14. Scarlet #2
She shook her head without hesitating. “No, it’s better that way. He’s kind of big on keeping people protected. And I’m big on making sure people are taken care of, so don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need.”
“I am sort of hungry,” I admitted. I hadn’t eaten anything since the breakfast Grayson made at the cabin. That was only this morning, but it felt like years. I could never have guessed I would end up here before the day was over.
“Please, call straight to the kitchen, and they’ll send up anything you want.” She then pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and frowned. “I have to go. One of our VIPs just checked in, and we like to greet them personally. But again, give me a call if you need absolutely anything at all.”
It was a bummer she was leaving this soon, but we weren’t besties all of a sudden. I was way too desperate for a connection. “Thank you, Nova.” I really needed to learn to get my emotions under control because her kindness made my chest tighten. Pretty soon, I would be blubbering like a baby.
If only I had met people like this sooner—the sort of people willing to be generous, kind, and patient.
People who looked out for each other. Mom used to tell me the only person you can trust in this whole wide world is yourself.
It was her mantra. As an adult, I could understand where that came from—she had been hurt, burned, discarded. There was no room for hope.
Maybe if I believed in hope, I wouldn’t have fallen for Dominic so easily. I might have believed there was somebody better waiting for me rather than jumping at the first opportunity to be taken care of by a man with money.
It was so easy to look back and see my mistakes for what they were.
How cruel that I couldn’t do anything about them now.
I flipped through the room service menu, looking for something to eat.
My mouth watered at the descriptions of one tasty dish after another before I finally had to make a decision and place the call or spend the rest of my life deliberating.
They promised a twenty-minute wait, so I took a quick shower in the meantime and felt more human by the time the steam subsided. It helped knowing there was food on the way. I was still wrapping a towel around my wet hair when a knock came at the door.
Remember, nobody can get up to your floor without a passkey.
Those words, and the presence of a guard at the door, gave me the courage to trot across the airy living room while cinching the belt on my fluffy bathrobe to peer through the peephole.
A man waited in the hall behind a cart laden with lid-covered dishes.
A familiar man.
I flung the door open with a gasp. “Grayson!” Forget the food.
As soon as he was in the room, I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed, almost delirious with excitement.
My heart pounded in my ears as I peppered his cheeks with kisses.
I didn’t care if it seemed wrong or if I was going too far.
I was too relieved to fall back on all the warnings I tried to give myself about not caring too much about him.
He didn’t push me away—at least not until he started growing against my hip, prodding me through my robe. “There is a lot of food on this cart,” he managed to murmur in my ear, his arms around me, holding me close. “And it would be a shame if it went to waste. I’m starving too.”
Now that he mentioned it, the aroma of my cheeseburger and whatever else he’d brought up made my empty stomach ache. “Let’s eat. Are you here for the night?” I asked, hopeful.
His face fell a little, giving me my answer before he said a word.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know if it’s a good idea.
” As I watched, he pulled a gun from his waistband, where it had rested against his back, and placed it on the table just inside the door.
My eyes widened, and dread skittered down my spine.
It made me ask, “Would you be safe anywhere else?”
He rolled the cart to the coffee table and started unloading the food. My burger and fries looked like heaven on a plate. “I can take care of myself,” he decided while his scar twitched with every tick of his tightened jaw.
Funny how that did nothing to ease my concerns. “Stay here with me. Please?” He didn’t owe me anything, and I had no business asking, but I couldn’t help it. Now that he was here, I couldn’t let him go.
His brows drew together before he grunted, “We shouldn’t fall into the habit, but I’ll think about it.” Then he sat, patting the cushion next to him. “Let’s eat.”
He had also ordered a burger, onion rings, coleslaw, and a giant milkshake. “It’s been too long since I had the chance to eat like this,” he mumbled around a mouthful of beef. “Feel free to take whatever you want.”
“I think I’m good,” I told him, chuckling as I munched on a fry. “I do have a question, though.”
“I knew you would.” I couldn’t tell how he felt about it from the way he said it. There was humor in his voice, yes, but it also had an edge to it. Then again, he was on edge a lot, and there was no secret why.
“How am I ever supposed to repay you for everything you’ve done? Just the amount of money you’ve spent alone, not to mention the time you and your team have put into hiding me.” I didn’t want to think about the total, but I knew it had to be steep.
“I don’t remember asking for repayment,” he replied before taking another bite of his burger.
“But… do you have all the money to be able to do all this?” I asked in disbelief. “You snapped your fingers, and an entirely new life was created for me… a chartered jet, tons of cash, a house on the other side of the country. How can you do all of it without charging me?”
“That’s thanks to Jack too.” My heart seized at the brief shadow that passed over his face. “He always told me one of his biggest regrets was not investing his money, not that he ever made very much of it as a detective.”
I took a bite of my burger and moaned softly.
He was right. We’d spent a week eating only what we could cook in the cabin, and I’d spent days before that eating whatever I could get at the convenience store across from the motel.
This was a real treat. “But he looked out for you when you started making it,” I observed.