“My toothbrush,” I murmured, shifting in my seat to roll my eyes at Tom. “I forgot my toothbrush.”
He gave me a wry smile, though I didn’t miss the strain behind it. The same worry that was manifesting itself like a herd of cattle racing in the pit of my stomach.
I glanced around the neighborhood, overwhelmed by the excessive wealth. Mansions and fancy cars. Security gates and elaborate fountains. “I don’t think I’m going to find a Wal-Mart around here.”
Tom flexed his hands on the wheel. “I’m sure Joseph will get you what you need. Make a list when you get there.”
Joseph. Sure, he was my brother’s old friend from college. But to me and the rest of the world, he was Mr. Barringer, billionaire mogul with the unforgiving stare and a hard jaw. I swallowed. That wasn’t the only thing about him that was hard. He had abs of steel—I knew because I’d seen them once. A body to die for, like it was taken straight out of a catalogue.
Joseph Barringer was one of Seattle’s most sought-after bachelors, and the most elusive.
The whole thing made me uneasy, but Tom insisted this was necessary.
I needed somewhere to go until the restraining order went through. And then…
I shuddered in my seat. Then what? I just walked right out there into the world again hoping that Don would leave me alone?
“Don’t worry,” Tom said, his voice soothing. “It’s only temporary. Joseph’s busy so I doubt you’ll see a lot of him.”
“So basically, I’m just an intruder in his house?”
“Intruder? Why would you think that? Joseph’s the one who invited you to stay.”
My stomach twisted. Yeah, Tom had said that before, and I still didn’t understand it. Joseph barely knew me.
“I still wish you hadn’t said anything,” I whispered, looking out the window as we wound around some trees to another row of ridiculously large houses.
Tom’s jaw clenched. “And I apologized for that. I needed an outlet and a solution. Joseph fit both.”
“I know.” I nodded, guilt creeping up on me that Tom was having to deal with this, too. That I hadn’t tossed Don out of my life way earlier. Or that I’d gotten mixed up with him in the first place. “I’m sorry.”
Tom glanced over. “Don’t apologize. It was that asshole who got us here. We’re fixing it, right?”
I swallowed again. “Yes. We’re fixing it.”
I hoped.
Tom pulled to a gate and pressed the button to an intercom outside. He announced us, and the gate opened, revealing a long drive that led to a magnificent fountain in the center of a cobblestone courtyard. It felt more like we were in Tuscany than the suburbs of a city in the United States.
We both got out and saw someone step through the front door. He was old enough to be my father, with hair graying at the temples and posture straight enough it looked like he was frozen that way. But he stepped forward with a nod and a smile that set me at ease—as much as he could anyway.
“Mr. Tolson. Miss Tolson,” he said in a charming British accent. “You can call me Davies.”
Straight out of a movie. He had to be the butler. And, clearly, I was stepping into another world. I didn’t have a butler, let alone a multi-million-dollar house dropped into a forest of trees. According to Tom, it was also surrounded by state of the art cameras and surveillance equipment. It’s the safest place I can think of, Tom had told me.
Safe. How long had it been since I’d felt safe?
Tom nodded. “Thank you, Davies.”
Tom hauled my small suitcase out of the back of the car. Davies took it and started toward the front door. I stopped Tom with a shake of my head.
“You don’t have to come in with me. I know you’re in a hurry.”
He checked his watch and grimaced. He was supposed to be back at the university for his afternoon classes in thirty minutes. “Samantha…”
I gave him the most reassuring smile I could. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you later. Let me get settled here and then we’ll have dinner.”
He nodded and pulled me in for a tight hug. “Okay. Dinner.”
When I pulled back, I gave him another smile, but he didn’t return it.
“Be careful. Listen to Joseph. He knows all about this stuff.”
He meant security. Joseph had inherited his family’s wealth but had more than doubled it with the success of his business, and the invention and production of security software and technology. If I’d done my research correctly, he also worked with the government on various projects.
I still doubted I’d be seeing much of Joseph, but I nodded anyway.
Davies gestured to the door. “Miss.”
I followed him into the foyer, my mouth dropping open at the sheer size of it. Our footsteps echoed on the glossy tiles, and my voice dropped to almost a whisper. Like this was a museum.
“Davies,” I said quietly.
He stopped with my suitcase still in hand. “Yes, Miss Tolson.”
“Please call me Samantha. Or Sam.”
He gave a polite smile. “Mr. Barringer wouldn’t like that, Miss.”
Wouldn’t like that? But I asked him to. Maybe Mister Barringer was just like the media described him. Cold. Hard. Unforgiving.
Tom told me he had a soft side, but maybe he was the only one who thought that. Or maybe Tom was just being Tom. He saw the best in everyone.
Everyone except Don. He’d seen right through him from the start, and when I’d challenged his assessment of my new boyfriend, we’d fought. Probably the worst fight we’d ever had.
My lips trembled. God, I’d been so stupid.
“Miss Tolson?” Davies said. “Are you all right?”
I focused on him, saw the compassion in his eyes, and forced myself to nod. “I will be.”
“Would you like to see your room, or shall I make you a cup of tea?” he asked. “If I may, you look like you could use it.”
“I think I could. Thanks.”
Davies released the handle of my bag, leaving my briefcase in the entryway before he led me to the kitchen. That trek was a journey in itself, walking down a long hallway of shiny tiles before we stepped into the space. The kitchen was larger than my apartment, with an amazing view of the city.
“Davies…” I said in awe, walking straight to the windows “How do you get any work done when you could just stand here and look at this all day?”
I heard a smile in his voice when he replied. “I barely manage it.”
I chuckled softly and took in the view. Outside, there was a small patio with a round table, and a small stretch of lawn surrounding a pool. Beyond that to the right, I spotted a gazebo and what appeared to be a stream. And further out, as though the lawn dropped off a cliff, I saw the city.
Storm clouds brewed over the tops of the buildings, foreboding and breathtaking at the same time.
I walked to the back door, already planning on taking a look. “Davies, I’m just going to—”
The moment I turned the handle, a shrill alarm went off. I turned shocked eyes to Davies. “I’m—I’m sorry. I—”
From outside the kitchen, we heard a loud voice booming over the alarm. “Fuck. What the hell?”
Davies calmly walked to a panel around the corner and punched in a code just as Joseph stormed into the kitchen, eyes blazing.
“What is going on?” he said, voice low and dangerous. “I tripped over a suitcase, and the alarm—”
He broke off when he saw me still frozen by the back door.
“I apologize, Mr. Barringer,” Davies said smoothly. “I was making Miss Tolson a cup of tea before I showed her to her room.”
“And the alarm?” he asked, eyes still locked on mine.
His voice was nothing more than a low growl, terrifying and sensual at the same time. It triggered something in me, the same thing I felt every time I saw him. Every time I’d seen him in the past, spying on my big brother and his friend when they didn’t know I was there. Or each time I opened a magazine and saw Joseph Barringer staring back at me with eyes like coal and an unforgiving mouth. The same mouth I’d imagined on mine more than once in the past.
“It’s—I wanted to look outside at the view and I…” I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling like I was in elementary school all over again and I was trying to explain my disobedience to the principal.
Or worse, I was trying to make Don understand…so he wouldn’t hit me again.
“It’s not Davies’ fault,” I murmured. “I made the alarm go off.”
Joseph’s jaw clenched. “And broke the rules, which are there for a reason.”
“R—rules?” I stammered, glancing to Davies. He’d never said anything about rules.
“You’re here for a reason, which means you follow the rules. I can’t protect you if you don’t follow the rules.” Joseph turned abruptly to Davies. “Show her to her room and give her the list. We’ll discuss when I get home. Now, I need to get back to work.”
My breath caught at the abruptness of his exit. He didn’t turn back to look at me. Didn’t say goodbye. Barely even acknowledged I was here except to tell me what I was doing wrong.
Just like Don.
I bit my lip hard to stop the emotion. No, he wasn’t like Don. He was letting me stay here to protect me from Don.
“Miss Tolson, don’t fret,” Davies said kindly. “I’ll take you to your room so you can have a moment.”
I forced a nod and followed him silently, praying the whole way that I hadn’t just made another big mistake by coming here.