"I thought you were going to take me to the hotel." I hold steady to his arm as he guides me into an apartment with a Park Avenue address. "You live here, don't you?"
"Yes," he quietly acquiesces. "That hotel is a shit hole. I won't stay there."
The words bite although they shouldn’t. This is the place he raced to after he'd fucked me that night weeks ago. He'd left me there because I was a random that wasn't worthy of this.
I stay silent as he flips on the light switch. The room fills with warm light giving me my first glimpse into his real world. The space is opulent and masculine. Rich dark furniture sets the tone. Beautiful artwork hangs from the walls, which are painted a deep shade of gray. It matches what I imagined it to be to a tee.
"What did Noah say when you called him?" His hand is pressing on my lower back, guiding me further into the space.
I'm surprised by his restraint. He'd stood just feet away from me near the entrance to the hospital as I called Alexa. She hadn't answered so I left a brief voicemail telling her that I was out for the night but would be home after work tomorrow. Ben's insistence that he call my boss, Vivian, in the morning directly to explain what happened quashed my fears about my job. He'd explain my injuries and my need for rest. I'd be back at the office the day after tomorrow, no worse for wear.
"I didn't speak to him." I run my hand across my forehead. "How long do I have to wear this bandage?"
"Did you talk… did you talk to his fiancé?" He clears his throat. "Alexa, right?"
I nod slowly. Watching his mouth move as her names leaves his lips seems foreign to me. "I left her a message."
"You need to rest." His hand circles my waist. "I can help you undress and get into bed."
I feel exposed at the mention of getting undressed. "I can do it myself."
"No." His hand motions towards a hallway. "I'll help."
I don't argue the point. It's not as though he hasn't seen me nude before. Besides that, he's a doctor. Christ, he's a fucking doctor and Noah's brother. I still can't fathom how I went from sitting next to a stranger on a flight to standing in the apartment of Noah's twin waiting for him to undress me.
"How long have you known him?" His hand brushes over the zipper at the back of my dress as we enter a dimly lit bedroom.
"Noah?"
He pushes his hands over my shoulders, grabbing the neckline of the dress. "When did you meet him?"
"A year ago," I sigh as his hands skim my skin taking the dress with them. "Maybe it was longer."
His breath catches as my white bra and panties come into full view. "Is he happy?"
I close my eyes when I feel his fingers deftly undo the clasp of my bra. "Yes, he's happy."
His hands move down, skimming my stomach before stopping at the edge of my panties. "What's she like?"
I lean back into him. My body betraying my need to stay focused in the moment. "Alexa?"
"Yes," he takes a step forward, pulling me into him. "Is she like you?"
I chuckle at the thought. "We're not the same."
He turns me around effortlessly until I'm facing him. "Is she good to him?"
"She loves him," I offer. "You should meet her. You'd like her."
He shakes his head. "I can't," he murmurs.
"Why?" I reach for his arm, a wave of dizziness overtaking me. "I need to sit."
"No." His lips graze across my forehead. "You need to sleep."
I don't protest as he helps me into a king size bed. I snuggle into the sheets, reveling in the softness of their touch against my bare skin. "I'm tired," I whimper into the pillow.
"I'll need to wake you during the night." His breath traces across my neck. "I'll be gentle."