the floor to ceiling window.
All the windows in the house were coated with a dark tint. It protected against the heat and sun damage and allowed privacy. It also meant I could watch Juliet without her knowing—a growing obsession of mine.
Just as I’d guessed, she was floating in the pool. If she didn’t have to eat and sleep, I was certain she’d spend the entire day out there.
I watched her long after I should’ve gotten back to work. Long after it became outright creepy.
And long after my body reacted in a way that it definitely should not have.
Disgusted with myself, I spun back around and closed the blinds.
But it did nothing to erase the images in my head.
Juliet
“What’s this?”
Ash pulled out the dining room chair next to mine and sat. His brows lowered when he slowly said, “A computer.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not that poor, I’ve seen a computer before.”
Of course, not one this sleek and pretty.
He shrugged. “You’re the one who asked.”
“I meant what is it for?”
“Your schoolwork.”
“Mr. Reed said I could run the programs on the iPad.”
“And Maximo said this would be better.” Ash opened it. “It’s a Mac, so it’s synced with your iPad. If you end up doing any of the work on there, it’ll transfer onto here.”
“Cool.” I dragged my finger along the touchpad, but I had no clue what to click. Everything was different compared to a PC, especially compared to the ancient one I was used to.
Ash turned it toward him, clicked a few things, and then twisted it back. “This is the site your work will be added to. Everything can be done online and submitted.”
“Got it.”
“Any other questions, ask Cole. He’s the computer guy. I can show you how to check your email, read the news, and watch—” His words cut off abruptly.
“Netflix?” I supplied, though we both knew that was not what he’d been about to say.
“Yeah. Netflix.” He closed the computer and pushed it across the table. He replaced it with something far less exciting.
A binder filled with math worksheets.
“This may as well be Latin,” I muttered.
He handed me a graphing calculator. “That’s why I’m here.”
I lifted a brow. “You’re going to teach me how letters fit into math?”
“Yup.” He smirked. “Hey, don’t look so shocked. I’m more than my handsome-goon face.”
My jaw dropped. “What? How?”
“Pain meds make people say crazy, yet true, things.” He tapped a pencil on the worksheet. “Now show me what you can do so I know where to start.”
Then, in a dining room of a mansion that belonged to a powerful and deadly man, a goon taught me math better than any teacher I’d ever had could.
And it wasn’t torture.
_______________
Beep! Beep! Beep!
I swatted to hit snooze on my alarm clock only to hear it crash to the floor.
Jolting up, I hung my head off the bed and saw my iPad beeping away on the floor.
Nooo, my precious.
In my rush to grab it, I tumbled off the bed, landing with a hard thud.
The sitting room door slammed before my bedroom one was thrown open.
Marco, gun drawn and alert, scanned the room for whatever dastardly enemy had caused such a ruckus.
My cheeks burned red as I jumped to stand. “I, uh, fell out of bed.”
His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he slid the gun into a holster hidden beneath his suit coat. He stormed over and stuck his head into the bathroom before checking behind the curtain. “What were you trying to do?”
I held up the iPad. “Grab this from the floor without getting my lazy butt out of bed.”
He looked at the tall bed then back to the not-tall me. “Your feet wouldn’t even touch the ground, let alone your arms.”
“Hence why I fell.”
Smirking, he shook his head and checked his watch. “Why’re you up so early?”
“I wanted to get into a routine with the school stuff.”
For some reason, I expected him to call me a nerd and maybe give me a swirly in the toilet. I didn’t have a locker, but he could probably shove me in the armoire instead. He seemed like the type.
But I was wrong.
“I’ll tell Ms. Vera to start bringing your breakfast earlier,” he said. “You can’t concentrate on an empty stomach.”
Stunned by his consideration, I didn’t respond as he walked from the room.
Ohhhhkay then.
Definitely better than him glaring.
Gently tossing the iPad onto the bed, I went to shower and get ready for the day. When I opened the armoire to grab my clothes, I saw my leggings and