Page 23 of The Billionaires

“Versace and Gucci,” Elijah says. “If I’m not mistaken.”

I take the dress out and gape at it, then repeat the action with the shoes and the undies. Each item is more expensive than anything in my place, including possibly the apartment itself. “What’s all this for?”

Pearl rips her envious gaze from the dress to look at me. “Seems like someone wants his girlfriend to look nice in the next picture… as well as in the bedroom.”

Elijah purses his lips. “Mr. Warren wanted to provide something new for you to wear out of concern for his allergies.”

“Oh,” Pearl says, her disappointment palpable. “I probably should take the cat out of here, before I ruin that part of the plan.”

Elijah steps out of her way.

“Wait a second,” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. “No one is going anywhere until someone explains to me what Lucius wants.”

Despite what Elijah has said, I can’t help but think that the underwear implies something inappropriate, though it’s possible Pearl has just primed me.

Elijah’s expression turns inscrutable. “I cannot say. I’m not privy to Mr. Warren’s confidences.”

“He wants you,” Pearl says. “Obviously.”

That can’t be it. Impossible. But he does want something, and if I don’t learn what, the curiosity is going to kill me.

I guess I am going with Elijah—especially since I’m dying to try on the dress and the shoes, and the only socially acceptable way to do that is to agree to this craziness.

Wait a second. I examine the items I’m holding. “How did he know my sizes?”

Pearl waggles her eyebrows obscenely. “He ‘sized you up,’ obviously. A keeper, that one.”

“Nothing like that,” Elijah says. “He had his security team do a little research into you. That’s how I knew which apartment door to ring as well.”

A security team figured out my bra size? How? And more importantly, why? Not to mention, the guy has a security team?

“So alpha,” Pearl breathes in awe. “Total keeper.”

Yeah, if by that she means an asshole who casually invades your privacy. Maybe that FBI task force exists for a reason.

“Okay.” I put everything back in the box. “I’m going to go try this on, and if I like how I look, maybe I’ll speak with him.”

Elijah clears his throat, looking very uncomfortable. “Mr. Warren has a request that’s a prerequisite to everything else.”

I sigh. “What is it? Did his security team forget to tell him what brand of tampons I use?”

Elijah blushes like a maiden. “Could you wash the cat from your skin and hair?”

“Excuse me?” I feel my face pinching like a crab claw. “He wants me to shower?”

Pearl grins. “I bet his exact words to Elijah were, ‘Bathe her and bring her to me.’”

Elijah’s blush deepens. “Once again, this is about medical safety.”

Is it, though? He survived being in an elevator with me ‘dirty,’ not to mention with the cat menace herself. Still, I was planning to shower since I happen to do that every morning, so no point in discomfiting poor Elijah further.

“I’ll take the stinking shower,” I say grudgingly.

“And I’ll take the cat out of here,” Pearl says. “Before the unthinkable happens and a cat hair lands where it shouldn’t.”

“Would you mind if I disinfected your apartment in the meantime?” Elijah asks me.

My initial impulse is an angry rebuke, but then I realize I’m about to get a free apartment cleaning. “Why the hell not?” I say with a sigh.

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