Page 97 of Scarred Hearts

“I have no idea, but that’s weird.” I took her hand in mine before she could march away. “Stay calm and we’ll figure it out together.”

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered, looking around nervously as I led her out to the main lobby. She scanned the area while I slipped back into the showroom, only to come face-to-face with Luke.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Gia saw Nadia,” I explained, “but there’s no sign of her now.”

He followed me out, and we both stopped in our tracks when we saw Giovanna still craning her neck, searching the room. “I didn’t see her in there,” I said, coming to stand beside her. “Are you sure it wasn’t just someone who looked like her?”

Shaking her head, she brought her gaze slowly to mine. “Positive, but oh well,” she shrugged, “she’s coming over tomorrow, so I’ll just ask her then.”

Luke crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I’ll see what I can find out, look at the cameras, and text you guys.” He turned to me. “Go ahead and get her out of here.”

“I have to show her something first,” I replied, my hand tightening around Giovanna’s as I spoke. “Then we’ll get the kids and leave. They’re probably asleep by now.”

“They are,” Luke confirmed. “Jade went up to check on everyone not too long ago. She said the kids were all passed out, and their movie was still playing.”

With Giovanna’s hand still in mine, I led her across the lobby, swiping my card to open the door that would take us back into Luxe. “I want to show you what I’ve been working on.” Though it was something I had been planning for a while, I hoped that showing her now would help distract her from everything that had been going on with Nadia.

“Tyler,” she exhaled, her voice weary, “I’m not really in the mood right now.”

“Just let me show you,” I pleaded, hoping to lift some weight off her shoulders, even if only for a few minutes. “You don’t even have to say anything. I just want you to see it.”

After a moment of hesitation, she finally relented with a half-smile. “Fine,” she huffed playfully. “I can never resist your handsome face.”

“Of course you can’t,” I joked back, leading her down the far hallway toward the last room on the right, across from the vacant room we never used. “Notice how this room doesn’t have a viewing glass like all the other ones?”

“Yeahhh?” She squinted at me, suspicion and curiosity mixing in her expression. “What’s in there?”

I handed her a black key card with a pink G on it. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

She slid it into the slot with a soft click, and the door swung open soundlessly. Stepping into the room, she gasped. “Tyler!”

The room was bathed in a soft, muted purple glow, emanating from a small table lamp perched on a nearby dresser. The calm lighting cast shadows around the spacious room, creating an aura of intrigue. In one corner, a grand canopy bed dominated the space, its black leather headboard adorned with delicate lace and chains draping down from the posts above.

Opposite it, a plush couch and armchair were strategically positioned to face the bed, while a spanking bench sat off to the left. On the far side of the room loomed a towering titanium pole, reaching up toward the ceiling and resting on a mirrored platform. Every piece of furniture had been crafted from deep, alluring shades of black, adding to the overall seductive atmosphere of the room.

“Hear me out.” I stepped behind her, snaking my arms around her from behind. “I know you hated Penthouse, but that’s where I met you, and it was the greatest night of my life until you came back to me.”

“It’s—” Her voice trailed off, and she took a deep, shuddering breath.

Taking her delicate hand in mine, I gently twirled her to face me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Do you hate it?”

“I… Ty… okay fuck,” she said, running her fingers through her hair, flipping it to the other side. “How… how did you recreate this? You only went there once, and yet this is an exact replica.”

“That night, every moment spent with you was etched into my memory,” I replied, stroking her arms up and down in a soothing motion. “I wanted nothing more than to be a part of your life, even if it was just for one unforgettable night. So, I absorbed every detail about you and your room, hoping to make them last forever. And now, I want to create new memories.” I shrugged playfully. “And I’m a lawyer. I’m supposed to memorize things.”

She threw her arms around me, crashing her lips into mine. Our kiss turned passionate before she pulled away. Keeping her hands behind my neck, she ran her nails along my skin. “It just shows me how much you paid attention to me... to us. No one has ever done anything like this for me.” She took my hand in hers, leading me over to the bed, and I sat, taking her other hand in mine. “My room at Penthouse was the only place that was mine. It was my happy place. My escape.”

“Well, you can escape in here anytime you need to,” I replied, lifting my hand to her chin and running the pad of my thumb over her plump pink lips. “But I’m the only man who’ll ever be in here with you.”

With a coy smile, she shimmied up onto my lap, straddling me as she draped her arms over my shoulders once again. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she whispered before leaning in for another fiery kiss. “How much time do we have before we have to get the kids and go?” she asked between kisses.

“They’re asleep,” I replied, trailing my lips to her neck. “We have until I’m done with you for the night.”

“Wait!” she barked, leaning back. “You told me you only wanted to keep things professional when I came back. Were you working on this before I even returned?”

“Yeah,” I exhaled, “but it started with just giving you your own space. Now, it’s much different. At some point, I realized why I was doing it.”

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