Page 8 of Prettiest Little Thief
The rest of the ride was quiet as Fox drove me to my apartment on the other side of town. How he knew where I lived was lost to me. When we pulled up to the building, he must have seen the question in my expression because he said, “Lucas is known to be nosy.”
“Nosy? This is stalker status.”
He chuckled lightly. “You could say that. He just likes to know who he’s doing business with. We’re just here to grab some of your stuff and then head back to his house.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“You’ll be staying there with him. He doesn’t trust people easily.”
“Where am I going to go?” I threw up my hands in disbelief.
“You could run. But of course, with his resources, he’d find you eventually.” Fox said it so matter of fact. Like I had no chance of escaping our deal. The thought of running hadn’t even crossed my mind.
“Fine.”
Fox escorted me to my apartment, lingering in the living room. Even going so far as to sit on my couch and prop his feet up on my coffee table.
I grabbed an overnight bag and shoved as many outfits as possible into it. “Do I have time to shower?” I yelled out to Fox.
“No. Lucas will go ballistic if we take too long. You can shower at his place,” he hollered back. I rolled my eyes in irritation and grabbed my toiletries before marching back into the living area.
“I’m ready.” I slung the strap of my bag over my shoulder.
Fox drove us back to Lucas’s house… scratch that… freaking mansion. Just driving up the winding driveway took minutes, letting on to just how much property he owned. When we finally reached the mansion, my eyes widened at the sheer size of it. The brick-faced façade was elegant, with a historic feel to it. Turrets stretched toward the dark sky, illuminated by perfectly placed lighting around the entire home. A fountain sat in the center of the driveway, the water trickling. It gave the impression of tranquility.
But I wasn’t feeling very tranquil at the moment. My pulse raced, my stomach ached, and I was pretty sure I was going to pass out. So much had happened in the last couple of days, and my anxiety clawed at my insides.
Fox led me into the mansion, and my gaze trailed across the interior as my bag slid off of my shoulder and plunked onto the marble floor. When I had admired the boujie hotel in awe, I thought it was the most beautiful entryway I had ever seen. Nope. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
A grand staircase led to the second level with intricate railing. The chandelier that hung in the center of the room was larger than the one at the hotel, and the lights twinkled, catching my attention. The only furniture was a round table with a vase of flowers and an area rug.I felt like I had landed in theCluelessmovie, and I was in Cher’s house.
“It’s quite…” Fox started, unable to finish his sentence.
“Ostentatious?” I asked.
Fox barked out a laugh. “Yeah, definitely. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.” He picked up my bag from the floor and swung it over his shoulder. I followed him as we trudged up the staircase and down a long hallway, stopping in front of one of the rooms and opening the door as he stepped aside to allow me to pass.
My eyes widened when I saw the décor. The bed had a white, tufted headboard, set in the center of the room. The linens were ivory, and it was adorned with pale-pink decorative pillows and a matching throw blanket at the foot of the bed. Yet another chandelier hung in the middle of the room. Although, this one was a quarter of the size of the one hanging in the entryway. White nightstands stood on either side of the bed and a white dresser against one of the walls, a gold mirror hanging just above it.
“This will be your room while you stay here. The bathroom is just through that door.” Fox nodded in the direction of a closed door as he set down my bag. “Feel free to shower now. There are fresh towels hung up for you already.”
“Okay,” was all I managed to say. Was every room so extravagant?
Fox left me to it, and I pulled out clothing from my bag and walked into the bathroom. There was a clawfoot tub and a shower with a rain shower head. I couldn’t wait to scrub away the last couple of days, so I took my time in the shower, soaking in every ounce of the decadent hot water. It soothed the tenderness I had everywhere in my body from the accident.
When I finished, I dried off with one of the fluffy towels, then, dressed in my leggings and oversizedGet in loser, we’re doing butt stuffalien abduction T-shirt, I could think of nothingbetter to do than lay in the comfy-looking bed and go the heck to sleep. But the moment I waltzed into the bedroom, my gaze landed on Lucas, sitting on the edge of the bed.
His piercing eyes trailed over my outfit choice and a smirk tipped up at the corner of his lips. I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling a little self-conscious under his scrutiny. A frown formed on my face, wishing he would just get out so I could enjoy some rest.
“I’m glad you decided to call me.”
“I saw no other choice,” I admitted as I shifted on my feet. His attention crawled over my skin, sending my stomach tumbling. Not just because he seemed like a pretty important person, considering he gave me a get out of jail free card, but because his mere presence was overpowering. My body sensed his energy, and I couldn’t shake the shivers it elicited.
“Either way, we’re both getting something out of it.” He stood and stepped closer to me, his scent wafting toward me, and I craned my neck to look up at him.
“It seems like I traded one prison for another.”
He chuckled. “Maybe you did. But I don’t know how many prisons would give you such a nice room.” Lucas glanced around the space before his stare landed back on me.
