I watched as Kaine’s face turned pale and the phone slid down from his ear. A minute later, he was on his feet, pulling me up beside him.

“We’re getting the fuck out of here, now.”

“What is it, Kaine? What’s happened?” I’d never seen him look this way, and his voice had an edge that made me afraid. “Something’s wrong…”

“Nothing I shouldn’t have seen coming, Grace. We’re getting you the hell out of this place right now.”

Less than five minutes later, we were in Kaine’s sleek, black sports car and we were headed out of the city. We’d gone down the back stairs, where I’d confronted Cole. This time, the stairs had been empty and we had left La Laisse behind us. Only Mrs. S knew we were gone, and she’d assured me she would tell no one we were leaving together. After all, she wasn’t exactly in business as a matchmaker…

“You’ll be safe with him, Grace,” she’d said in my ear before she kissed me goodbye. “I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”

For some reason, her kind words bristled. I knew he’d had other girls there. And the closer I felt to him, the more the idea bothered me. Maybe he was willing to help me, maybe he even felt more for me than he had for any of the others, but I was still just a purchase he’d made. Not like a real girlfriend. Not like a real relationship at all.

He drove fast, intimately familiar with the car and his surroundings. An hour and a half later, we were far into the country, away from the lights and glamour of the city. The houses here were enormous, from what little I could see. They were far off the road and surrounded by gently rolling hills and tall trees. I’d only seen houses like these in magazines with thick, glossy pages. And he was driving up a long, winding drive that took my breath.

“This is home?” I asked, taking in the perfectly groomed lawns and the long, elegant reflecting pool that filled the center of the drive. He parked, and pulled our bags from the trunk. I followed him inside, holding my breath, trying to take it all in. I’d known he had to be rich, to pay what he’d paid for me… But this wasn’t rich. This was another world.

He tossed the bags carelessly on the marble floor of the foyer and took my hand. “Becca will fix us something in the kitchen,” he said. Her name rolled off his lips easily and I had a sudden and uncomfortable image of a tall, elegant brunette in heels and a pink frilly apron. “Bec,” he called down the hall. “I’m home, and we’re starving.”

“Well, sit yourselves down and take a load off.” I heard her before I saw her and the picture in my head fell apart. She came around the corner in a flurry with two bottles of mineral water in her hands. The apron was pink. The shoes were orthopedic.

“Imagine our Mr. Kaine bringing a guest,” she wheezed. Becca was short, and as wide as she was tall. Her cheeks were red and her eyes bright as buttons. Her chins wagged slightly as she spoke with obvious affection.

“I didn’t expect you back for a couple more days.” She put a bottle in Kaine’s open hand and offered one to me. I took it and smiled, warmed by her comfortable presence. “Did the meeting end early?”

Kaine’s eyes slid sideways toward me and I caught his glance. He smiled, and in spite of everything, I had to smile back. “It ran a little short, Bec,” he said, taking a swallow of water. “Can you put something together for us? I have some calls to make in the library.”

“As if I could refuse you anything,” Bec said cheekily, as she turned back and headed toward what must have been the kitchen. “Give me twenty minutes,” she called back over her shoulder.

I turned as Kaine took my hand in his huge, warm one. “Come on,” he said. “This way.”

The house was warm and beautiful. Rich wood lined the walls and the furniture was elaborately carved. Dark and heavy with an old world feeling. It would have been gloomy except for the brilliance of the light. There were windows everywhere, even lining the high ceilings. It seemed to bring the outside in with us. I felt safe, but not contained.

“It’s extraordinary,” I said, mostly to myself. I was looking everywhere at once, my head on a swivel. Kaine had my hand tightly and was intent only on our destination. The huge library doors closed behind us and I watched him take a seat behind the enormous desk.

“Safe… soon to be fed properly,” he said, his brow furrowed in thought. I sat down in a leather armchair and felt myself sink into it. “Now it’s time for Plan B.”