“Good night,” he says, turning away.
“Wait,” I say. “Don’t you...?”
“What?” he asks, cocking his head.
I looked away, frowning. “Nothing.”
He walks toward the door and I watch him go, wishing he’d stay. As he opens it, he pauses and turns back to me.
“Oh sorry, I do have one rule for you. Stay in this room. If you want to leave it, you have to get permission from me. Understood?”
“Okay,” I say, nodding.
“I won’t keep you prisoner, of course. And if you want books, magazines, movies, a computer, anything, just ask. But don’t leave without permission.”
I nod. “Thanks,” I say.
“Sleep tight, Aria.”
He leaves the room before I can respond.
I down my wine, place the glass on a side table, and then collapse onto the enormous bed. I burrow down into the covers, put my face in the beautiful and immaculate pillow, and I scream.
I can’t believe that I’m here. I laugh and scream into the pillow and laugh some more, completely overwhelmed with my situation. Once I get that out of my system, I quickly explore the room. The gym in the back is pretty nice with a treadmill, a little TV, some weights, and a bench press. The balcony overlooks the city and I realize that I’m on the third floor. The view is incredible.
I step back inside and notice that my bags were discreetly delivered while I was outside on the balcony. I walk over to them and begin to unpack, frowning at my meager possessions.
I don’t know what I want or what I’m going to do, but I have to try and enjoy this. Ethan could still be some kind of serial killer or something like that, but I doubt it. I think the real problem is, I can’t believe that I’m in this place and with this man, and I don’t think I deserve any of it.
But if I get through it, I’ll make over a million dollars. If I live frugally and am smart, I can be set for life. I can afford to go to nursing school, or even go all the way back and start at the beginning to become a doctor.
Anything is possible after this. I just need to figure out Ethan and give him what he likes.
Because there was one clause in that contract that’s been bothering me since I signed. One very important clause.
If I don’t please him, The Syndicate won’t pay me.
Ethan gets a partial refund. But The Syndicate won’t give me a dime. Even if there are still hundreds of thousands, I won’t see a dime if I don’t please him.
I climb into bed, trying to figure him out. I need to start being better at this and fast. So far, I’ve been myself, which is dorky and clumsy and stupid. I need to up my game and work on him.
But for now, I’ll just enjoy this the best I can. In the morning, I’ll see what I can do.
5
Ethan
I finish cooking the eggs and plate them on the large platter. My cook, Michelle, looks on from the counter, smiling and sipping her coffee.
“This is a first,” she says as I finish up. “You cooking and me watching.”
“You’re enjoying this too much,” I say.
She shrugs. Michelle is in her fifties, rotund and possibly my favorite person in the world. She’s been working for me ever since I started making serious money, about two years before Jenkins came. I don’t know how I could manage my life without her. It’s very rare that I want to actually cook for myself, but when I do she’s always around for a chat and some tips. I haven’t cooked anything in a couple years, though. I’ve been too busy.
Today feels different, though. It’s around six in the morning and I know Aria is probably asleep, so I want to surprise her. I’m not sure why. I just want to spoil her.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you cook, that’s all,” she says. “Cooking is good for you. Good for the spirit.”
“Of course you’d say that,” I respond, grinning.
“Look at you. You’re practically glowing.” She leans toward me over the counter. “I assume this is all for her.” She gives me a knowing look.
“Gossip moves fast, I see,” I say, frowning.
“What can I say, Ethan. You brought a woman home.”
“So? I bring women home all the time.”
“But they don’t stay until the next morning. And they definitely don’t get the second best room in the house.”
I sigh, not wanting to engage in this, but I do need to say something. Aria is going to be in the house for the next month and the staff is going to be curious.
I trust all of them. They’ve had opportunities to spread gossip in the past, but they never have. The ones that were more loose-lipped were fired a long time ago, and things are in a very good place right now. But still, I need to tell them something.
“Her name is Aria,” I say. “And she’s going to be staying here for a month.”
Michelle looks surprised, her eyebrows raised in little arches. “A month?”
“One month. The staff is to treat her as if she owns the place. Any request will be granted. Understood?”
She nods, a bewildered smile on her face. “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”
I sigh. “Just be good to her, okay?”
She nods, face softening. “I’ll make sure she feels welcome.”
“Thank you.” I put a cup of coffee on the tray and heft it up in my arms. I carry it over to a little cart, put it down, and head over to the elevator. I hear Michelle getting started on the dishes, which makes me smile. There are some nice perks to being rich.
I get into the service elevator and ride it up to the third floor. I feel like a bellhop as I wheel the cart down my own hallway, stopping outside of Aria’s door. I knock softly then open the door. I wheel the cart inside and shut the door behind me.
Aria is sitting up in bed, sheets wrapped around her, and I stop for a second, taken by her. The night before she was all done up for the auction and was absolutely gorgeous, but this morning she looks simply like herself. Her hair is a bit messy and she’s not wearing any makeup.
And she’s beautiful. Fucking gorgeous. She smiles slightly which makes my heart race as I wheel the food into the main room, stopping next to her bed.
“Good morning,” she says.
“Morning.” I gesture at the tray. “Breakfast in bed.”
Her smile gets bigger. “Is this going to be a normal thing?”
I shrug and cross my arms. “It can be, if you want.”
She looks at me strangely. “I don’t understand this.”
“What’s confusing about breakfast?”
“I mean...” She trails off. “All of this.” She gestures at the room. “Why give me this?”
I smile at her and sit on the edge of the bed. I reach out and gently run my fingers through her hair. She watches me with her gorgeous wide eyes.
“I told you,” I say softly. “I want to spoil you.”
“I don’t mind being spoiled.” She smiles.
“I’m going to keep you in here. In this room. And I’m going to spoil you as much as I can.”
“If that’s what you want,” she says softly, watching me.