“Mind if I join you?”
We both looked up, to see Dean standing in the doorway. I stiffened. What the hell was he doing here? He needed to put as much distance between us as he could, and yet, he was standing right before me as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Of course not,” Arnold replied. “Let me see what the cooks left in the fridge.”
As he bustled to get something for us to eat, Dean sank down into the chair opposite me and just looked at me. I looked right back at him, knowing better than to give up an ounce of power by letting him out-stare me.
“So, you two met at the hotel in New York, didn’t you?” Arnold asked, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. I nodded.
“And she’s the one who got me out of the city,” Dean added, still staring at me, as though he was unable to take his eyes off of me. I knew how he felt. But he must have known how dangerous this was, how easy it would have been for one of us to end up exposed in a way we didn’t want. We had to play this as close to the chest as we could, it was the only way to make it through.
“Well, I’m glad I could bring you two together again,” Arnold remarked. “Since you seem to make such a good pair.”
I didn’t reply, just picked up my coffee and took a long sip instead. I needed him to believe we had been nothing more than a passing moment, that we had barely gotten each other’s names before we had gone our separate ways. I had to sell that, even if I was sure the burning chemistry coming off of me in waves was giving away how I really felt.
We talked a little about what had happened, Dean and I making certain we were working silently with one another to ensure we were selling the same story. Dean, eventually, got up from the table and excused himself, much to my relief – I needed a moment to gather myself after being in his presence for so long.
Arnold smiled at me, and I managed to offer one back, even though I didn’t exactly feel like it. I really needed to be alone right now, work out what my next port of call was with all of this, and I had every intention of doing what I could to survive. I would get out of here, and I would tell this as some crazy story to anyone who would listen.
By the time that I finished my coffee, and had picked at some of the cut fruit Arnold had offered me, I was starting to feel a little better. But I could tell from the way he was looking at me that there was something else on his mind entirely, something he was doing his best to find the words for. I had hoped I would get a little longer before I was hit with the heavy weight of all of that, but clearly, he had one thing in mind, and I wasn’t about to get away with it.
“I hope we can spend more time together, since you’re here,” he remarked, his voice lowering slightly. I nodded. I needed to lean into this. The only way I was going to survive was if I convinced him that my interest in him was physical and not fiscal, and if he caught wind of the truth – that I had been in the midst of scamming him when he had gone to sleep – I would be out on my ass. Or far, far worse.
“Me too,” I murmured, fluttering my lashes at him. I just had to keep up the act a little longer. Convince him I was truly interested in something happening between us. If I had to sleep with him – well, I had to sleep with him. I would do it. It was worth my life.
“We can have dinner together tonight if you’d like,” he continued. “Just the two of us.”
It might have sounded like an offer, but I knew it wasn’t. This was an order. And I wasn’t going to try and get out of it. I smiled and nodded.
“Sounds perfect,” I replied, keeping my voice as light as I could. I needed to show him how sweet I could be. I needed him to believe I couldn’t have possibly done or said or even thought anything that would go against his best interests.
He paused for a moment, just looking at me, and I was sure he was going to lean down and try to kiss me or something – but he didn’t. He rose to his feet and made his way out of the room, leaving me alone once more.
I closed my eyes and let out a breath I didn’t even realize I had been holding. This was going to be a tough...however long it turned out to be. I just had to keep my head – and not let Dean’ throw me off.