Chapter 16
Travis
No woman should be this frustrating.
Coming off of my second win of the season, I expected to hear from my sister that Alyssia had been successfully moved into her—my apartment.
Instead, what I got was a text from Alyssia basically telling me to go fuck myself and the luxury, seven-figure apartment that has one of the best damn views in the country.
Well, maybe she didn’t say all of that. But she made it clear where I wouldn’t find her once I returned to Monaco.
Which is why I had to use all of my resources, read: have Annalise call a couple of contacts to find out which hotel Alyssia had checked into.
I watch Alyssia press her forefinger to her chest, and I have to pull my gaze away from the way the fabric of her light blue button-down shirt caresses her breasts.
Have they gotten larger since I last saw her?
“I’m making my life more complicated?” she asks, bringing me back to the conversation.
“What would you call it?” I don’t give her a chance to respond. “Because what’s not more stressful about going out apartment hunting when there’s a clean, already furnished apartment with a spectacular view—a very expensive view, waiting for you?”
“Am I supposed to be impressed because it’s expensive?” She folds her arms over her chest, and again I force my eyes not to drift downward.
“The view and cost aren’t the only benefits of the apartment, Alyssia. It’s in a central location, not far from your office, there’s twenty-four hour security and a gym.”
“Yes, Isabelle made sure to point all of that out to me when she showed me around. Yet, one thing she forgot to mention is that it’s not paid for by the company that hired me as I was led to believe.”
She stares at me as if expecting an explanation.
“It’s a great apartment,” I tell her.
She rolls her eyes. “Great or not, it’s not mine.”
“It’s there for you.”
“But it’s not mine and it’s not rented out for me by my employment contract either. It’s yours.”
Pushing out a breath, I fight not to pinch the bridge of my nose.
“What does it matter anyway? If it’s the idea of you being uncomfortable living with me, I have a separate apartment two floors down.”
“Oh, your sister told me.”
“Then what’s the issue?” I figured she wouldn’t be all in for moving in with me directly, which is why I moved out of my main place and into the one that I’d been leasing.
“The issue is this is my damn life,” she says forcefully. “You don’t get to run it just because we’re having a baby together.”
Sensations I can’t name rush through me. The reminder of our baby. I’m going to be a father.
“I’m not trying to run your life,” I say through gritted teeth. “All I’m trying to do is make your life a little easier.”
“By manipulating it and going behind my back to have me moved across an entire ocean to be exactly where you want me to be. Did you get éléanor to hire me, too?”
The question shouldn’t surprise me. After Alyssia put two and two together about the apartment, I knew she would be smart enough to figure out that I had something to do with her getting her new position.
“They needed a market researcher. You needed a job.”
She makes a disgusted sound with her mouth and throws her hands up in the air. I guess this isn’t the right time to tell her that she doesn’t have to work at any rate.
“What the hell is going through your mind?”
No, not the right time at all.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out what she’s worked up about. Wouldn’t most women appreciate living in a luxurious apartment and not having to work?
“No,” Alyssia says, making me realize I’d spoken out loud. “I’d venture to guess most women would like to have the opportunity to choose what happens in their own lives. This woman would, anyway.” She presses her finger to her chest again.
The angry flashes in her eyes makes something tug in the pit of my stomach. A low rumbling at the center of me starts, reminding me of something dark and sexy as hell.
Like the moments before the start of a race when everything’s up in the air. When the winner remains undecided. That murky unknown is always what sparks my competitiveness.
Alyssia moves closer, and then presses her finger into my chest.
“I’ve spent the past eight years taking care of myself and that’s not about to change just because we’re having a kid together. Your money can’t buy me or my obedience.”
“Is that what you think is happening?” I step closer to her, not missing the way her eyes widen and her lips part the slightest amount. “That I’m trying to buy your obedience?”
“I don’t think. I know.” Her gaze drops to my mouth. But she doesn’t allow it to linger there when she takes a step back.
The air between us cools off just a touch.
I don’t like it.
“But neither one are for sale.”
“So what? You’re going to quit your new job and move back to New York?” I ask, but I’ll never let that happen.
“No,” she says. “I’m keeping the job and I’m going to do a damn good job at it so they know they didn’t make a mistake. But …” She trails off. “I’m finding my own apartment. I have two appointments that I should be leaving for now, actually.”
“Great. I’m coming with you.” If she thinks I’m about to let her get of my sight for too long, she’s got another thing coming.
I glance at my ringing phone and send Norm to voicemail. Whatever he wants can wait.
“And I assume this building doesn’t have twenty-four-hour security,” I say to the fifty-something year old woman who owns this flat.
Though I keep my gaze on the woman, I feel Alyssia’s eyes shooting daggers into my skull. This is the fourth question I’ve asked the landlord since we’ve entered this two-bedroom, second floor apartment in the middle of one of Nice’s more popular neighborhoods.
The two apartments that Alyssia lined up to visit were outside of Monaco, in France, no less. I have to give it to her, it made sense if she was determined to pay for an apartment on her own, outside of Monaco is the more budget-friendly option.
“Travis,” she says, not even bothering to hide her irritation.
“Safety is important, is it not?” I ask her.
She rolls her eyes skyward. “This is one of the safest neighborhoods in the city,” she reminds me. “I told you that when we first arrived.”
“I’d like to hear it from Inés.” I turn to the owner. “Is that true?”
“Oh yes, very true,” she agrees eagerly.
My frown deepens. I’m certain she’d say anything to get a tenant in this place. Not that the apartment is bad or anything. With two bedrooms, shiny hardwood floors, and a decent amount of sunlight in both the living and master bedrooms, it’s not exactly a dump.
But it’s not my apartment.
“Hmmm.” I snort and do another sweep of the apartment with my gaze.
“Can you excuse us for a minute?” Alyssia asks in an alarmingly chipper voice.
The owner agrees, but I don’t miss the side-eye she gives me.
“Your phone’s ringing,” Alyssia says, glancing down at the phone in my hands.
I grit my teeth as Norm’s name pops up on the screen again. I’m supposed to meet with a representative for the luxury watch company tomorrow.
I send the call to voicemail once more and shove my phone in my back pocket before crowding Alyssia’s space.
“What are you doing?” Alyssia whispers.
“Are you not concerned about the safety and security of the place you’re going to be living?”
She looks down toward my pocket. “You missed your call.”
“It can wait. Your safety is more important.”
She shrugs. “Did you miss the part about this being one of the safest neighborhoods in the city? Also, I’m literally moving from New York City. If I can take care of myself there, I can take care of myself anywhere.”
I snort. “You don’t have to take care of yourself. That’s what I’m here for.” The words come out before I even think about them.
But once they’re out I don’t regret them.
“The baby,” she says as if correcting me. “You’re here to take care of the baby.”
“That’s not what I said.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not a possession that needs taking care of.” She lowers her lashes, shielding her eyes from allowing me to see whatever emotion runs through them.
She’s blocking me out and I don’t like it.
“You’re my responsibility now,” I say before my fucking phone buzzes again.
Alyssia half smiles. “And you’re busy. Good thing for you, I can take care of myself. Besides, we’ve been through this.”
“Let’s go through it again,” I say, moving closer while ignoring the text message just sent to me.
Alyssia doesn’t back away as I get closer. Our fronts are nearly touching, a silent communication that she won’t back down.
Her obstinance stirs something inside of me.
“This place is over two-thousand euro a month,” I tell her.
“And?”
“That’s a significant chunk of your monthly income. Which you could save if you just stayed in my Monaco apartment.”
“Not happening.”
“You’re increasing your commute to work by nearly thirty minutes.”
“That’s the shortest commute I’ve had in over five years,” she counters. “Additionally, I’ll be able to work from home three to four days out of the week.”
A muscle in my jaw ticks. She’s done her research, a trait I both admire and loathe at this moment.
“You shouldn’t be walking so much. Have you forgotten you’re pregnant?”
The corner of her mouth kicks upward in a sly grin. My gaze shouldn’t linger so heavily on that smile, but my eyes are magnetized by them.
“I thought you were reading those pregnancy books you bought?”
I raise an eyebrow.
“You should’ve read the part where exercise is actually good for a healthy pregnancy.”
She has me there.
“Dr. Slosher cleared me for exercise weeks ago. And considering I had a regular workout routine before I got pregnant, a little walking on a commute to work isn’t going to do any harm. It’s actually a good thing.”
I saw the reports from her doctor in New York clearing her to resume her normal lifestyle since the hematoma healed. I wouldn’t have had her move all of the way over here if she hadn’t been given the okay.
“What about when the baby comes?” I ask.
Her confident expression briefly falters.
“We have six months to figure that out,” she says, her voice slightly lower than before.
I move closer, making her take a step back. I’m overcome with a sudden desire to be in her orbit, for her hips to be in between my hands.
Which is how I find my hands wrapped around her waist, bracing her back against the door. Alyssia lets out a surprised gasp.
“What are you doing?” she asks in a whisper. Her eyes dart toward the door the owner of this apartment exited not too long ago.
Truth be told, I haven’t given any of this much thought. All I know is that I wanted my hands on her. To make sure she’s actually real, here on the same side of the world as me again.
“I’m not moving into your apartment, Travis,” she says, her voice low but strong. She’s not ready to budge yet.
I don’t say anything for a long while. I take the opportunity to search out the war playing in her eyes. I can’t read her expressions yet and that pisses me off.
“I won’t argue,” I say before dipping my head until our mouths almost touch. “Only because I don’t want to increase your stress load right now.”
I drop my eyes to her belly to find my thumbs languidly stroking over her abdomen. Though her clothing separates the skin-on-skin contact, tiny sparks of heat rush through me.
Alyssia’s breathing intensifies in the silence.
I lower my head another tenth of an inch, almost bringing our lips to touch, satisfied when she doesn’t pull away. The idea to kiss her into submission crosses my mind.
The moment it does, however, Inés re-enters the apartment. Her footsteps come to a sudden stop.
Alyssia’s the first one to pull away.
“I’ll take the apartment,” she blurts out, breathless.
My fucking heart sinks and my damn phone starts ringing again.