Page 18 of Claimed By the Boss

My lips part automatically, and the savory sweet morsel slides into my mouth, tasting like the life I lost when Gino showed up at my door, and I realized I no longer had control of what happened to me.

A lump forms in my throat, and I struggle to swallow past it. “I shouldn’t be here. I need to leave.”

Nolan breaks off a piece of flaky pink salmon. “No.”

“What—” The fork sliding past my lips stops me, and the salmon melts on my tongue.

“You seem to keep forgetting, so now that your mind is clear from the drugs and the fever, I’ll say it again.” Nolan spears a piece of broccoli and stuffs it into my mouth. “I’m taking care of you now. Which means you’re not leaving.”

All I can do is stare at him in confusion. What does that even mean?

He sets the fork down and stands. “Eat the rest of your food. I have business to attend to, but I’ll be back in a few hours. You have free rein of our suite, so use whatever you like. You can leave the tray on the nightstand when you’re done.”

Eyes wide, I watch him head for the sitting room before his words fully sink in. I choke down the bite of broccoli and move the tray onto the nightstand before flinging back the covers.

My legs shake when I climb out of bed, and the nightshirt only reaches to mid-thigh. The carpet sinks beneath my bare feet as I hurry after him. “Mr. Rockford, wait.”

I reach the sitting room just as the bedroom door closes, and the snick of a lock pierces the air.

Disbelief washes through me as I rush to the door and jiggle the handle, but it refuses to open.

I just went from being one of Nolan’s employees to being his prisoner, and the only people who care if I disappear are my landlord and my loan shark.

8

The snick of the lock pulls me from the half-sleep I fell into on the couch after an exhaustive search of my new prison.

Nolan steps into the room, relocks the door, and takes off his shoes before turning to me. “You should be in bed resting.”

Despite the words, he carries a tray with two drinks in one hand and a large shopping bag in the other.

My gaze darts around the room as I sit up. “Do you have cameras in here?”

“Yes.” He walks closer, the long lines of his body drawing my attention. The suit he wears looks rumpled, with the top button missing. “They can be turned off when needed. I’ll show you, but for security reasons, please only deactivate them when it’s necessary.”

“Right.” I pull the lap blanket over my legs and swing my feet to the floor. “Security.”

Of course, Nolan has bodyguards. Velvet Oasis is only one of his many businesses. If I was ever confused about how rich Nolan Rockford is, it only took a stroll around the gorgeous suite he locked me in to confirm that he’s way out of my league.

In addition to the enormous bedroom and sitting room, I discovered a luxurious bathroom bigger than my entire apartment, and a home office with shelves stuffed full of books.

No other exits aside from the front door, though. And the windows are shuttered, so I can’t even gauge where we are, or the size of the house. All I know is that the main door leads to a hall instead of outside.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe here.” Nolan sets the bag down beside the coffee table. “I went back and collected your personal effects from your locker.”

A glance down reveals the arm of my threadbare jacket poking out the top. “Oh, thank you.”

“Tomorrow, we can order you some things to wear.” He holds out the drink tray. “Do you prefer strawberry-banana or pineapple-coconut?”

Without really thinking about it, I take the pink drink and notice the logo for Smooth Grooves Coffee and Smoothies before my gaze jerks up to his. “I have clothes at my apartment. There’s no need to buy me new ones.”

He takes the pineapple-coconut shake and sets the empty drink carrier on the table. “What if I want to?”

“What if I don’t want you to?” My focus drops to the cold cup cradled in my lap. “I already took advantage of you and put us in a delicate situaton. It wasn’t my intention, and I don’t plan to use it to extort money from you.”

Being left alone gave me a lot of time to dwell on the whole pregnancy issue, and how someone of Nolan’s status would be prey to people after his wealth. Omegas getting knocked up during a Heat cycle is an age-old trick of gold diggers.

Afraid now that he misunderstood, I set the drink on the table and lunge to my feet, the blanket falling to the floor. “I don’t want anything from you, Mr. Rockford. If I’m pregnant, I won’t put your name on the birth certificate. No one needs to know who the father is, and I’ll sign anything you want to release you from any obligation?—”

---