Page 24 of My Arrogant Millionaire

Grace

I had two more days before Mrs. Ramirez returned. I had packed my things, which I had scattered throughout the apartment, and the pain of loss pulled me closer to the ground each day. Yet it wasn’t the loss of this fantastic apartment; it was the loss of Baron’s closeness.

After his visit, during which he had apologized, we hadn’t spoken again. I saw him in his apartment, but he never looked over at me. In fact, he was only there to sleep, out all day and late into the night. I had no idea where, but it consumed me with curiosity. The thought of him being with someone else, someone significantly less complicated than me, made my stomach churn. My longing was intense and burning. I wanted to talk with him, fool around, laugh, eat, sleep with him. I wanted the whole damn package, yet I knew I couldn’t have it. Neither because of my job nor because he wasn’t the type for commitment, something he had made abundantly clear to me.

So, I dragged myself through each day until the next arrived, and I could see the end approaching, until I had to move out of here. My new apartment was ready, and Will and Ceci had helped me set it up and paint. The living room now shone in a beautiful sun-yellow, I had a small balcony where I would grow herbs in the summer, and plenty of light streamed in through deep French windows.

I would miss Jack, and maybe I would get a pet too, so I wouldn’t be so lonely. Becoming an old cat lady seemed like the best alternative I had now.

Even during the event planning, Baron kept his distance, having handed over responsibility to his assistant Betty. She was nice, but she wasn’t Baron. And even though I knew it was for the best, his rejection hurt. It hurt so much that I lost my appetite, and my body would clench in loneliness every night. It was crazy how quickly I had clung to a man who seemed to have no interest in me anymore.

»That sounds wonderful,« said Betty after I had presented her with a new proposal for the catering. My gaze constantly shifted from her to the door of the conference room. The last time I was in there, I had sat on that damn table with my skirt hitched up, begging Baron to take me.

I cleared my throat. It was high time to put an end to my fantasies about him. »I’m glad you like it.«

»Between us, we’ve had a lot of events planned, but your ideas are the most refreshing,« Betty smiled broadly. She was a nice woman in her late forties with a wide smile and wrinkles around her eyes, making her seem somewhat motherly. She must also have been good at her job since Baron surely wouldn’t accept half measures when it came to his business.

I gathered my documents, followed Betty’s lead, and stood up. »Mr. Spencer has already approved the budget. He instructed me to give you the full package,« she said happily. »There are no limits. So you can add a few more appetizers to the plates.«

I returned her smile, but it wasn’t genuine, which I regretted immediately. To be honest, I’d be relieved once this assignment was over, even though it would give me a significant boost in Nic’s event agency.

I said goodbye to Betty, who soon walked down the hall toward the last door. Was that Baron’s office? My skin felt too tight and tingled as I imagined him sitting just a few doors away. But no. He might be here, but he didn’t give a damn about me, or he would have at least said hello once.

I shook my head and headed for the elevators. To get it over with quickly, I brought Nic the signed contracts that Betty had given me today, and spent another two hours in my office informing all parties involved in the event next weekend. Caterers, florists, entertainment technicians, audiovisual specialists, photographers, and so on. It seemed never-ending, but it would be extraordinary. That was my way of saying farewell to Baron.

17

Baron

F Fuck. It had torn my damned heart out when I saw Grace rolling her last suitcases out of the apartment. For far too many days now, I had been seeing the old Mrs. Ramirez again, shuffling through the apartment in her pink satin bathrobe each morning.

Where was Grace now? What did she do all day? What did she think about when she looked out the window?

»Baron?« Jill touched me lightly on the arm, and I turned to face her. »Is everything okay? Are you nervous?«

I sank deeper into the leather seat of the limousine. The driver, whom I had specifically ordered for today’s occasion, expertly navigated the car through the evening New York traffic to the event location that Grace had chosen.

»Yes, if I’m honest, a little,« I lied.

She patted my forearm again. »If anyone doesn’t need to be, it’s you. Your game will be a huge hit.«

I couldn’t tell her that my nerves were primarily due to the prospect of seeing Grace. Although Jill was my backup for such events and we weren’t officially dating, we had occasionally ended up in bed together after an evening like this. It was satisfying and non-committal, just the way I had liked it until now. Initially, I had wanted to go to the event alone, but then I wondered how I would manage to keep my hands off Grace as soon as I saw her. I needed another woman to cling to my arm all evening, preventing me from giving in.

Jill’s hand slid onto my knee, then up my thigh. We had no problem touching each other, and there had never been more than sex between us. Nevertheless, it felt wrong for another woman to touch me like this.

I took her hand and gently pushed it aside. She looked at me questioningly. »I’m sorry if I crossed a line. I thought I knew how the evening would end if you invited me to the event,« she said, confused and with every right to be. I had used her solely to play the role of a chaperone, even though she didn’t know her part at all. No matter how tonight would end, I wouldn’t end up in bed with her. Fuck, I had been making a lot of wrong decisions lately.

»I’m sorry, I’m just...« I searched for words. »Too nervous to think about anything else right now, okay?« And I was a dishonest asshole.

»Of course.«

She didn’t seem convinced, but I didn’t feel like offering any more lame explanations. It had been a stupid idea to bring her along as a shield. It wouldn’t help.

The driver stopped in front of the blue carpet, which was rolled out before the entrance and shone in the colors of our company logo. A tiny twitch of my mouth played at this detail. After he had gotten out and opened the door for us, a flurry of camera flashes and loud calls from people surged towards us like a tidal wave. For a brief moment, it took my breath away, and I suppressed the uncertainty that always gripped me for a fraction of a second in such moments.

»Baron! Baron, look over here!«

»Mr. Spencer, how are you feeling today?«

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