New York Billionaires Series

“I don’t have one.”

“Fucking hell, you live in this place?”

I push past him and open the door to my little palace. My home. It smells softly of lavender from the essential oil dispenser I’d splurged on last week, and that’s about the only great thing about it. But it’s mine.

In all of its tiny glory.

“This is me,” I say, and head straight for my bed. The world is swimming and I sit down heavily. Close my eyes again.

Right. I had two wisdom teeth removed. Two. That’s why my mouth is starting to ache.

“You don’t have a proper kitchen,” he says. He sounds vaguely offended by the notion, and I smile. I instantly regret it when a sharp stab of pain ricochets through my jaw. “Just a microwave and a sink,” he says.

“A mini-fridge, too,” I correct him.

“Your landlord has clearly just put this in as a way to make money. And you… where’s your bathroom?”

“In the hall.”This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“You share it with your pot-smoking neighbor.”

“Mmhm.” I lean back against the bed and watch him move around my space. It feels much smaller with him in it. Like he’s too much human for a poorly decorated mini-apartment. I wish I’d gotten around to cleaning last weekend.

Carter stops at my table-turned-desk. He reaches for some papers and leafs through them. “You’re writing articles in your spare time.”

“Mhm.” Concentrating on this conversation is difficult and I lie down on my bed. If the world would only stop spinning softly on its axis, I’d be all right.

“Hold on,” Carter says, and then he’s there. Untying my shoelaces. “Want your jacket on?”

I run my fingers over the slick material of my coat. It had been an investment piece. Nina had been with me when I’d bought it, and we’d said it back and forth to one another until the word was meaningless. You’re investing, Audrey, she’d said. I’d twirled around in it. Look at my investment piece!

“Keep it on,” I say. “It was expensive.”

“Great logic. Lie down for a while, will you?”

“But your clothes look expensive. You look so handsome in your suits.”

He laughs. “You’re making me want to ask you for more honesty here than I should. Did you stock up beforehand with food?”

“I have food,” I say and close my eyes. My bed seems to rise and fall beneath me.

Carter opens my mini-fridge and curses. He’s done that a lot today, it seems. “You have apples, carrots and half-a-box of takeout.”

“Exactly,” I say, pleased. Should get me though the next twenty-four hours.

“You can only eat soup or ice cream. What were you thinking?” He sighs, and then I hear the sound of a keychain. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

I have no intention of ever moving.

“And I can’t even lock the door to keep you safe,” he mutters. Then it closes behind him and I drift away on a magical carpet of anaesthesia.

When I finally wake up again, my head is pounding. My mouth tastes bad and I feel like I’ve had my first ever drunken night. Still a little bit inebriated and a lot hungover. It’s awful.

Carter is sitting by my table, on the single chair in my apartment. He puts down the newspaper he’s reading when he sees me. “Hey.”

“Hi,” I say. “Where’d you go?”

“Stocked your fridge. You have four different kinds of soup now and five ice cream flavors. Lots of juice too.”

I blink at him. “Oh.”

“Wasn’t sure which one you liked.” He leans forward, golden eyes on me. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better,” I say and cautiously move my jaw. “Oh my goodness.”

“I can’t believe you would have gone home alone. I’d be mad at you, if you didn’t look so battered right now.”

“Oh.” Then I remember what we’d done, what we’d spoken about the last time, on the phone, and I squeeze my eyes closed.

“There it is,” Carter murmurs. “You just remembered, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I can’t believe we… that I actually…”

“It was great,” he says. “I won’t let you feel awkward about it.”

I press my hands against my eyes. “God.”

“Do you regret it?”

It takes me a few deep breaths to answer. “No. Maybe I should, but I don’t.”

The faint sigh from his direction sounds like it holds relief. “Well, then. We’re both adults. We can do whatever we’d like, or not do.”

“I can’t believe I came,” I say, and then immediately regret it. My head still feels loose. “God. Ignore that, will you? Please. Please.”

Carter chuckles. “I didn’t hear anything. And even if I did, the thing I didn’t hear wouldn’t displease me, you know.”

“Never mind.”

I lower my hands and look at him. Folded onto the chair, long legs stretched out in front. Still in the same suave suit I’d seen him in earlier. His dark auburn hair looks almost brown, and it’s ruffled from where he’s run his hands through it.

“You came from work,” I say. “You… left your meetings? What time is it?”

He shakes his head. “Didn’t want to be there anyway.”

“But you have things to do. I didn’t mean to force you to be here.”

“I don’t feel forced,” he says.