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No, I actually prayed it had been.
When the wave of silence continued, my toes curled, but I was too terrified to move.
However, another unsettling feeling fizzled through me and I finally yanked the courage out of thin air, pulling the phone away and immediately walking out of the room as I held my stomach. I’d said all that to some stranger on the other end of the line. Oh, God. It could be a new phone number from a family member. No. No. No!
“Um, hello?” Please. Please. Please.
The laugh was deep, dark, and far too sensual. It was also recognizable.
Kendrick. Now I was mortified.
Why did God hate me so much?
“Well. Well. My beautiful flower needs a favor,” he said in his booming voice.
“How did you get this number?” My voice was suddenly so strained I didn’t recognize it.
“You think I’m sexy?” he asked, still chuckling under his breath.
I raked my hand through my hair, pacing the floor. “Right now, I think you’re an… the only way you were able to get this number is by breaking into my cell phone while I was sleeping. Is that what you did?” My tone had shifted from annoyance to one that clearly indicated I was pissed off.
“Let’s just say I had a feeling you’d leave without saying goodbye and that wasn’t acceptable.”
I almost called him an asshole except I’d been the one to walk out like a coward. Damn it. I couldn’t help myself, pacing the floor as I tried to figure out what to say to him. “I’m sorry. I have a lot going on in my life.”
“For the record, I’m not a serial killer, although I have handled situations where violence was required. The people I kill deserve a bullet between their eyes. I am considered sickeningly wealthy. If you’d like a copy of my financials, I’d be happy to provide them. I’m not a sicko but I’m known to be a complete sadist, although only in a trusted situation with a member of the opposite sex. That is with the exception of providing the discipline a woman needs. Spankings are a matter of necessity.”
“I was just joking.”
“Uh-huh. I’m certain you were. Onto the point of my call. We’ll get back to your favor when we see each other in person.”
When. The man was so certain of himself. “Fine.” Oh, great. I’d rambled on. Now I had nothing decent to say in rebuttal?
“I thought we’d have breakfast together. Then we’ll talk terms of our deal.”
“Whoa. Hold the fuck on. We don’t have a deal.”
“Language. I have no issue washing your mouth out with soap.”
I opened my mouth to spew expletives but thought better of it. “I was just getting ready to jump into the shower. Lots to do today.”
“I see,” he said with a slight growl in his voice. “Then we will do it later.”
His confidence and possessiveness blew me out of the water.
Thankfully, I heard a knock on the door. Hopefully, it was either Trinity or Stella. At least they could help keep me off the rails. “I’m sorry, Kendrick. I had a wonderful time last night, but someone is at my door and I have a full day planned. It was lovely meeting you. It really was. The favor I mentioned was a stupid whim, nothing that I could bring to fruition, even if I would like to stick it to my father.” I headed for the door, exhaling as my visitor became impatient, knocking on the door again. “I hope you understand.”
“Of course. It was very nice meeting you as well. Take care, Suzannah Caffrey.”
He ended the call abruptly and I wanted to say I was relieved.
But I wasn’t.
I adjusted the terrycloth robe and reached for the door. That’s when I realized he’d used my full name. Fuck. He’d searched through my phone. Oh, no. I groaned, slapping my forehead before opening the door.
When a bellman smiled, immediately pushing a cart past me, I was momentarily shocked.
“I’m sorry. I think you have the wrong room.” There was a bottle of champagne on ice, a pitcher of orange juice and four silver domes covering heated food. There was also a bowl of fruit, mostly strawberries, and a pot of coffee with creamer. I had to admit, my mouth watered since I’d skipped dinner the night before.
