His jaw clenches, and I know I’ve hit a nerve.
“Does it bother you that this is special to you, too?” I whisper.
His eyes search mine. “It shouldn’t.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
He pulls me close, so close that he nearly crushes me, and I smile against his shoulder as I wrap my arms around him.
He doesn’t have to answer me. He just told me the answer to my question without using his words.
Whether he likes it or not, this means something to him, too.
This is special.
*
Click….
I wake with a start. It’s dark and I’ve just heard the front door open. Spencer is sound asleep next to me.
I sit up in a rush.
Who’s that?
I throw my robe on and glance at the clock. It’s 6:20 a.m.
I pick up my phone and see ten missed calls from Wyatt.
Damn it, my phone was on silent.
I walk out into the hall and quickly close the bedroom door behind me before I head downstairs. Wyatt is already halfway up them.
“Is everything all right?” He frowns.
“Yes, sorry. I slept in.” I continue walking down the stairs to guide him away from my bedroom.
“You didn’t come down to the gym. When I couldn’t reach you on the phone, we were worried.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologise.
“Perhaps you should take my number, too,” Spencer offers sharply.
I look up to see Spencer with a towel wrapped around his waist, and he’s walking down the stairs towards us.
The blood drains from my face.
“What are you doing here?” Wyatt growls.
Spencer glares at him. “Visiting my girlfriend. What does it look like?”
11
Charlotte
Wyatt narrows his eyes and steps forward when Spencer gets to the bottom step.
“Spencer!” I stammer, glancing between the two men in total panic.
Shit.
“How did you get in here?” Wyatt asks roughly.
“I walked through the front door and used my key.” Spencer folds his arms over his chest.
“I don’t think so.” Wyatt sneers.
Spencer smirks. “Really? So, do you think I scaled the building instead? Perhaps a helicopter dropped me on the roof?”
Anthony walks through the front door and stops sharply when he sees Spencer wearing nothing more than a towel.
Wyatt turns and looks at Anthony, a silent message passing between the two of them.
“Spencer is a guest of mine,” I say quickly.
“I don’t think Edward’s going to like this,” Wyatt tells me, stating the obvious.
“Edward’s not going to know about this,” Spencer warns. “Not until Charlotte tells him herself.”
Wyatt narrows his eyes, his disapproval clear.
“What exactly is your role here, Wyatt?” Spencer asks calmly.
I hold my stomach as my heart has a fit.
“Is your role to guard Charlotte and keep her safe, or are you here to spy on her for her overbearing brother?”
“Spencer,” I whisper. “Please—”
Spencer holds up his hand, cutting me off.
Oh no…
“My role with Lady Charlotte is none of your concern,” Wyatt fires back.
“The hell it isn’t!” Spencer snaps. “Whether you like it or not, I’m with Charlotte now, and you will report to me from this moment forward with regards to her safety.”
Oh God, my knees feel weak.
“I report to Edward Prescott only.”
Spencer smiles sarcastically. “Okay, then you can tell him that Charlotte has had a visitor every night for a week, while you and Anthony got plastered in the hotel bar. I’m sure he will be thrilled about your professionalism.”
The men exchange looks.
“Here’s how this is going to go: Charlotte is perfectly capable of making her own decisions. She deserves your respect and you’re going to allow her to have some fucking privacy for once. You will tell her family about me when she is good and ready.”
“But—”
“No fucking buts. Take out your phone,” Spencer demands. He rattles off his phone number to Wyatt. “Now, if you have any concerns for Charlotte’s safety, you call me.”
The two men glare at him.
“If you don’t give Charlotte the privacy she deserves, you can find another job immediately.”
Oh my God. “Spencer...” I whisper.
“One day soon, you will work for me. Guarding Charlotte for me. I don’t give a fuck about the Prescott money. My concern is for Charlotte’s safety only, and so far, you two are the worst fucking guards I’ve ever seen.”
The men stare at him, shocked.
“If you go against Charlotte’s wishes, you’ll hand your resignation in on the same day. Because I won’t fucking have it,” he growls. “She is your boss. She is the only one who gets to make the decisions around here. Not me, not you, and most certainly not fucking Edward.”
The three men glare at each other while I hold my breath and wait.
“Do I make myself clear?” Spencer asks.
They stay silent.
“Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?” he yells.
“Yes,” Wyatt mutters angrily. Anthony nods.
Emotion overwhelms me, and I stare at Spencer through tears, as I smile softly. He’s the first man to ever stand up for me—for my privacy.
If I didn’t love him before, I do now.
Spencer turns his attention to me. “I’m going to get ready for work, angel.”
I nod, embarrassed. “Okay.”
He turns back to the boys. “We’ll be going out for dinner tonight. I assume you’ll be accompanying us.”
They nod and step back, clearly defeated.
“We’ll be leaving at seven. Don’t come into this apartment unannounced ever again without calling me first.”
“Yes, sir,” they both reply.
Spencer walks up the steps and I drop my head, ashamed that I liked what he just did.
“I’ll be ready for work at eight,” I say quietly.
Wyatt’s eyes hold mine. “Are you all right with this? Him being in charge?”
“Yes,” I whisper, enjoying the way my heart fills with hope. “I really am.”
Wyatt and Anthony leave and I linger in the foyer for a moment trying to process what just happened.
“One day soon, you will work for me. Guarding Charlotte for me. I don’t give a fuck about the Prescott money.”
I’m not imaging this; he does think this is going somewhere. He wouldn’t be saying these things if he didn’t think we had a future together.
One day they will be working for him… what the hell?
I take the stairs two at a time to find him stepping out of the shower and drying himself in the bathroom. My eyes find his across the room.
He smirks and holds his arms out. I move to him, wrap my arms around his body and hold on tight.
“I apologise for overruling you down there.” He kisses my temple, and I look up at him. “I can’t let this go on, angel. I won’t have it.” He shakes his head. “Nobody gets to control you anymore.”
“Except you?” I whisper.
He smiles softly. “Not even me.” His hands slide down over my behind. “I like strong women, Charlotte, and just because you haven’t been allowed to be one, it doesn’t mean you aren’t one.”
Tears fill my eyes.
“Hey.” He cups my face. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, feeling stupid, and he kisses me softly. I stare at him for a moment as I try to articulate my thoughts. “Not many men are comfortable being with strong women, Spence.”
“Lucky for you that I’m not like other men then, isn’t it?”
“Do you think I’m weak?”
He gives me a slow, sexy smile. “From the first moment I saw you, I knew you weren’t weak. The way you carried yourself, the sway of your hips, the self-respect you have for your body. I wouldn’t be with you if I thought you were weak, and I most definitely wouldn’t be planning a future with you in it.” He wipes my eyes with his thumbs. “I think your life is just about to begin and you will become the woman you were born to be.” He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Don’t be afraid of being strong, angel.”
My eyes search his. It’s like he’s reading my soul.