Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Brielle
I waited until he fell asleep, then I went into the suite’s other bedroom and slept there for the rest of the night. All I wanted to do was comfort him, but he made it very clear with his loud and commanding voice that he didn’t want that. I got up at the crack of dawn, and when I tiptoed into the bedroom to grab some clothes to change into, I heard his voice.
“Where the hell were you?”
“I slept in the other room,” I spoke as I rummaged through my suitcase.
“I pay you to sleep with me, not in the other fucking room.”
“Go back to sleep, Caden. Obviously, you need it.” I stormed into the bathroom and shut and locked the door.
Once I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and changed into my clothes, I walked out of the bathroom and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed. I grabbed my shoes and walked into the living area.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he asked in an angered tone as he followed me.
“I’m going for coffee.”
“I’ll call room service and have them bring some up.”
“No. I need some fresh air.”
“Then go. I don’t have time to deal with you anyway. I have a meeting I need to get ready for.”
I grabbed my purse and shook my head at him before walking out the door. After I exited the lobby doors, I walked down the street and entered a Starbucks. Thankfully, there was only one person in line.
“Welcome to Starbucks. What can I make for you?” A bright and too cheery for this time of the morning, the barista grinned.
“I’ll have a Grande Americano with an extra shot of espresso.”
“Name for the order?”
“Brielle.”
“Is it okay if I just put ‘Bri’?” she asked with an annoying grin.
“Sure. Bri is fine.”
I stepped to the side and waited for my coffee. Once the barista yelled my name, I grabbed my cup from the counter and sat at a small table by the window. Whatever nightmare Caden had last night rattled him to his core, and he was still feeling the effects of it this morning. But it didn’t give him the right to speak to me the way he did. Caden Chamberlain had anger issues, and the more time I spent with him, the more evident it was.
I held the warm cup between my hands as I stared out the window and thought about my situation. I could break our contract and walk away. I was tempted. But then I thought about Stella and the money. Caden was right—he did pay me for sex, so I needed to give him that and stay out of his personal life. I could do that for the next five months, right? I needed to turn off my emotions and the feelings that resided inside me for him. He was nothing more than a job, and I was nothing more to him than the woman he paid to have sex with.
As I was finishing my coffee, a text message from him came through on my phone. Sighing, I opened it.
“I’ll be gone for a few hours, so I’ve booked you a massage, body treatment, and facial. Your appointment is at eight-thirty. I’ll see you when I return.”
Was that an apology? I didn’t think so, but I didn’t care. A massage, body treatment, and facial were precisely what I needed right now. I checked the time, and it was eight o’clock, so I returned to the hotel.
I didn’t think I’d ever been so relaxed my entire life. After my spa appointment, I headed back up to the suite. I wondered if Caden was back from his meeting yet with the hopes that he wasn’t. I wanted to enjoy a few more minutes of pure bliss before the storm blew in. I opened the door and looked around the suite; he wasn’t there.
“Thank you,” I whispered, placing my praying hands together and looking up at the ceiling.
I went into the bathroom, put on some makeup, and fixed my hair. I had just changed into one of my maxi dresses when I heard the door open.
“How was your spa day?” he asked in a delightful tone.
“It was good. Very relaxing. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He walked over to where I stood and kissed my lips. “I’m going to get changed. We’re going to Navy Pier. I booked us a dinner cruise for later.”
“Okay,” I spoke as I looked at him in confusion.
I poured myself a glass of wine, removed the cheese and fruit tray from the refrigerator, and took it to the terrace. When I heard the shower turn on, I picked up my phone and called my mom.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Mom.”
“How’s Chicago?” she asked.
“Eventful. Can I talk to Stella?”
“Of course. She’s right here.”
“Mommy!” Stella excitedly spoke.
“Hey, sunshine. How’s it going with Grandma?”
“It’s going good. I met her friend Steven last night. We all went to dinner at Steak and Shake and Central Park. He’s really funny.”
“Wow. That’s great. I can’t wait to meet him.” I sighed.
“When are you coming home? I miss you.”
“I know, baby girl. I miss you too, and I’ll be home sometime tomorrow.”
I heard the shower turn off.
“I have to go, Stella. My clients are waiting for me. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mommy.”
I ended the call and took a sip of my wine. I wasn’t sure how I felt about my mother bringing Steven around Stella so soon.
“Aren’t you going to ask me how my meeting went?” Caden asked as he grabbed a piece of cheese from the tray.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Why would I? It’s none of my business.”
He sat in the seat next to me, reached over, took the glass from my hand, and brought it to his lips.
“Well, I’m going to tell you anyway. Chamberlain Essence came up with a new flavoring, and I just sold it to the largest sparkling water manufacturer in the world. A multi-million-dollar deal.” He smiled.
“Congratulations. Does that mean I’m getting a raise?”
“You’re cute.” He tapped my nose. “If you’re ready, I’d like to head to Navy Pier now.”
“Of course.” I got up from my seat.
I swore this man was Bipolar. He yelled at me one minute, and the next, he was as sweet as pie. I was going to take the sweet-as-pie version of him for as long as I could. As long as I kept my mouth shut, things would be fine.