“Often,” he replied. “Now, tell me that you trust me to take care of you. You know who I was before, who I am now. You know I’m your best chance of staying safe. He might scare you, but he doesn’t scare me.”
“He should,” she retorted. “And you should add arrogant to that list of faults.”
“I don’t think of them as faults.”
“Flaws then?”
“More like personality traits,” he countered.
She sighed. “West, it’s not that I doubt your abilities or that I don’t trust you to look after me, it’s just . . . you don’t know him.”
“And he doesn’t know me. Or what I can do. He’s gonna underestimate me.”
“West is right, Flick,” Alec told her in a surprisingly gentle voice. “You see him as this monster and we get that, but he’s just a man and he’s in a wheelchair. I’m not saying he’s not dangerous; he’s rich and he’s clearly deranged. He’s had a hold over you because he’s your family. But you’ve built him up to be more than he is. He has no idea who he’s up against.”
“I appreciate everything you all are doing for me. But Mia shouldn’t have to be stuck inside, unable to move around without an escort.”
“I’m gonna be just fine,” Mia countered. “You don’t need to be worrying about me, Flick.”
“No, you don’t,” West agreed. He stood and reached for a chair, pulling it over so he sat facing her. He leaned his elbows on his thighs, staring at her firmly.
“You let me worry about Mia,” Alec added. “That’s my job. Not yours.”
West looked over his shoulder at Alec and Mia. “Could you give us some time alone?”
“Sure,” Alec agreed easily, taking Mia’s hand. “Mia and I need to have a little chat about disobeying my no coffee rule anyway.”
“Hey, how do you know it’s mine?” Mia protested.
“Because Flick’s cup is smashed on the floor,” Alec said easily. “And that’s your favorite mug.” He pointed down at Mia’s cup.
Mia sighed. “One could wish you were less observant.”
“One could wish you were more obedient.”
They turned away and walked towards the door. “But then you wouldn’t have an excuse to spank me,” Mia complained to Alec.
“Baby, you’re delusional if you think I need an excuse to spank you.”
He gave her a slap on the ass as she walked through the doorway ahead of him. She let out a small squeal and Flick saw her rubbing her bottom. Jealousy steeped through her. What she wouldn’t give to have a relationship like Alec and Mia had. It wasn’t just the whole spanking thing; it was their closeness. It was the way they cared about each other. She’d give anything to have that.
She looked down at
the smashed coffee mug on the floor. “I should clean that up.”
West placed his large hands on her thighs gently. “Stay where you are.”
“But I made the mess, I should clean it up before the coffee soaks into the floor.”
He stated. “I’ll clean it up. Stay where you are.”
He mopped up the coffee with a dishtowel, and she forced herself not to tell him he should probably use a paper towel instead. Now the coffee was just going to stain the dishtowel. He used a broom and dustpan to brush up the ceramic pieces.
“Thanks,” she told him. “But I could have done that. I’m not an invalid.”
He sat down across from her again. This time he leaned an elbow on the table, slouching back in his chair.
“You’re not leaving,” he told. His eyes came to hers. They were piercing and intense.