Chapter 10

10

L IZ

Calmer this time, I turn off the lights and walk out of the kitchen when footsteps echo outside.

My heart jumps up and down, my eyes first zipping to my phone.

It's one o'clock in the morning, and I'm getting ready to tip toe to the back of the house and call the police.

This neighborhood may be nice, but these late night guests wear me down and make me a little jumpy.

The visitor knocks on the door, and it's so quiet.

The kind of knock on the door that would happen if someone were tired, at the end of the road, with a chest full of emotions.

The house is dark and perfectly silent, yet the person outside raps on the door again.

They know I'm home.

Or they expect me to be home.

I slide to the kitchen window and peer outside. There are no cars in front of my place. No signs of anyone.

But someone is at my door, and the thought makes my heart pitter patter.

It might be him, although it could be anyone.

But we've done this before.It wouldn't be the first time.

This is his style.

What if it's not him?

And why would he be here?

I left him at the hotel.

We made plans for tomorrow. Sort of. We couldn't make other plans.

We both knew that.

I slide to the door and look through the peephole, quickly learning that I need the light outside fixed, and a camera wouldn't hurt either.

As if he knows that I'm here…

As if he can hear the whisper of my breath…

He speaks.

"Elizabeth," he says in that unmistakably unique raspy tone of his, and my whole world, as I have meticulously constructed it for the past hour or so, crumbles as if wiped away by the wind.

It's scary how few things matter when I hear his voice.

And he is one of those things.

"David?" I ask without opening the door, partly to prolong this moment and also buy some time while being separated from him by this door.

Has something bad brought him to my door?

"Yes," he says in the same mellow voice.

"Is everything all right?" I ask, my heart jittery.

"Everything's all right," he drawls. "I just want to talk to you."

How can it be all right?

I have a feeling things are not all right. Not at all.

With a shaky hand, I open the door.

I find him with a shoulder pressed into the exterior wall, a bottle of wine in hand, and in a strange mood.

He searches my eyes as if wanting to know if I'm all right and also whether something has happened since I left.

"Something happened?" I ask, not concealing my surprise.

I didn't expect him to be here. Honestly.

That's unexpected.

Holding the lapels of my robe with one hand, I take the bottle of wine from him and pivot, heading back inside.

He pushes off the wall and follows me into the house.

"Don't turn the lights on," he says when I reach the kitchen and get ready to do just that.

The sheer light traveling into the house from outside is enough to navigate the small space.

I set the bottle on the counter and open the cupboard.

"I'll get them," he says, closing the distance between us.

"Up there on the top shelf," I say.

He retrieves two glasses and uncorks the bottle of wine before filling them.

I take my glass and gesture to him to go to the couch.

He places his drink on the table, takes off his jacket, and drapes over the armrest before we both sit down.

I have my legs folded under me as I look at him.

"I thought we'd see each other tomorrow," I say and take a sip of wine.

He seems sunk in thought before flicking his eyes to me and giving me a smile.

"I thought that too. How was your ride home?" he asks, picking up his drink and bringing it to his lips.

"It was good," I say while he studies me from above the rim of his glass.

"I saw you got some help with finding a cab," he tosses at me, and a spike of warmth sweeps through me.

He saw me talk to Vale?

The voice in my head makes faces at me as if she can't talk right now. I usually can't make her shut up.

But I know what her making faces at me means.

So David Moore is jealous?

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"Who was that guy?" he asks, his elbows propped on his knees, his drink dangling from his hand, his eyes trained on mine.

"He works there."

"Mm-hmm."

Obviously, he's not impressed with my answer.

"Do you have a problem with that?" I ask.

"No. Not at all."

He drinks more wine and sets the glass on the table before leaning back into the sofa.

"What about that woman?" I ask, placing my drink on the coffee table.

Pam, as I like to call her.

"Is she home now?" I ask.

As if I really want to know.

He gives me an amused look.

"You don't want to know about her."

"No, I don't. But you said she was necessary."

His eyebrows lift.

"Necessary?"

"You said that as long as we're not officially seeing each other, you would see other women."

"I did, didn't I?"

I lie back against the pillow.

"Yes, you did. And I hope your coming here doesn't have to do with that. I don't need a formal announcement on that."

He reaches my legs, lifts them up, and drapes them over his lap like he did that night when he cleaned my knees, and I ended up riding him like it was going out of fashion.

He slides his hand under my right foot and massages it.

I can't put into words how good it feels.

My blood moves faster, and the tension dissipates.

I instantly relax.

"I won't sleep with other women if you don't sleep with other men," he says, and I sink my teeth deep into my lip to conceal my surprise.

He really felt the pinch of jealousy. I never thought I'd see this day.

"Okay," I say.

He came all the way here to say this to me?

If the voice inside my head didn't look sternly at me with her arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face the size of my fist, I would jerk upright, whip my arms around him, and kiss him.

But I'm afraid of her nagging, and plus, it wouldn't be wise. Just because he said what he said doesn't mean anything. It's a rule. That's all.

Rules are being broken all the time.

"Have you thought about my proposal?" he asks, his hand moving up my legs.

Once he reaches my thighs, he pushes his touch down, away from them.

"Yes," I say in a calm, soothing voice, the sound mirroring my feelings. "I don't have an exact representation of how that would work for us. Or if it would work for us."

His lips tilt into a smile.

"You don't have to think about it. Leave it to me. You just have to say yes."

"You want me to say yes to something I know nothing about?"

"Yes, I do."

Our eyes stay connected for a few good seconds before a secret smile glints across his lips.

He seems so confident, and I'm so swept under his spell, yet something tells me there is a reason he is here outside our scheduled meetups.

He didn't make a secret out of the reason.

He didn't like seeing me with Vale.

Somehow, he felt threatened by the cute valet.

I bet seeing me with Vale threw him off, although he's too smart and experienced not to hide that from me.

And him asking me again about making money a factor in our affair is no happenstance.

He wants me keep my eyes on him, not on Vale.

Damn… I can't say I don't like the feeling of having his full attention. And yet, a part of me would love to jump in his arms and kiss him like he matters to me.

I push that thought back.

Still giddy inside, I keep my expression blank.

"I'll give you an answer after the wedding," I say as if I need a whole process to decide what I want to do.

The man wants to use his money to turn me on.

I don't even know what to do with that money.

Maybe he's not giving it to me in the end.

We just role play, pretending he's paying me to open my legs for him.

Well maybe not entirely pretending.

"Still… It wouldn't hurt if you gave me an idea of what that would entail," I say.

He has a smug smile on his face.

"I think you know," he replies.

"Yes, I do." From Rain's book. "But I'd love to hear it from you."

He thinks about it for a second, as if this whole issue has just crossed his mind.

"What about we do this… After the wedding, we meet and go through the motions at first. See how it feels."

My finger goes up.

"One point, though…"

"Yes?"

"You said we'd meet someplace different than your hotel suite."

He slowly lifts an eyebrow, a questioning look on his face.

"The place we met tonight… That was your hotel suite. Your hotel, actually. I read about it online."

He weighs his answer before speaking again.

"You're right. I shouldn't have picked that place."

I'm gasping for air.

He admitting he's made a mistake makes me feel like I truly matter.

"I was in a rush and sent the driver to pick you up. I didn't think it would pose a risk for you."

There must be other reasons he regrets his decision.

Like that woman, Pam.

And Vale being flirty with me.

And me being flirty with him.

"What does it mean we're going through the motions?" I ask.

"You'll see."

"Do I have a say in what we do?"

"Of course."

"Are we doing naughty stuff?"

"Always."

"And you pay well?" I ask, getting the hang of it.

He smirks.

"Is that even a question?"

Now I really want to kiss him.

"I don't want your money, David."

"You know it's not about the money."

"I know, but I expect to leave with it."

He laughs, entertained.

And then his smile fades as he rests his hand on my thigh.

I can see it in his eyes that he wants to say something so badly, but he pushes the words back and only sighs.

"About seeing other people…" he mutters, and my skin gets cold.

I stiffen under his touch, and he notices.

"I wanted to fire that woman tonight," he says bluntly.

"What woman? The cute brunette?" I ask, puzzled.

He nods.

"Pam," I say.

I just couldn't help myself.

His eyebrows slide up into an expression of amusement.

"Pam?"

"I named her Pam. That's how I refer to her."

"Oh… Okay," he says.

"Life is funny with a writer," I add comically.

"It sure is."

I don't want to ask him in what capacity that woman works for him. And, um… Am I replacing her?

"Am I replacing her?"

The voice in my head presses her hands against her mouth, her eyes looking like flying saucers.

His answer comes swiftly.

"Not in the slightest."

I feel a pang of relief.

"Is she your assistant?" I ask.

"No. She keeps me company."

"She still keeps you company?"

"Only when necessary. And speaking of that. She will keep me company when I go out. She's a good distraction, so I opted against firing her."

A nugget of panic swirls fast in my chest.

I look at him like I've swallowed some bitter medicine and I'm waiting for a glass of water.

"It makes sense," I say as if my mouth is filled with molasses.

"I wanted us to talk about it so you don't freak out."

"Who? Me? Freaking out? No way."

I'm acting, of course.

I am freaking out now. Not because it's a rational reaction. Quite the opposite. For me to freak out it doesn't have to make sense.

My reaction is primal, untamable.

He studies my face.

"We're going to the wedding rehearsal tomorrow. And then to the wedding. It will be impossible to stay away from each other," he says.

A flush of excitement courses through my veins.

"Are you talking about us or you and Pam?"

He laughs.

"Us. You are funny," he says.

"So I've been told. It's because of what happened tonight…" I murmur, studying his eyes like they're collectible art.

"Yes," he says, a stern expression on his face.

His fingers thread through his hair while his regrets seem genuine.

There were too many people in that hotel.

And what if James or Alexander or even Edward walked into that hotel tonight.

The woman had no clue who I was when she approached him, and I surely could walk away from him like he was nothing to me.

But things would've been different if one of his business partners had walked in there.

It's hard to keep a secret in this town.

Now, thinking about what he just said, things will not be easy at those parties.

It's not like I expect to spend time with him, but him having that woman there with him is a bitter pill to swallow.

We could always call our deal off.

Then he wouldn't need some fake company at a wedding, and I wouldn't have to hide from everybody else.

Nah.

The alternative wouldn't work.

Meeting in the shadows makes this possible.

He knows it. I know it. There is no pressure. No pestering expectations. No headaches other that the occasional Pam.

Or logistics that suck.

Maybe we should role play something simpler with humbler surroundings, and obviously fewer people.

Hooking up under everybody's eyes threatens to kill our joy. Making so many people part of our story will eventually backfire.

I never thought things would be so complicated.

"Okay. We can do that," I say.

His eyes glint with relief.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You will bring Pam. And I will bring Vale," I say seriously, although I'm joking, of course.

I can't bring Vale.

First off, I didn't tell anyone I'd bring someone with me. Let's say that wouldn't be a problem. But Vale is not on my payroll. Vale, Keith, or anyone else.

These are real people.

Under no circumstances would I fool someone into coming with me for that reason. To pretend they are with me.