When I open my eyes, I hear Alex’s voice talking quietly in the bathroom. I stretch and feel the sweet soreness of the best sex I’ve ever had. My stomach growls, and I remember he mentioned something about breakfast in the morning followed by more sex. I can hardly wait for both.

I roll over in the bed and listen to his half of the conversation. I don’t mean to eavesdrop. I can’t help it, the door is open, and he sounds upset.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. There must be some kind of mistake,” he says, and then he is quiet for a long time listening to the person on the other end of the line. “I don’t care what the letter says, it’s not true. I’ll be there in half an hour to straighten this out. Is she okay? I mean for now?”

He listens for a minute and says goodbye. I pull the covers up over my shoulder and wait for him to come and tell me it’s time to go home. The old house is drafty and putting my party dress back on is the last thing I want to do at six o’clock in the morning on New Year’s Day.

Maybe I should close my eyes and pretend to be sleeping? No, then I wouldn’t find out what’s going on and where he’s going. I’ll have to suck it up. He walks into the room wearing a pair of worn jeans that hang low on his hips showing off the sexy V that I traced with my tongue last night.

“I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t, my body’s internal clock has a nasty habit of waking me up at six o’clock no matter what.”

“I have bad news. Lilly is in the hospital, and she still has me listed as next of kin. The only family she has in the U.S. is a grandmother on the East Coast, and she’s in a nursing home.”

“What’s wrong with her?” I ask sitting up holding the sheet around my breasts.

“I’m not sure. They were vague, but she’s very sick, and they need someone to sign some papers. Will you stay here until I get back?”

“What will I do?”

“Go back to sleep, shower, and play with the dogs. Have breakfast. Whatever you feel like doing is fine with me, but I’d rather you not leave.”

“I’d rather me not leave, too.” A relieved smile spreads across his face, and he crawls across the bed to kiss me long and hard.

When he finally pulls away, he holds my face in his hands sitting on his knees in front of me. “Will that hold you until I return? If not, I’d be happy to make you come once or twice before I go.” He looks hopeful, almost like he wishes I’d enable him in his procrastination. I can’t keep him from a sick friend in the hospital, even if it is his ex-girlfriend who is still head over heels in love with him.

“That will hold me. Go find out what’s going on with Lilly.”

He narrows his eyes as if he’s not sure he should believe me. “I’m serious, please, go. I promise to be here when you get back.”

The crease between his eyes relaxes, and he presses a quick minty-fresh kiss on my lips before backing off the bed to finish dressing. I lie back down and snuggle into the sheets that smell of fabric softener, his cologne, my perfume, and sex. I breathe in the scent and wonder if there is a way to bottle it. If it were possible, I’d use it as an air freshener at home.

“Your phone is on the end table. There are clothes in the closet on the right side next to my suits, and I’ll text you a map of the house, so you don’t get lost.”

“Thank you, I’ll probably just stay here, though. I don’t want to do the walk of shame in front of all your staff in my gown from last night.”

“You don’t have to. The clothes in my closet are casual, jeans, sweaters. You should be comfortable. The drawer under the clothes is stocked with anything else you might need.”

“Whose clothes are these?” If he thinks I’m going to wear Lilly’s things, he has another thing coming. I’d rather walk home in the snow in my dress.

“They’re yours,” he says buttoning up his shirt.

“Alex, we just met. I’ve hardly had time to require a drawer at your place let alone an extra set of clothes.”

He sighs deeply and continues to dress. “I like to be prepared for everything, and when I say everything, I mean, everything. I checked with your groomer at the shop and asked for your sizes, and I bought you something to wear home today in the event you decided to stay, or we had inclement weather that kept you from leaving. It’s a thing with me, preparedness. I can’t help myself.”

I run my fingers through my hair on one side and consider this information. Is it odd or mature or presumptuous for him to think I would spend the night? I’ve never been that on top of things, so I can’t say for sure I understand how he feels. I mean, I don’t like to run out of shampoo, so I have a back stock of six bottles, but I don’t think I’d go so far as to purchase a man clothes for the day after our first date.

“I realize it seems presumptuous, but I assure you it’s more OCD than anything. Take it for what it is, comfortable clothes for you to wear while I’m gone. Don’t overthink it. I’ll be back as soon as possible. If you need anything, you have my number. Don’t hesitate to call.”

How could I forget that I have his number? He pickpocketed my phone to put it there. “All right, I promise to hang around until you get back, but I can’t spend the night again. I have to work tomorrow, and I start very early.”

“Of course, I understand, I do as well. Make yourself at home, I’ll see you soon.” He walks to the edge of the bed and nuzzles his nose into my neck breathing in my scent and kissing me behind my ear.

“I can’t wait to get back to this.”

“You’ll never get back if you don’t leave. Go on now.”

“I’ll call and keep you updated.

“Thank you.” He turns to leave, and I watch his perfect backside walk away while appreciating the view. When he’s gone, I flop back against the pillows and blow out a big breath. I’d be more excited about exploring a haunted mansion if it weren’t under these circumstances.

I can’t help but imagine several dozen reasons why Lilly could be in the hospital. I think he would have said if she’d been an accident, and she didn’t look sick when I saw her just a few days ago. Maybe she has something chronic? But why would they need him to come to the hospital? I can’t sit around guessing reasons all day long. I’ll drive myself crazy if I do.

Suddenly, I’m overcome by fatigue. We only slept three hours last night, Alex even less since he was up before me. I roll over in the tangled sheets and use Alex’s pillow as a pathetic substitute for him.

The world falls away, and the next time I open my eyes, my phone says it’s almost noon. He’s been gone for a long time. Maybe he’s back and didn’t want to wake me? I stretch my sore muscles and roll out of bed heading to the bathroom to shower and dress.

The warm water does wonders for my muscles as well as the ibuprofen Alex left on the bathroom counter for me along with a new toothbrush. His interest in being prepared seems a little over the top. How does someone get that way? What happened in his life to make him so uncomfortable with the unknown?

I mull that over while I choose a pair of jeans and a sweater from his closet. There must be a dozen outfits all in my size to choose from. I can’t help but feel like I’m raiding someone’s closet, but the tags are still on the incredibly overpriced clothes.

When I’m dressed, I snoop around his closet touching his shirts and suits. I slide open drawers full of ties and belts examining them all for no reason other than that they belong to him.

Feeling guilty for invading his privacy, I leave his bedroom and check my messages for the floor plan of the house he was going to send me. I also send a message saying I hope things are okay with Lilly.

I make my way through the maze of halls until I find the kitchen where Greta is removing dishes from the dishwasher and putting them away. “Good morning, Miss Olivia. May I get you something to eat?”

“Hi, it’s nice to formally meet you. I’d love something, but I can fix it myself if you tell me where things are,” I offer not wanting to interrupt her while she’s working.

“Oh no, Mr. Wolfe wants me to cook for you. Would you like pancakes or an omelet? Perhaps eggs and toast with coffee?”

“Oh, coffee definitely and maybe an omelet but only when you’re finished. I don’t want to interrupt.”

“Please, it’s fine. I have all day for this. Coffee and an omelet coming right up. Have a seat at the island unless you’d rather eat in the dining room?”

“No, this is fine,” I say sliding onto a tall stool.”

Greta isn’t chatty while she cooks, but her occasional sweet, grandmotherly smile makes me feel at home in her kitchen. She slides a mug of coffee across the island and studies me as I take a sip. The hot liquid breathes life back into my soul, and the caffeine makes me more alert.

“You’re a very beautiful woman, Olivia. I hope you don’t mind me saying so. Mr. Wolfe is a smart man to sweep you off your feet.”

“He did, didn’t he? Do you know about the puppy?”

“I do, and the dinner, and the fireworks, the spa day, the rental cottage…”

“The rental cottage?” I say, and her face pales.

“Oh my, I’ve said too much. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. Are you talking about the cottage where Lady is kept?”

“Yes, but I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Greta, does Mr. Wolfe expect me to move into the cottage?” Maybe this is what he wanted to talk to me about this the morning?

She purses her lips and goes back to my omelet serving it on a bright yellow plate. He does, he wants me to live here. Well, not here but damn close. That’s why he has Lady living there, so she will be used to it when he moves me in.

I don’t mind being controlled in bed, but the rest of my life is just that, my life. I have no intentions of moving anywhere, and I will not be manipulated into doing so.

I check my phone for a message from Alex, nothing. Whatever is going on with him is taking much longer than I am comfortable with. I eat my breakfast and thank Greta for the best omelet I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating, finish my coffee, and tell her I’m going to lie down.

I use the map on my phone to find my way to the front door where I send for an Uber to take me home. Twenty minutes later, the car pulls up to the front door. I didn’t want to go back to Alex’s bedroom, there is nothing there I need. I don’t have any shoes other than the Jimmy Choo’s he gifted me, so the thick wool socks I’m wearing are going to have to do.

I slip out quietly padding through the light dusting of snow that must have fallen last night after we came home from the cottage—the cottage he was going to try to lure me into living in.

My driver doesn’t mention my lack of shoes, she’s too busy talking about her wild evening of driving people home from New Year’s Eve parties last night. When we pass the cottage, my heart clenches in my chest. I’m leaving Lady behind, but she was never really mine anyway, none of this was. The whole night feels like a dream the further away we get from the house.

When we pass through the gates, I wonder how the driver got through. I hadn’t thought about that. “Was the gate open when you arrived?” I ask my driver, Stephanie, and she confirms that yes, it was, and she didn’t have any problems getting in.

Maybe Alex left it open when he left for the hospital? However, it happened. I’m glad I didn’t have to ask someone to open it. I don’t want anyone to know I’m gone until Alex comes home and finds his bed empty.

How dare he assume he could control me so easily, and with a puppy of all things. What an ass.