Page 11 of Night Latch

“How much time will you need before we head to the airport?”

I glanced at my watch. I hadn’t been able to get clearance for my private jet due to a storm, but there was a nonstop commercial flight that had two seats in first class available, so my assistant booked two tickets for that. “We have about an hour. I just need to get washed up and packed and then we can meet back here.”

He nodded, and again, held out his arm for me. That was new. He hadn’t done that in the past, and I wondered if I looked particularly frail in my worried state.

"Of course, Mr. Sinclair." Otto’s voice was calm as he looked right at me. “I’ll be here for you.”

I paused and cocked my head. Why did such a simple statement feel like it carried so much weight? Maybe I was more stressed about that incident in Alaska than I realized.

Up to my bedroom suite, I quickly rinsed off in the shower and then threw various clothes in my suitcase. I needed bothcasual and formal wear because I was likely going to be doing several television interviews and holding press conferences. Just thinking about that made my pulse quicken.

The legal and PR team were already en route to the office, but they needed me to be the face of the updates. It was one of the many things I hated about being CEO.

I debated on what to put in my carry-on. The heightened pressure and stress was likely to get to me after a day or two, so I took a chance and threw in diapers, my favorite soft blanket, and comfy clothes to wear after work that would keep me warm when my nurse wasn’t snuggling me to his chest.

I zipped the bag closed and finally allowed myself to think about the fact that I was about to meet him face to face. The man who had held me in the darkest hours and provided sustenance from his own body wasn’t gonna be a secret anymore.

He would see me in the light of day, and I would see him.

Would that change things? What if we weren’t attracted to each other? That wouldn’t matter at night, I didn’t think. But on the other hand, I knew I was already attracted to him. He had already won my heart from his loving touches and the few words he’d let slip during our intimate moments together.

If he didn’t find me attractive, would he stop letting me use his body as a fuck pillow? I hoped not, but I didn’t need to create new worries. I had plenty of those already, and borrowing new “what-ifs” was never productive or useful.

After grabbing a quick sandwich down in the kitchen, I took a deep breath and headed out the front door. In just a little while, my life was about to change. I’d already put so much hope onhow this meeting would go that the tiny fears of it not going well weren’t easy to squelch.

"Are you ready, Mr. Sinclair." Otto was standing at the car door but hadn’t opened it yet when I walked outside. My mind was playing tricks on me because I continued to hear and see things in the man that felt new. Different. Special.

“As ready as I’m gonna be.” I left my bags on the driveway and climbed into the backseat.

The ride to the airport was quiet as I leaned back against the leather seat and allowed myself a moment to breathe. Mostly I stared out the window, lost in thought as I contemplated all the different scenarios for how our first meeting could go.

As we got closer to the airport, Otto cleared his throat and then looked at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes communicating concern that I didn’t expect from him.

“Is something bothering you, Otto?”

“No, sir. Just making sure you’re okay. Seems like you’ve got a lot on your mind right now.”

I barked out a laugh. “That’s the understatement of the year. But yeah, I’ve got to do a few things that could go very well or very badly.” I looked at him through the mirror and smiled. “I’m hoping for very well.”

"Everything will be alright." He spoke with just confidence that I believed him and actually felt better.

"Thank you, Otto," I murmured as the car pulled up to the departure gate. "For everything."

As Otto unloaded my luggage, a sense of unease crept up within me as I glanced around, wondering if any of the men near me were my nurse.

“Do you need help getting checked in?” Otto's deep voice brought me back to the moment.

“No, thanks. I’ll be fine.” I glanced at my watch. “Enjoy your time off, and I’ll let you know when I’m heading back.”

He merely nodded and waited by the car until I was inside the building. As I approached the desk to check in, I saw Otto drive away and a strange feeling of longing surprised me. Since when did I feel so connected to my driver?

9

OTTO

On the entire drive to the airport, I debated whether or not to tell Preston the truth. I should have. It would have been the right thing to do. But I just couldn’t find the words.

And he looked so damn stressed that I didn’t want to pile on anything else. But when he said he had a lot to think about, it killed me to know I was probably a big portion of that stress.

---