Page 34 of A Billion Secrets

Eve

Ihad the longest, hottest shower of my life.

Then I blew out my hair and straightened it.

The whole time rehashing the conversation I’d just had with Nick. I actually pinched myself a few times in the shower to make sure I hadn’t been dreaming.

Nick loved me.

Me.

He’d called me his.

“Mine,” he’d said.

All this after he found out I’d just slept with a John.

And, he kept his promise.

He told me he’d never hurt me, and he hadn’t.

He’d scared the crap out of me many times. But he never got physical with me.

Nick loved me.

Me.

The idea of working for him was both intriguing and intimidating.

I wasn’t sure how he’d built his wealth.

And I didn’t know the full extent to how rich he really was. All I knew was what I could see.

Even if this was all Nick owned in the world, it meant he had plenty of money. Gobs and gobs of money.

The thought of sitting back and letting him pay for everything didn’t suit me at all. I wasn’t the type of girl to sit around, not earning her keep.

So, after I called and talked to Ilona and quit the job that had put food on our table for months now—I decided to take Nick up on his offer.

I wasn’t sure where his “offices” were—and he’d said it like there were many—but it might be fun to dress up like a businesswoman and go out to work everyday with Nick.

I skipped the makeup. It was getting late, and I’d have to go home soon anyway.

Someone had stuck my suitcase in the closet. It didn’t take me long to pack up my stuff. The only thing I took with me that Nick had bought, was a more formal outfit.

It had a fitted jacket that would be more than acceptable for office wear.

I left my suitcase on the landing and walked up the stairs to Nick’s room, but it was empty.Hmm, where was he?

I decided to head downstairs and see if he was on the main level of the house. The stairs creaked under my feet while I moved down them as quickly as I could.

After I dumped my suitcase by the front door, I walked into the dining room, but didn’t see any sign of Nick. Then I noticed a light on in the living room, so, I strolled over there.

Nick sat by an ornate lamp. He wore different clothes than what he had on before. His white shirt had a few buttons undone, making him look casual.

But still really hot.

He looked up from the book he was reading and spotted me. A huge grin crossed his face, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

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