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Bells was the one who told Aurora she could trust me. While it was true, I don’t know why she said that about me when I didn't know her before I’d reached out a week ago. I mean, I knewofher, but I had never met her in person.
Bells has a knack for feeling situations and people out. I have that too, generally. I gained my ability from growing up around the rich and famous. You have a ton of time to read people and their moods when you’re not the one in the spotlight. Especially when both of your parents are usually too busy to spend time with you.
My parents aren’t just Hollywood famous. They created the operating system that is on most computers around the world. That was their first mark on the world. Their success only continued to grow from there. Their business exploded, and pretty soon they had their hands in many different pots when it came to cutting edge technology. You can thank them for bringing touchscreens to your computers and phones. Their inventions have changed the world.
There isn't any system, big or small, that my dad can’t hack into. Not that anyone knows that. I’m sure some expect it as a byproduct of what he does. I was never close to my dad. The only time he really took interest in me was when I wanted to know something about technology.
Then he would go on for hours showing and telling me things. I think that’s where my inquisitive nature began. As a young girl, of course I wanted my father's attention. And I knew I could hold it by asking more questions. So I learned everything I could about computers. Computer code became a second language to me.
The same could be said about my mom. If I pushed to hang out with her, she’d indulge me for a little, but I could never really hold her attention. I think it was more guilt than anything. My father created, and my mom marketed and came up with the ideas. My father was the one who could make her visions come to life. It’s not that they don't love me. I'm just not sure a child should have been in the cards for them.
I’ve spent a lot of time alone. That said, I spent that time alone in the grandest of homes. I lived in everything from castles to penthouses in the biggest cities in the world. There was nothing I couldn’t have if it could be bought. Hell, I got here on my own damn plane. Yet I’ve never had the one thing that I truly wanted: to be loved. To be the center of someone's attention.
I let out a long sigh, pushing that thought to the side. I think everyone has finally turned in. All the men have come to collect their women, and once again I’m alone. Since I hit send on that email, I’ve been staying close to anyone who’ll let me. I helped cook and clean. It kept me busy so that for a little while, I could forget about what was happening outside of these walls. About the danger that is now waiting for me.
The room is eerily quiet since everyone left. I decide to retreat to my own room. I drop my eyes to the floor as I’m about to slide off the counter when a hand comes down on my shoulder. I let out a scream and jump. Tiernan catches me before I hit the ground, then pulls me close to him.
“I didn't mean to startle you.” Those blue eyes of his stare into me, and sometimes I think he can see far too much. I pull my gaze from his.
“It’s okay.” I wiggle to get down.
“You really are a tiny thing.” He doesn't put me on my feet. My body starts to heat, and the urge to lean into him hits me hard. I still for a moment. A silent war wages between my mind and my body. Unfortunately, the former wins out.
“I really need to get to bed.” I need to get away from Tiernan because I’m two seconds away from rubbing myself all over him. The man barely tolerates me. How pathetic would I be if I was openly crushing on him? I can feel his hard cock pressed up against me. He takes a deep breath, which doesn’t help my current situation, before he allows me to slide down his body.
“See you tomorrow, Red.”
I turn and begin to walk toward my room. I can feel his eyes on me, so I sway my hips a little more. I’m only a few feet away from him when I turn back.
“Tiernan.”
“Yeah, Red.”
“Thanks for letting me stay. It means more than you know.” I turn and slip into my room before he can say anything else. I lean against the door. When I start to feel a knot form in my throat, I make myself get ready for bed so I don’t focus on the empty feeling I have inside. For someone who doesn’t want to be alone, I sure do a lot of things to make sure I remain that way.
I leave the bathroom door cracked, needing the light. It’s a silly fear. Here I am chasing people down and uncovering things that could get me killed, but I’m afraid of the dark. Always have been. I never outgrew it. In fact, my father invented a whole-house lighting system that you could call out to and turn your light on. Not only that, but he programmed it so that every time I walked into a room the lights would come on from sensors. It was those small things that reminded me that they care about me, and that’s their way of showing it. The system was actually named after me, and all the profits were poured into my trust fund.
I slip into bed and pull the covers over me, closing my eyes. Sleep doesn’t come easy. I toss and turn, my mind my own worst enemy. It keeps playing all the horrible outcomes that might happen to me because I sent that email. My eyes fly open, and the bathroom light turns off. I shoot up from the bed, letting out a small scream in fear.
My bedroom door flies open, filling the room with light. I jump from my bed and run toward Tiernan. He catches me easily as I do my best to wrap myself around him. My face burrows into his neck. His warm skin and scent immediately calms me.
“What’s wrong?” His question comes out sounding as if he were a pissed-off bear.
“The bathroom light went out. It scared me,” I admit. His hand rubs up and down my back as he continues to try to soothe me. I feel him relax, too.
“You’re on edge.”
I nod, not wanting to admit I’m afraid of the dark. I tell myself to let him go, but I don’t. My fingers dig into him more. “I actually think it might be better if you stayed with me. With everything going on, taking extra precautions doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
I don’t protest as he carries me back to his room. All the bad thoughts have slipped away now that I’m in Tiernan’s arms. The only thing I’m left wondering is how the hell he got to my room so quickly.
4
TIERNAN
She clings to me as I carry her to my room.
I shouldn’t be doing this. Iknowthis is a shit idea. But here I am with this redheaded bombshell in my arms.
