Page 44 of She Belongs to Me

I should have known better. What wasn’t in the pantries or in the two other freezers and second refrigerator? I found brie, a different cheddar, an Italian cheese of some kind, and my absolute favorite, blue cheese. I pulled out a plate, even finding some jam that would be perfect with the brie.

The nice girl inside of me had me pulling out a second plate. Nico was a jerk, but I had to believe he was also hungry.

After warming the brie in the rather complicated oven, I placed everything creatively on the two plates, finding some grapes and strawberries to top it off. There were two dozen different crackers, so I just picked one.

He might hate me or deny entry, but I’d leave it outside his office door.

Damn it.

I found a linen napkin, poured him a glass of wine, and left mine where it was for now. I’d been serious about retreating to my room, cuddling under the covers and searching for mob movies. Why not? Maybe I’d learn something.

I heard him talking to someone, but knocked loudly anyway. He was speaking Italian, but I could tell the interruption irritated the hell out of him. Another moment of shock settled in when he opened the door, his eyes locking on mine before falling to the food. I ignored him, fearful he’d push me out. I simply walked toward his desk, placing the items on the surface just so, and walking quickly back to the door.

He said nothing, which might be an improvement. I wasn’t certain. After closing the door, I took a deep breath. The man unnerved me more than any other gorgeous hunk had in my life.

At least it was time to take the bottle and head to my bedroom. I could sulk all I wanted to in private.

Just like he was.

Maybe, just maybe I’d get some sleep without seeing the dead man’s face.

Maybe.

A girl could hope.

I headed to my bedroom and for about a million reasons, I knew I shouldn’t cry, I should be strong.

But tonight? It was impossible.

I’d never felt so low, terrified, or lonely in my life.

The room was beautiful. It was comfortable. It was everything a girl could dream of. Yet the loneliness was real. I put down my food, turning down the bed and grabbing all the fluffy pillows to make an extra comfy headboard. The remote was on a special table near the oversized wall flatscreen. I tossed it onto the nightstand, took a gulp of wine, and yanked my PJs from one of the dresser drawers.

They were cute and pink, more girlish than what a woman would wear. Now I wasn’t certain if I could stomach wearing the piece of rather pricey lingerie I’d purchased only hours before. Doing so would seem blasphemous on so many accounts.

With everything in place, I eased under the covers, determined to find a mob flick or something equally as thrilling. Time to consume delicious treats and wine.

Fuck him.

Fuck his domination and his determination to break me. That wasn’t going to happen.

Besides, I had to be fresh so I could study for a few hours before taking the tests. I had a strong feeling they’d been made more difficult just for me.

Millions of dollars’ worth of donations.

Who did the man think he was?

Nico

I continued staring at the plate of cheese and fruit for almost a full minute. The effort she’d gone to almost made me feel guilty.

Almost.

That wasn’t a typical emotion for me. I was determined and direct with my decisions and they were final. There was no reason to lament over a single one. But this was more than just unexpected. Alexandra’s act of kindness touched me.

How was that possible?

The wine drew my attention and I had the distinct feeling she’d located the smaller wine cellar offset from the kitchen. A single taste would tell.