Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 71034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
26
LAURIE
Iended up falling asleep on the plane after all. Maybe all the stress made my body retreat into the escape of sleep. I woke up long before we were due in New York, so Worth chatted about his family’s company, his apartment in New York, and his other properties; I just listened.
As soon as we landed, a car came right out onto the tarmac to pick us up, yet another privilege I never even imagined. We were dropped off at Worth’s apartment building along with the two security guards who’d come to get us in Aruba. I marveled at the front of the building and the lobby, which felt too fancy for me to walk through in the clothes I had worn on the plane. They were nice, but now they were wrinkled and all askew. I was sure my hair looked frightening as well, but Worth took my hand and walked in like he was proud to be with me.
We crossed to the elevator with one of the security guards following behind us, the other man remained in the lobby. The guard who accompanied us initially followed us inside to sweep the apartment, but once he declared it safe, he took up position just outside the door.
I’d been tense, waiting for someone to jump out at us, so it wasn’t until the door had closed behind the guard that I really began to take in the high ceilings, the natural light filling the room from the large windows, and the sense of everything being white, clean, and airy with accents of blue and plants everywhere to add in color.
“Did you create this yourself, or did you have a designer?”
“I worked with a designer, but it was my vision. The art is all pieces I’ve purchased.”
The pictures on the wall were landscapes of fields, farmlands, and cliffs by the sea, some were abstract, some realistic. They all made we want to go to the places they represented. “I love the way it feels here. I thought….”
Worth raised his brows. “What?”
“Never mind.”
“Laurie, you can say whatever you want.”
“I thought I would feel like I didn’t belong. I didn’t think your place would feel…homey.”
He smiled. “One can manage a luxurious aesthetic and comfort simultaneously.”
“You’ve done that perfectly here.”
“Come on. Let me show you the rest.” I followed him into the kitchen which had everything any chef could want.
“Do you cook?”
Worth shook his head. “No, it’s all for show. Sad, isn’t it? It’s only been used when I’ve had a caterer come in.”
“If I’m here long enough, I’ll cook for you.”
“Long enough?”
“I’m staying until we find Beck and get him home safely.”
“Laurie, that’s not what I—”
I held up a hand. “Until we find Beck, we’re not going to talk about what happens beyond that.” I couldn’t. The stress of Beck being taken was too much without worrying about whether I could trust that this thing with Worth would last.
Worth studied me for a few moments.
“All right. I know I already agreed to that, but I would love for you to cook for me if you want to. There’s no obligation, though. I don’t expect you to do anything here except enjoy yourself as much as you can. You’re as safe here as you would be anywhere, safer in fact. Carter had state-of-the-art security installed, and as you saw, we have our own personal guards. They’ll be here around the clock.”
“I trust you to keep me safe.” That was true. My physical safety was going to be attended to as well as anyone possibly could. I had no doubt about that. My heart on the other hand? I wasn’t so sure about it, but I had chosen to take that risk. I couldn’t blame Worth when I knew exactly who he was going into this.
I’d already had his attention for far longer than anyone would have expected, and I believed he was sincere when he told me he cared about me, but I also knew back here in New York, things would be different.
Worth showed me his bedroom. It was big, bright, and as well-designed as the rest of the apartment.
I noticed he’d put both our bags in his room. I suppose it was ridiculous to ask him to put me in the guest room, but somehow committing to staying with him—in his own bed—unnerved me. It was like I was pushing this game of pretend too far.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me here in your space? I don’t want to be in the way—”
He placed a finger over my lips. “I wouldn’t have you anywhere else. If I could spend every moment of the day in this bed with you, wrapped around you, holding you tight, that’s what I would do. The only thing keeping me from that is finding Beck.”
“I just…I know you’re not used to anyone staying with you, and if you’d rather I slept in—”