Bow Down(169)
And I trusted Rafa. As crazy as that was, I found that I really did trust him. Maybe it was stupid, but after everything I’d already done with him, it just made sense for me to give myself over to it.
“All right, listen,” Vince said, walking over to his desk. “You’re not exactly an official guest here. Get it?”
“I guess,” I said.
He picked up a little packet. “This is the usual welcome shit. You’ll find this house is really just a glorified hotel. Room key is inside, plus your visitor’s badge. Don’t bother wearing it.”
“Okay,” I said. “Why give it to me?”
“Just in case someone gives you shit. I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Anyway, you’re free to wander. Check the place out. But don’t leave the grounds without talking to me or Rafa.”
“Fine,’ I said. “I can handle that.”
“Food and shit is free. Order whatever you want.”
“Order?”
“Room service,” Rafa said, grinning. “Welcome to paradise.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“I can handle that,” I said, laughing.
“Here.” Vince handed me the packet, and I took it from him. “Rafa knows where your room is.”
“Thanks, Vince.”
“No problem. Just keep your head down. We’ll work this out.”
I nodded and followed Rafa back out of the room. I was exhausted, but I was running on adrenaline and curiosity.
We headed back down another series of hallways. I started to notice staff members standing around in the shadows. Some of them were doing cleaning tasks, and some of them were walking quickly like they were busy, but most of them just seemed like they were standing around.
“What’s with all these people?” I asked Rafa.
“They’re the staff. Just ignore them.”
“But why are they just standing around?”
“Because it’s late and they have nothing to do.”
“Seems crazy to have so many people working this late.”
“You haven’t seen crazy yet.” He grinned at me. “This is the fucking Barone family. Extravagance is the name of the game, girl.”
He stopped in front of a door and took the packet from my hands. He fished out a key card, just like the kind hotels used, and swiped it. The door clicked open and we stepped inside.
The room took my breath away. It was absolutely gorgeous and enormous. There was a main living room area, a small kitchen area, and a bedroom and bathroom off a small hallway. It was a lot like my apartment, but actually way nicer. The furniture was all clearly expensive, and there was even a fully stocked bar. The bathroom had every toiletry I could imagine, and the sheets felt like they were silk.
“What do you think?” Rafa asked after I had explored.
“It’s amazing,” I said.
“There’s one thing, though.”
I sighed. “What else now?”
“You might not like this.”
“Just spit it out.”
“I’m staying in this room, too.”
I stared at him. “Why?”
“We need to make this look real. Plus, you’ll be safer if I’m always here.”
“No,” I said simply.
“You don’t have a choice.”
“I do have a choice. I don’t want to stay in the same room as you.”
“Too bad.” He walked over to the bar and made himself a drink. “It won’t be so bad, sweetheart. You can come begging me to get you off whenever you’re in the mood.”
“That’s unlikely,” I said.
But truthfully, that was why I didn’t want him to stay.
We’d slept together once. I had let myself give in to what I wanted, and I still wanted it. But I knew it was dangerous to get involved with this man, especially now that I might be carrying his child. I’d take his protection, but I wasn’t letting him take anything more from me.
I could see how this could get incredibly complicated. Hell, things already were complicated. I’d let him come inside me without a condom, with the intention of getting pregnant. That thought sent a thrill down my spine all over again, but I needed to ignore that. I couldn’t keep throwing myself at him and put myself in more danger.
“Either way, doesn’t matter,” he said. He sat down on the couch and kicked his feet up. “I’m staying.”
I clenched my jaw. “Are you always this stubborn?”
“Only when I’m right.”
“Fine. Asshole. I guess I can’t say no. But you’re sleeping on the couch.”
He shrugged, kicking his shoes off. “Fine.”
“What about my bags?”