by JS Scott
“Did that really just happen?” she whispered in an astounded voice, hoping that this whole day was just a bad dream and she would wake up in her own bed, in her own tiny apartment.
Simon Hudson was a danger to her sanity, and she needed to stay as far away from him as possible.
Four months. Could she do it? She straightened her spine and wrapped the robe tighter around her body. She was a survivor; she would survive. Simon had mentioned that sleeping with him wasn’t a requirement. It didn’t have to happen.
Kara took a deep breath, trying to relax her body. She’d do whatever she could to help Simon except sleep with him. She could cook, clean, help him out with whatever he needed to have done. Not having a job was going to leave her restless. There had to be other things she could do to repay him.
You want to. You know you want him.
She shook her head, trying to silence her wayward thoughts. Getting involved with Simon Hudson was not a good idea. The billionaire genius was the type who would leave her devastated after one night of passion. He had just proved it by rocking her world, and she hadn’t even had sex with him.
But now you know it would be a one incredible night that you’d never forget.
And it would. That was her fear. It would be much too memorable.
Shaking her head, she suddenly remembered the clinic. She should have been there this morning.
Oh, shit. I have to call Maddie. How could I have forgotten?
Kara spent every Saturday morning volunteering at the free children’s clinic with Dr. Madeline Reynolds. It was something Kara had been doing every Saturday morning for the last year and although she wasn’t yet licensed as a nurse, she helped out by taking on every task she was capable of so that Maddie could see as many children as possible on clinic day.
Kara snatched up a cordless phone from the kitchen counter and hastily dialed the clinic number, explaining to Maddie what had happened and that she was sorry she didn’t make it.
“It’s not like you’re a paid employee, Kara, even though I appreciate the fact that you keep showing up to help. I’m fine for today. Are you okay? Do you need a place to stay?” Maddie’s voice was concerned and Kara’s heart lifted. Maddie was so generous, so caring…but she couldn’t impose on her friend. Kara knew that Maddie put every extra penny she had into the free clinic and she was fairly fresh out of medical school. Kara had heard Maddie say jokingly, more than once, that she would still be paying back student loans when she retired.
“Nope. I’m good. I have a…friend helping me out,” she replied, hoping her voice sounded normal.
There was a pause before Maddie told her sternly, “You call me if you need help, Kara. You will, won’t you?”
“I will. I promise. I’ll see you next Saturday.”
“Stay safe. If you ever find that bitch of an ex-roommate, feel free to call me. I’ll beat the shit out of her,” Maddie said, her voice indignant.
Kara laughed. “You’ll have to get in line. I’m pissed enough to do it myself.”
With a few more assurances to Maddie that she would be fine, Kara hung up with a sigh and headed through the condo, wanting to see what was left of her belongings.
You’ll make it. You’ve made it this far. Four months will be easy. Someday, you can replace whatever was taken.
A tingle went down her spine as she searched for the guest room that housed her meager belongings, sensing that the next four months would be more challenging than anything she’d ever faced before.
Poverty!
Loneliness!
Rejection!
Insecurity!
Fear!
They all looked like a piece of cake compared to several months with Simon Hudson.
Temptation was going to be a real bitch.
Over the next six days, Kara discovered that living with Simon was easy…as long as he got his way. She caught herself grumbling, more than once, about his overbearing attitude and take-charge tactics. Without question, the man was generous and she had already had several conniption fits over how much money he spent on her. Clothes, laptop, iPhone, iPod, iPad-Simon loved gadgets that began with an i-and anything he thought was essential to her well-being. She had tried to patiently explain that she had lived well enough without those things before, but Simon simply grunted and soon gave her another so-called essential item, all of which were definitely not necessities.
The only fight that she had actually won was the argument about him buying her a car. Kara had put her foot down and refused, telling him that she preferred to take the bus. Honestly, she hadn’t really won that argument either. The only reason he had relented was because he had his driver, a delightful man named James, take her to school every day and pick her up again after class or clinicals. James seemed to be at Simon’s beck and call, even though Simon drove himself to the office every morning in a Bugatti Veyron. Kara had almost choked the first time she saw the outrageously expensive sleek automobile, a car that she actually had only seen previously in photos. Simon shrugged, telling her that Sam had one too, only Sam’s was newer, a fact that seemed to irritate Simon whenever his precious vehicle was mentioned. Kara had rolled her eyes at him and walked away. Honestly, he was just like a boy…only richer-a lot richer-and his toys a hell of a lot more expensive.
Nina, Simon’s personal assistant and another employee to whom she’d taken an instant liking, delivered Kara’s new clothes early the previous Saturday morning. And she hadn’t come alone. It had taken a string of strong, able-bodied men to trail in with a whole new wardrobe that definitely hadn’t come from Walmart or a normal discount store. Kara now had a huge walk-in closet filled with expensive designer clothing, most of which she would probably never wear. For God’s sake, even the jeans were designer and expensive. Every item fit perfectly. Simon had checked the soiled clothes in her backpack to get her size. The clothing incident had been the first experience of many that was teaching Kara that Simon never did anything in a small way.
She had really balked when she saw how much money he had deposited into her checking account. How in the hell had the man found out her checking account number? He had just raised his shoulders again and told her to let him know when she needed additional funds and he would take care of it. Additional funds? He had transferred one hundred thousand dollars to her account, a fact that had nearly sent her into heart failure when she had checked her balance. An account that usually sat in the single digits had suddenly become an endless source of cash. How could anyone spend that much money in a few months? Kara had tried to get him to take most of it back. Having that much money in her account was actually a bit daunting and her needs were simple. She already had everything she needed and more, thanks to Santa Simon. Simon had just mumbled a curse and some statement about her being a stubborn woman and ignored her request. She had finally thrown her hands in the air and stomped away, muttering something about inflexible, arrogant men. A quiet chuckle had followed her out of the room and she had forced herself not to look back to see if Simon was smiling.
Actually, she was happy that she could provide him with some amusement, because she couldn’t seem to find anything else to do to help him. She felt swamped by guilt most of the time for taking advantage of his generous nature.
He had laundry and cleaning staff who came in once a week, so it left little for Kara to do except cook, and she had plenty of extra time to do that. Baking and cooking were about the only useful things she could do to help, but Simon seemed to think it was some monumental task akin to saving his life when she fixed a meal. It seemed that Simon didn’t cook and existed mostly on sandwiches when he was at home because he had never really wanted to employ a full-time chef. Of course, his personal assistant bought his groceries, a task that Kara had taken over from a grateful Nina. Simon’s assistant said that she was tired of seeing Simon live on the microwave dinners and the sandwich fixing
s that he requested every week. The tiny, well-kept woman, probably somewhere in her sixties, had just uttered an emphatic, “Hallelujah, he’ll finally eat,” and handed Kara his usual grocery list quite joyfully.
Kara closed her nursing book, her studying complete, and stretched out on her back, rolling on the huge king-sized bed in the guest room until she was staring at the ceiling.
She should ask Simon what he wanted for dinner, although she already knew how he would reply.
Anything that I don’t have to cook!
He usually spent the morning in his office and the afternoon and evening in his computer lab upstairs. The condo was enormous, and Kara wondered if she would ever find her way around without making a few wrong turns.
Hopping off the bed, she walked through the gorgeous living room, admiring the view from a large picture window. Simon lived in the penthouse, the largest condo in the building, and every twinkling light of Tampa was spread out in front of her in breathtaking splendor. How incredible to have this splendid view every single night. She wished Simon would take a moment to enjoy it. He seemed to be obsessed with a project right now and only came down for a brief time for dinner before returning to his lab.
Kara wondered if he was avoiding her and felt guilty that he might be hiding in his own home. They had never spoken about what had occurred in the kitchen six days ago. They circled around each other politely, making superficial conversation at dinner.
As she turned and mounted the black spiral staircase, she admitted to herself that she actually wanted his company. Working and going to school had kept her busy and her loneliness at bay. Now, she had too much time with nothing to do in the evenings except watch Simon’s enormous television or read after she had finished studying. Solitude was all well and good, but it got lonesome night after night. At least when she was working, she had the company of customers and the other employees.
Disgusted with herself, she turned left after she reached the top of the staircase, making her way to Simon’s lab. What did she have to complain about? She had every luxury, every convenience. She lived in a home most people only dreamed about and never had to worry about funds. Still, she wanted a little more of Simon’s company when she should just be damned glad she had a roof over her head and an endless amount of food to eat.
Stopping outside the door to his lab, she tapped lightly.
“Come in.” The abrupt, distracted reply made her smile. He was definitely consumed with some sort of project.
Usually she just poked her head in, but curious about Simon’s lab, she entered and closed the door behind her. Computers were everywhere and Simon had a chair on rollers that slid from one computer to the other, making it easy due to the plastic that covered the floor under the circle of computers. She padded across the plush carpet until her feet met the smooth plastic and peeked at the computer screens. Gaping, she realized she recognized the picture on the largest screen.
Squinting, she asked quietly, “Hey. Is that Myth World?”
His head popped up and he met her eyes with a surprised look. “Yeah! You know the game?”
“Know it? I’m at expert level,” she answered, slightly insulted that he thought she wouldn’t be familiar with such a popular game. “Lydia had it and I was hooked after trying it the first time.”
She loved the game and always got some time in whenever she could on Lydia’s computer, even if it was late at night. It was her one indulgence. She couldn’t resist letting the computer take her to a whole new world when she played the game, challenging her to find out its secrets and battle mythological figures.
Simon’s lips started to curl and kept going until he was wearing a shit-eating grin that made her heart skip a beat. It was the first honest, completely brilliant smile that she had ever seen from Simon. He rolled his chair over to the computer screen with the familiar figures as he answered, “It’s my game. This is Myth World II.”
“Oh, my God. Let me see.” She pushed in front of him in her excitement. She hadn’t seen the original game in a week, and here was the newest addition. Right here in the home she lived in. “Is it done? Can I play it? I really miss that little bit of escapism.”
“I just have the demo. It’s not on the market yet. You can try it if you like,” Simon answered in an indulgent and boyish voice. He went through the controls and stood, allowing her to plop her rear in the available chair and focus on the new game.
It was similar, yet completely different, and Kara worried her bottom lip as she tried to figure out all of the intricate details of the game. “You made it harder,” she accused in a laughing voice.
“Was the original version easy?” he asked her with a smile in his voice.
“No. But it wasn’t this hard,” she answered, her eyes concentrating on the busy screen.
“It was. You just aren’t used to this one yet.” His eyes scanning her face, he asked, “What do you like about the game?”
“The strategy, the challenge of figuring out secrets, the make-believe world. It’s like being catapulted into another dimension for a short time.” She tipped her eyes to his as she got completely destroyed on screen. “You are a genius, Simon,” she told him with complete honesty. “I never realized that this was a Hudson game.”
Kara could almost swear he was blushing as he turned his head, replying diffidently, “It’s just computer stuff. Nothing exciting.”
She pulled her hands from the desk and folded them neatly on her lap as she told him emphatically, “It’s incredibly creative, Simon. It takes more than programming to come up with something like this.”
“I’ll put them on your laptop,” he told her quietly.
“Oh, Lord, no. I’d never get my studying done.” Her eyes laughed up into his, her tone playful.
“I think you can control yourself,” he returned, sounding disappointed.
“Absolutely not. I have no control when it comes to Myth World. Do you have other games that you’ve designed?”
“Of course, dozens of them.”
“Would you mind putting them on the PC in the den?” she asked hesitantly.
“You can come up here. Play on the usage computer.” He pointed to a large computer and chair in the corner. “All of my games are on it. Actually, just about any game you can think of is on there.”
She put her hand to her heart in mock astonishment. “Oh, horrors! You actually have other people’s games on that computer?”
He moved closer to her, towering over her with a mischievous grin. “Sometimes I find it necessary to…check out the competition.”
“And are they good?” She looked up at him, loving this boyish side of Simon.
“Nah…but I have to keep up with what’s selling,” he told her, his tone impertinent.
God, the man was so hot when he was joking around. Oh shit, he was always hot. She could smell his masculine scent with a hint of sandalwood. It was a warm, rich aroma that made her squirm and her body tingle. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take you up on that offer. I’m used to being busy and I’m not up on all the recent television shows. I get a little lonely sometimes. This place is so big.” Why had she admitted that? “Just don’t be upset when I don’t get dinner ready on time. I get lost in your games,” she told him in a mock warning voice, an attempt at levity.
He came down on one knee, his eyes level with hers. “Are you lonely here, Kara?” His tone sounded concerned, dumbfounded, as his dark eyes met hers. “You don’t like it here?”
“No. Oh, no. Simon, it’s lovely here. How could I not be happy?” She sighed, trying to explain. “I’m just so used to not having much time to think, much time to myself. It takes getting used to after the crazy pace I had before.”
“Suicidal, you mean,” he said, his tone edgy. “That lifestyle was draining you dry, Kara.”
“I know. And I’m grateful. Really, I am. This is
just different,” she assured him, not wanting him to think she was ungrateful. Shit, she’d be on the streets if not for his generosity, but still… “I’ll be happier up here with you.”
“You want my company?” He searched her face, sounding baffled.
“Of course. But I know you’re busy. And I thought maybe you were avoiding me after...well, after…”
“After I told you that I wanted to fuck you?” he asked bluntly, his eyes holding hers prisoner.
“Yes,” she breathed softly, startled by his brusque statement, but glad that it was out in the open. It had been simmering, making her anxious.
“I wasn’t avoiding you, Kara. I want to see you, be with you, whether you want to fuck me or not,” he stated, his voice adamant.
“You do?” she asked with a hint of wonder. “Why?”
“I get lonely sometimes, too. I enjoy your company.”
She took a deep breath, willing her racing heart to slow.
I want you to fuck me. I want you to take me a hundred different ways and then do it again.
The breath left her body as her eyes roamed over him. Just thinking about that large, solid, dominant body over her, in her, made her fidget in her chair. Her fingers itched to touch the face so close to her own, to stroke the sexy, rough jaw with the sensual five o’clock shadow that made his scars nearly invisible. Strangely, those small scars added to his sex appeal, making him more masculine, more irresistible.
No, Kara. Don’t think about it. Dinner. You came to ask him about dinner. Simon Hudson is way out of your league.
“I-I actually came to ask you what you wanted for dinner.” Her voice was unsteady and she was practically stumbling over her words. Simon’s close proximity was getting to her, making her want much more than just his company. She scooted her chair back and stood, nervously wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans.
It didn’t help. Simon towered over her as he rose to his feet. “I’ll help you. I’m done here for now.”