“Sure,” the boy said with shrug.
“I’d be honored,” Mrs. Barrett said, her gaze turning to Janie as she looked at her differently than she had in the hall.
Who had she thought Janie was? Did Alex often have women’s luggage taken to his room? She decided it was better not to ask questions she didn’t want to know the answer to.
Chapter 5
The ceremony didn’t take long and twenty minutes after walking in the house, Alex was a married man. The ceremony over and the paperwork signed, Alex thanked John and offered him a drink. His friend refused, using the excuse that he had to drive and he needed to get back soon. Alex hadn’t realized how inconvenient his favor had been to the other man. He made a mental note to send him a gift for his time, but that was something for later. After John left, Alex turned back to the house, relived that it was done. Now his brother would get off his back, or he would after he heard. Wanting nothing more than to go hide in his office to sit behind his bank of computers and get lost in the underworld where he liked to escape his reality, he went back inside. At the door he found his bride watching him, her face blank but her eyes lost and bewildered.
This he hadn’t counted on.
“Let me show you around.” He showed her the main floor, starting with the front room, or as some would call it the parlor, where they’d been married. And working his way around the huge space, showing her everything of interest except what he called his security room. The locked room off the main office where everything having to do with his work was kept. It was a secure room, not just because the door was locked, but because it was basically a safe room, nearly impenetrable. He said nearly because it was supposed to be impenetrable, but he didn’t know how well it might stand up to a missile attack.
The last thing he showed her was the library. Even her awed looks as he showed her through the house left him unprepared for the sheer wonder and shock on her face as he pushed the doors open to the library. It was across the entry way from where they’d been married. He wasn’t sure why the doors had been closed.
Janie stood in the middle of the room, slowly spinning as she looked at all the shelves filled with books of all colors and sizes.
“Have you read them all?” Her voice had gone soft and he couldn’t help but smile.
“A good number of them.”
“What kind are they?”
“What do you mean?” He frowned, not sure what she meant.
“Mystery, western, sci-fi, what kind are they?”
“Oh. A little bit of everything. I’m not picky. When it comes to books I’ll read pretty much anything, fiction, non-fiction, history, thriller, even romance.”
“Romance?” She looked at him now with her mouth hanging slightly open.
It made him want to kiss her and see what she tasted like. Where the hell had that thought come from? He couldn’t give in to impulses like that if he was going to keep this temporary.
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “when you’re in the field and desperate for something new to read, all that’s available is a romance, so you read what you got. I learned that most of them aren’t half bad, if a little sappy. And sometimes at least they have good sex.”
Her face turned pink. It was cute. “In the field?”
“Yeah, I spent time in the middle and far east.”
Janie frowned a moment. “Oh. Were you in the military?”
“Yeah, that’s how I got this.” He motioned to his right side, but didn’t say more. He didn’t want to go into it. She seemed to get that and instead turned back toward the floor to ceiling shelves.
“Can I read them?”
“Sure, help yourself.”
“All of them?” The hesitancy in her voice made him wonder who had kept her from doing what she wanted before.
“Anything here you want. If you find something you want that’s not here, we can order it.”
“Are you sure?” Happiness filled her eyes at the prospect. He liked that. He wanted to see it more.
“I am.” He paused a moment then asked. “You ready to check out upstairs?”
She looked at him and fear clouded her eyes for a second before it disappeared again.
“Sure, why not.”
Chapter 6
Janie couldn’t get the library out of her mind. It had been huge, with more books than she’d seen in her entire life, outside of a book store and she’d only been to one of those. Her husband of less than hour led her through the entire upstairs, showing her each room and she’d not paid one whit of attention. She couldn’t get all those books out of her thoughts. It wasn’t until he stopped in the hall and looked at her that she wondered what she’d missed.
“I’m sorry, did you ask me something?” It was the only reason she could think of for the odd look he was giving her.
“I asked if you’re ready for the master bedroom, but you seem to be a million miles away. What’s on your mind?”
“Not a million miles, just downstairs. I can’t stop thinking about the library and all those books.” She blushed as she admitted it, knowing it would probably get her in trouble.
Alex shook his head and laughed. “You sound like a woman after my own heart. Come on, let’s finish the tour then you can go check it out.” He pushed the door open revealing a bedroom bigger than any room they’d been in yet.
There was a seating area on one end, with a tv, sofa, chairs, and tables and then a huge bed on the other covered with a beautiful piece work quilt and several pillows. Windows along two walls let her know they were on a corner, but the view was so different she knew neither was the front. Along another wall was three doors. Three? Bathroom, closet, but what else could there be?
“Come check this out.” Alex led her through one door into a bathroom the size of some of the other bedrooms, bigger than the one she’d shared with three sisters growing up. She looked around, awed at the sheer space. “Look here.” He slid open a pocket door revealing the commode. “There’s another door on that wall that leads to the bedroom, so one person can shower or take a bath and the other can use the restroom without disturbing them.”
“Hmm.” It was a neat idea, but one that never would have occurred to her. “What’s that?” She pointed to another door.
“Come look.” He took her through to a closet nearly as large as the bathroom, her suitcase sat in the middle of the room, as if waiting patiently to get unpacked. She frowned wondering if the boy had come through the bedroom to put it in here instead of just leaving it in the bedroom. Then she noticed two more doors, on opposite walls. One she knew had to go to the bedroom, so she went to the other and opened it. She was surprised to find it opened onto a hallway.
Stepping out, she found herself next to the rear stairs. Alex had shown them to her earlier but somehow she hadn’t registered the door. That was clever. Laundry could be carried up the stairs and put away without ever going into the bedroom. What a neat idea. She went back in the closet and through to the bedroom where she found Alex standing in the middle of the room, waiting for her.
“Well, what do you think?”
“This place is huge. It’s going to take me a week to find my way around.”
“It doesn’t take that long.” His smile sent heat pooling into her belly. It was an odd sensation that she’d never felt before and she wondered where it had come from. “Think you can live here?”
“I don’t see why not.” She still wasn’t sure how he managed to live here all alone. It didn’t really matter though. That she was here now and he was her husband, so it wouldn’t change, that was what mattered.
Chapter 7
The tour of the house over, they stood in the middle of the bedroom they would share. They had to share the room, even if this was just temporary, because if Mrs. Barrett didn’t believe it was real, she’d say something to Dave. Then the whole thing was a waste of time and money. He watched his new bride a moment, she glanced at him, bit her lip then over at the bed as if she was uncertain
about something. The innocent look made him want to strip her down and see if her curves fit against him the way he suspected.
“You take the bed for now. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
Confusion clouded her face, but she didn’t say anything.
“Why don’t we take some time to get to know each other before we take things to the next step?” He didn’t offer another room, that would look odd. But he didn’t have to sleep beside her. That might test the limits of his self-control.
She licked her lips, her tiny pink tongue peeking out between full lips that made him want to taste her, made him ache to see that lush mouth wrapped around his dick.
Damn, I need to get out of here. “Make yourself at home. There’s not much in the way of cell signal out here, but there are phones in nearly every room, feel free to use them. If you’ll get out your computer, I’ll set it up on wi-fi for you.” He was getting ready to make his escape, to lock himself away in his office, or his security room, the room where he did most of his work for the government.
“I don’t have one.” Her voice was soft as if it was a dark confession. Alex wasn’t sure which caught him more, her words or her tone.
“Don’t have what? A computer?”
“A computer, or a phone. I don’t have either.”
Where the hell had she come from that she didn’t have either a phone or a computer? Most people, even low income, at least had a phone.
“All right. I’ll take care of it. A phone isn’t as important out here, but we’ll get you one anyway. Mac or Windows? IPhone or Android?” He knew how to use both and could help with whichever she chose. But he had his own preferences.
“I-I don’t know.” She looked down at the floor and a deep red flush rose on her cheeks.
Damn, now he was intrigued.
“Do you know how to use a computer?” He wondered again where she’d come from.
“They taught some things at the agency, and I learned a few more on my own, but I was too embarrassed to admit I needed more.”
He let out a sigh, trying to think of somewhere she could be from in this country that didn’t have modern electronics as part of their daily life. Maybe that was the thing right there. Modern. He looked at her again, long sleeve shirt, collar buttoned to her neck. Long hair stretching down her back. But jeans. On the other hand, she’d said she’d been at the agency for six months maybe her clothes weren’t as indicative as they could be. Or maybe she’d gotten past the need to wear long skirts and cover as much as she could. Did they even have Amish in Texas? He didn’t know, but he knew how to find out.
“I’ll get you what you need, and I’ll show you how to use them when they come in. Does that sound all right?” If he was going to teach her to use them, she was getting his choice of devices. A PC and an Android.
“If you’re sure.” She still looked at the floor, as if expecting him to berate or slap her for being inadequate. He couldn’t take that. He closed the small distance between them and stood in front of her until she looked up at his face.
“I’m sure.” He waited a moment, until the doubt seemed to clear her face. “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of in the office. Ranch business. Feel free to make use of anything in the house and if you have any questions, ask me or Mrs. Barrett.”
“I can use the library?”
“Of course.”
“And the kitchen?”
“If you like. Dinner is at six, we feed the ranch hands at the long table off the family room, you don’t have to attend if you don’t want to, I rarely do. Also, it’s not your job to cook for them. I have a full staff to take care of that.”
“Then what is my job?” she asked with a slight crease between her brows, as if she wanted to frown but wasn’t sure if she should.
“To be here for me.” Unable to resist the temptation he leaned down and kissed the end of her nose. Surprise bloomed in her eyes and he turned away. He had to get away if he wasn’t going to find out if she tasted as sweet as she looked.
Downstairs in his office, Alex sat behind the desk and stared at one of the two screens arranged there. He’d been working on bookkeeping for the ranch, one of the jobs he hated the most, but it still had to be done, and he didn’t trust anyone else with the numbers. Well, no one but him and Dave. Dave was too busy fighting for freedom in some hell hole that Alex didn’t want to think about, for Alex to even consider asking his brother to deal with this. And there wasn’t time to wait. Feed and medications had to be ordered, paychecks had to be scheduled, not to mention food and supplies for the house and hands. It was a monthly chore that never ended.
With a sigh he decided it was time for a break. Instead of getting up and moving around, he turned to the other screen and pulled up a shopping site. Janie needed a few things and he might as well order them while he was ordering other things.
An hour later he’d ordered a computer, a phone and he was trying to decide what color kindle to get her. As much as she seemed to love reading he wanted her to be able to access any book she wanted. After ten minutes of mental debate he realized he just didn’t know her well enough yet to guess what color she liked best, though she’d probably be thrilled with anything, something drove him to get just the right one.
He pushed away from the desk, stood and stretched, then went looking for her.
Alex found his new bride on the second floor in the sitting room, well that’s what he used it for now, he assumed it had been a play room or a nursery at one time. It was an odd little room with no closet, or bathroom like all the bedrooms, only a window seat that looked out over the front driveway. Janie was curled up in that window seat now, leaning against the glass, her knees pulled up in front of her and a paperback resting on them as she read. She didn’t even notice his presence. He stood there a moment, watching her, wondering what she was reading that she was so absorbed in. Her nose scrunched and Alex found himself smiling at how cute she was. After a while he cleared his throat to let her know he was there. She jumped and slammed the book shut as she looked up, a guilty look on her face. He wondered what she was reading to make her look like that, and who’d gotten mad at her for whatever it was.
“Am I late for dinner?” Her wide eyes filled with worry.
“No. It’s still a couple hours away. I came looking for you, I have a question.”
“Oh? What?”
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Purple, dark rich purple.” Her voice held a note he didn’t quite recognize. Her face turned pink.
Alex wondered why liking purple was something to be embarrassed about. “Is purple a bad color?”
She frowned and looked confused.
“You turned pink, I thought you were embarrassed about liking purple.”
She was quiet for a moment, then when she spoke, her voice was soft and hesitant. “It’s not that purple is bad, it’s that I was raised to be modest and not stand out. Blacks and earth tones were encouraged. White was allowed for a wedding dress or baptism, that was all. At least for women. Men had different rules.”
“And you feel bad because you like purple?” He stepped closer and sat on the edge of the window seat so he faced her. He wasn’t trying to interrogate her, just understand her.
“Not bad exactly. I know they were wrong. But sometimes those old teachings, the things that were drummed into my brain, sneak out.”
“Like no bright colors.”
She nodded and kept her face tipped down toward her lap where her hands were folded around the book. Something about her demeanor made him think she’d been raised that women were to be submissive to men, always.
The idea made his blood boil.
While he might like to play games in the bedroom occasionally, — who didn't? — he hated to see women subjugated just to make men feel superior. He’d seen women raised like that before, and it took them a long time to overcome those basic lessons, if they ever did.
Unable to stand the way she wouldn’t m
eet his gaze, Alex reached out and gently lifted her chin.
“It’s okay. You can like whatever you like, and if you want to wear bright red and purple all the time, that’s okay too. You’re an adult and I won’t dictate what you do, as long as you honor our vows.” Her gaze raked his face and settled on his mouth.
Just knowing she was watching his lips made him want to kiss her. Why the hell did he find her so irresistible?
“I don’t know all the rules you were raised with, but they’re gone here. If you’d like to talk about it, I’m here, but I’m not going to push.” Not sure what else to say, and not wanting to pressure her by giving in to the urge to lean in and kiss her, he stood. “I hope you’re enjoying your book.” He didn’t wait for an answer, but turned and went back to his office, wondering again where the agency had found her.
Chapter 8
Janie sat in the window seat staring toward the door her husband of only a few hours had just left through, wondering what had just happened. Thinking back, she tried to piece it together. He’d come in asking about her favorite color, then seemed to sense she was uncomfortable with her affinity for such a bright shade. How, she’d didn’t know. Somehow, he’d gotten her to talk about growing up, not much, but still, more than she’d planned to tell him. Ever. She’d escaped the cult her parents had been part of when she was fourteen, almost ten years before. She’d learned since that when people found out where she’d come from they looked at her differently, some with pity, others with disgust. She didn’t want to see either on her husband’s face when he looked at her.
She knew her lack of knowledge about electronics was considered weird. But when she’d first escaped and had gone to the police about what was happening in the group her parents were part of, they’d kept her isolated. That meant no electronics where her testimony could be influenced by anything online about the group. She hadn’t needed it. The truth from the inside was bad enough. Girls as young as fifteen were being forced to marry men three and four times their age. The men practiced plural marriage, something that was forbidden to women. Women were basically slaves. They existed to cook, clean, have babies and raise them. Oh, let’s not forget to service their husband’s every need. The other half of that was that they were expendable. Didn’t like this wife anymore? Just marry another. Did she anger you? Beat her.
Billionaire Bachelor: Alex (Diamond Bridal Agency Book 8) Page 3
