quiet drizzle pattered the windows above me in a gentle
morning song. I wandered back to the guest rooms. Ella’s room was empty. I
checked my assigned room in case she’d come to wait there. Empty as well, but
there was a tray with still-warm coffee sitting beside the bed on a side table.
The closet door lay open, revealing a few of my clothes.
Damn, and my favorite pair of jeans. Philip must have held them back when he
sent the rest of my stuff. Figured, the sadist.
I checked my clutch, which was now minus my phone. Since the
cash was intact, that meant Ella hadn’t found my stash. So who had taken my
phone? Maybe Philip. More likely it was Adrian, acting on his orders. It could
have felt violating, to have so little left and then have it taken. But a sense
of melancholy still muted my emotions, and I embraced it.
Get dressed. Wash up.
I went through the motions, almost able to pretend I was
still Philip’s mistress, that I’d never left this unexpected haven. That I
wasn’t now responsible for a hurt young woman whose life was in danger.
At least until I heard Philip bellow my name from below.
After a small moment of regret for my undeserved peaceful morning, I started
down the stairs.
Ella ran smack into me at the bottom, full of indignant
sniffles. “Fucking bastard. I hate him!”
My melancholy was over—interrupted, at least. “What did you
do?”
“I didn’t do anything! I was nice. Like you told me to be!”
Nice? Her idea of nice was probably bank robbery.
I pushed past her and found Philip behind his desk, scowling
at some papers he held.
He looked up. “Keep her away from me, or you won’t like what
happens.”
“What did you do?”
His frown deepened. “Why do you assume I did something?”
I answered him by sinking into one of the armchairs by the
cold fireplace and leaning my head back on the plush leather.
He sighed. “She came on to me.”
“On to you,” I said dumbly. She freaked out when a guy
looked at her wrong. She had been nervous as hell about Philip. “You’re
mistaken.”
His look was droll. “I realize your own opinion of my allure
may be low, considering I paid for your attentions, but I assure you, I know when
I’m getting hit on. Particularly when the girl in question strips in my
office.”
My mouth fell open. Philip was a handsome man, but this was
ridiculous. “She doesn’t even like men. She hates them. She hates you.”
“She does now, because I told her to stop embarrassing
herself. It had the intended effect.”
A mixture of shock and shame flushed through me. “Even if
you’re right, then she’s confused. It was a rough night. There was no reason to
be mean. I told her she’d be safe here.”
“Well, I didn’t beat her,” he said. “Would you have
preferred I did?”
Philip’s tastes were extreme, perverted, violent—and
strictly consensual. That was my cue. I got up and strolled over, resting my
hip against his desk. “I’m sure I can stand in, if that’s what you want. You know
I can keep you satisfied.”
“We’re not doing that.”
I paused. “Not now.”
“Not ever.” His face was set into a mask of implacability.
“Is this about what happened with Ella? I’ll talk to her.
She won’t bother you again.”
“And neither will you.”
“Philip—”
Abruptly, he slammed his fist on the desk, and I jumped.
“How many ways do I have to say it? I don’t want her. I
don’t want your desperation or your fucking gratitude.”
I stared at his fist where it pressed against the mahogany.
“Then what do you want?”
Slowly, his hand unfurled, and he leaned back. “Nothing. You
can stay here as long as you need. No one will fuck anyone.”
“Hmm.” He didn’t sound sure about that. “Where’s my phone?”
“We couldn’t risk it being tracked,” he answered smoothly.
“I’d get you a temporary, but you don’t need one anyway while you’re here.”
There was my answer. I had lived in this house once as
morning song. I wandered back to the guest rooms. Ella’s room was empty. I
checked my assigned room in case she’d come to wait there. Empty as well, but
there was a tray with still-warm coffee sitting beside the bed on a side table.
The closet door lay open, revealing a few of my clothes.
Damn, and my favorite pair of jeans. Philip must have held them back when he
sent the rest of my stuff. Figured, the sadist.
I checked my clutch, which was now minus my phone. Since the
cash was intact, that meant Ella hadn’t found my stash. So who had taken my
phone? Maybe Philip. More likely it was Adrian, acting on his orders. It could
have felt violating, to have so little left and then have it taken. But a sense
of melancholy still muted my emotions, and I embraced it.
Get dressed. Wash up.
I went through the motions, almost able to pretend I was
still Philip’s mistress, that I’d never left this unexpected haven. That I
wasn’t now responsible for a hurt young woman whose life was in danger.
At least until I heard Philip bellow my name from below.
After a small moment of regret for my undeserved peaceful morning, I started
down the stairs.
Ella ran smack into me at the bottom, full of indignant
sniffles. “Fucking bastard. I hate him!”
My melancholy was over—interrupted, at least. “What did you
do?”
“I didn’t do anything! I was nice. Like you told me to be!”
Nice? Her idea of nice was probably bank robbery.
I pushed past her and found Philip behind his desk, scowling
at some papers he held.
He looked up. “Keep her away from me, or you won’t like what
happens.”
“What did you do?”
His frown deepened. “Why do you assume I did something?”
I answered him by sinking into one of the armchairs by the
cold fireplace and leaning my head back on the plush leather.
He sighed. “She came on to me.”
“On to you,” I said dumbly. She freaked out when a guy
looked at her wrong. She had been nervous as hell about Philip. “You’re
mistaken.”
His look was droll. “I realize your own opinion of my allure
may be low, considering I paid for your attentions, but I assure you, I know when
I’m getting hit on. Particularly when the girl in question strips in my
office.”
My mouth fell open. Philip was a handsome man, but this was
ridiculous. “She doesn’t even like men. She hates them. She hates you.”
“She does now, because I told her to stop embarrassing
herself. It had the intended effect.”
A mixture of shock and shame flushed through me. “Even if
you’re right, then she’s confused. It was a rough night. There was no reason to
be mean. I told her she’d be safe here.”
“Well, I didn’t beat her,” he said. “Would you have
preferred I did?”
Philip’s tastes were extreme, perverted, violent—and
strictly consensual. That was my cue. I got up and strolled over, resting my
hip against his desk. “I’m sure I can stand in, if that’s what you want. You know
I can keep you satisfied.”
“We’re not doing that.”
I paused. “Not now.”
“Not ever.” His face was set into a mask of implacability.
“Is this about what happened with Ella? I’ll talk to her.
She won’t bother you again.”
“And neither will you.”
“Philip—”
Abruptly, he slammed his fist on the desk, and I jumped.
“How many ways do I have to say it? I don’t want her. I
don’t want your desperation or your fucking gratitude.”
I stared at his fist where it pressed against the mahogany.
“Then what do you want?”
Slowly, his hand unfurled, and he leaned back. “Nothing. You
can stay here as long as you need. No one will fuck anyone.”
“Hmm.” He didn’t sound sure about that. “Where’s my phone?”
“We couldn’t risk it being tracked,” he answered smoothly.
“I’d get you a temporary, but you don’t need one anyway while you’re here.”
There was my answer. I had lived in this house once as
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