Chapter 54
His question caught me off guard and so I shook my head at him, I don’t have anywhere in mind at the moment.”
“Think deeply on it, he said and we continued the rest of the journey in silence,
Once we got to the mansion I went into my room with my back pressed to the wall and then sliding off.
I couldn’t process what the hell had really just happened on this trip
I kept wondering if it was all a dream until I eventually drifted off into sleep.
I wasn’t expecting anyone, least of all him. So when the sharp knock hit my door and I opened it to see Karl standing there in a tailored navy suit, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a single keycard, I froze.
*Cancel your plans,” he said. “I want you tonight”
I didn’t even have plans to begin with.
He didn’t wait for roe to answer. He just turned and started walking, clearly expecting me to follow. The arrogance was infuriating. The effect? Even worse. I grabbed my bag and slammed the door behind me.
By the time I caught up with him at the curb, a matte black car had already pulled up. A driver stepped out and opened the door for me first. Karl didn’t even look at me as he got in after, legs spread, elbow draped along the backrest like he owned the city. Maybe he did.
“Where are we going?” I asked, settling against the seat as the car pulled off
He looked at me. That slow once–over that always made my skin feel too tight.
“Someplace that deserves to be seen with you in it.”
I swallowed. The car ride was silent, but not comfortable. The tension between us crackled more than the engine. My dress suddenly felt too short, my heels too loud.
We pulled up outside an exclusive looking building with a gold–trimmed entrance and no name on the front. The kind of place only people with real money even knew existed
“What is this?” I asked.
Karl handed his keys to the valer without a word. Then he turned to me, brushing my hair back from my shoulder. “It’s where I go when I don’t want to be seen. Tonight I do,”
Inside, the club was dimand full of whispers, Sofi jazz played under clinking glasset and expensive cologne. Heads turned when we walked in, Men looked. Women stared.
One hostess nearly tripped walking us to our table. Karl pulled my chair out himself, then sat across from me with the same unreadable look he always had.
“Everyone’s looking at us,” I muttered, glancing around
“Good,” he said. “Let them see who you belong to.”
crept up my neck. I looked down at my water glass, pretending not to care, but every time I shifted. I felt his eyes on me.
Dinner was a blur. The food was flawless, the wine smooth. Karl said little, but when he did, it was always something that made me
pause.
“Do you always bring women here?” I asked at one point.
He leaned back. “No. I don’t usually bring anyone anywhere.”
My fork froze halfway to my mouth. He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to
Halfway through dessert, a man I didn’t recognize stopped at our table. Early 30s, sharp suit, handsome in a forgettable kind of way.
“Karl,” he said. “Didn’t expect to see you here. And with company.”
