CHAPTER FIVE #2
We tear down the hallway, Sebastian shrieking, me half-stumbling as my socks slip against the flooring, and just as we reach his room, he lets go of me, dives inside, and slams the door.
The lock clicks.
I stare at it, my hands pressed against the hardwood.
“Sebastian, you traitor!”
Arms close around my waist, and I gasp. Ray spins me lightly, and suddenly I’m pinned between him and the bedroom door, both of us breathless, both of us laughing.
Until we realise exactly how close we are.
The laughter dies, but his hands are still on my waist. My palms flatten against his chest without me even realising I’ve put them there.
For one suspended second, neither of us moves.
His eyes drop to my mouth. My breath catches. The whole world seems to go painfully, deafeningly still.
Then, like he’s just remembered himself, Ray lets go. He steps back so fast it’s almost jarring.
Heat rushes into my face. I turn to the door and bang on it, mostly so I’ve got something to do.
“Thanks a lot,” I call out. “Every man for himself, apparently.”
From the other side of the door, Sebastian’s giggles ring out.
I can’t get Ray out of my head. The feel of his hands on my waist. The way he looked at me, like he wanted something he had no business wanting.
It keeps replaying, over and over, until I’m half convinced I imagined it. I’ve never been so drawn to a man in my life, even though he still scares the hell out of me.
“Earth to Wynter,” Anika says.
“Huh?” I blink, dragging myself back to the room.
She’s watching me with far too much amusement. “I said it’s nice hearing laughter in this place again,” she says. “It’s been a while.”
“Oh. Right.”
Her mouth twitches. “You and Ray called a truce?”
I nod. “Catherine basically forced us to sit down and clear the air.”
“And?”
“And it’s . . . better,” I admit. “He still terrifies me, but it’s better.”
Anika smiles. “I told you. He’s a pussycat.”
“With you,” I point out.
And it’s true.
He’s soft with her in a way that catches me off guard every single time.
He makes sure to wish her goodnight, even when he’s busy, he’ll call.
And he wakes her with a gentle kiss in the morning.
He sits with her and watches television when he’s home.
Brushes her hair. Takes care of her in quiet, unshowy ways that make my chest ache.
It’s ridiculously heartwarming to witness.
“He reminds me of every bad boy my mother would’ve warned me about,” I say.
Anika laughs. “He’s definitely that. But once you win him over, he’s perfect.”
I snort. “I’m sure he’ll make a decent boss eventually, once we’re used to each other.”
I open the book she asked me to read. She’s currently obsessed with vampires and werewolves, and honestly, I’m beginning to think she chooses the steamiest bits on purpose.
“He’s nice to look at too,” she says casually. “Don’t you think?”
Heat rushes to my face but I keep my eyes on the page. “Where did we get to?” I ask, pretending I’ve lost our place.
Anika’s grin widens. “I hate that he’s still single.”
My head snaps up. “Why is he single?”
She laughs. “You’ve met him, right? He’s hard work. It would take someone pretty incredible to earn his trust. And even then, he’s not exactly easy.”
“You really know how to sell him,” I say, sarcasm dripping from my words.
She beams. “I want him to fall in love before I die. It’s my mission.”
I roll my eyes and look back at the book. “You say things like that all the time,” I mutter. “It’s not like you’re dying tomorrow. You’ve got years to find Ray some poor gullible woman willing to put up with his bad attitude and bossy ways. Good luck to her.”
“I’ll read to her,” says a deep voice from the doorway.
My eyes snap shut.
Fuck.
Anika bursts out laughing.
“It’s not funny,” I whisper, setting the book down and getting to my feet.
Ray crosses the room and takes the chair I’ve just vacated, looking far too pleased with himself.
“Oh, and Wynter?”
I pause my hasty retreat, my back still turned.
“I am the boss,” he says mildly. “Bossy comes with the job. It’s practically a requirement.”
Anika laughs harder.
I keep walking before either of them can see my face.
RAY
Monday comes around too quickly. I hate Mondays. Mainly because they’re Wynter’s days off, which means I’m forced to use agency carers for Anika, and I can’t stand it. They never follow the house rules properly, and there’s no point repeating them because it’s never the same person twice.
Wynter is curled up on the sofa, cross-legged, a pencil in one hand and a notepad balanced on her knee.
“What are you doing today?” I ask.
She glances up. “Nothing much. I was just going to stay here.”
I frown. “All day?” She shrugs and looks back down at the page. “Don’t you have people to see? Places to go?”
She shrugs again. “Not exactly.”
“What about friends?”
“They’re in Stamford.”
I fold the newspaper in my lap. “You’ve been here six months. You haven’t made any new ones?” She shakes her head. “Don’t you think you should?”
She huffs out a small breath then her eyes fix on me. “Ray, I can’t exactly nip to the shops and buy a new friend. It’s a bit more complicated than that.”
I smirk. “Well, you’re not going to find one sitting around here.”
“Not strictly true,” she says. “I’ve got Sebastian.”
Despite myself, I smile. She’s really taken to him. “But he’s at school.”
She smirks. “I can wait six hours.”
“Or . . . you could do something for me.”
Christ. The words are out before I’ve thought them through.
Her brows lift. “Like what?”
I glance down at the newspaper, pretending this is casual. Like I’m not making this up as I go along.
“I’ve got Holly doing me a favour today,” I say. “She’s going shopping for a few things. You could help her.”
Wynter studies me. I don’t miss the suspicion in her eyes.
“She’s nice,” I add, keeping my tone neutral. “And I imagine she’d appreciate the company.”
I noticed the two of them talking the last time we were downstairs. Wynter needs people here. Proper people. Not just me, Anika, and Sebastian.
And definitely not Dale.
Wynter nods. “Okay, sounds good. I’ll get dressed.”
She disappears down the hall before I can say anything else. The second she’s gone, I pull out my phone and call Holly.
She answers on the third ring. “Hey, boss. Everything okay?”
“I need a favour.”
She pauses. “That sounds ominous.”
“Wynter needs to get out for the day. She’s got no one here and apparently her plan was to sit around the penthouse doing nothing.”
Holly is quiet for a beat, then, “Right . . .”
“If I give you my card, can you take her shopping?”
“Shopping for what?”
“Anything,” I say. “Stuff for Anika. The usual supplies. Maybe some new décor for her room if you see anything decent.”
Holly laughs softly. “I guess it beats working the bar all day.”
“Perfect. And she can’t know I’ve asked you to do this especially. She thinks it was already planned.”
“Right. Erm, fine.”
“When you’ve had enough shopping, take her somewhere nice to eat. One of my places. She’s got a gold card, so use that.”
“And?”
I frown. “And what?”
“And you clearly haven’t finished.”
I sigh. “If she wants drinks after, stick with her, have some fun.”
Holly lets out a laugh. “Cocktails?”
“Within reason.”
“Ray Carmichael, are you trying to impress her?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I mutter. “Just keep her busy.”
“Sure,” she says, still sounding far too amused. “I’ll take care of her.”
I end the call before she can say anything else.
WYNTER
“So, let me get this straight,” I say, glancing across at Holly as I hold up a lipstick. “Ray sends you out to buy Anika’s clothes, makeup, and bath stuff?”
“Yep.” Holly laughs. “Catherine wasn’t exactly into the younger, trendier things. Every few months, he changes bits of her room too. New prints, mirrors, cushions . . . whatever might freshen it up.”
“Why?”
“So, she doesn’t get bored staring at the same four walls all day.”
My heart aches. Partly because it’s such a sweet thing to do for her, but also because it’s sad he has to.
“Why doesn’t she ever go out in that fancy wheelchair?” I ask.
Holly’s smile softens. “She hates people looking at her. That’s what Catherine told me. She’s a beautiful young woman, and to her, that chair feels like a giant sign telling everyone to stare. People can be cruel. Or worse, overly sympathetic.” She gives a small shrug. “Either way, she hates it.”
I trail my fingers over a little neon sign that says ‘LOVE’, then lift it from the shelf.
“And what’s the budget?” I ask.
Holly snorts. “There isn’t one. Honestly, there isn’t. One time he sent me into this tiny boutique in central London and told me to spend three grand on makeup.”
I stare at her. “Three thousand pounds?”
She grins. “Yep. He always gets her the best, top of the range stuff.”
“It’s sad though, isn’t it?” I say quietly. “Buying all that and barely having anywhere to wear it.”
“She has date nights,” Holly says.
I blink. “What?”
“With Dale sometimes. Sometimes with Sebastian. And sometimes with Ray.”
I stop walking and clutch the sign to my chest. “Oh god, Holly. My heart can’t cope with this.”
She laughs. “I know. Underneath all the grumpy and terrifying, he’s actually ridiculously sweet.”
“But still terrifying,” I mutter.
“Oh, definitely.”
She glances at the neon sign in my hand and smirks. “You know he’s going to hate that, right?”
I grin and drop it into the basket. “Yeah, I’ve noticed he’s very into his beige, grey, and moody-man aesthetic.” I glance down at the bright pink sign. “But if I was stuck in bed all day, I’d want colour. Lots of it.”
By lunchtime, we’re tired, starving, and weighed down by far too many shopping bags.
Well, Holly and I aren’t weighed down. Ray sent one of his men to carry them.
I was completely gobsmacked when he appeared out of nowhere outside the third shop and started taking bags from our hands like some kind of luxury pack mule, but Holly acted like it was the most normal thing in the world.