Page 24 of BillionHeir
“He needs his rest,” I say with my best stern voice. “He has had a long day.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Liam says, bringing two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute.
I pin him with a stern look before looking over at Maxwell. “I am just down the hall, but I will be back to check on you every few hours. Call me if you need me.”
He nods and I turn to leave. “Chloe?” he says, calling me back.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. Just . . . thank you.”
“You are welcome,” I answer immediately. “Now, don’t make me regret it.”
I leave the men and go into the room next door. I barely glanced in here earlier between checking on Maxwell and making sure his room was set up for him. Now that I have time, I let my eyes wander, noting the touches of opulence and grandeur that my apartment back in Boston is severely lacking. From the crown molding on the walls, to the thick heavy curtains, the whole place screams money. If that wasn’t enough, the king-sized bed is covered in fancy, expensive linens, and the bathroom appears to be entirely marble. I had better enjoy all of this while I am here, because even with the money that Maxwell is paying me, I will never have enough money for a place like this.
Since his friends are here to keep him occupied, I take the opportunity to draw myself a bath, watching as the fragrant oils from the counter mix with the steaming hot water pouring out of the faucet. While I wait for the large tub to fill, I lock the door. There are three hunky men on the other side of that wall, and I don’t want one of them barging in on me.
As I peel off my dirty scrubs, I have the errant thought that I won’t be needing this particular Sanctuary Springs set ever again. I severed those ties today. Quitting mid-shift is the surest way to become unhirable. When I woke up this morning all I could think about was the job offer I turned down. And now I am spending the next several weeks in Maine working for one of the most difficult, not to mention richest, men on the planet. Thewhiplash from the events of the last several hours has my head spinning.
Once the water in the tub reaches about half-way, I turn off the water and carefully step in. As I sink down into the bath, I finally feel my muscles start to relax.
I take a deep breath and slowly let it out as I try to process everything that has happened in the last twelve hours. I begrudgingly accepted Maxwell Banks’ job offer to become his private nurse. I quit my job and drove him hours away to what feels like a palace in the middle of nowhere. Now I am here in a house with him and his two muscular best friends.
What have I gotten myself into?
Chapter 9
_______________________
Maxwell
“What did I tell you about trying to get out of bed on your own?”
I try to hide the fact that I am rolling my eyes, but apparently, my nurse doesn’t miss a thing. Nor will she let me get away with it.
She is dressed more casually than I have seen her before. Unlike yesterday when she was wearing her nursing uniform, today she is sporting a softer look in some joggers and a fitted white T-shirt that is not at all revealing but somehow accentuates her generous breasts. Her dark hair is down and flowingaround her face which has not a stitch of makeup. She nearly takes my breath away with her natural beauty.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, mister. I will not tolerate it. If you cannot follow my instructions, I am going to take you right back to the rehab.”
She gives me a stern look, forcing me to relent. I sigh as I flop back against the pillows I was struggling to get out of like a petulant child.
Tristan and Liam are long gone. Liam said something last night about an important meeting he had today that couldn’t be rescheduled. Tristan wasn’t happy about it, but Liam declared they would be leaving at dawn. When that man sets his mind to something, there is no arguing with him. He has apparently been known to pull Tristan from his bed by his ear when Tristan won’t wake up.
“Fine.”
“I know you are not used to needing this level of care, and I can appreciate how hard all of this must be for you. But that is no excuse for you to overexert yourself. You are going to reinjure yourself if you are not careful.”
All the fight goes out of me at the thought of a setback. “You are right,” I admit finally, too proud to tell her just how sore I am today after everything we did yesterday.
“I know,” she says, sassily with one hand on her slender waist as she stares me down.
I can’t help but chuckle. “Are you always this arrogant?”
“You are calling me arrogant? That is quite rich, isn’t it? I am not arrogant, I am confident. There is a difference. And when it comes to nursing, I am at the top of my game.”
“That is why I hired you,” I say, choosing to ignore the comment about my own arrogance.
“No, you hired me because I was your only hope.”
