he finished, he came to stand over me. He looked down at me, hands in his pockets, looking like he wasn’t sure what to do next. It was a strange look for him.
“You can sleep here,” I told him. “If you can handle the lack of security.” I couldn’t help but tease him about that.
He sucked in a breath. “Do you mind if I just
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