Chapter 15 #2
Needing no further warning, she slumps into a chair and mimics zipping her mouth shut.
Donovan grins and sits next to her. Normally, I wouldn’t let him get that close but with Paige clearly of interest to him, I let it slide.
No matter the flirting or whatever else he tries, Morgan wouldn’t go near Donovan, married or not.
“I’m going to change.” Paige leaves with no acknowledgement I’m following behind her.
She is aware of my presence. I can tell with every one of her cautious steps up the stairs. She’s anticipating my move.
“JP moved your things into my room,” I say and she freezes mid-step, glancing over her shoulder at me. Her long hair sways, her brows tightly knit as her mouth forms a thin white line.
“No way. The clothes are gorgeous and the gesture way too generous, but I have my own clothes.” She takes another step before turning back to face me. “I’m not staying. Do you think your driver could take me to my mom’s?”
“I will,” Donovan says from behind us.
Pivoting, I narrow my gaze as a sudden rush of heat propels me to get in his face. “Leave us alone.” He doesn’t budge but rather cocks his head to the side, his features cool and controlled. “Better yet, leave.”
“I’ll leave only if Paige wants me to.”
As if punched in the gut, everything in me wants to retaliate and lash out with a swift right hook to his jaw. But I don’t. It takes everything in me to stand still and trust in Paige to do the right thing.
“I’m fine. There’s no need for you to stay.” She’s way more polite than I would be, but the message is clear. Leave.
“All right then. Bye, Paige.” He wiggles his fingers in the air to make light of her rejection and I bite back a smirk. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Not if I have anything to say about it.
He’s a spoiled child, always wanting what or whom he can’t have.
Sure, they may have known each other from before, but to him, the thought of tearing Paige away from someone like me makes her all the more enticing.
Not to say she isn’t tempting enough on her own, but he’d sooner have her than drop her cold, moving on to the next person someone else is interested in, rather than leave her to me.
“Like I was saying, your things are in my room.” I guide her back up the stairs.
“I can’t stay.”
“With Morgan here, we can’t be in separate bedrooms,” I whisper.
“Didn’t you hear me? I’m leaving. Did you drop my clothes at my mom’s?” She nibbles on her bottom lip and then turns to finish her ascent to the second floor. Once on the landing, she hesitates, uncertain where to go.
“I had JP bring your clothes here.”
“Zach, I promised to make it look like we’re in a relationship but living together was never part of the deal,” she whispers, arms stiff and hands balled into fists at her sides.
“I don’t want you alone at your parents’. At least stay until they come back.” The truth, something real, burns my throat and squeezes my chest. I’m responsible for last night, for what that sick asshole did, and I can’t have her alone until he’s behind bars for good.
It’s unlikely he’ll go after her now that she’s no longer staying at that place, but I’m not willing to take that chance. A striking pair of tender brown eyes stare at me and her countenance softens. But she remains mute.
“Come with me.” I take her hand, leading us onto the terrace off my bedroom.
It’s half the size of the other balcony and I’m grateful for the fresh air. Things were getting too tense inside. She was digging in her heels, and hopefully being outside, the change of scenery, will help her clear her head and change her mind.
“Zach, we need to talk about this.”
Or not.
“Sleeping together is way beyond what we agreed to.” She stops to take in the view. “Oh, my.”
I nudge her into a cushioned chair, sliding an ottoman under her feet. While the outdoors sinks into her bones, I pour us a drink.
“It’s going to be fine.” I hand her a glass and watch as she sips the crisp, fruity white wine.
“Mmm, this is good.”
“Sancerre. Sit back and relax. There’s more where that came from.”
“But…”
“Paige.” I sit on the edge of the ottoman. “What’s the problem? My bed is big enough for the two of us.”
“That’s an overwhelming understatement.” She glances through the open French doors into my bedroom. “I’ve never seen a king that size. It’s huge.”
“And guess what?” I pause as she peers over her shoulder at me. “I don’t hog the covers.”
She laughs, covering her mouth with a hand, and the warmth of her joy spreads through my chest. Joy can be a dangerous, dangerous thing. Especially over something make-believe.
“Zach? Paige?” Morgan says from inside.
“Out here.” I scowl, displeased at the interruption and not bothering to hide it.
“Hey, if I’m going to be a third wheel, I can stay with Nan.” Morgan steps onto the terrace and just like that, I feel like an ass.
She doesn’t visit that often and I love having her stay with me. She makes my place come alive and here I am giving her the exact opposite impression with an uninviting glare.
“No, stay,” Paige and I say in unison. Our gazes meet and she returns my smile with one of her own.
“I feel like I’m intruding.” Paige sits up straight as if ready to bolt. “I’m the one who should be going so the two of you can catch up.”
Not this again.
“You aren’t in the way.” My voice is crisp, almost edgy, not wanting to revisit our earlier conversation. She hasn’t agreed to stay but, for me, no other option is acceptable.
“No. You could never be in the way. I actually like having another woman around. Zach is a workaholic and it gets lonely. Besides, I’m not used to the easy lifestyle while I’m here.” She adds a wry grin to her jab at how spoiled she thinks I am. “At home, I’m usually grinding.”
“And where’s home?” Paige sips from her glass.
Morgan pours herself a glass and leans against the bar. “Florida. I’m in Miramar at the moment. It’s about twenty-five minutes north of Miami—without traffic—but I’m thinking about heading further south. We’ll see.”
“And what do you do?”
“Right now, I don’t have a job.” She’s nonchalant, and it strikes me again just how unalike we are. We both had the same opportunities growing up, yet she’s never wanted anything to do with the wealth and power afforded her by the Rothwell name.
“Morgan likes to live paycheck to paycheck.” Now it’s my turn to take a jab at her nomadic ways and, at times, hard lifestyle.
She willingly goes from job to job when she has options and opportunity most would kill for. Even without her inheritance, she’s had a good education and could find a challenging and well-paying profession.
“Hey, don’t knock it. Some of us like to work for what we have.”
“I work hard for what I have.” My tone is unforgiving and it’s too late when I realize I’ve taken the bait.
After graduating with a physics degree—which if you ask her why physics, she’ll say just for kicks—Morgan took off for parts unknown and hasn’t looked back.
Somehow, she feels unworthy or reluctant to live off the family money and uses her trust fund sparingly.
The only time she’ll grudgingly accept our lifestyle is when Nan insists she come home for a visit.
Morgan tilts her head back and laughs. Our differing lifestyles are a running debate between us and neither is willing to see the other’s side.
“Anyway, I’m off. Don’t wait up.” She downs the last of her wine and deposits the empty glass on the bar. For someone who claims to have no friends and nothing to do when here, she always has someplace to go or someone to see.
“Have a good night.”
“You, too. And Paige, let’s do something one night this week.”
“Sure, sounds good. Bye, Morgan.”
Paige stands, placing her glass next to the other empty one. “Zach,” she says and I can see she’s picking up where we left off.
“Listen. Stay until you find a permanent place. You’re already moved in. JP has already made arrangements to bring over your car and clear out your furniture. He’ll put the things you don’t need in a storage facility for the time being.”
“What?”
“Don’t freak out. I have the means to help and that’s all I’m doing. You don’t owe me anything outside of our deal. Stay.”
“I guess this helps our arrangement.”
I nod, not liking her train of thought but also knowing better than to clarify or push it at this point. She’s almost there in accepting the idea of staying here. “Exactly.”
“Okay, I’ll stay. I’m going to take a bath.”
I should be satisfied but I’m plagued with thoughts of only an hour ago when she arrived. A rush of heat blasts through my body at the memory of our kiss.
Our fake kiss.
Only for show.
I’m full of shit.
I’m attracted to Paige Hayes, but I know better than to mix business and pleasure.
I’ve got to keep my attraction in check.
This deal with Paige is strictly business and having her live here will only make it easier to convince Nan how serious I am about settling down.
Even still, I’m confused. I got what I wanted and yet I hardly feel victorious.