Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Well, Sofia, we must find you the perfect room. There are four guestrooms, and they’re all stunning. What’s most important to you? A good view? A bathtub? We have one bathroom that only has a rainforest shower, which is so lush, but it’s not for everyone.”
“Anywhere’s fine,” I say in a small voice. “I’m really not picky.”
“Oh, darling, we have to work on that,” she teases. “You should never settle for anything less than exactly what you want.”
I have no idea how to respond to that. Chiara is deeply fabulous in a way that I could only dream of being. The most important thing to me right now, though, is finding a clean bed and passing out. The whole experience has drained me.
“I was planning to give her the green suite,” Dominic tells her, as if I’m not even there.
“Oh, that’s a fabulous room.” Chiara nods, clearly agreeing with his choice, then looks at me. “You’re going to love it, Sofia. If you need anything at all, I’m two doors down to the right. Knock anytime.”
She gives me air kisses and then turns and walks away, disappearing somewhere in the penthouse. I’m left speechless.
“Clearly, your sister got all the charm and social graces,” I say once I finally manage words.
He stifles a smile and guides me deeper into the penthouse. There’s a staircase right in the middle of the room as you come in, but next to it is an elevator.
“Do you want a tour?” he asks. “Or would you just like to go to your room?”
As desperately curious as I feel, I’m so tired. I tell him to take me to the room, and he pushes the button for the elevator. I want to argue with him that I’m perfectly capable of walking up a flight of stairs, but apparently the famous green suite is on the third floor of the penthouse.
“The kitchen is on the second floor,” he tells me. “We have a private chef who keeps it well-stocked. If you need anything, feel free to go exploring. He won’t mind.”
I can’t help but let out a breathy laugh. This is all too much.
When the doors open to the third floor, he gestures for me to get out first. Even the lighting fixtures look expensive. No detail in this place has been missed. Now that I’ve met Chiara, I’m almost sure she’s the one who did all the decorating.
We walk down a wide hallway past several doors. He finally stops at one and pulls out a set of keys. He unlocks the door and lets me inside, flipping on the light as we enter. The room leaves me breathless. Room isn’t even the right word. It’s bigger than my apartment. There’s a California king bed in the middle, a sitting area, two TVs, and a door leading out to what looks like a private balcony.
“You can keep the key,” Dominic says, pressing the key into my hand. “I want you to feel secure here.”
I nod and curl my hand around the key. It feels oddly heavy. It’s like I’m holding the key to my own prison. I know I have free will and can leave whenever I want, but I also feel like every decision I’ll ever make will have to go through Dominic from now on.
“What about work tomorrow?” I ask, finally turning to look at him.
“What about it?” he asks. “You’re still my assistant, I assume? Or have you decided to quit after all?”
I shake my head. “No, I just don’t think we should go together. People will talk.”
He sighs and his jaw tightens. “You worry far too much what people think about you, Sofia.”
I shrug. “I had sex with you, didn’t I? I clearly don’t care that much what people think.”
He lets out an unflattering snort, and we both laugh. It’s nice to finally break the tension of the night. It’s been such an incredibly long day. I’m done. He sets my bag on a luggage rack and looks at me one last time.
“I’m on the opposite end of the hall, last door on the left. And my home office is also on the second floor if I’m not in my room. If you need anything at all, I’m here, okay?”
I nod. “I’ll see you at work in the morning, boss,” I say awkwardly.
He grimaces and nods before turning and leaving me alone in the room. The moment he’s gone, I turn toward the bed and fall flat onto it. It’s insanely comfortable. I might actually be in heaven.
Unfortunately, not every part of staying with him is so good. Over the next few days, more of my stuff shows up, and I realize that this stay is going to be much longer than I expected. Dominic tells me they still don’t know who broke in, and he doesn’t feel comfortable with me going home until they do.