Great. No pressure or anything.
I was curious and wanted to ask him about his previous relationship, but I remained silent. His love life was none of my business. But my son’s safety was.
“I want to ensure my son stays shielded during all of this. I want his life to remain as normal as possible over the next week. Fifty thousand dollars is great, but not at the expense of blowing up his life.”
“If it’s extra protection you want, then say less. It’s done.”
The car descended into an underground parking garage, stopping near a private elevator. Richards opened our doors and bid us goodbye. Adonis led us to the shiny, metal box, scanning a key card for access.
“This elevator goes directly to my penthouse,” he explained. “Your fingerprint will be programmed into the system tomorrow.”
I nodded before the doors closed and the elevator whisked us upward silently. My stomach fluttered with each passing floor as I held onto Mason’s sleeping body for dear life. When the doors opened, I stepped directly into the most stunning apartment my eyes had ever seen. The floor-to-ceiling windows showcased a breathtaking outlook of Manhattan with the early afternoon sun bathing everything in golden light. The space had a minimalist vibe, but clearly expensive—sleek furniture, abstract art, and not a single thing out of place.
I followed him down a hallway, and he showed me to a vacant bedroom where I gently laid Mason down on the bed to continue his nap until his appointment.
“I’ve set up a meeting for you with a stylist in an hour,” he announced from the doorway, his deep voice carrying that convincing charm he brandished so effortlessly. “She’ll help you get everything you need for the week. I’ll have my driver take you to the boutique.”
“Okay,” I replied, glancing toward my son. “What about the appointment you set up for Mason? I can’t leave him.”
Adonis, being the ever-ready man of answers, didn’t hesitate. “I’ve arranged childcare. Maya, the nanny I hired to help out around here for the week, comes highly recommended.”
At that, my lips twisted into a sour pout. My spine leveled, and there was a whisper of grit in my response. “That’s great, and I’m sure she is too, but no. I won’t leave my son alone with a stranger.”
Adonis studied me, reading the bravery in my expression. I knew he was the type of man who was accustomed to making things happen at the snap of his finger, orchestrating plans without too much pushback, and having a team full of yes men to stroke his ego at any given moment. But it was a nonstarter for me. He could take it or leave it. My son came first. Always had, always would.
“You don’t trust me?”
“You already told me I shouldn’t, and I absolutely won’t trust someone else I’ve never met around my son. I can’t leave him. I’m sorry if that’s an issue for you, but I won’t do it. Either he comes with me to go shoppingafterhe sees the doctor, or you have the stylist bring pieces here to me,” I stated firmly, feeling my mama bear instincts rising.
A heartbeat of silence passed between us as he met my gaze without hesitation. “As you wish.”
“Seriously?”
“Relationships are about compromise, right?”
I scoffed lightly. “Yeah. Right.”
Adonis belted out a soft chuckle. It was charged yet calming. “I’ll have her come to the penthouse after Mason’s appointment.”
I exhaled slightly, relief curling at the corners of my mouth. I reached for my son, pulling him closer and kissing the top of his head. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “I’ll be in my office for a meeting. Text or call me if you need me.”
“I don’t have your number, and you don’t have mine.”
“I employed you. I have the information I need.”
“That’s not creepy at all.”
A light chuckle slipped from his lips. “I didn’t mean it like that. I will text you so that you have my information too, okay?”
I dipped my chin. “Okay.”
“Oh, and Maya will be here later to help look after Mason once he wakes up. You can tell her all the information she needs to know about him to help her get acclimated quickly and feel her out.”
“Okay. I know you say she comes highly recommended, but could you also send me a list of her references and her number? I’d like to check them and feel her out before she arrives.”
“Done. Anything else you require, Simora?”
