She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to make it not sting that he wasn’t taking her with him. “No problem. I suspect I can entertain myself.”
Even if she wasn’t a lightning rod for controversy, she wouldn’t expect to be introduced to his mother at this point. They’d just started a relationship.
He lowered his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry. I’ll get back as soon as I can. Maybe I should bring in a bodyguard.”
He was such a sweetheart. He’d been the most attentive Dom a sub could ask for. Since they’d moved their relationship forward, he’d spent every night with her. Even when he’d needed to work late one night, he’d arranged for her to have some company. Her new friend May had shown up. They’d spent the night watching movies and eating popcorn. Vanessa had felt like she’d really fit with May.
She didn’t want Michael to have to give up his Sunday, and she didn’t want him to go to a bunch of trouble to bring in one of his friends.
“I’m fine here,” she promised. “You don’t need to bring in a guard.”
He sighed and his hands skimmed over her hips. “Are you sure? The building is secure. No one can get up here without security calling to let them up. You have control over who has access to this floor.”
“And I won’t let anyone in.” She was perfectly fine with that. “I could use some time to myself.”
He kissed her again. “All right. Then I should be back sometime this afternoon.” He stepped away and seemed to remember something. “My cousin and his wife…they stop by every now and then. We share the top floor with them, so they don’t have to be buzzed up.”
She hadn’t met Simon or Chelsea Weston, but Michael had talked about them. “If they show up, I’ll let them know where you are.”
There was a picture of the couple and their adorable little girl on the mantel above the fireplace. She would know them by sight.
“Only them,” he said, his eyes steady on her. “Or your friend, if you want some company.”
“I’m having lunch with May on Tuesday. I think I’ll catch up on some work. I also got the stuff to bake cookies. I might do that. I don’t know.” She felt her lips curl up. “Without my Dom here, I might go wild and spend the day reading in that monstrosity of a bathtub.”
His whole face lit up. “You do that, baby. I’ll see you in a couple of hours, and I have my cell on me.”
One more kiss and he walked out. She let herself fall back to the bed, warmth flooding her system.
She could fall for this man.
So do it. Don’t let this world hold you back. I know it’s hard and it feels like the right thing to do is to retreat, but you only get one life.
He’d never actually said those words to her, but she could hear George in her head. He’d wanted her to fly as high as she could.
Now all she wanted was to honor his legacy and live a nice, normal life with a man she loved.
Michael Malone was not going to be that man. He couldn’t be. His family would be horrified by her, and the press would lose their minds if they knew she was dating another wealthy man.
Were they dating? It felt like they were. It felt serious to her.
She heard the door close and the security system come on.
She felt safe here.
She got up and showered, forcing all those nasty thoughts out of her head. She was living in the moment, and the moment included a glorious shower and no need to get dressed in anything but yoga pants and a T-shirt, something easy to get out of since the minute her Dom came home he would have her naked.
She loved sitting on his lap every evening. She cuddled up to him, naked and warm under a blanket. She’d even gotten okay with watching the news with him, though mostly she just breathed him in and let her mind float.
Her creativity was starting to come back, and she’d had some thoughts about stories and ideas for little scenes.
Not that she would do anything. But it was good to be able to think about the stories and characters that had always been in her head.
She was pouring her first cup of coffee when her cell phone rang. She glanced down and guilt filled her. Ruby.
Yeah, she’d spent so much time rubbing herself against Michael that she hadn’t paid much attention to her investigation. She’d put Ruby on trying to figure out if Kyle Hawthorne had any other connections to her sister and then had her fun.
She was starting to think that maybe her sister had been wrong. Nicki could be a little on the paranoid side.