Page 63 of Protecting You
Ourbedroom?
They’d be sharing?
She hadn’t thought about what the night would look like, too focused on getting through the day.
Of course Charles assumed they’d share a bedroom.
Callan led their gentle dance, staying close as he turned them in the small space.
“I thought about asking for separate rooms,” he whispered, “but I didn’t want to raise suspicions. And I didn’t want us to be apart.”
“Okay.” She tried to match his volume.
“Which is why we have to argue. It’ll be a reason as to why they won’t see or hear more…interesting activity in our room tonight, considering the story that we’ve been apart for months.”
Would Charles really bug their bedroom? How creepy.
NotCharles, though. Ghazi. Why would she expect a liar, terrorist, and murderer to respect her privacy?
“Argue with me.” Callan’s whisper was barely audible. He stopped dancing and straightened. “Let’s get an Uber to my apartment.” Now his words were low but loud enough to be picked up by anybody listening. “I’ll drive you back here tomorrow so you can finish”—he waved toward the house—“whatever it is you’re doing.”
“I wish we could, but Charles?—”
“Who cares whatCharlesthinks?” The name dripped with scorn. “He’s not even your boss. He’s just a client. You’ve indulged his paranoia enough. We both have.”
“I can’t, Caleb. I have to stay.”
He dropped her hand and stepped back “Seriously? You really want to stay here?”
“It’s not that Iwantto, but it’s important to him. This isn’t bad, right?” She waved toward the table. “Dinner and dessert. It’s romantic.”
“Because we’re together, but…” He lowered his voice. “I don’t think that housekeeper chick actually cleans. And it’s weird, right? I mean, why have a place this big for just a couple of people? And that Benson guy searching my laptop? And two of the guys got all threatening when I went to the room. This whole situation is creeping me out.”
“Charles is security-conscious, no question. But he’s also doing his best to make us comfortable.”
“Don’t defend him. What is he, some kind of gangster or something?”
“He’s a businessman.”
“Sure he is. Because renting a place like this is good business.”
“Don’tyoustart getting paranoid on me.”
“Me? He’s the paranoid one.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
Callan crossed his arms and glared at her. “Youdidn’t have to come, Alyssa. You should have just turned him down. You don’t need his money.”
“Actually, I do need his money. I’m trying to get a business off the ground.”
“Oh, come on. I can support us both. And anyway, you can always run home to Daddy.”
“That’s not fair!”
People always assumed that since her parents were wealthy, she didn’t have money problems. Sure, she could ask her father for money, but she didn’t. Ever. Because Dad’s money always came with strings. And lectures. And that disapproving look of his.
“Life isn’t fair,Paris.Never has been. I’m sorry you feel like you need to work for creepy British guys in order to prove to Daddy you’re not a failure, but some of us have real problems.”
