Page 76 of Compelled Obedience

And I had a terrible feeling that this time, karma wouldn’t allow me to escape.

CHAPTER 19

Kerri

Love.

The word was on my mind again. Not because I’d fallen head over heels in love with Grant, although I could certainly see that happening for a normal woman. It was because I’d realized even more during the last few days that I’d do anything in my power to keep Casey safe.

What bothered me more than anything was placing my brother’s life in any kind of jeopardy, which is what it seemed had happened all over again.

I also realized that Grant would walk through fire to ensure my little brother had a safe place to rest his head and a chance at the kind of happiness I’d fought desperately to provide. There was no chastising me for the way I’d stepped in or acting as if I was a terrible sister. Grant was simply there to listen to me.

And to pick up whatever pieces fell into the cracks.

I’d never had anyone to lean on before. Not once. The burden of being all alone was hitting me harder than I’d admitted to myself, so much so my chest ached. Being in such a gorgeous and protected environment was something special and I was terrified that when I blinked, the bubble would burst.

“This is beautiful, the panoramic view is incredible.” As I stood staring out the window, the east view highlighting the Hollywood sign nestled against the craggy hill, I was struck by how insanely amazing Grant’s life must be. The penthouse was everything I would expect from a glistening skyscraper with views of the Pacific Ocean, downtown LA, one of the posh country clubs, and of course Beverly Hills. From another window, I could see all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The building was named Ten Thousand and I wondered what it represented. While the floor plans were smaller than I would have believed, the purchase price was obviously in the several millions. It was a quintessential LA lifestyle.

The glamorous building was an architect’s dream, walls mostly made of glass and steel. The furniture and other amenities highlighted the level of opulence almost as much as the millions of dollars of vehicles I’d seen in the parking garage. This was no place for a girl from the wrong side of Vegas.

As I watched Grant approach in the luminescent reflection, his massive stature illuminated by the warm glow of the fading afternoon sun, I took a deep breath. He was even more breathtaking in the limited light. He tossed a jacket and shirt over the back of one of the leather chairs before padding closer. He’d taken a shower only moments before, his hair still damp. All I wanted to do was drink in his essence, basking in the moment of being together without interruption, but he had work to do.

For as spectacular as the views and the atmosphere were, including the seventy-five thousand square feet of amenities and a valet service for every desire or whim, it was cold. Unfeeling. Unnurtured.

“But austere. Yes?” he asked then cupped his hands on my shoulders.

Shuddering audibly, I wasn’t certain how to respond. “It’s not your style.”

“Mmm… I am very curious now what you think my style entails?”

“Down to earth. Homey. The kind of place where you aren’t worried about sullying the carpet by spilling a single drop of red wine or dear God, dropping crumbs from a potato chip.”

His smile could light up a thousand rooms. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“Because of the cowboy boots I’ve seen you wear.”

Laughing, he kissed the top of my head, and I placed the back of my head against his chest. I wasn’t entirely certain what we were doing other than playing house for a little while.

And avoiding the boogeyman.

I found it interesting that I felt more comfortable and safer around him than I had with anyone else in my entire life.

Unfortunately, my inner voice wasn’t helping any more than it had before.

“I haven’t stepped foot inside this place since I rented it almost two years ago. I had my assistant bring clothes a few months ago in case I needed another place to crash, but the caretaker in the building takes care of everything else.”

“You’re kidding me.”

His laugh sent a shiver straight through me. “This is merely an apartment I keep rented for guests coming in from out of town,” he said coolly. “Well, technically the corporation is renting this, much to my controller’s chagrin.”

“He’s not happy?”

“She, as in my sister and no. She chastises me every chance she can get about the overhead. I was almost ready to consider not renewing.”

“Jameson and Lachlan use it when they’re in town?” He’d told me more about his buddies, including the full story of the time spent in the dive bar developing ideas, Jameson coming up with a design years later. It was exciting to hear they were expanding into other countries.

“Oh, hell, no. They’d never stay here. We own a house in Malibu as a corporation as well. They usually stay there unless it’s a stopover, which they did the other day.” He brushed the backs of his fingers across my cheek and I audibly shuddered.

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