Under the Billionaire's Shelter - Jamie Knight Page 0,25

breath to calm myself, I went through the sliding glass doors with what I hoped came off as a confident stride. There was a desperate lack of mirrors in the beautiful white marble lobby, which made it impossible to check.

“Yes?” asked the security guard, his cut-glass accent clear and clipped, standing like a Beefeater behind the desk.

“Hi, I'm Addie Harris.”

“Oh yes, go right through, Ms. Harris, you are expected.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Finally, they did, and I went toward the elevators, shocked at how easy it had been. Then again, who the heck would pretend to be me when they weren't?

The elevators hummed their way up the floors, quieter and smoother than any I had even been in. I guessed the designers of such an impressive building wouldn't have skimped on the details.

I wondered, just for a moment, how many workers were buried in the foundation. It was most likely spurred by the quote that I once heard that every Utopia is built on corpses.

The elevator chimed Clair De Lune, because of course it did. What else did I expect when it really came down to it?

“Hello,” I said, approaching the desk.

“Sit down, he'll be out in a moment,” the assistant said, not looking up from her typing.

The snark and efficiency in the same moment really was impressive, like watching someone juggle chainsaws on a unicycle.

“Now, Mari, that's not very nice is it?”

“Sorry, Tobias.”

I could have fallen over. Not only did the mysterious Tobias Ford have the voice of an angel, he was also the most beautiful man I had ever seen. Even his suit and jewelry, a Celtic cross ring on his right hand and a silver chaosphere pendant hanging around his neck, tapping gently against his blue silk shirt as he walked, were the paragon of perfection.

“H-hi,” I managed, my tongue not seeming to move properly.

“Oh, hello, Addie,” he said offering a hand.

We shook as the dictates of polite society would require, his hand so soft and smooth I felt a distinctive tingle in my nether regions.

“Shall we go down and take a look at the studio?”

I nodded vigorously, not fully trusting in my mouth to do the job properly. I was determined not to make a fool of myself in front of Tobias Ford, no matter what lengths I had to go to.

I could smell him. He wasn't wearing much cologne and it was actually quite tasteful. It was light and citrus smelling. We weren't even that close in the elevator. Something must have happened to my senses. I was aware of everything. Whether it was from fear or arousal was a coin toss at that point.

The studio really wasn't as scary as I thought it might be. It was actually pretty small and was mostly just a black room with some camera equipment with a chair set up in the middle. I assumed for me to record my monologues before or between the dates to be tied together to help make a narrative when the show was done filming.

“We won't be filming tonight, of course,” Tobias said, as if reading my mind.

“We won't?”

“Oh, goodness no! You get the night off and then tomorrow we start filming with the makeover and when that is finished, we do the first monologue and then the first date. It is a bit daunting, but we will try to make it as easy as we can.”

I could have kissed him and not just because he was being so nice to me. I would have expected him to be at least civil. I was their meal-ticket, after all. They had chosen me. I didn't even know I had been entered. Even so, there was something about the way Tobias acted. There was a genuineness to his gentleness that made me feel safe.

“O-okay,” I said, realizing I should probably say something.

“Great, I’ll have Clementine drive you over to the hotel.”

“Clementine?”

“My driver.”

“Yeah, I know, I mean figured but wow. That is just so perfect,” I said before I could stop myself.

“Perfect?”

“Her, name being Clementine. With the drawl and everything.”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” said Tobias Ford after a long, sage-like pause.

“Do you know what happened?” I asked, wanting to slap myself immediately after the words left my mouth.

“Happened with what?” Tobias asked patiently.

“Her neck, I mean -”

“Oh, her scar. I only know the basics but suffice it to say she had a spot of bother back home and needed a job when she landed here. She is one