Page 18 of His Little Stowaway

Memories of my not too distant past come flooding back, along with a fresh wave of anxiety.

Not just about finding clothes or a towel once I’m done here. No.

The whole rest of my life I just ran away from kind of thoughts.

The ones I know I can never believe in anymore when I’m in Pearce’s arms but when I’m alone?

It’s a different story.

Knowing my mom, as much as she’s on the side with her new man I know she’ll be worried about me.

She’ll be beside herself. I think.

But what am I supposed to do, just call her up and explain things?

‘Uh yeah, hi mom. Thing is, I’ve just met the most amazing and well-connected man who’s gonna take me away from all that old life you had to offer me and treat me like the princess I know I truly am…’

The thought makes me smile, but opening my eyes after I rinse my hair, I’m a little overwhelmed by everything all over again.

Just like the man said though, there’s a stack of towels, robes, and anything else I could need. From a hairdryer down to a loofah sponge.

Just no clothes.

Looking at my own, still damp and way too worn to put back on now clothes, I wonder just how the rest of today is gonna pan out.

Feeling refreshed, and with some color in my cheeks compared to the last time I saw myself, I do blow dry my hair and make myself comfy in one of the fresh robes.

Huge on me but super snuggly. I lean my ear against the door, wondering if I might catch anything that’s being said out there. But the bathroom door’s just as solid as every other door in the place, so I park myself on the edge of the tub, waiting.

The sound of the handle tuning makes me jump, and I almost let panic set in until I make out what must be Pearce’s voice.

I can’t hear it too well, but I can certainly feel it. Like it’s traveling through the floor, right up inside of me.

I make sure I’m covered, then open the door just a crack.

It’s Pearce, but he looks serious.

“That woman,” he says in an almost accusatory tone. “What exactly did she do when she was in my office?” he asks me cuttingly.

I feel a stab of hurt and shift my robe a little closer to my neck.

“The water was fine, and thanks for asking about my clothes,” I drone back to him in my best sarcastic voice.

I don’t like it when Pearce is serious like this, especially after what we just did, but he keeps his serious mood at a hundred percent as he clicks his tongue and circles back behind his desk.

He’s opening drawers, shifting some papers. Like he’s looking for something.

Maybe something that should be there. Or something that shouldn’t.

“Think, Brynn,” he says loudly, making me jump.

I stand confused and more than a little hurt before he realizes what he’s doing. In three long strides, he’s put his arms around me.

“I’m sorry, Brynn. I really am… It’s just. Well. You missed the little meeting we just had.”

I’m happy to feel him against me again, but not sure what his problems have to do with me.

As if it’s my fault that woman was in here.

“How should I know?” Is the best I can manage, with just enough of a tremor in my voice to let him know I’m not impressed by his attitude.

Another knock on the office doors sees Pearce glance at me, up and down as if he’s checking something.

As if he might want me to go back into the bathroom.

“Ashamed of me now?” I retort, feeling angry again as well as hurt. Thinking I might have got all this wrong after all.

“Not at all,” he says gently, leaning in to kiss me on the lips, canceling all my doubts yet again.

“I just wanted to make sure no one else gets to see what’s mine,” he adds.

A thrill running across my belly, all the way up my spine might just mean he’s off the hook.

For now at least.

Chapter Ten

Pearce

I shouldn’t blame Brynn, and I don’t. But she was in the office when it happened.

Whatever it actually was.

Long story short, the bimbo secretary I just fired (and I still have no idea if or how she even was hired)? She never even showed up at HR to get officially fired. Turns out she’s been working this close to my office for three months now and I’ve never even noticed her.

No big surprises there, everyone looks the same to me after a while. The thing is nobody else’s really noticed her until today.

And that’s what the remaining security staff and my head of IT want to know.

“How the fuck should I know?” I reply. “Isn’t that what I pay all of you for, to deal with this shit before it happens?”

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