by Eve Black
She closed her eyes against the glaring light of the afternoon sun as it poured in through the windows. She needed to get her head on straight. She needed to put aside the wants of her body and make sure that her babies were first in all things. They were the most important thing in her life. Her job was gone, which meant her sliver of savings would dwindle quickly. Not for the first time since hearing she was carrying twins, the idea of David’s money helped lift some of the burden of worry. But then the weight of her obligations to David for that money pressed down on her. David might be calling his babies an investment, but where did that leave her? The babies weren’t there yet, so she couldn’t rightly consider any of the money he would spend on her as part of his “investment.”
She could work. Perhaps the hotel had an opening for a maid or a laundress? She could work for her own food and necessities, and let David spend his money on whatever the babies would need once they arrived.
Expensive clothes, shoes, bags, manicures…. David had all but compared her to Rinna, the bitch who used him for all she could get and then expected to lie to his face and get away with it.
Damn, that woman had really done a number on David—which pretty much fucked up any chance Diana had at having any sort of amiable relationship with her babies’ daddy. Would she attempt to seek any connection to a man who turned her world upside down and continued to spin her until she didn’t know which way was up?
It was bad enough that they’d had sex again, even though she told herself she wouldn’t give in to him again. It was like she was an addict and he was the crack cocaine. She couldn’t not see him without wanting to take a hit, fill her veins with his nearness, fill her body and soul with the pleasure he could give her. And now that her heart was involved, she was more a mess than ever. A lot had happened since that last time, though.
Sighing, Diana sat on the couch beside the in-suite phone and picked it up, dialing the front desk.
“Thank you for calling the Serata Incantata, this is Melia, how may I direct your call?” a sweet, too happy voice asked.
“Melia, can you direct my call to the manager, please?”
“Certainly. Hold a moment, please,” Melia chirped, making Diana cringe. What did she have to be so happy about? Grumbling, Diana realized she was taking her anxiety out on the poor woman, and hated herself for it.
“Hello, this is Ms. Travato, how can I help you Miss Bluth?”
Diana sputtered. How did the woman know it was her? Then it hit her…she was calling from the penthouse suite. Everyone knew who she was.
“I would like to inquire about any open positions within your hotel.”
“Open positions?” Ms. Travato parroted. “As in a job?”
“Yes.”
There was a heavy silence on the other line, but then Ms. Travato replied, “I do believe there is a position open in the laundry room.”
“Perfect,” Diana blurted, eager to take whatever she could.
More silence. “If you are certain… Please meet me in my office within the hour.”
Diana hung up the phone with an inkling of purpose, the first she’d felt since being escorted from the Kilgore, Ayers, and Beecham offices.
Taking the next forty minutes to unpack her clothes into the large dresser and armoire in the master bedroom, Diana grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit in the chef’s kitchen. The penthouse hotel room was basically a penthouse apartment, complete with room service and other thousand-dollar amenities.
With a job and a kitchen, she wouldn’t make use of room service. David’s investment didn’t include Diana’s strange new pregnancy craving for grilled cheese and pickle sandwiches. She’d put food in her own belly, but she’d certainly spend tons of David’s money on the gear she bookmarked on the Target Baby site.
Descending to the lobby, Diana headed toward the front desk. The woman there smiled at her, recognition shining in her eyes.
“Ms. Travato is waiting for you. Please follow me, Miss Bluth.”
Not surprised at the well-oiled machine that was the Incantata, Diana followed the fresh-faced woman down a long hallway, through a set of swinging double doors, and down another hallway. The woman stopped right outside a large oak door, the nameplate beside it read Mona-Lisa Travato – Manager.
The woman knocked a single time then opened the door.
“Diana Bluth here to see you, Ms. Travato.”
“Come right in, Miss Bluth.”
Diana held her breath and crossed the threshold into a room she wasn’t expecting. Yes, it looked like an office, but rather than it being as pristine and organized as the rest of the building, it was cluttered, on every surface, with paperwork, what looked like fabric swatches, and thick binders filled to overflowing.
“Please don’t mind the mess. I am in the midst of preparations for remodeling the owner’s suite.”
Diana smiled. “I can understand the mess then, and besides, it doesn’t bother me at all.” She wasn’t as…stuffy as most of the other guests that stayed at the Incantata. She didn’t mind a mess as long as it had a purpose. Diana took a seat in the empty seat across the desk from Ms. Travato.
The door behind her closed, signaling the departure of her escort.
“Now,” Ms. Travato began, leaning forward in her seat. “Tell me why you are seeking a position at the Incantata. I am aware that your room is paid for and that we are to put all of your expenses on the room.”
A sick twisted in Diana’s gut. “I would rather pay my own way. I know I cannot afford the nightly rate for the room, but I can at least afford to buy and prepare my own foods, and use my own toiletries. I might be here against my better judgement, but I refuse to be kept.”
Ms. Travato peered at Diana from behind cats-eye glasses, her dark brown eyes penetrating, missing nothing.
“I see. So, you want to work so you don’t have to take Mr. Brenner’s money,” she said, having the right of it.
“Yes,” Diana admitted, wondering if the woman thought her mad.
Ms. Travato shrugged, offering Diana a reassuring smile. “We’ll get you set up then. I will send the employment paperwork to your suite this evening, and once you have it completed, we’ll get you started.”
Joy, unfiltered, surged through her. Diana stood, reaching over the desk to shake Ms. Travato’s hand. “Thank you. I appreciate this. So much.”
Ms. Travato waved off Diana’s words with a smirk. “Don’t thank me yet. The laundry room is hard, sweaty work.”
Diana didn’t care, she had a job. And that meant one less tie to David Brenner and his fucking investment.
Reaching the room after the meeting, Diana set about looking up the nearest fresh food market. After signing the paperwork and seeing the per hour rate, she set to work creating a budget. She was a task-driven person, and she loved budgets, it was one of the things that had kept her sane over the last few months.
Once 10PM arrived and she hadn’t heard from David, she relaxed a bit. The longer she went without seeing him the better. She couldn’t imagine what sort of stink he’d make when he discovered that his plan to keep her hidden away and beholden to him had backfired. Okay, he was paying for the room, but she chalked that up to him keeping a roof over his babies’ heads. So far, she didn’t need any baby items, so any additional money would stay in the account he’d set up for her. He’d sent her a packet of documents, including the information on the bank account he’d set up in her name. There was also the account at the hotel. She wouldn’t touch a penny of the bank account money for anything other than baby needs.
She refused to be a Rinna. She refused to be the woman David thought she was, grasping and money hungry. Thankfully, he was no longer under the impression that she had planned and plotted all of this, but he still had such a low opinion of her.
Expensive clothes…manicures… She hadn’t had a manicure in her life!
Having eaten only the apple that day, Diana’s stomach grumbled at her. She was seated in the armchair
in her bedroom, facing out over the view of the city, and she didn’t want to move. The thought of going out and getting something to make didn’t appeal, and the thought of breaking her own rule about room service so soon—or at all—was appalling.
Maybe there was already some food in the kitchen.
Dragging herself into the kitchen, she checked the cupboards. They were empty save for high-end dinnerware, champagne glasses (which she wouldn’t be using), coffee mugs (she would use those for hot cocoa), and silverware.
Sighing, she eyeballed the fruit bowl. There were two oranges and a banana.
She shrugged.
Caged birds couldn’t be choosey.
Chapter 20
“Here are the financials for the last three weeks,” Derek said, handing a single sheet of paper to David who took it and nearly swallowed his own tongue.
“There aren’t any charges or withdrawals from this account,” David drawled, his displeasure rising. “Check them again. This cannot be right.”
Derek nodded and sped from the room only to return five minutes later with the same exact print out.
“This is accurate, Mr. Brenner,” he asserted, peering at David with apprehension in his already pinched features.
David scanned the sheet again. “There aren’t any charges or withdrawals,” he repeated, unsure of what he was seeing. What was wrong with the woman? She had access to four hundred thousand dollars, her monthly stipend, and it was all still just…sitting there.
He knew she was still at the hotel because the driver he’d assigned her said that she hadn’t requested him, which meant she hadn’t left the hotel. Was she sick? Had something happened to the babies and she was alone in the room? As the seconds passed, his anxiety rose until all he could think about was an unconscious goddess, lying on the floor. Alone. Without him there to help her.
Cursing, he dismissed Derek and picked up his mobile, dialing Diana.
She picked up on the fourth ring, and he tried not to let his anger at her tardiness infuse his words.
“Diana, are you well?” he asked, unable to keep the sharpness from his tone.
There was silence, then, “I’m fine, David.” She sounded…tired.
“You’re fine,” he snapped, the relief at hearing her voice immediately replaced with anger. “What have you been doing since we last met?” She hadn’t had guests, he knew that much. The front desk manager reported directly to David on the comings and goings to Diana’s suite. She hadn’t had a single visitor. She wasn’t meeting with anyone, she wasn’t spending money, she wasn’t sick—what the fuck was she doing?!
“I’ve settled in,” she answered simply, heaving a sigh. “If that’s all you want to know, can we just not right now? I’m tired and I need a nap.” There was an edge to her voice that he’d never heard before, one that made something in his chest twist.
Letting out a heavy breath, he asked, “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong, Diana? Should I send for the car to take you to Dr. Green’s office?” Since moving her into the Incantata, Diana had returned to the care of the Manhattan OB.
She grunted. “No, David. The babies are fine.”
“Well…if you’re sure…” David hesitated, suddenly very much wanting to keep their conversation going. Over the last three weeks, it had taken all the strength and control he possessed to not visit Diana. He told himself that he knew where she was and if she needed anything, she had all those staff members to help her. She could shop to her heart’s content, using every dime of her monthly allowance—she’d be so busy spending his money she wouldn’t even think about him.
Too bad he couldn’t say the same for himself. He’d bought two new companies. He usually rejoiced in his victories. Usually. This time, though, it seemed hollow. At that first successful acquisition, he’d picked up his mobile to call Diana, to tell her about it as a man would to his long-time lover, so they could be excited together. But then he was struck by how silly that was. She wasn’t his girlfriend. She didn’t care about anything that made him happy.
Right?
“David?” Diana’s voice shook him from his thoughts.
“Yes?”
He waited for her to speak again, to tell him off or to ask him about what he’d done over the last three weeks, to show some curiosity about him, his life. When she finally spoke, his ridiculous hopes were smashed.
“I’ve got to go. I’m tired,” she murmured, her voice thin.
Gritting his teeth, he forced impatience into his tone. “Of course. Goodbye, Diana.”
“Goodbye, David.”
She hung up, the sound of the click disconnecting the call like a sharp needle piercing his soul.
She didn’t care about him at all.
Rejuvenated by that self-inflicted slap in the face, David called Rodney.
“Bring the car around.” With that done, David cleared his desk, grabbed his coat, and exited the building. Sliding into the back seat of the Escalade, David nodded to Rodney.
“Where to, Boss?”
“The Incantata.”
The financials were wrong. Diana might not have spent the money from her account, but she was most certainly charging items to the room. Rinna had stayed in hundreds of expensive hotels, charging banquets, the finest wines, the richest foods, clothes, jewelry, and even a car to her hotel accounts. And he always paid the bills when they came. It would be no different with Diana. He would go to the hotel, he’d ask for a list of the room charges, and he’d—
And what would that prove? You want her beholden to you. You want her to be a greedy bitch like Rinna, then you can dismiss her and your babies as nothing more than an expenditure.
He gasped at the flood of bile that churned in his gut.
Was that what he really thought about her? About his own children? Shaking, he raised a hand to scrub at his face. His skin was cold beneath his fingers.
What had become of him? What sort of man put dollar signs on the things that should matter the most?
Groaning, he threw his head back and swore into the skylight.
She’d been working five-day weeks since she started, and that first day hadn’t prepared her for the days that followed. When Ms. Travato said that the laundry was hard, sweaty work, she was underselling it. It was hot, sweaty, humid, back-breaking work, but by the end of the work day, she felt…happy. She’d earned her own money, she completed all the tasks assigned to her, and she’d made a new friend. Holliday Blue was a breath of fresh, perky, petite, south Texas air. She was bubbly, sweet, smart, and just as desperate to make a dime as Diana was.
Margie called at least once a day, but Diana refused to let her come to the Incantata. She wanted Margie to be her lifeline on the outside, someone who could just be there for her and send her chocolate croissants when the need arose. So far, though, she hadn’t had the appetite for chocolate, croissants, or conversations that would veer into difficult waters.
How did one go about explaining being a pregnant pet—without the sex, mind you—of a billionaire? Margie would want to know all the details, Diana would be compelled to tell her, and then the tears would begin. The tears of frustration, of disappointment in herself. Tears of fear for her unborn babies and their future, and tears of heartbreak.
She loved David Brenner.
She didn’t know when it happened or even how it was possible, but she did know that she couldn’t go a moment without thinking about him, without wanting to see him, hear his voice, smell his scent, feel his arms wrapped around her.
God. She was sick. There was no other explanation. As terribly as he’d treated her since learning about the pregnancy, the man she met and made love to that first night was still in there. The man who’d given her an orgasm in the back of his Escalade was still in there. The man who’d pursued her to her doctor’s office, then to the café was still in there. The man who charmed her despite the walls she’d erected was still in there. She had to believe that. He was just hidden behind the asshole who was too s
cared to let anyone in.
Today was her day off, which meant she was going to laze around the hotel room in her sweats until ten, then she’d head out to the market up the street for the ingredients for lunch and dinner. She didn’t keep much in the room kitchen aside from milk, eggs, and bread, but she was craving peanut butter, popcorn, Twizzlers, and a big, fat, juicy steak.
Snuggling up on the couch in the main living area, Diana settled in for a short nap, her eyes drooping, her body throbbing from overexertion, her heart aching.
She didn’t know how long she’d been napping when the sound of a key card reader beeping jerked her awake. Dazed, she sat up and blinked at the door.
David was standing there, his hot gaze on her.
“Diana. What the hell?” he ground out and she immediately tensed.
How dare he ignore her for three weeks then barge in, growling at her like she was the one who’d done something wrong.
“What the hell is wrong now, David?” she snapped, scowling at him.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he stalked toward her and thrust two sheets of paper in her face.
She glanced down at the one on top. It looked like the account activity from a bank. She moved it aside to see the paper underneath. That one was the charge account print out from the hotel.
“Is this supposed to mean something?” she asked, sighing wearily.
He moved closer, dropping the papers on the glass coffee table in front of her.
“Those are the reports from the hotel and for the bank account I opened for you,” David drawled icily.
“So?” She hadn’t spent anything, so why was he so angry?