Page 57 of Once Upon a Beast

“You think?” Layla asked.

I laughed. “I don’t care where we leave, I just want to live with you. This weekend was wonderful, the best I’ve ever had. I want more of it. I want more of you. I don’t want to have to find excuses to see you or convince you to stay the night with me. I want it to be a done deal.”

“Are you saying I’m a done deal?” Layla was teasing but I had to be careful to not piss her off or tell her that she was a done deal in my heart.

“I’m a done deal. Don’t you want this,” I said and ran my hands along my sides, “anytime you want?”

“Something tells me I can have that without moving in with you.”

“True. I understand if it’s too fast. If you need more time, take it. Take all the time you need, but please don’t take too long.”

Layla’s eyes roamed over my face and she let out a long sigh. “You really want to do this? You think this is a good idea?” She asked.

“I want to spend more time with you. I want to spend all my time with you. You moving in allows me to do that. It’s selfish, I understand that, but I don’t care. I want you, all of you, in whatever way I can get you.”

“Okay,” Layla said.

I didn’t understand her. “Okay? Okay what?”

“Okay. I’ll move in with you.”

“You mean it?” I didn’t wait for her to answer but lifted her in my arms and swung her around. “Never mind. You agreed. There’s no going back now,” I said as I put her down.

Layla shook her head at me and said, “Why don’t we do a trial run. I’ll come over for a few nights and see how it goes. If it goes well, I’ll stay longer. If either of us decides we need more space, then we take a step back.”

It was a compromise and one I was willing to take. “That isn’t going to happen. I’m going to be the best roommate you have ever had.”

“I’ve never had a roommate so I don’t have anything to compare it to,” Layla said.

“Wonderful. I can’t wait to show you how it’s going to be, starting right now.” I took Layla’s hand in mine and we walked toward my penthouse; as we got closer, we walked faster and faster until we were practically running.

When we got to the front of my complex, we stopped and I turned Layla and pulled her into my arms. “Welcome home, my darling,” I said.

Layla looked into my eyes and smiled. I could see how much she cared about me and I hoped it wouldn’t be long before it turned into love. “It’s good to be home,” she said.

I bent down to kiss her but was stopped by my phone ringing. I had thought I had turned off the ringer and seriously contemplated ignoring it. “Hold that thought,” I said and pulled out my phone.

Layla looked a little annoyed that I was answering it. “I’m going to make the person go away and then I’m turning it off so no one can bother us the rest of the night. I have plans for us,” I said and she gave an approving nod.

“Whoever this is. It better be important.” I said but I didn’t get to say anything more as the person on the other end of the line made my blood run cold.

Chapter 30

Layla

I sat in Nic’s living room and watched him pace. He looked like a caged animal who was desperate for an escape but didn’t know how to find it. I hadn’t heard much of his phone call but I had heard enough to know it was bad.

“What did he say exactly?” I asked.

“Not much. My father was always a man of few words. This was no exception.”

I tried not to get annoyed with Nic, he was processing a lot and was still trying to figure it out. It didn’t make his answers any easier to listen to or to allow me to help him out.

“What does he want?” I asked.

“The same thing he’s always wanted, he wants to see me. Only this time he was a bit more insistent.”

“Okay, what does that mean?”