Page 24 of Papers Don't Lie

When I try to avoid getting involved in any kind of personal matters, I develop a severe type of insomnia to the point where I have hallucinations. So ignoring it isn’t an option.

Esmeray is still sleeping in my bed, while I didn’t sleep a wink all night.

How can I save her from this? When she told me that the only reason she was born was to marry a wealthy man so her parents could rise on the social scale, I was at a loss for words. Her other five sisters are already married and under their parents’ shoes.

What if I try to talk her parents out of this?

No, that wouldn’t work. They are thirsty for money.

What if I help her move out of the continent? But I still don’t know how badly Carter wants her and how far he’s willing to go, because if he wants to find her, he will.

Fuck.

She murmurs something in her sleep before she moves around in my bed, making the cover slip from her body and flashing me an amazing view of her ass. When we got home, I carried her from the car and gave her a T-shirt to sleep in. She was so lost in her mind that she got undressed in front of me, her eyes still closed as she threw herself in the bed.

While the main thing on my mind is to find a way to help her, a boner at seven a.m. isn’t exactly comfortable to ignore. She’s only eighteen, for fuck’s sake.

I sigh from the chair and thread my fingers through my hair as I glance at the ceiling to keep my eyes away from her body.It wouldn’t be right to watch her like this after what she’s been through.

“Did you not sleep all night?” The crack of her voice fills the silence in the room. My eyes sweep back to Esmeray, finding her on her elbows and glancing at me. I shake my head. “Felt some remorse about running over me with your car?”

“Yes.” I tug the corner of my lips upwards, and I think I see her cheeks flushing when I stare for too long. “I’m sorry for that. It’s not a thing I do on a daily basis.”

Esmeray nods and covers a yawn with her palm before completely removing the sheets from over her body. She throws her legs on the floor, my shirt falling close to her knees as she stands up.

“I’ll act like you didn’t see me half-naked and go take a shower,” she murmurs, stretching her limbs. I look away, not wanting to see something I’m not supposed to. When she’s done with her morning yoga, Esmeray steps towards me.

I relax in my seat, my chin lifting in the air and my eyes focusing solely on her face. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and one of her naked legs stands dangerously close to mine. One smooth move is all I need to part her legs open and have her right here.

It would be so easy.

She squints at me. I raise a brow.

Esmeray clears her throat. “Before we do that thing where you act like you really want to help me, can I ask for a favor?”

My lips twist. I do want to help her. “Ask, and if I can make it possible, I’ll give it to you.”

“Can you take me shopping today and figure out how to get rid of Carter tomorrow? I want a normal day before that happens.” She gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t seem genuine.

If possible, my eyebrows arch even more. “Shopping?”

“Yes, shopping. There’s a thing that was stolen from me when I left, and I want it back.” Her foot stamps on the floor, making it clear that she’s not in the mood to elaborate.

“Alright.”

“Thank you. Where’s the bathroom?” she asks, and I point with my finger at one of the doors inside my room.

I get to my feet. “I’ll bring you some clothes and a towel before you shower.”

“You have clothes forme?” I catch her searching my fingers for a ring.

My hand is already on the door when I answer her. “I bought them last night when we got here.”

“But how? All the stores were closed.”

“I have connections, troublemaker,” I say before leaving.

It’s unusual that the first favor she wants is to go shopping, but at least she’s not openly hosting a strike against me anymore.

---