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“Tommy?” I ask, following him. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”
His eyes flick over to me, open with curiosity now. Whatever that strange and intense moment was, it’s passed. “What?”
“How old are you?” I bite my lip after asking the question, worried that it might come off as rude.
Tommy only smirks. “I just turned forty,” he says. “Can’t you tell?”
I gasp, literally. I can’t believe what he’s telling me. “No,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “That’s another joke.”
Tommy tilts his head with an amused look. “Why do you say that?”
“Because… because…” I shake my head at him. “Look at you. There’s no way you’re… twenty-two years older than me!”
Tommy nods his head. “Does it bother you? The age difference?”
“I…” I hadn’t thought about it, but I can’t say that it occurred to me to even think about it. In other words, I always knew he was older than me. I just didn’t mind. My only worry was whether he would. “I don’t care about that. I just can’t believe you look… this good.”
Tommy laughs. “Well, that’s my first compliment from you,” he says, putting a hand to his chest. “I will treasure it.”
I shake my head again and move towards the clothes to pick out my next outfit, but I can’t stop staring at him as I do.
If nothing else, I have to make sure that I don’t leave here without finding out his secret for keeping his skin so smooth, so healthy, and youthful.
And for now, I have to make sure that I don’t think about the fact that his age, along with everything else about him, is just one more reason why he can’t possibly be interested in seeing me again after this week is over.Chapter FifteenTommyAfter Carina finally settles on an outfit to wear today, a blue sundress that flatters her figure beautifully with a blouse underneath, we have an indulgent lunch. Once we’re finished, I decide to take her on a tour of my home. After all, it’s also been her home for several days, and several more remain. I no longer think of her as our hostage or prisoner, she is here to stay with me. So, what could be the harm in a tour?
It's old news to me, I suppose, after all, I live here every day. But I feel like I’m rediscovering my home anew through Carina’s eyes. The look of awe on her face as we travel away from the wing in which she’s been staying and then through to the other side of the house – the wing in which I keep my own private quarters, away from guests and my men. I show her only the brief layout from the entrance to the wing and then lead her downstairs, to the grand entrance hall that she first saw when she was brought here.
“You don’t want me to see your room?” Carina asks, with what seems to be a mixture of teasing and disappointment.
I only flash her an enigmatic smile. “We’ll finish that part of the tour later,” I tell her.
I lead her through the rooms downstairs – large sitting rooms where I have my men spend their time if they’re not out working, rooms full of things to occupy their time, a gym, swimming pool, billiards table, darts, and other games. The kitchen, vast and sparkling with white marble, the chef nodding to us as he prepares ingredients for later. Out to the back of the house, the grounds, a rolling expanse of green that stretches out to a tall stone wall in the far distance, with trees and flowerbeds between.
“It’s incredible,” Carina says. “So big, too.”
I watch her face as she breathes deeply in the fresh air, and I know it’s true. I’m not at that stage of wealth that makes me forget where I came from. I wasn’t always this rich. I’ve fought for every dollar, and I came from nothing. I know this house is excessive, especially for one man alone. It was never quite intended to be that way, but that’s how it turned out.
I wanted this place to be a family home. It was always intended for a family. Not just the men who call themselves my family – a real one, a wife and children who could fill up the spaces with joy and laughter. But I had work to do. I had to build up my empire, and it took me a long time. Now, with my empire in place, I find it hard to meet women who come anywhere close to my desires. They’re vacuous, aspiring models who think I can give their careers a boost by threatening people into hiring them. I don’t want that.
The only official resident of this home is me. But perhaps that will change. Soon I hope.
