Gentleman Sinner

As I make it to the door, I take a quick glimpse over my shoulder and find Theo mere feet behind me. I realize, even through the haze of alcohol, that all those helpful people weren’t moving for my benefit at all. They weren’t being helpful. They were being sensible.

I narrow my eyes on him as he reaches past me and punches in the code. Then he kindly motions for me to lead the way. I push my way through without thanks, letting it close behind me. There are no people in the corridor, but there are walls on both sides of me. I stop and focus forward, blinking my blurry vision clear as best I can. Then I stagger two steps to the right . . . and bounce. Then two steps to the left . . . and bounce. I roll my eyes to myself and continue to ping-pong my way towards the office, vaguely hearing a deep, rumbling chuckle from behind.

‘This is your fault,’ I mutter. He doesn’t speak. Probably can’t from laughing too much. Wrestling with the door, I finally get it open and let myself in, turning and finding his laughing eyes before I slam it in his face. Then I bounce off every piece of furniture in the workspace before I make it to the other door. I resort to closing one eye to zero in on the handle, eventually finding it and performing the same childish actions as before. I turn and scowl at Theo, then slam the door in his face.

The never-ending corridor that leads back to his house sees me ricocheting off the walls all the way. By the time I make it to the end, the room is spinning, and I don’t have the energy to be spiteful and slam any more doors in his face, so I stumble to the stairs and whimper when the stripes of the carpet become a wavy mess, making me sway on the spot. I’ll never make it.

But I don’t have to. My feet are swiped from beneath me and I’m suddenly floating. Theo doesn’t breathe a word of scorn, nor does he make fun of me. And like it’s ingrained in me, I don’t move a muscle now that he has me in his hold. He carries me up the horrid stairs and into his bedroom, laying me on the bed gently. And he strips me down, patiently and calmly as I drunkenly writhe atop the covers, just wanting to crawl under the sheets and say goodbye to today. When his hands are gone from my body, I snuggle down and exhale.

And a few moments later, I vaguely feel his fingertips trace across my tummy. ‘What happened to you, baby?’ he whispers, placing his lips on my forehead.

‘You really don’t want to know,’ I slur, raising my arm into the air. He sighs, taking my wrist and laying it somewhere on his body. His chest, I think.

I sigh and drift off to sleep.Chapter 19

My head is throbbing as I sheepishly peek out of Theo’s bedroom door, listening for any sounds of life. I’m wearing the massive, luxuriously soft bathrobe that was left on the end of the bed for me, the oversize garment skimming my ankles as I wander through his private quarters in search of my bag. It’s nowhere to be seen, but the faint ringing of my phone from within is sounding from somewhere.

As I’m scanning the lounge, Jefferson wanders in, looking amused as he holds up my bag. His old eyes are shining behind his round spectacles, his silver hair as neat as always. ‘Miss White,’ he says, taking in my dishevelled form.

Embarrassed, I try to quickly give my tangled waves a finger comb. ‘Morning, Jefferson.’ I reach for my bag, but my phone stops ringing before I have a chance to search it out. ‘Is Theo still here?’ I have no idea what time it is, but I could do with a few more hours of sleep. My head hurts. A lot.

‘He’s waiting for you in the dining room.’ He moves to the huge fireplace and collects an empty tumbler from the mantel. I imagine Theo standing there last night having a needed drink as he stared into the fire while I was snoring in his bed. ‘I’ll walk down with you.’

‘Now?’ I blurt, looking down at my less-than-presentable form.

‘He insisted.’ Jefferson makes for the door, not looking back to check if I’m coming.

‘Because one would be unwise to say no to Mr Kane.’ I sigh, taking my phone from my bag and following Theo’s butler. Not a word is spoken between us on the way down, and after Jefferson has walked me to the doors that lead into the dining room and I’ve smiled my thanks, he leaves me to gather some strength to enter.