Forbidden (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) (36 page)
Read Forbidden (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) Online
Authors: Dawn Steele
Tags: #teen, #alien, #romantic suspense, #queen, #snow white, #paranormal, #romance, #fantasy, #new adult, #princess
And he will take every red cent he can get.
MORNING
When he gets back to his apartment, Abby is up and frying something in the small kitchen. The aroma of pancakes permeates the entire lounge.
“I found some old pancake flour in your cupboards,” she says, turning around to greet him as he enters.
“It’s probably expired by now.”
“By three months,” she agrees. “But it smells OK.”
“I’ve bought some bread.” He holds up a paper bag. “And peanut butter. And plenty of crisps.”
“Did you get any more eggs?”
He shakes his head, feeling deficient. He isn’t aware he is out of eggs.
“It’s OK. We can go grocery shopping later. Sit down and have some breakfast.”
He sits down at the table while she flips a pancake onto a plate and sets it before him. He feels ill at ease, as if she’s the host and he the guest in his own apartment.
“Did you get butter?” she asks, rifling in his bag.
“Margarine.”
“Good.” She takes it out and sets the tub on the table.
He smiles at her. She has certainly made herself at home in a short period of time. She is looking so much better today. There is more color in her cheeks and her face does not appear to be so gaunt. Her short dark hair is neatly combed. She wears his T-shirt and shorts from last night, and they hang from her small frame like oversized cloth bags.
“You don’t have a TV,” she observes as he forks a cut piece of pancake into his mouth.
“I don’t watch TV.”
She does not appear disappointed. Perhaps she is planning to leave today.
He says, “Do you need to go anywhere? A doctor perhaps . . . ”
“You’re still trying to fob that doctor off to me. Why? Do you get a commission for referrals?” she teases.
“I just thought – ” He motions to her scratched and bruised arms.
“They’ll heal,” she says dismissively.
“Where are your parents?”
“At home.”
“They know you’re here?”
She shrugs. “They don’t care.”
“You sure about that?”
She makes a warding off gesture.
He tries a different tack. “You have someplace to stay in New York? You know anyone?”
“I know you,” she says softly, her eyes bright in her face. His breath catches a little in his throat. When her expression is wistful, she’s almost beautiful.
“I’m someone you just met last night.”
She shrugs again.
Then she says shyly, “You were kind to me.”
He doesn’t say anything as he eats the rest of his pancake. When he finishes, she asks, “Would you like another one?”
He nods, and she puts another on his plate.
“Funny,” he remarks. “I was figuring I’d come back here and you’d be gone with all my furniture by now.”
“Well, yeah, I get that a lot from people.”
“How old are you really?”
“Old enough. Where did you really go last night?”
They lock eyes. He’s the first to grin.
“OK,” he concedes. “You have your secrets and I have mine. I get it.”
Of course, the problem now is what he would do with her. She can’t live with him indefinitely.
“Listen,” he says, “you can’t stay here. You need to decide what to do. You won’t let me call your parents. You won’t let me you call a doctor. Should I be calling social services?”
“No,” she says quickly. “I have decided what I’m going to do.”
He waits as she flips a pancake for herself. She puts it on a plate and sits down at the table across from him. She slathers her pancake with butter. She looks up, her dark eyes beguiling. They are a coal black color, swirling with infinite mysteries. He can’t help thinking that with a little makeup and the right clothes, she would be a beauty.
In fact, he can’t help thinking what a great subject she would be to paint.
She says, “I’m going to get a job. Then I’ll find a place for myself. You know of any good apartments around here?”
He thinks for a while. “It may be difficult for you to afford one of your own right now. This is New York, after all. The best you can do is to find a roommate. There are student newspapers going around in which people advertise for roommates.”
He pauses. He is thinking that it would be nice if she stayed a little longer.
“You can stay here until you get back on your feet,” he adds, hoping she would say yes.
“Where would I sleep?” She flashes him a sudden coy smile.
He laughs. “Don’t worry. I won’t compromise your virtue. You can sleep on the couch. It converts into a sofa bed and it’s quite comfortable. I have some spare pillows. But I do expect you to pay part of my rent. This is not a free ride.”
“Of course. Wouldn’t have it another way.” She cocks her head thoughtfully. “I need to borrow money for some clothes. I’ll pay you back, of course. Do you know of any jobs I can do?”
“I can think of something.”
He tells her what he has in mind.
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