Chapter7
“This car is amazing. I’ve never been in a car that has a leg rest before.”
“It’s a Mercedes Maybach Security Edition.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s bulletproof, among other things. And the partition between us and the driver isn’t just for privacy. If someone does manage to carjack the driver, this compartment is only operational from inside here.”
“That’s insane. Like a panic room inside your car?”
“Basically.”
“Why do you even need that?”
He shrugged.
“I move a lot of money around. This is faster and more secure than hiring an armored car every time I have precious cargo.” His smile was mischievous as he continued. “But the biggest selling point for me was the mini fridge right here between our seats.”
Nina was shaking her head.
“Some of this luxury is out of control.”
“Why?”
“It seems a little over the top.”
“You won’t think that when you’re moving money to my accounts and you know you’re safe in here.”
“I’m going to be moving your money?”
“Typically, no. I have guys that do that. But there may come a time that I need you to step in, or even audit the money I have. Most of your work will be done from home, but your car will be similarly equipped so that I know you’re safe.”
“I don’t know about someone driving me everywhere.”
“That’s my preference, but it is up to you. If you’re going to be driving yourself, I’ll have to rethink the car I was planning to give you.”
“You don’t have to give me a car; I can buy my own eventually.”
“You can’t buy one of these. Outfitting a luxury car with state-of-the-art security isn’t something just anyone can buy. Besides, it’s part of your salary package and I want you and my child to be safe.”
His hand went to her belly, his touch so gentle that it made her heart swell. Why had she been nervous to tell him about the baby? It was simple, she realized. His reaction was wonderful, but he was virtually a stranger. She had no way of knowing how he would respond, and even now, everything was up in the air. Things were good, but she needed to guard her heart in case they went south once the newness wore off for both of them.
“That’s fine. It’s more important to me that I’m able to drive myself places than it is to have everything go my way.”
“I’m glad you’re willing to compromise. It’s a good quality in a woman.”
She glared at him, then she realized that he was joking.
“Funny,” she said, but she was laughing.
She didn’t expect him to be so real, and every time his personality showed she felt more at ease with their situation.
“Are we still in Miami?” she asked as they made their way from what was obviously a private airstrip through the city.
“We are. We’re in a suburb of Miami called Coconut Grove.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Wait until you see where I live. Where we live.”
He took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles and looking into her eyes.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“A little. But mostly, I’m hoping this works out.”
“Me too. I appreciate you giving us a chance instead of running off on your own or using the child as a pawn.”
“I’m not that kind of woman. My mother taught me to own my mistakes and never make other people pay because I’m angry. I’ve carried that lesson over into everything I do.”
“Your mom is a brilliant woman.”
“Was. Both my parents are gone.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. It’s been a few years, but it still hurts.”
“I lost my mom when I was young, too. I was seventeen.”
“What about your father?” she asked, squeezing his hand warmly.
“I never knew my father. It was just me and my mother.”
“I’m sure she would be proud of you.”
“Thank you. I hope so. Everything she did was to get us out of Little Havana.”
“Little Havana?”
“I know that sounds crazy since I’m white, but my stepfather was Cuban, and my mom moved in with him in a little peach house on Twenty-Third Street, not even ten miles away from here. It’s a world of difference, isn’t it?”
“That’s crazy. Was he good to you?”
“While he was alive, yes. He did his best, taught me how to get things done, and how to be a man. He was good to my mom and he took care of us. When he died, he left everything to her. It wasn’t much, but he owned his house outright, and that made a huge difference when it was just me and my mom.”
“It’s amazing you were able to pull yourself out of that so young.”
“I’m twenty-eight, so hardly a child.”
He chuckled.
“That’s not what I mean. It’s just a rough way to start adulthood, all alone like that. I had Jazzy when I lost my parents.”
“Being alone made it easier. I was able to focus on my goals and not worry about how they affect other people. I would give anything to have her back, but she and my stepdad gave me all the tools I needed to pull myself out of our humble beginnings.”
“Do you still have the house?”
“I do. I renovated it and made it into a community center.”
“That’s amazing of you.”
“I wanted to give back to the place that made me the man I am today.”
“That’s noble of you.” The car turned, and she looked out the window as they made their way down South Bayshore Lane. “Is that the ocean?”
“No. It’s Biscayne Bay.”
“These houses are amazing.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
The car turned again, and Nina looked at him, eyes wide.
“This is your house? This isn’t a house, this is a mansion.”
“You could call it that.”
“And the bay is right there?”
“I have a dock at the end of my property.”
“This is insane. I can’t believe I’m going to live here.”
“You’re going to like it here, I promise.”
She was almost breathless as the large, wrought iron gate opened to reveal an intricately laid cobblestone driveway. The landscaping was lush, with local plants lining both sides of the driveway so that the ten-foot stone wall that surrounded the entire property and the neighbors beyond were not visible through the trees. The gate closed behind them, and the Maybach drove down the circular drive to park next to a large fountain.
“Alex, this is amazing.”
“You’ve said that a time or two. Wait until you see the inside of the house.”
“What is that building there?”
“The detached garage. And above it is a four-bedroom apartment complete with a kitchen. The garage holds six cars. Your car can be parked in the garage, or if you prefer, there is a carport near the back exit.”
“The back exit? How big is this place?”
“The property or the house?”
“Both.”
“The property is nearly five acres. The house has twelve bedrooms and eleven bathrooms, five common areas, two kitchens and three dining areas.”
She stared at him in shock. Alex smiled.
“Would you like to take a quick tour of the grounds?”
“Please.”
Alex sent a quick text and the car rolled forward almost immediately.
“The swimming pool is lighted, and temperature controlled. You can swim year-round, and the jacuzzi is also temperature controlled so you don’t have to worry about it getting too hot. The garage has three doors on either side of the building so that all cars are accessible without moving the car behind or in front of it. There’s a balcony that runs around the entire second floor.”
“Am I living in there?”
He laughed.
“No. That’s where my drivers live.”
“They live here?”
“I have two drivers that live here full time. I also have a few security guards that live here also. Two live in the garage apartment with the drivers, and two live in the back of the property near the boat dock, and the other two live in the main house. I have one cook and one cleaning lady. Both are available to help you at any time.”
“Why do you need so many guards?”
“It was safer than hiring a firm to deal with the money. A lot of these professional wealth-management firms have been screwing their clients. It’s easier for me if I run my business from my offices and my home. That way, I don’t have to worry about someone sneaking in under my nose and taking what I’ve worked so hard for.”
“I guess you don’t get to be a billionaire by being trusting.”
“Not one bit. We have two boats on our personal dock, as you can see.”
“It’s like a fortress here.”
“It is. Which is important. Having high-dollar houses all lined up like this puts us at risk. You can sleep safe knowing that you are completely enclosed.”
“It’s nice that you can’t see the neighbors or hear the street.”
“Isn’t it? It’s like living on a private island. There are two suites available. You can take the suite on the bottom floor with courtyard access, or you can take the suite on the second floor. It has a wonderful view of the bay, and the balcony runs along the entire suite so you don’t have to go through a specific room to get to it.”
“Can I look at them first before I choose?”
“Of course. The only thing that makes the first-floor suite better in my opinion is the extra room off the nursery for a nanny, and it’s near the kitchen.”
“I don’t need a nanny.”
“Are you sure? I was waiting to hire someone until you got a chance to interview them, but having help is never a bad thing.”
“Are you planning on being involved?”
“With the baby? Heavily. But we’ll both be working, and I don’t want you to exhaust yourself.”
“I don’t know how I feel about a nanny.”
“Then don’t get one. I won’t be offended.”
“Thank you.”
He gathered both of her hands in his.
“Listen. I want you to be happy. I want more than that, but right now, your happiness is my greatest concern. If you don’t like anything, or if you want something I haven’t provided, speak up. Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Good.” He pointed out a narrow walkway lined in the same cobblestone pattern as the driveway. “There’s the walkway. It’s lighted as well, and meanders through the property so that one trip around is a mile. This branch of the driveway here leads to the Vista Court, which will take you to the main road. It’s a dead end so there’s only one way to go.”
She was taking it all in, storing the information away for later as they made their way back to the fountain and parked. She had no idea when she was going to need all the information he’d given her. One thing was abundantly clear; Alex Conrad was very security conscious, almost to the point of paranoia. It was either going to make her feel very safe or trapped, so she was going to have to make sure that she felt like she was in control of her life.
She would start by swallowing her pride and accepting a security enhanced car rather than having to rely on drivers to get her everywhere. The more control she had there, the less likely she would feel like she was stuck here. It was a small thing, but she knew it would make a difference. The other thing was that she was going to set up a bank account the next day at a bank that Alex had no vested interest in. She doubted he was wanting to mingle finances, which she wouldn’t want to do anyway, but she also wanted to make sure that she could walk away without any strings.
You’re giving up before you even get started, Jasmine’s voice said in her head, and Nina knew it was true. But she didn’t have it in her to be careless with money. She wanted a backup plan just in case, and there was nothing wrong with that.
Alex led her up the small flight of stairs where a man was waiting at the door. He wore a crisp black suit and looked more like a secret agent than a doorman. Something about him was familiar.
“Jaime?” she said, smiling.
He didn’t smile back.
“Yes.”
The smile slipped off her face, but he was already opening the door and she wasn’t sure he saw her frown.
What a dick, she thought, walking through the door and gasping when she saw the lavish entryway to the house.
“Wow.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Alex said. “You said you wanted the second story suite, yes?”
“I think so.”
“Good. It’s near my room.” He motioned to the ornate spiral staircase in front of them. “Shall we?”
The staircase led to a landing, which had a small kitchen and dining area. The dining area looked out onto the lower floor and a large window behind the staircase that stretched from the floor of the first story to the top of the second story held a view of a beautiful courtyard with a fountain filled with koi and brightly colored parrots in the trees.
“This is the family kitchen and dining room. The main kitchen and formal dining room are on the ground floor on the other side of the courtyard.”
“Does anyone use this kitchen?”
“I use it for breakfast. I like to eat here or on the balcony before I get dressed in the morning. It makes no sense to go all the way to the formal dining room, then come back up here to change.”
It was her turn to laugh.
“Must be nice.”
“If you would like, you can leave a list of what you would like in this kitchen, and I’ll have it stocked with what you need. Or you can eat what the chef makes.”
“Being rich seems to make things really complicated,” she teased.
“I find that speaking your mind cuts down on a lot of that.”
“You keep saying that, but I don’t think you want to know what I’m thinking all the time.”
“Try me.”
“Alright, but I’m not going to apologize when you don’t like what I have to say.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She laughed.
“Good. We can start now. I really want to see this suite.”
“Right this way,” he said.
He held out his elbow and she took it, sparks flying between them. They went across the landing to the hallway that was to the right of the dining room and kitchen.
“To the left is the rest of the second level. There are five bedrooms on the first floor; three of them are suites. The first-floor suite is the one I offered you, and it’s meant to be the Master Suite, but I like the view from up here better. I’m sure you’ll see plenty of my suite, so let’s skip it and I’ll show you your rooms first.”
A chill passed through her when he mentioned his bedroom, his meaning obvious. She had to admit that she was happy that he’d mentioned it. She didn’t want to make the first move and he was far too polite to assume that she owed him anything just because they’d slept together before.
The hallway was short, ending with a set of double doors similar to the large, dark wood doors that had led into the house, and into the suite. He opened them with a flourish, and stepped back so she could take it all in.
“Is this my room?” she asked, shocked by the size of the empty space.
“No. This is the sitting room. The first door on your left is your office, the second door is a half bath. Through the door straight ahead is your bedroom, and on the back wall is the bathroom, walk-in closet, and nursery respectively.”
She walked through that door as he spoke, in awe of the space that could fit a small house.
“This is too much,” she whispered.
“Not at all. Nothing is too good for the mother of my child.”
“Alex, I don’t know if I can accept this.”
“You’ll get used to it,” he said, pulling her close and hugging her.
She felt so safe in his arms, his strength enveloping her and warming her to her very soul. How could she accept so much from a man she barely knew?
“Let me spoil you,” he said quietly. “I want you to be happy here.”
“This is a big move.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
It felt strange to admit it, but it was the truth. More than once since their conversation the day before, she’d wondered what in the world she was thinking. How could she pick up everything and just move? What if he expected more out of her than she was willing to give?
“If I stay it doesn’t mean that I’m automatically your girlfriend.”
“I expected nothing less.”
“I deserve to be courted and pursued.”
“I agree.”
“And I don’t want business and pleasure mixing.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“I want to have set hours so that I’m not at your beck and call at all hours.”
“Understood.”
“Why are you smiling?”
“You’re so sexy when you’re firm.”
“You’re out of control.” She laughed.
“Only when you’re around.”
“You’re not the only one,” she admitted, then smiled when his nostrils flared at her words and his eyes widened ever so slightly. He was aroused and probably had been since he picked her up from the airstrip.
She shook her head, looking around the empty room.
“What about the furniture?”
“I thought you might like to decorate yourself,” he said.
“Are we going to a furniture store?”
“Nope.” He pointed to the built-in bookshelf beside her.
“Is this a catalogue? It’s bigger than a phone book.”
“You can order individual pieces or complete sets. Or, you can choose your colors and what types of furniture you want, upload a picture of the room on your cell phone, and they’ll design a custom room for you. It’s entirely up to you.”
She flipped through the book as he talked, one perfectly manicured eyebrow lifting when she saw the high-end pieces on the glossy pages and something else caught her eye.
“There are no list prices.”
“Price doesn’t matter.” He looked at his watch. “It’s three o’clock now. If you order in the next two hours, the stuff will be delivered and set up by dinner, which is at seven.”
“What am I supposed to do while I’m waiting for everything to arrive?”
“I have an idea,” he said, pulling her into his arms again and kissing her roughly.
She melted into him, holding her body against his and delighting in his heat. When he let her go, she smiled seductively.
“I think I know exactly what you have in mind.”