"Nina, everything comes with a price. This was part of the deal clearly spelled out in the contract that you signed."
I sat there stunned. "What are you saying? I'm some prostitute you paid to have for half a year?" Suddenly, all the clothes hanging around the dressing room looked ugly, like everything about this made me feel ugly.
"Nina, you wanted a job where you could show off your skills and love of art. I wanted to give you that. I'm willing to make sure you have the clothes required for the position and many other things that can make you happy, and all I ask is that you agree to a few simple things to make me happy. I have a contract that stipulates you're obliged to do these things, but I'd love to think that you want to make me as happy as I want to make you."
What was I supposed to say to that? I'd been foolish in not reading the entire contract, and now I was going to be forced to pay the price. As I gathered up the clothes to take them to the register, I told myself there were worse ways to spend a few months.
At least I'd be getting paid handsomely to be someone's indentured servant.
Chapter Six
The driver carried the almost $10,000 worth of clothes Tristan had purchased for me into the house and disappeared like Rogers had hours earlier. I stood in the foyer unsure of where I was supposed to go and feeling no better after stewing over the situation all the way home.
"Nina, come. I have dinner waiting for you."
I turned to see Tristan standing in the doorway of the formal dining room. He was dressed in his suit and tie and looking like he had all the times before, except now he was my jailer or my owner. I hadn't decided which title sounded better.
He extended his hand and smiled that warm smile that had never failed to charm me. Even now, it had the desired effect and I walked toward him, almost as if my legs were controlled by him directly.
I attempted to walk past him into the dining room, but he stopped me short with his arm in front of me. Turning to look up at him, I saw a look of hurt in his eyes. As if he had something to feel hurt about!
"Did you enjoy shopping?"
I didn't know how to answer his question. I had enjoyed it and everything we'd done in that dressing room until I found out I had signed my life away, even if it was to someone as gorgeous as him.
He tilted my chin up with his index finger and stared down into my eyes. God, those brown eyes could just melt my heart sometimes. I wondered if he knew that and used them to manipulate me or if they were just the windows to a soul that was as lonely as I suspected it was.
"Nina, I want to make you happy. Will you let me?"
I closed my eyes to avoid looking into his as I spoke. "You don't want me to be happy. You want someone you bought to do as you command. There's a difference."
My eyes still closed, I felt his lips brush mine in a tender kiss. Then he spoke again, and my heart broke. "I can't be anything but what I am. I can give you everything your heart desires, but I can only do it this way."
I opened my eyes and tears slid down my cheeks. He softly swiped the pad of his thumb under my eyes to dry my tears and kissed me again. "I had the cook make a meal I hope you like. Let's eat."
We sat at the end of a long dining table with him at the head and me seated to his left next to him. In front of us were five main courses, all my favorite foods. There was shrimp scampi, roast beef, turkey with stuffing, sausage and peppers, and a cheese pizza. I scanned the heaping plates of food and looked over at Tristan.
"Did you know these are my favorite things to eat?" I asked, unsure I wanted to know the answer.
"Yes," he said in that innocent tone that seeped into his voice every so often.
"How did you know these were my favorites?"
He smiled proudly. "I asked."
For the first time, I asked the follow-up question I had never given voice to before. "Asked who?"
"Jordan. I asked her to tell me what you liked when I went to see her today."
He'd gone to my house while I was shopping? "Why?"
"Why did I ask her to tell me what you like or why did I go to see her today?" he teased.
"Please give me a straight answer, Tristan."
He knew I wasn't happy, and I saw the joy slide from his expression. "I asked her what you liked because I wanted to make sure you were happy. I visited Jordan today to give her the rest of your portion of the rent for this year. Now what would you like to eat?"