Page 83 of Nothing to Tell

“Someone give me directions,” she mumbled.

“Son,” Thomas said, “be a gentleman.”

Harper yawned, not expecting to be suddenly plucked from the stool into Bastian’s arms.

“Oh my God, you don’t have to…”

He didn’t flinch as he carried her across the room.Other guests were interested, she couldn’t blame them.No one could’ve predicted that spectacle.Including her.Socialites cleared a path but watched as long as they could.Resting her head against him, sure that she was safe in his control, she relaxed.

If people wanted to watch, they could watch, she wasn’t about to cause a scene.More of a scene.Sometimes the unexpected wasn’t so bad.

After he maneuvered them through a couple of doors and up a set of stairs, Bastian opened a final door.A breath later he bowed, laying her down on a deep duvet that smelled of Bastian and sunshine.

He returned to the open door and a distant murmur of conversation.Had someone followed them upstairs?Had that person brought her shoes?

She sat up in sync with Bastian closing the door.

“Close your eyes,” he said.“You can sleep now.There’s no one around.”

Another yawn.Man, where were they coming from?

“I should get changed,” she said, stroking the delicate blood-red cotton that adorned the four-poster bed.“Where’s your car key?”

“Someone will bring your things up.”

No, she wasn’t used to this lifestyle, though it made sense someone could be sent to fetch her things, otherwise what was the point of Bastian carrying her up the stairs?

She hadn’t seen another bag in the trunk.“What about you?”

“This is my room,” he said, opening the closest drawer to show his clothes in it.

“Oh,” she said, lying down while reaching under her arm to unzip her dress.“We’re supposed to have sex, aren’t we?”

“If you insist.”

A grin spread on her face before she laughed.“I meant that’s what people will think we’re doing.”

He smiled and opened a door on the far wall.A spark of light revealed a bathroom.Bastian went in, leaving the door open a crack.

“My shoes are downstairs,” she called, listening to the water in the bathroom as she wriggled out of her dress and tossed it aside.

Ideally, she wanted to lose her thong too.That wouldn’t be polite, given that, by the looks of things, she and Bastian would be sharing a bed.

The water went off.

“They’ll be fine,” he said.“I can have someone bring them up if you’re worried.”

“No.I just thought I should say in case someone asks.”

“Who would ask?”he asked with that smile in his voice again.

She didn’t know the practices of a house like this, or what was acceptable of its guests.Presumably when the party was over and everyone was gone, staff would clean up.They’d find a random pair of shoes… and hopefully not get rid of them.Maybe they’d end up in Keely’s closet.If she was going to be leaving her shoes lying around the place, she should start writing her name in them.The last thing she’d want to do was accidentally pilfer a billion-dollar pair belonging to someone else.

“Whoever.”

A knock drew her attention to the hallway door.

“Yeah,” Bastian shouted from the bathroom.