Page 29 of Tangled in Temptation

“He asked you,” he reminded me. “He doesn’t typically take a date, not since—”

“Not since Regina,” I finished his sentence.

“Yes.”

A pang of discomfort pulled at my chest. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of stepping into her shoes, even for one night. Besides, I was happy with the life I’d carved out for myself. I wasn’t looking to play socialite. “I don’t know, Bennet,” I said after a moment. “It’s not really my scene.”

“You wouldn’t have to do anything,” he reassured me. “Just get dressed up and smile a few times. It’s all for a good cause.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of other people who’d be happy to do that.”

“It’s not about that, Catherine,” Bennet said in a serious tone. “It’s about him. There’s something about you that settles him. I know you guys have had your ups and downs, and Regina has certainly made things difficult, but he needs you.”

His words hit hard. It appealed to that nurturing side of me. It was just a few hours one night. I did owe him one.

“You don’t think it’s going to start a bunch of rumors?”

He chuckled. “In Timothy’s world, there are always rumors. It’s not the kind of gathering that’s going to be swarming with media. He’s going to make sure you’re fine. That’s one thing about Timothy: He protects the people he cares about.”

My heart skipped beat thinking about him protecting me. I did believe it. There was something very alpha about Timothy. He did make me feel special.

“Sure, why not?” I sighed, knowing I really couldn’t say no.

Bennet chuckled. “Perfect. Pack a bag for the weekend. I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“Wait, what? What’s going on? Weekend? What are you talking about?”

Bennet laughed. “Timothy’s in the city, and he asked me to come pick you up for a weekend of shopping. You need a gown for the gala.”

“I can find a gown here,” I said.

“He is not going to allow you to buy your own gown,” he said. “I would think you would know that by now. Timothy has a habit of taking care of people. To fight it would be futile.”

I let out a long sigh. “Fine. I’ll be ready. What should I pack? Will Timothy be there? Hello?”

I didn’t hear an answer. I looked at the screen and realized he had already hung up. He was a lot like his boss. They were very demanding, expecting things to be done a certain way when they said so. My rebellious side wanted to protest, but it wasn’t like he was asking me to do something horrible. A couple days away wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

I attempted to call Timothy, but it went straight to voicemail. I didn’t bother trying again. I had no doubt Bennet would arrive in exactly thirty minutes. I rushed upstairs and grabbed a small suitcase. I rushed through my packing, hoping I didn’t forget anything as I tossed toiletries into another bag. I wondered why Timothy hadn’t called me himself. Why was he sending Bennet to pick me up? The polite thing to do would have been to actually ask me instead of assuming I was going to say yes.

I heard the doorbell ring and looked at my phone. It had been exactly twenty-eight minutes. Bennet did not mess around. I grabbed my suitcase and headed downstairs.

Bennet was standing at the door. “Hello.”

“You’re early.”

He grinned. “I stopped and got gas.”

“You know, for the record, most people can’t just pack on a moment’s notice and be ready to go in thirty minutes. What if I was working?”

“But you weren’t.”

“You’re very presumptuous.”

He smiled. “I’m used to making things happen. It’s what I do. Did you get packed?”

“Yes.”

“I guess thirty minutes was enough,” he quipped.