“Of course I can. You knew I would. Don’t try to play the shocked card with me, Little girl.”
She gives me that crooked partial smile again, wincing. “Just kidding. I don’t even know what bourbon tastes like. It smells nasty.”
“It’s delicious, but the closest you’ll get to tasting it will be when I kiss you senseless after I’ve had some.”
She sobers. “I like that idea,” she whispers.
I need to get off this topic of conversation. “So, bath?”
“Yes, Sir.”
I take her hand and guide her into the attached bathroom. The last thing I want to do is leave her alone, but I need to. She’s not in the right frame of mind to share her naked body with me. She wasn’t earlier, and she still isn’t.
I reach over and turn the water on in the tub, plugging it with the stopper after it warms up. When I face her again, I take her shoulders. “I might have a bedroom set up, but I don’t have any clothes for you. I’ll go grab one of my T-shirts, okay?”
She nods. “Thank you.”
“I’ll set it outside the door. There’s a toothbrush in the drawer. How about if you go ahead and get in the tub? When you’re done, I’ll bring you some painkillers and a glass of water and tuck you in.”
“Okay,” she says softly.
I hate leaving her, but I do so quickly before I can change my mind. I hurry into my bedroom, grab a clean T-shirt, and return to place it outside the bathroom door. That done, I head to the kitchen for a sippy cup, fill it with ice water, find the ibuprofen in the cabinet, and lastly, snag an ice pack from the freezer. Her face is going to hurt, but maybe the cold will help the swelling.
Before taking it all upstairs, I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Jameson. I don’t want to forget to let him know what’s going on. There’s no reason for him and Natasha to cut their trip short. I’ve got this. Simone is mine, anyway. She always was. It’s not as though I would turn her over to Jameson’s care. If they came home, they would only be able to visit her. She’s not sleeping under Jameson’s roof. She’s sleeping under mine.
Fuck yes, I’m feeling possessive. More so by the minute. I know my mind. I just need to convince Simone.
Chapter 4
Simone
* * *
For some reason, as soon as I’m alone, I start shaking again. It’s not cold in here, but I can’t stop the tremors from returning. I stare absently at the water while the tub fills, barely noticing when it gets so full that I have to hurry to turn it off.
I’m not in my own body. I turn toward the mirror and gasp. I knew my eye was swollen because I can only see out of a small slit, but I wasn’t expecting to look quite as beat up as I am.
My eye socket is already blue. My cheeks are bright red, and it hurts when I move my mouth too much. I’ve seen the rest of my body. Some parts of me are worse than my face. I didn’t let my gaze linger earlier because it made me feel sick to my stomach, so I’m not really interested in looking again now.
It hurts to brush my teeth, but I do that first. I pee next. Why I pull my tights back up, I have no idea. I’m not ready to take my clothes off.
I look back at the water. It’s going to get cold eventually. My legs don’t want to hold me up, though. My knees are weak. I lean against the wall next to the tub and slide down it until I’m sitting on the floor.
I feel like a fool. What’s wrong with me? I’m safe. I’m in Professor Arnalt’s house, where I’ve longed to be for four years. He designed a bedroom for me. Right? Did he really make that room for me?
I’m not being rational. He wouldn’t lie to me. If the room existed, he would have just told me. He didn’t need to lie about it. There’s no reason he couldn’t have just said, “I have a Little room in my home you can stay in.”
That wouldn’t be weird. He’s a Daddy.
I tuck my forehead against my knees because that’s the only part of my face that doesn’t hurt. I can’t catch my breath. Everything is piling up, and a dam is about to let loose.
I’m safe.
I’m safe.
I’m safe.
That man doesn’t know who I am. It was a random attack. I know that’s true. Isn’t it? What if he does know who I am? No. He would have used my name if he’d known me.
