Taken by You (Taken by You Book One) (11 page)

I had told her that he and I were just friends and that he was recommending me for an internship at another firm because Sharon had already promised the position to that squirrely Asian guy who I’d sat next to. She was incredibly bummed, but also happy that Blake wasn’t cutting off all communication with me. I guessed it was a win-win.

As I lay back on the couch with nothing to do but think, I started to wonder what my parents or family would think if they knew what I was up to. They weren’t all that thrilled when I came out here to go to school, and I knew they didn’t like Nicolette and me living on our own. They wanted me to stay in some type of dorm or on-campus apartments, but I flat-out refused to do it again after my freshman year disaster with Joanie the amazing moaning girl who slept with more men than a hotel mattress. Being matched up with random girls wasn’t my idea of a fun time, and all it ever did was leave me in trouble. Living with Nicolette was the best thing to happen to me, aside from the whole Blake thing.

Still, I knew my dad would be furious and my mom would cry, because they would immediately think what I thought when Blake first brought this up, that I was some kind of expensive prostitute. I wasn’t, and knew I wasn’t, but their minds would jump to it just like mine did when Blake first gave me the proposition. It isn’t every day you hear your daughter is fucking a guy and going out with him and he’s paying all her bills without her having to go to a job.

As I lay there contemplating it all, my phone buzzed against the dark wood coffee table that was chipped and scratched from when Nicolette offered to watch her friend’s cat for the weekend six months ago. I was still tending those wounds.

“
Are you free tonight?
” Blake asked.

“
I don’t have any plans, why?”
I replied.

“
I’m in the mood and need to see you,”
Blake replied.

I smiled a little bit, not exactly at what he was saying, but because I kind of liked the thought of a guy telling me he wanted to be with me, even if it was in a sexual way. I’d never been the traditionally pretty girl, or the girl who had men clamoring over her, so it was nice to have my beauty seen in other ways.

“
When would you like me?
” I replied.

“
Every day and every night, but I’m afraid my dick would fall off. I’ll send Gustav at nine. Prepare to spend the night and bring clothes for tomorrow. I have something set up for you
,” he said.

“
Hint?
” I asked.

“
You’ll see
,” he replied.

“
How come you’re all dressed up?” Nicolette asked.

“
Oh, I’m going out,” I said, wishing she hadn’t seen me.

“
With who?” she asked, before shoving a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

“
A guy I met,” I said nonchalantly.

“
I think I would’ve heard of some random guy, Penny,” she said.

“
I met him on RandomMeetX, you know, the place you work,” I said.

“
I didn’t think you used that app,” she said.

“
Well, I do now. I was thinking about it and figured it would be a nice way to meet a guy, even if most of them are only looking for one thing,” I said.

“
Yeah, the app is known for hookups. But I guess you’re going against the twenty-two-year-old grain and not into that, for whatever reason,” she said as she turned on the television.

“
Yeah, not for me,” I said, turning around and feeling sweat start to bead along my hairline.

“
So, where are you going?” she asked.

“
Oh, um, I think it’s the Trufflehead Bar and Grill,” I said, making up the name on the spot.

“
I’ve never heard of that,” she said as she took out her phone.

“
Yeah, it’s new,” I said.

“
They don’t even show up on a search,” she said.

“
Yeah, it’s
brand
new. Probably too hip to be on there,” I said, as I tried to cover my tracks.

“
What’s his name?” she asked.

“
Jeffrey,” I blurted out.

She was going to see right through me. Jeffrey was the name of my turtle growing up. I had told her a million and one stories about Jeffrey and how much he meant to me.

“
Well, have fun. I won’t wait up,” she said.

“
Okay,” I yelled back, as I felt an air of relief come over my body.

I finished getting ready and grabbed my purse and keys before saying goodbye to Nicolette, who was stuffing her face, kernels of popcorn strewn about all over her. Guess I’d have fun cleaning that up tomorrow.

Gustav was waiting for me outside and I slyly slipped into the car, hoping Nicolette wouldn’t creepily be looking out the window to see what I was doing. I knew she wouldn’t, but being all sneaky and secretive with Blake stressed me out. I was a grown woman, after all. I shouldn’t have to be sneaking around with a billionaire playboy! I just shouldn’t.

“
How are you tonight?” Gustav asked as we pulled out.

“
I’m well, and yourself?” I asked, clutching my purse to me.

“
I’m well. You look a bit nervous tonight,” Gustav said.

“
That obvious?” I asked, with a smile.

“
Yes, but don’t worry. Mr. Hunter is a nice man—a good man, and he’s only been everything good in my life. He’ll be a good boyfriend to you,” Gustav said.

“
Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” I said.

“
Ms. Wells, I’ve driven around many women to meet him for dinner, at clubs, parties, you name it. You’re the only one he’s seen twice, at least in a long time. You might not be his official girlfriend, but you might as well be his girlfriend to me,” Gustav said.

I smiled and tilted my head downwards before looking out of the tinted window and seeing the barrage of multicolored lights rain past the car. I knew Gustav was only being nice, and I guessed I was somehow more special than the other women Blake had dated or been with, but I was definitely not his girlfriend. I was just his…well, I didn’t quite know my title or what I was. I was just me. That was all I could be and all I would be with him, at least for now.

We pulled up to Blake’s building before Gustav pressed a button on a remote and the garage door opened and allowed us in. We didn’t take the amazingly awesome car elevator up, but Gustav did pull up to a private elevator that was solely for Blake’s apartment.

“
You have a great night tonight, Ms. Wells. I’ll see you again soon,” Gustav said with a smile, before getting back into his car and driving out of the garage.

The elevator door dinged before I could even press a button. I turned around, the doors opening, and I saw Blake standing there, his arms crossed in front of him, his left eyebrow slightly raised.

“
I thought I’d pick you up. You know, be a gentleman and all,” he said.

“
Pick me up from where? The garage?” I asked, smiling, as I walked towards him and into the elevator.

“
Only the best for you,” he said, leaning in and kissing my cheek.

I felt a few butterflies as I felt his lips against me once again. I didn’t say anything, not even reciprocating or trying to get close to him, as the elevator doors closed and we rode up to his floor above the city. The doors opened and he immediately walked out as I followed him into a dining room, which was lit only by long white candles that glowed like little fireflies. Dinner was sitting on pristine white china as Blake extended his arm down towards it.

“
After you,” he said, as I walked past and towards my chair.

He pulled it out for me, letting me get in, before pushing it in and acting like a total gentleman, which I wasn’t so accustomed to. I pulled my cloth napkin from its little metal ring and placed it in my lap as Blake uncorked the chilled wine and poured me a glass, the red nectar dribbling down the outside of the glass just a little bit.

“
That’s why I usually have someone do it for me,” he said with a smile.

“
You did all of this for me?” I asked.

“
I told you there’d be perks to this arrangement, Penelope.
Big
perks,” he said, smiling.

Both of our plates were the same and looked as though they were made for a food photo shoot. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and plated, and little billows of steam floated upwards. The chicken was marinated and thinly sliced. I knew he didn’t make it himself, obviously, but it was the thought that counted.

“
I hope you’re hungry,” Blake said.

“
Starving. I’ve barely eaten today,” I said.

“
And why’s that?” he asked.

“
Things are a little tight. It’s fine, though. I could stand to lose a few pounds,” I said, joking.

“
Nonsense. I’ll call in the morning for some groceries to be dropped off at your apartment. And don’t ever talk like that again,” he said.

“
Like what?” I asked.

“
Like you need to lose weight or whatever. You’re perfect the way you are. You’re beautiful beyond belief,” he said, sticking his fork through a piece of chicken and eating it.

“
Thank you,” I said, and I could feel myself blushing a little.

“
It’s nice having someone here to eat with. It gets lonely sometimes,” he said.

“
Don’t you go out to eat with friends or anything? Or do what we’re doing now with them? I bet they’re fun,” I said.

“
I don’t have many friends. In fact, I’m not sure I have any friends. Most of my time is spent alone or with my colleagues. Well, I guess they aren’t my colleagues. You don’t sign your colleagues’ paychecks,” he said.

I could sense that he wasn’t all too comfortable right now. He looked to be shifting in his seat and his recent admission appeared to be making him not all too thrilled. Maybe he was just guarded, or maybe admitting that he really had nobody was the nail in the coffin that set him off.

“
I’m sorry to hear that, Blake. I don’t have many friends either. I mostly just hang out with my roommate, but I’m sure that’s only because we live together and she’s stuck with me,” I said, hoping I could make him feel better.

“
She works for me, right?” he asked.

“
Yeah, her name is Nicolette. She’s in marketing,” I said.

“
I don’t recognize the name, but perhaps I will see her around sometime,” he said.

I gave Blake a small smile before going back to eat. Seeing him like this tonight was a side I had never seen, and one that I wasn’t sure many other people had, either. He was usually so in control of himself and the people around him that it could almost be a little overbearing at times. From what Nicolette had said he always wanted things his way, and when things didn’t go his way, there was hell to pay. Now, though, he almost seemed a little self-conscious, like something happened earlier and it had stuck with him throughout the day.

“
What do we have planned for the night?” I asked, as the meal was close to being over.

“
Well, I know you’ll be coming to my little room later on. That’s a given,” he said, in a deeper voice.

“
Oh? And what’s going to happen there?” I asked, raising my eyebrow.

“
I’m going to fuck you, Penelope. Hard,” he said, as he looked me square in the eyes.

There he was. There was the Blake I knew and ogled over. He might have been a little sappy just a moment ago, but talk of sex always made him turn off that switch and turn on an even brighter one that filled up the room. He was something else.