He walked around the bed and folded the comforter down. “Oh, and why is that?”
“I— There’s just a lot going on and I need to be away from it all to think. I don’t want anyone knowing I’m here—my fiancé, Jace, Andre, none of them. And if any reporter calls—”
He paused in turning down the bed, looked up. “Darlin’, no press would even know the number to call. As far as the rest of the world knows, we don’t exist.”
“Good,” she said, nodding. “I need to be alone.”
“Three men on your tail. Sounds like you’ve gotten yourself into quite a bind.”
She groaned. “Are you seriously being punny right now? Because if I wasn’t so tired, I would totally throw something at you for that.”
He chuckled, the baritone sound making his chest bounce. “Sorry, unintentional. Is there anything else I should know? No bodies in your trunk, right?”
“None for now. Though a few people may want my head on a stake by the end of the day. It’s going to come out in the media that I’ve cheated on Daniel.”
He straightened, pinned her with his stare. “But you didn’t. I talked to Daniel myself when he set up your membership.”
“Yeah, well, open relationship isn’t something that’s going to fly with the general public. If I don’t take the fall, he’ll lose his television deal.”
“I see.” Disapproval marked his face like a thundercloud rolling over the calm plains. She shivered. His poor subs must fall over themselves trying to avoid that look.
Even though he wasn’t her dom she found herself scrambling for some way to make it better. “It’s the only way.”
“It’s your life, darlin’. But in my opinion, any man worth his salt would never let his woman take the hit for something that was his doing. His job is to protect you from anything and anyone who may hurt you.”
Her I-am-woman-hear-me-roar gene snapped to attention. “I don’t need some guy to protect me. I’ve handled way worse than bad press.”
He walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t get your feathers all fluffed. I have no doubt you could slay the hounds of hell if faced with them. But the question is, should you have to? And would a man who’s supposed to love you, make you?”
“You sound like Jace.”
His lips hitched at the corner. “That guy’s wiser than people give him credit for.”
Jace. Her chest ached like she’d been running for miles. “Thanks for the room.”
Grant lowered his hand and headed to the door. “Get some rest, darlin’. You have my word that I won’t tell anyone you’re here. You’re safe from it all for now.”
Grant closed the door and left her in silence.
Safe. But alone.
Seems she could never be one without the other.
Maybe it was time she accepted that.
She walked over to her suitcase and unzipped it, staring at what she’d tucked in the front flap. Daniel had handed them to her before she’d left, and she’d wanted to toss them back his way. But now the little prescription bottle beckoned her with its promise. She pulled out the antidepressants she hadn’t touched in months, rolling the bottle between her fingertips.
She looked at the empty room, her empty bed, and then went into the bathroom for a glass of water. She tilted one of the pills onto her palm and swallowed it.
Time to get on the train back to numb. Living life in 3-D hurt too much.
TWENTY-SIX
Jace sat at a table in the back of the bar, trying to drown his thoughts in beer and rock music. He’d planned to go home and do the same in a more comfortable chair. But when he’d walked into the loft, Andre had been packing boxes.
Fucking packing!
Jace had asked what the hell was going on, but Andre had simply shrugged. “Going to stay with my brother for a while. I’ll get the rest of my stuff when I find a new place.”