“No, I don’t. Thanks for the offer though.” I turn around and fluff my pillow.
“Paris...” Blake walks in front of me and kneels down, grabbing my hand—making my body react against its will with that one simple touch. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay here overnight.”
“Actually, I’m pretty sure it is. Everyone here has had to go through security, so I doubt anyone has a weapon. Plus, there are cameras every few feet. Oh, and since TSA thought I was extremely suspicious hours ago, they’re probably watching me right now. I think I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t.”
“Who cares?”
“You should stay with me tonight. I don’t think you’ll get much sleep here.”
As if on cue, a woman sits on the bench across me and rocks her crying newborn.
“Do you not remember what you said to me on the plane, Blake? Do you honestly think what you said should make me comfortable enough to go home with you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it didn’t. You saying that my lips were f**kable—”
“They are.”
“And that you would be f**king me against the seat if we were alone didn’t inspire any confidence. It told me to run far, far, away. And that’s what I plan on doing. Now, go away.”
He sighs and looks into my eyes, giving me a look of complete sincerity. “I only said those things because I honestly thought I would never see you again.”
“So, that makes it okay?”
“No, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you at all. I’m not very good at light conversation.”
“Clearly!”
“They’re closing all the restaurants here so you’ll only be able to buy junk food. The restrooms are going to be crowded at every gate, and it’s going to be noisy because there are no enclosed rooms. You shouldn’t stay here.” He actually looks concerned.
“That was a very compelling and persuasive argument, Blake. I can tell your years in law school were well spent. That said—”
“What do I have to say to get you to come home with me?”
“There’s nothing you can say. I don’t know you, I don’t trust you, and I’m also not having sex with you.”
“I didn’t ask you to have sex with me tonight.”
“But you will in the morning if I go home with you, right?”
He blinks.
“Oh my god! No, just no.”
“I’m not going to ask you to have sex with me, Paris. I’m not even going to ask you to share my bed. You can have the guest suite to yourself.”
“Does it have a separate bathroom?”
“It does.”
“A door that closes and secures from the inside?”
“Yes.” He locks his eyes on mine.
“Is it far away from your room?”
“Very far.”
I sit still and look into his beautiful eyes, wanting to say yes, wanting to say “to hell with it” and finally do something spontaneous, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
I shake my head and pull my hand away from his. “There’s another woman over there who looks like she flew solo. Maybe she’ll take you up on your offer.”
“This offer’s exclusive to you.” He takes my hand again.
I can’t help but laugh. “You’re clearly not catching my hints so let me help you out: I don’t know your last name, I don’t know where you live, where you work, what you like to do on the weekends, how you spend your spare time, your phone number, your age, and most importantly I don’t know why you think that I’m still going to come home with you.”
He slowly lets my hand go and sighs. Then he smiles and stands up. “My last name is Taylor. I live on Newbury Lane, house number seven. I work at Taylor and Associates—a law firm I started recently. I work on the weekends, and in my spare time I work even more. My phone number is 555-9870, I’m twenty nine, and I think you’re coming home with me because you want to—because you’re intrigued.” He picks up my bag and slings it over his shoulder. Then he reaches for my hand. “Was that everything or do you need to know more?”
Chapter 4
Somehow my brain has managed to fall out of my skull because I’m currently sitting in the passenger seat of Blake’s black Mercedes.
We haven’t said a word to one another since he started driving, and I’ve been keeping watch for the first snowflake. I’m trying my hardest not to think about the fact that after he listed all those facts to me, I couldn’t get a single word to come out of my mouth.
Half an hour later, we pull into a picturesque neighborhood that’s bordered by a lake. In the darkness, I can make out icy white rails that surround the water and what appears to be a private shopping center on the other side.
Blake slows the car and presses a button on his sun visor, making the door to a three door garage open. As he pulls inside, I look over at the other two cars: A beautiful grey BMW and a dark green convertible.
“Did you pack pajamas?” He opens my door and clasps my hand.
No... “Of course I packed pajamas. Why?”
“It doesn’t look like you packed much. I was going to offer to order you some with our pizza.”
“Order me some?”
He nods and opens the door to his house, still holding onto my hand. “It’s one of the benefits of living in this type of neighborhood. You can order anything, and the stores are accessible after hours.”