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The girl standing there wasn’t merely pretty. She was the prettiest girl I’d ever laid eyes on. The kind of young woman that made every man in the vicinity sit up and take notice.
She would literally stop traffic.
Huge dark eyes blinked up at me, looking nervous but hopeful. Her lashes were long, her cheeks were pink and pretty, and her lips were the perfect rosebud shape. No makeup, I thought distractedly. And then she smiled and the whole room lit up.
I scowled at the clear temptation she presented. And she was going to live here? How was I supposed to resist her? My meddling family thought dumping her in my lap was going to make me settle down? They had another thing coming!
“What is your name?” I asked in a tone that made it obvious that I didn’t care.
A look of uncertainty flashed over her heartbreakingly pretty face. I almost felt bad for that. But then my anger swelled.
“Theresa, but everyone calls me Terri.”
Pretty name, but also cute. She was both of those things. Pretty, cute, gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, impossible to resist.
I was sure my cousins were having a laugh at my expense. They knew sending me a sweet, shy, girl with an unbelievable face and figure would send me into instant lust.
“Michael,” I said, not offering my hand. It was rude, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to fall in love with this girl, damnit!
She stared at me, now looking definitely nervous. She frowned and looked at the ground. I watched as she gripped her bag tightly in her delicate hands.
“Stick to the first floor. Don’t go poking around in locked rooms or the basement. If you hear something, walk the other way.”
“Something?”
“Guns. Shouting.”
Her pretty little mouth dropped open. I felt like a bastard for a hot minute, but then I got over it.
“If you need anything, just ask. Food, clothes, whatever. How long are you staying?”
“I… I start school in a few days.”
“School?”
“College,” she said, her face looking uncertain. Everything about her looked fearful. “I can find a place to go,” she said, turning to glance over her shoulder at the door.
“Don’t be foolish,” I said, grabbing her arm. “My cousins put you under my protection,” I said as I escorted her up the stairs.
“Tiny, get her bags.”
“Yes, boss.”
“You are to be extremely careful while you are here.”
“In the house?”
“In the city. Our family has enemies.”
“Oh. I’m used to that.”
That gave me pause. This tiny little thing had known fear. I suddenly realized I meant it when I told her to be careful. I didn’t want her here, but I didn’t want her to get hurt, either.
She was too sweet and pretty to let anything happen to her.
“You will clear all your movements with me ahead of time. I will assign a guard to look after you.”
She didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure why I had given her a reason to talk to me. I didn’t want the task of overseeing her day to day movements. But I had a strange urge to make sure I knew where she was, and who was watching her.
“What room is she in?” I asked with ill concealed impatience.
“Auntie has her all the way at the end.”
Near my room, I thought darkly. Auntie was apparently in on the fix. Everyone wanted to marry me off. Well, it wasn’t goin to happen!
I stalked down the hall to the door that Tiny indicated. It was less than ten feet from one of the four corner master chambers I had taken over when I took control of the family.
I stared around. The room was soft blue and gold. It looked recently redecorated. Apparently, Auntie had been busy since she came back from Italy.
“You can let go of my arm now.”
I glanced down, staring stupidly into her far-too-pretty face.
“What?”
“My arm.”
She was right. I was still gripping her arm tightly. I let go and watched as she rubbed it briskly. I had hurt her.
Way to go, Michael.
She looked around, not looking like a traveller who was glad to have arrived. Not one bit.
“Do you like it?” I heard myself asking.
She looked over her shoulder at me, and I saw it. Just for a heartbeat. She was hurt. Tired. Afraid.
And I had just acted like a giant horses ass to her.
“It is lovely. But I won’t be staying.”
“You what?”
She turned around and nodded her thanks to Tiny for bringing her bag.
“I will find a place near school. Thank you. I would like to rest now.”
I stared at her in shock. She was dismissing me. And blatantly ignoring my orders.
“We will discus this later,” I ground out. “Over dinner. We eat at eight.”
She didn’t say anything, just waited for me to leave. I turned abruptly on my heel and did just that. I looked back to see her close the door, her face a stoic mask. I had no doubt that if I waited here a few minutes, I would hear her cry.
