“I like to spend a lot of winter months here in the conservatory,” he said. “Being around living things cheers me up.
“Conservatory? I always wondered what that was.”
Maddox tilted his head, a question in his eyes.
“Did you ever play the board game Clue?” When he nodded, I continued. “One of my friends had that game and loved it. But I always wondered what a conservatory was. Guess now I know.”
“Let your curiosity fuel your learning, Bailey. When we stop learning, we stagnate. When we stagnate, we might as well be dead.”
“Thus, two books a week.”
“Exactly. And, while you’re here, feel free to read any books I have around the house.”
I probably would. After all, I’d need something to keep my mind off the one room in the house I wasn’t allowed to touch.
“Tomorrow, I’ll show you around the grounds if the weather’s nice. There’s a pool and a garden. The plants should be greening up here in the next few weeks.”
“Sounds good.”
“Now…shall we go make some dinner together or would you like to settle in your room for a bit?”
Since I didn’t know the mysterious Maddox Steel’s routine, I was going to slurp up every single moment with him until he shut himself away in his bedroom.
Starting now.
“Let’s make some dinner.”
“Atta girl.” As we made our way down the stairs, I could feel his eyes on my back—and I didn’t know if I should shudder with excitement or fear.
Chapter Ten
Maddox Steel fancied himself a bit of a chef—and he was pretty damned good at it. He had me watching a couple of steaks searing in a pan while he snipped the ends off some fresh green beans. I marveled at how he had no issues cooking but had Simon take care of the carnage afterward.
But I’d barely spent any time with the man. For all I knew, he’d take care of things over the weekend. I’d find out firsthand.
“Should I turn these again?”
“No, they look good.”
“Then what can I do? I’m not really doing anything.”
“Well, we need a salad. I can keep an eye on the steaks if you want to grab the lettuce.”
And so we made a meal together. Just like the first real time I’d spent with him, I seemed to relax when we had a task around food that we worked on together. The smell coming from the steaks and the roasted beans made my stomach growl.
After the decadent meal we’d had for lunch, how could I be hungry again?
“Are you okay with eating in here at the table? It’s a little less formal—and we might as well be more relaxed.”
I agreed. And soon we were seated at the table, eating our meal. “This is amazing,” I said, unable to stop myself from gushing. I wasn’t used to being spoiled this way, and I suspected if I ate too many meals with Maddox, I’d start putting on the pounds.
“It’s all in the cut and the spices. Oh, and it’s aged.”
“The steak?”
“Yes. The process makes the meat more tender, but it also concentrates the flavor.”
“I love it—but I don’t think I’ll have room for the whole thing.”
“Whatever’s left we’ll have for breakfast. Steak and eggs.”
“I eat too much with you.”
“No, you don’t. I don’t see you unbuttoning your pants or gasping for breath. And if you feel like you’re overdoing it, we can hit the gym later.”
Smiling, I stabbed some green beans and placed them in my mouth to enjoy another explosion of flavor. “You talked about college earlier. Where did you go to school, Maddox?”
“Here in Denver. Metro. I had a scholarship, but it wasn’t a full ride. I worked full-time all through school.”
“So what did you get a degree in?”
“I got an MBA.”
“Did that help you? You know…to get to where you are now?”
“It didn’t hurt. I worked for a couple of other firms before deciding to do things my way. And that degree really helped me when I started my own business.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” And, thus, why I was beginning to respect him more and more. “You said you worked full-time going to school. That’s what I had to do.”
“It definitely helped me appreciate what I was working for.”
“So…are you saying you didn’t have any of this when you were younger?”
He laughed, lifting the glass of red wine to his lips. “That’s right. I worked hard for everything I have.”
Oh, God. I wanted to ask him about family but felt like I’d already been prying way too much, I lowered my eyes, slicing off another piece of steak. “I don’t think I have what it takes to earn that much money, no matter how hard I work.”
“It’s not just the work, Bailey. Part of it’s timing. Luck. And seeing yourself as deserving that kind of money. I deserve this house. I deserve my Ferrari. I deserve to have a successful company. You have to believe that, and sometimes that means repeating things like that to yourself every day.”
I nodded, chewing the food in my mouth, but not believing I deserved to be wealthy. I didn’t know in my heart of hearts that anyone was necessarily worthy of having lots more than other people on the planet—and I hoped my struggle with that concept didn’t show on my face.
It would ruin dinner.
“Where did you go to school, Bailey?”
“I got a two-year degree at the Lowry campus of—”
“Aurora Community College?”
Nodding, I stabbed more green beans. “And then I finished out a four-year degree online.”
“I realize you’re my employee and I should know these things, but I don’t. What did you major in?”
“Communications. I wanted something that could transfer to various different businesses.”
“I can see why that makes you good in customer service.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to die there.”
“Well, when we get through this pandemic, we’ll see where we can move you. You said you wanted a promotion. What department in my business were you wanting to try out?”
Was he seriously asking me—or was he toying with me, just wanting to make dinner conversation?
I had to take the chance that he was sincere.
“I’d really love to work in advising—but I know I don’t have the education or experience for that. I’ve actually applied to work in marketing and research. I also applied for an admin assistant position in advising.”
“Well, I already know you’re good at that.”
“I also applied for a job in creative. That was one I really wanted.”
“Hmm.”
I had no idea what his lack of words meant—so I decided to steer things back to him. Once the world returned to normalcy, I’d see if I could move up in his company. For now, though—for the first time in a long time—I felt like I was being challenged again, and I was enjoying the work. It was something different.
But his ideas on accumulating wealth had captured my attention. Whether I felt like I deserved to have more money or not, I could see the value in knowing how to earn more money. “How long did it take you to acquire enough wealth that you felt like you were secure?”
“Which time?”
“I didn’t realize there was more than one time.”
“Mm. Yes. But I learned more each time. The first time was before I opened Essential Solutions. I’d gotten pretty good at playing the stock market—and I had no fear of risk. I understood that when you’re young, you have time on your side and you will earn money. But, after a while, I got really good at picking the right funds. Who needed time when you could make a million in a month?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’d earned five million dollars in a matter of a couple years—and I played on the edge, knowing the market was getting ready to plunge. That’s sometimes the best time to sweep in and make a killing. The market ble
w up and I lost everything.
“But that didn’t stop me. After I earned my next half million, I built my company, and now there’s no stopping me.”
“Did you lose money again after that?” This was something I didn’t know, and no one who’d been working for the company from its beginnings had ever said anything to me.
“I sure did, but not by playing the stock market.” He set the fork down on his plate, and the sound echoed throughout the room. “Did you know I was married at one time?”
“No.” Wow. I was learning a lot.
He nodded, and the look on his face made me wish I hadn’t said a word. “Yep. And the divorce was fucking brutal. She tried to take everything—including this house. I wound up giving her millions upon millions. The only reason why I survived is I managed to hire a cutthroat attorney. I didn’t want to leave her destitute—but she didn’t deserve everything I had worked for.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It taught me a valuable lesson.”
I didn’t even want to go there—and I realized I needed to add a little levity to our conversation. “So…you’ve lost two fortunes and were married. So that makes you…what? Fifty? Sixty?”
At first, he thought I was serious. I could tell by the way his eyes widened. But then they crinkled in the most adorable way. “Ah. Humor. Cute.” Tilting his head, he picked up his fork once more. “I don’t know, Bailey. How old do you think I am?”
Fortunately, he was taking my teasing as intended, so I thought I might push it a little. “I don’t know, Maddox. It seems like you’ve lived a full, long life. Fifty sounds about right.”
“Please tell me you’re not serious.”
I laughed then, unable to hold it in. “I’m not. But please don’t make me guess. I’m not good at games like that.”
“I’m thirty-nine.”
Oh. Would that be a deal breaker for me? I considered teasing him more, calling him an old man—but we weren’t too far apart, were we? Not so bad that it would matter.
I didn’t think so anyway. But ten years was a long time, a big gap.
“So slightly younger than sixty. Would it be considered impolite for me to ask you your age?”
Shrugging, I cut a few green beans in half with my knife, trying to avoid his gaze. “I don’t know.” At this point, my heart was falling for him—and I didn’t want our age gap to stop him from starting to feel the same way about me. “Would it affect the way you regard me?”
“Why would you think that? Did my actual age change the way you regard me?”
“No.”
“It’s all right, Bailey. I know women don’t like to talk about—”
“Twenty-nine. I’m twenty-nine.”
“Oh. Okay.” Maddox dropped his fork first and then his jaw. “Oh, no.”
“What?”
“You were right. Knowing your age completely changes the way I look at you.” He hung his head in mock disillusionment, causing me to laugh, and I playfully slapped his arm.
His eyes made me stop in my tracks. “Oh, sorry.”
Taking my hand in his, he then met my eyes with his, arresting my mind and my heart. “I’m not an easy man to love, Bailey.”
My heart started thudding in my chest but most thoughts escaped me. How had he known what I’d been thinking? “We all have our faults, Maddox.”
“There’s a reason why I’m divorced.”
Now the mood was somber—and my appetite had disappeared. I wasn’t going to argue with Maddox about what kind of spouse he’d be. When I’d flirtingly slapped him, I hadn’t thought of marriage and divorce or even love.
But he’d sensed one thing—I was becoming interested.
Standing, I picked up my plate. “Where do you keep your cling wrap?”
“It’s in one of the drawers. Do you want me to help you find it?”
“No, that’s okay.” Even though I hadn’t personally spent the money on food, I didn’t feel right about wasting it. “I’m holding you to steak for breakfast.”
“You’re on. Guess I’d better stop now, too.”
The mood felt a little lighter now, so I breathed easier. “When are we having S’mores?”
“Ah, I love that you’re eager. Not till tomorrow night.”
“Oh.” I continued opening drawers and finally found one that held the plastic wrap.
“If you want, though, we could have just one tonight.”
“No, I don’t want to cheat.”
“It’s not cheating when you’re the one making the rules.”
I looked at him as I tore a big piece of film and set it on the counter. “That is too cheating. It’s moving the goal posts.”
Picking up the box of wrap, he tore off a piece for his own almost completely eaten steak. “You seem a little sensitive about that.”
God, I was going to get myself in deep trouble if I didn’t watch it. “Let’s just say that in the past, I’d have bosses who’d tell me one thing and I’d work my ass off to do what they’d recommended in order to achieve a good review or something—and then, once that was done, they’d change their mind about what was expected. Maybe you haven’t had to deal with fickle bosses in a long time owning your own company, but it’s infuriating.”
“Actually,” he said, picking up my wrapped steak along with his own and walking over to the fridge, “the clients are my bosses now. And if you don’t think that sort of thing happens with them—”
How the hell could I argue that logic? I was beginning to think there was too big a chasm between us for us to ever even attempt anything—even though he was good-looking AF, as Elise would say.
I disappeared somewhat into my own head, but it didn’t escape my notice that he helped me wash dishes—and I said yes when he invited me to play games downstairs. He asked if I wanted to play cards, but we found a racing videogame that turned out to be a blast. And, even though he smoked me most of the time, I improved the longer we played.
“Just one more,” I urged him. “Then bedtime.”
He agreed—and this time I finally won.
“The perfect time for bed. I won’t get any better than that.”
He had a smirk on his face that made me wonder.
“You didn’t let me win, did you?”
His lip lilted up and, for the first time, I noticed the tiniest dimple. God, this man was too gorgeous. I could barely stand to gaze upon his beauty.
“I’ll never tell.”
I resisted the urge to slap his arm again and thought to myself that was a rather immature gesture anyway. Wrapping up the controller, I handed it to him and sighed.
“Want to grab a book from the den before you head to bed?”
“Not tonight. I have a reading app on my phone if I get desperate. I have a couple of books on it I need to finish.”
He shut off the television and fireplace and we walked toward the stairs together. “What genre?”
Resisting the urge to giggle, I forced my voice to remain calm. “One’s chick lit. Another’s romance. And I think I have a thriller I haven’t started yet.”
“I have some thrillers, too, if you run out of reading material.”
As we climbed the stairs, I felt a little relief that he hadn’t poked fun at my choices. “Thanks. I think it all depends on how long I’m here.”
“Bailey, you can borrow books even when you’re not staying here anymore.” He flipped off the lights as we began climbing the second set of stairs to the top floor. “I’d like to think we’ll remain friends once the pandemic’s over.”
Friends? That was a sweet idea. But I didn’t know how realistic that would be.
Especially when I was beginning to suspect I wanted more.
When we got to the top, we walked along the hallway that led to his bedroom door first, but he continued moving with me until we reached my room. Opening the door, I flipped on the light switch before turning to look Maddox in the eyes.
“Do you need anything
before bed?”
“No. Thanks, though. I just want to settle in.”
“I’m next door if you need anything.”
I fought against a grin. “Thanks. Sweet dreams.”
“You, too.” He sauntered back down the hall toward his room while I fought the urge to watch him all the way until he disappeared. Damn, his ass looked fine in that pair of jeans.
Shutting my door, I leaned against it, sighing like I would have in high school. I spent a little while unpacking my luggage, hanging up clothes and putting a lot of my toiletries on the desk and dresser. Then I turned on the fireplace and warmed my toes. I was tempted to sit in front of it all night, reading one of the stories I’d told Maddox about.
Instead, I decided to take a warm, relaxing bath in that gigantic tub. It wasn’t long before I was surrounded by steaming water, wondering to myself how people could ever get used to living in luxury like this without feeling guilty. I didn’t right now, because this felt a vacation, but how would I feel if I was here for months…years?
That would never happen.
When my muscles felt like jelly and my limbs had grown heavy, it was time to get out. The tub made a gurgling sound as the water flowed down the drain, and I patted myself down with one of the fluffiest towels I’d ever used. I slathered my body in lime verbena lotion before donning a pair of fleece pink and gray pajamas. After sliding on a pair of slippers, I brushed my teeth and washed my face, and then I turned off all the lights except a lamp on the nightstand.
But I curled up in front of the fire and watched the flames flicker as my mind wandered. I couldn’t help but think about my neighbor next door. He seemed farther away than my neighbors in my apartment building when I was home—and I was probably right. This bedroom was easily larger than my place.
Maddox, though. What was he doing right now? Was he reading one of his mysteries—or maybe his nonfiction du jour?
Was he thinking about me?
I had to stop tormenting myself. Crawling into bed and shutting off the light, letting that go was easy. Because now, even with the fireplace, the dark was encroaching and I was in a very strange place. Falling asleep wasn’t easy but it was eventual.
Quarantined with the Billionaire Page 9
