Chapter 11
I returnedto my work after dinner. I was too keyed up to read, so I worked.
A small part of me had been expecting Bredon to appear today. Dinner would've been the most logical meeting, but he and Sig were absent.
I wasn't disappointed, I told myself. However, that was the reason that I couldn't relax.
"Miss Isaacs?" His voice was deep with a hint of huskiness.
"Come in." I sprang to my feet in welcome. I walked around the table to move a few files I'd placed in the chair. "I'm sorry, I haven't figured out my system of organization." I stood by the chair. My hands needed something to do, so I moved my ring around and around my finger.
"There is much to be done." He sat.
I returned to my place behind the table.
"Are you warm enough?" He glanced at the fireplace, which was barely giving any heat.
"I rarely return to work after the evening meal. The staff didn't build up the fire because I didn't tell them I'd be working," I explained quickly. I had no proof, but I sensed that mistakes were unacceptable here.
He didn't say anything. However, he was watching me closely, which made me nervous.
The silence also made me nervous. "Thank you for the roses. They are beautiful." I hoped I wasn't blushing.
"I am sorry about what happened." He shifted in the chair as if he was uncomfortable.
"Talia has repeatedly explained that you were doing your job." I made a brief waving motion with my right hand. "I'm okay. You're okay. It's fine." I was uncomfortable discussing it because my body's response was so weird.
Not that I blamed my body. Bredon was hot in a buttoned-up way. He appeared comfortable in his dark suit and white shirt. His blond hair was short but not tight against his skull. He looked like he'd fit in with a corner office at any billion-dollar corporation.
"If you say so." He watched again for a long moment, putting me on edge. He was so still.
As powerful and refined as he appeared, I knew in my soul that he had a wild streak under his polished clothes. It was the mix of confidence in his gaze and the way he'd thrown me to the floor last night. Bredon Redd wasn't always in control. I yearned to see him a little messy and loose.
"Perhaps you can help me with a riddle…?" There was a challenge in how his head tilted to the side and how one side of his mouth lifted.
I met his gaze, then answered, "I can try." I had no idea where this was going, but I knew it was wrong to pretend to be submissive. He was testing me to see if I would cower or meet him head-on.
"What is a learned art expert like yourself doing here?" He looked around the dusty room.
"Oh, that," I sighed. I released my fingers and placed my palms flat on the table. "I like to eat."
His eyebrows drew together in response. "Go on."
"I was between jobs when I met Talia at a gallery in Chicago. I like her art, and she didn't seem too difficult to work with, so I took the job."
"It seems to me that things moved quickly." By his tone, he seemed unhappy about that fact.
"Do you have a problem with me being here?" I couldn't claim that I understood the workings of this household or group. From everything I'd learned, this man had power, and if he were unhappy with having a stranger under the roof, I would be on the next flight home.
"Should I?"
Was he serious or playing with me a little?"No." I wasn't going to play guessing games when I wasn't clear on the rules.
"Are you settled in?"
"If you mean, have I unpacked my suitcase…then the answer is yes."
"And your room is satisfactory?"
"Yes." I couldn't figure out what his deal was.
"Talia shared that you go out in the afternoon."
"Um, yeah." I wracked my brain to figure out if I'd broken a rule. "I wanted to get some fresh air. Talia showed me the courtyard."
"Would you like to go out now?"
I blinked hard twice. "Now?" I stalled, not sure that I had heard him correctly.
"Unless you are too busy…?" He looked around the room. "The wind has stilled, and the moon is bright."
Perhaps Mr. Smooth was terrible at flirting. I slowly pushed back my chair. "Okay." Being on my own for so long, I was safety conscious, but I wanted to go with this man.
If you end up murdered, it will be your fault.
He rose and motioned for me to precede him through the door.
"I'll get my coat." I needed to think about this again, away from the attractive man.
"I'll meet you at the end of the hall."
I entered my room and rushed to the bathroom. After taking care of business there, I brushed my teeth and applied Chapstick to my lips. I ran the brush through my hair. Pausing in front of the mirror to wrap the scarf around my neck, I pulled a knit beanie over my hair. "Not bad," I told my reflection. It didn't look like I was trying too hard to be attractive. I was walking down the hallway, trying to shove my arm into the armhole of my coat, when I saw Bredon waiting.
"Let me assist you." He motioned for me to turn around so that he could help me put on my coat. "Will you be warm enough?"
"I'll be fine." I was attracted to him and wondered if he felt the same.
"Shall we?" He placed his hand on the small of my back.
"It's beautiful." We'd paused so that I could admire the moon.
"I should have brought a blanket; then we could sit on the bench."
I chuckled. "I tried that a few days ago and froze my butt off."
He linked his arm around mine, and we continued our walk.
I found that to be a charming old-world move. It made me smile. "I've never gone this far," I admitted. "Talia thought I should stay in the area closest to our building."
"That is wise for your safety." He didn't stop our exploration. "There are nooks where you could be hidden."
"There are many rules," I began slowly.
"They are for your protection." He pulled me a little closer to his body. "We rarely have visitors, and we are uncomfortable with outsiders."
"Wow. Thanks for the warm welcome," I told him sarcastically. "I feel like I'm reliving the ‘unclean' thing."
He stopped and turned to me. "I don't understand. You do not smell badly."
Christ! I must have entered the land of the literal when I came here. "Good to know. I do shower every morning." I rolled my eyes at his confused expression. "When I was in college, I went home with a friend for the weekend, and the family's religion used that term for the non-believers."
"That was impolite. You were a guest."
"I was an outsider and was viewed as different." I shrugged. "I'm used to being the oddity. It's how I grew up."
"Your mother was successful. Her paintings are in several well-known museums."
"Somebody's been gettin' nosey on Google," I teased.
His chest puffed out a little, or so I thought. "I need to know who is housed under this roof; it is my job."
We continued walking in silence for a few minutes.
"You have more questions," I paused, giving this prickly man time to decide if he wanted to pursue this.
He gave me a side-eyed look with a hint of a smile. "And you know that how?"
"I just know. Some might say I have the gift," I told him mysteriously. I was enjoying myself. Teasing Bredon was fun.
He stopped again and turned toward me. His gaze raked over my body.
I swear, I saw his nostrils flare as if he was taking in my scent. "Lucky guesses happen all the time."
I didn't defend my statement. It was too soon to know if I could trust him. So, I made another joke. "I like to get lucky."
He tilted his head slightly to the right and pursed his kissable lips.
Yeah. I found him attractive, and if his body's response to lying on top of me last night had been an indicator, he felt the same.
Suddenly, a wolf howled loudly, and I moved closer to him. "That sounded close." My heart began to pound.
"He's out running." He wrapped his arm around my back, pulling me into a hug. "You're safe with me."
I momentarily accepted the comfort but slowly pulled away. "I know they're your pets, but it surprised me."