Falling asleep together, Red had not needed space. He’d moved away from her on the bed, turning so that his back faced her. For a moment, Nicole felt so alone and disappointed, knowing she couldn’t put a hand on him and ask him if something was wrong. There were certain things that she was going to have to try and get used to about Red.
Later on, though, she startled awake to find him close to her again. He didn’t know she was awake, but he was caressing her hair gently and whispering to her.
“I love you so much,” he said. “I’ll always protect you, always take care of you, and I’ll never leave you.”
He caressed her like that for a long time, and she eventually fell back asleep, knowing he was close and watching over her.
The next day, Nicole blearily opened her eyes to find Red getting out of bed. “What time is it?” she croaked. Everything was still dim, it didn’t seem like morning could possibly have arrived.
“It’s four o’clock,” he said. “I’m getting in the shower.” He was wearing his black silk boxers and nothing else.
Nicole again had that bizarre crashing sensation of impossibility. How could this be her life? The man standing before her was a god, a model of perfection, and yet he wanted her and her alone. She shook her head and smiled. “This can’t be real.”
Red grinned at her. “It will feel real enough when you get into work and tell the creative group that you’re switching departments.”
“Switching departments?” she asked. “I love my group.”
“You’re not going to be an intern anymore. You’re my fiancé, and you’ll be moved to a position that fits your capabilities and status.” He started toward the bathroom.
“Red—“ she called out, wanting to discuss it further.
He didn’t look back. “I’ll be out in ten.”
Nicole heard the shower start and she sighed, knowing that this was going to be a very strange day indeed.
Yawning, she wandered to the other room and grabbed her cell phone from the kitchen counter. She had six missed calls and four voice mails.
One was from her father, saying that he wanted to talk to her, and when she got a chance to call him. She could tell from the sound of his voice that it would be a “serious” discussion, probably at the behest of her mother.
He would try to talk her out of going forward with the marriage.
There were two calls from Danielle—one was a hang up, and the other was a very quick message. “Hey Nic, it’s Danielle. I just wanted to apologize. I miss you, when are you coming home?”
Nicole wasn’t sure what she wanted to do about Danielle. Certainly, her roommate meant well, but the way she’d gone behind Nicole’s back and told her parents about Red was a huge betrayal.
Nicole wasn’t sure she was ready to forgive and forget just yet. And what would Danielle say when Nicole told her she was moving out of their apartment to go live with her new fiancé?
Four in the morning and Nicole already was drained and mentally exhausted.
The final voice message didn’t help matters. “Hello,” a deep, cultured voice said. “My name is Anderson, and I’d very much like to speak with you, Nicole.” He paused. “I believe we have a friend in common. Mister Jameson? I think you’d very much like to hear what I have to say about him. Please call me.”
When Red emerged from his shower, towel wrapped around his waist, hair slicked back, she wanted nothing more than for him to throw her down on the bed and re-enact some of last night’s more memorable moments.
Instead, she handed her phone to Red and told him to replay the last message.
His expression grew troubled as he listened. When the message finished, he handed the phone back to her. “I have no idea who that is,” he said.
She wondered if he was lying to her. The notion made her very uneasy, and she dismissed it. She was going to have to trust him if they were to be married. “Why would someone call me and say those things?” she said. “How does he even know we’re together?”
Red shrugged. “It could be anything. I have a lot of people watching me, and a lot of enemies.”
“Enemies?” A chill ran up her spine.
He smiled at her innocence. “Yes, enemies. I run an enormous company that has ties to foreign governments. I have investments in many different entities, some of which are controversial.”
“Such as?”
“A conversation for another time,” he said, crossing to one of the closets and pulling out a suit wrapped in plastic, as if he’d saved it for just such an occasion.
Nicole sat down heavily on the bed. “I don’t know you at all.”
Red looked at her as he took the suit out of the plastic. “And I don’t know all that much about you. But I know that I love you.”
“How can you say that when you barely know a thing about me?”
“Because, I know your soul. That’s the part I know best.”