Blind Girl: A Dark Billionaire Romance (12 page)

“What are you doing, Alice?” he yawns.

“You don’t happen to recall where you threw my pants last night, do you?” I ask. He glances around through the slits of his eyelids and points to a chair near the door. I catch sight of my pant leg hanging over the back. “Thank you.”

“Leave them off,” he says as he leans back against the headboard. “The view is already perfect.”

“You keep using that word,” I joke as I step into one pant leg.

“It’s
accurate
,” he says. “Where are you going?”

“I have a class,” I say.

“Skip it.”

“Don’t you have to go to work?” I point out.

“They’ll survive one day without me.”

I stand up and walk over to the bed. “Must be nice,” I say.

“What?”

“To be the boss of all those people.”

Charles reaches out and grips my shirt. “It’s dreadful, actually,” he says as he pulls me in.

“Charles, stop!” I laugh. He silences me with his kiss and I fall for him all over again. My phone vibrates between us. “Wait—” I pull away and reach into my jeans pocket.

“Ignore it, Alice,” Charles groans as he moves onto my neck.

“It’s my mother,” I read.

He sighs and releases me. “Take it,” he says.

“Are you sure?” I laugh.

“Go.”

I roll off the bed. “I’ll be right back,” I tell him. He smiles at me as I step out into the hallway. “Hey, Mom,” I say into the phone.

“Alice, where have you been all night?”

“What?” I tread quickly down the stairs. “Why?”

“I called you three times last night,” she says. “I called Gabby, too, and she said she didn’t know where you were.”

I sit down on the bottom stair. “Mom, calm down,” I tell her.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, tell me where you were and then I’ll decide if I want to calm down or not.”

“I’m…” I sigh and lose my train of thought. I’m not awake enough to think quick enough to answer her. “I’m officially late for class,” I spit out. “Can we talk about this later, please?” I lower my head and rest it against my knees.

“This is not okay, Alice,” she continues, “I need to know where you are.”

“No, Mom, you really don’t.”

“I don’t like this attitude.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” I say. “I have to go, Mom.”

“Call me back.
Tonight.
This conversation isn’t over.”

“Okay, bye.” I hang up and slink back onto my knees.

“Sweet and innocent Alice Hughes, rebelling against her mother?”

I jolt around and see Charles standing above me in a black bathrobe. He extends his hand to me. “Trust me, it’s been coming for eighteen years.” I take his hand and pull myself off the stairs. “Please tell me you have coffee.”

He shakes his head. “Unfortunately, no.”

“You don’t have coffee?!” I drop his hand.

“No,” he says. “I don’t like coffee.”

“I don’t think we can see each other anymore, Charles.”

He snaps my hand back with a grin on his face. “Come with me.”

I let him pull me into the kitchen and I slide onto a stool next to the counter after he releases me.

He grabs two mugs from the cabinet. “You should drink tea instead,” he says. “It’s better for you.”

“
Old people
drink tea,” I tease.

He inhales sharply and flicks his eyes at me. “I’m going to remember this moment for the next time I have you bent over my bed.”

I pop an eyebrow. “Kinky.”

Charles tosses a teabag into each mug. “When is your class?” he asks.

“Nine-thirty.”

“Perfect.” He takes the kettle from the stove and fills it with water. “Harvey can take you after he drops me off.”

“Maybe
he’ll
bring me some coffee…”

Charles glares at me for a moment as he sets the kettle down on the hot stove, then smiles. “Alice…”

“What?”

“I have to go to Paris for the weekend,” he says.

I sit back. “Oh… cool.”

“I want you to come with me.”

I grip the counter to keep myself in the chair. “What? I... no,” I laugh. “I can’t.”

“We’ll return on Tuesday,” he urges. “You’ll be back at school before anyone realizes you’re gone.”

“No, really.” I shake my head. “I
legally
can’t. I don’t have a passport.”

“You’ve never left the country?”

“No. World travel was never much of an option for us…” I look down at my twitching fingers.

“Get your passport,” Charles says. “You’ll come with me next time. I go a few times a month on business.”

I tremble at the request. Less than twelve hours with him and I’m already seeing stars. “Yeah, sure…” I choke on my words. “Maybe.”

“Just say yes, Alice.”

“I thought you didn’t mix business with pleasure.”

He bites his lip. “One of many rules I’ve broken for you, my darling.”

I look at my fingers again and I see them shaking.

Chapter 8

Lie to Me

I step off the elevator onto the top floor. Charles’ receptionist looks up at me and smiles. “Hello, Alice,” she says.

“Hey, Kate,” I greet. I unwrap my snow-covered scarf from around my neck. “Is he in?” I ask her.

“He’s in a meeting on the third floor,” she tells me, “but I’m sure he won’t mind if you wait in his office. He’ll be back soon.” She reaches over and taps the button to unlock the door.

“Thank you,” I tell her. I pull the glass door open and walk down the hall.

His office is empty, as expected. I step inside and glide over to the sitting area to toss my purse and coat on it. I sit down in his desk chair and spin about on it while I watch the outside world tumble by through the windows.

“Alice…”

I look up from the desk and smile. “Hello, Charles,” I say to him as he steps into his office. He holds a small file in his hand.

“I let you get away with
many
things,” he says as he stands over me, his eyes boring down on me, “but sitting in my chair is not one of them.”

“Have I been naughty?” I ask him.

“Very.”

I hold my hands up and push myself off the chair. “My bad,” I smile. He watches me move around the desk before sitting down. “What was your meeting about?” I ask him as I take a seat next to my purse on the sofa.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” he tells me.

I sit back and stare at him as he opens the file on his desk. He feels cold, preoccupied, but I’m not surprised. There’s work Charles and then there’s play Charles and they rarely intersect.

“Charles,” I say.

“Alice.”

I stand up and slowly walk over to his desk. “You’re busy,” I note.

He doesn’t look up from his paperwork. “Very.”

“Do you want me to leave?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

He pauses and then leans back in his chair. “You have something to tell me,” he says with a playful twinge behind his eyes.

“How can you tell?” I smile at him.

“I always know,” he simply says. “What is it?”

“Guess.”

“Alice, I am a
very
busy man.”

“Guess
quickly
.” He raises his eyebrow at me and gives me a stern glare. I bite my lip. “When is your next trip to Paris?” I ask him.

“Next weekend,” he answers. “Why?”

I reach into my back pocket and pull out my passport. “It just arrived today.” I place it on his desk in front of him and smile down at him.

He leans against his wrist and grips his chin. “Close the door, Alice.” I obey him and walk across the room to the door. He watches me as I do it, his eyes wandering up and down my body until I come back. “Place your hands on the desk.”

I pause. “What?”

“Do as I say.” He stares at me from his chair and I see that all of his playfulness has disappeared from his eyes.

“No,” I say.

He stands up from his chair slowly and walks around his desk to stand over me. “What have I told you about showing up to my office?”

“Don’t,” I answer.

“And yet — here you are.”

The ends of my lips twitch. “I
like
surprising you, Charles.”

“Does it make you happy?” he asks.

“Yes,” I answer.

He flexes his jaw. “Do you like coming down here and flaunting yourself in front of my staff?” he asks.

“I don’t
flaunt
—”

“Alice.” He places a cold hand on the back of my neck. I shiver. “I don’t want you to ever show up here again, do I make myself clear?”

I recoil from him, but he keeps his hand firmly gripped to my neck. “Charles—”

“Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes!”

He releases me and I back away from him. “Go home, Alice,” he tells me. “Harvey will pick you up at seven, we will continue this discussion then.”

I snatch my passport off his desk. “No,” I say.

He watches me as I grab my purse and coat. “No?” he asks.

I step quickly towards the door. “I have plans tonight,” I say.

“What plans?”

“Plans that don’t include you.”

“Alice—”

I pull the door open. “I’ll see you…
whenever
, Charles.” I don’t care to hear his response. I’ve lost patience with his coldness. I know that if I go to his place tonight, he’ll be warm and kind. Almost sensitive. He’ll win me back over, but then tomorrow, it’ll be back to square one. It’s been the same story for weeks.

I charge down the hall and don’t look back.

***

“Good morning, Margie.” I wave to her as I pass by the front desk on my way to breakfast.

“Good morning, Alice — Oh, Alice! You have a delivery.”

I pause with my hand on the door. “What is it?” I ask.

She pokes her head around a large vase full of roses sitting on the desk. “Here you go,” she says as she pushes it closer to me. “It just arrived this morning.”

“This?!” I ask as I move in closer.

“Looks like you have a secret admirer…” she says. “Or someone is very, very sorry.”

I find a card tucked between two roses. “Maybe a little of both,” I tell her. “Thanks, Margie.”

I take the vase upstairs to my room and stare at it for a few minutes. After the way I rushed out of his office last week, I was sure Charles was through with me. I haven’t heard from him since and I’m not sure I even want to, but as I once again stare at a gift he’s sent me, I’m filled with confusion and doubt.

I peel open the small envelope and pull the card out.

Odi et amo. quare id faciam, fortasse requiris?

nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.

My eyes scan it multiple times. It’s handwritten and matches the writing on the card that came with the blue Faleuro dress. Charles’ handwriting.

Odi et amo… I hate and I love.

It’s a Latin poem.

How can I do that, you might ask me perhaps?

I do not know. But that’s what I feel and this is torture.

I read it again. And again. And again. But I feel no less angry each time. I grab my phone and do a quick search for Charles’ office number.

“Kent Insurance Corporation, this is Kate.”

“Kate, it’s Alice. I need to talk to Charles,” I tell her.

“Good morning, Alice. He just walked in. I’ll send you to his private line.”

“Thank you.”

My heart beats quickly as I try and plan out what to say. Words turn to mush in my mind and I almost lose my nerve at the last moment.

“Alice.”

I swallow quickly to wet my throat. “What the hell is this, Charles?”

“I see you received my gift.” He sounds amused.

“Do you know what this says?” I ask him. “You didn’t just look up something Latin on the internet and write it on the card, right?”

He chuckles. “I know what it says, Alice.”

“Then I’m really confused.”

“Meet me tonight and we’ll talk about it.”

I hold my breath and slowly push it out of my lungs. My frustration with him has reached new heights. “No,” I finally say.

“Alice, please.”

I sigh and collapse onto my bed. The ceiling stares back at me, blank and white. “Where?” I ask.

“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I pause. “
You’ll
pick me up?”

“Harvey will drive, of course, but I will be there, yes.”

He’s trying, this much is certain. I consider the possibility that he’s changed his emotional stance on me. “Fine,” I say.

“Thank you, Alice.”

I hang up and toss the phone onto the bed next to me.

***

I watch as the black car pulls up to the curb outside of my dorm. It’s been snowing for the last ten minutes and I’m freezing, but I’d rather brave the cold than wait inside with Gabby’s constant chatter. I didn’t bother to show her the poem. If I had, she probably would have filled my head with bullshit and pushed me back into his non-loving arms.

The back door opens and Charles steps out of the car.

“Alice…” he says. “What are you doing out here?”

I don’t answer. “Where are we going?” I ask instead.

“Get in.” He stands to the side and lets me enter the car first.

It’s warm inside and my skin delights in it as I breathe it in. Charles slides in quickly and closes the door behind him. I stare straight ahead and notice a black barrier blocking us from view of the driver’s seat.

The car moves forward and we sit in silence for a few minutes as my body adapts to the new temperature. I watch the world move outside the window, but I notice that we’ve gone in a circle around the main campus.

“Where are we going?” I ask him again.

“Nowhere.”

I look over at him. “What?”

“Alice, I have the feeling you will not like what I have to say to you tonight,” he says.

I take a breath. “And that is?”

He looks at me and smiles. “I would very much like to continue with our arrangement, Alice, but in order to do so, I need for you to recall the terms.”

“The
terms
?”

“I feel as though you want more from me than I agreed to.”

I scoff and shake my head. “You
feel
? Could have fooled me, Charles.” I know I’ve angered him, I can see it in his eyes, but I keep my focus steady.