Elijah:The Boss's Gift(7)

He’s old.

Elijah was older than she was, but he was handsome. His dark hair was flecked with hints of grey showing his maturity and age. There were wrinkles around his eyes, and she saw he did at least laugh a little, even if he hadn’t with her.

“You don’t have to be afraid around me.”

She smiled. “You’ve threatened to kill me.”

“I’ll only kill you if you force my hand.” He reached out, cupping her cheek. She didn’t flinch. His hands were warm where he held her. They were nice, and all thought of arguing or panicking left her. What would it be like to have his hands on other parts of her body? “Don’t make me kill you.”

“I won’t.”

He withdrew his touch, stepping away. Had she been the only one affected by him? Following him out of the room, she cursed her body for reacting to him. She shouldn’t be reacting to him. He was a killer. She’d not seen him kill but knew he must be deadly to have been with the men who held her.

Elijah took a seat on the sofa, and Cherry sat between Mindy’s legs. The large screen lit up as the movie started to play.

“I pick the movie. It’s my deal.” Mindy continued to play with her hair while the movie played. Every now and then, Cherry was sure Elijah was staring at her. She didn’t dare look his way.

The first hour of the movie was spent with Mindy fixing up her hair. By the time she finished, her hair was curled and bumped up, styled around her face. Her hair was long.

They changed places, and Cherry allowed herself a glance in his direction. He was staring at her. She didn’t know when but he’d removed his jacket and tie. The top three buttons were open on his shirt, revealing an expanse of his chest. Forcing her gaze away from him, she focused on Mindy.

Cherry removed the clip that held the girl’s brown tresses. Her hands were shaking as she started to work. It took her several attempts to get her body under some kind of control. Every time she looked Elijah’s way, he was staring back at her.

Mindy was oblivious to them. Cherry was careful as she worked with the younger girl’s hair. She brushed out the length, seeing she had hair that fell to her shoulders. Blowing out a breath, she forgot about Elijah watching her, and focused on playing with Mindy’s hair. The girl before her seemed to be desperate for female company. She had a wonderful life, lived in a luxurious house, and yet she was missing something.

Cherry didn’t know what she’d do if she ever got to live in such a beautiful house.

You’re living in one now.

This wasn’t by choice. She wasn’t a welcomed guest, unless she counted Mindy’s welcoming gestures.

When the credits rolled, Cherry finished the last curl of Mindy’s hair.

She watched the girl look into the mirror, squealing at the style. “I love it. I love it.” She wrapped her arms around Cherry.

“This is so awesome. Tomorrow I think we need to shop. Dad, can I take Cherry shopping?”

“I’ll think about it,” Elijah said.

“Okay, I’ll beg tomorrow. I’m going to head to bed. It was great to meet you, Cherry. I know we’re going to be really good friends.” Mindy gave her another hug then took the hair stuff with her.

Within seconds they were alone and Cherry was aware of her almost naked state. She wasn’t wearing any clothes underneath the robe. Mindy had offered to lend her a night shirt, but one look at the girl let Cherry know there was no way she’d fit. Her curves were designed for a size sixteen, not anything less.

“You’re good with Mindy,” he said.

“She’s charming.” She stood and made to walk toward the door. Elijah stopped her from going when he reached out to grab her hand. The electric struck her hard from his grasp. His touch sent yearning coursing through her. Licking her dry lips, she stared down into his darker eyes.

“I want to make a deal with you.”

“What kind of deal?”

“Until further notice you become Mindy’s friend.”

“You don’t need to make a deal with me to be her friend. She’s a great kid.”

“I don’t want to be worrying about threatening you. You’ll stay here until further notice. When I know it’s going to be safe, you go without any worries.”

Cherry frowned. “You’re making a deal with me and then I’m free to go?”

“Yes. Mindy doesn’t have a mother, and I don’t allow her to bring friends here. It’s hard for her, and I didn’t realize how much until I saw her with you. Be her friend, be what she needs, and when all of it is over, I’ll let you go. I’ll pay you weekly.”