Chapter 51 There's A Rip In It
The next morning, it really seems that David has listened to what I said. That he can't keep me at arms length, that I want to be involved, that he needs to trust that I can handle it.
I know he listened, because my name is suddenly called from the study, where I had seen Harlan and Theo enter 15 minutes earlier.
As I walk in, the three of them look up at me, each with odd smiles on their faces.
"Do you have a minute?" David asks, and I narrow my eyes at him.
What exactly does he think I do with my time? I haven't been allowed to leave the apartment in god knows how long at this point.
Still, I nod. He gestures for me to come to him.
I walk around the desk to his side, trying not to feel self conscious at the fact I can feel Theo and Harlan staring at me. Once I reach David, his hand slides around my waist, and he pulls me onto his lap.
Quickly stabilising myself by gripping the edge of the desk, I settle on his knee while his arm wraps around my body, and his hand comes to rest on my stomach. A strong, possessive hold. I see Theo and Harlan smirk at their boss' actions, but they both stay silent.
"We have a plan for tonight." David says bluntly, cutting through the weird tension in the room. He jabs his finger onto his desk, at the papers littered over it that I've only just noticed. "Theo has tracked them to this building," He points at one paper that has blueprints on it. "Says they've been in and out for the last few days. We are going to see what's inside it."
"Okay… what do you need me to do?" I query, still confused why I've been invited into the room.
"You said you wanted to be involved." He states, the stern tone telling me not to question it any further.
Nodding, I turn back to look over the desk.
I suddenly frown, my eyes focusing on the blueprints he's been pointing to, and lean forward, picking the paper up to get a look at it. I feel his hand tighten on my stomach as I do.
"What is it?" He asks after a second.
"I know this building." I mutter, now looking on the edge for a name, a title, some kind of identifier.
Why does it look so familiar?
"What's it called?" I ask, the question directed more towards Theo, who straightens in his chair.
"It's the DeVane Hotel. Somewhere downtown. Pretty big, stands out a whole bunch, so we're not really sure why they've picked to go there."
The pieces in my head click together instantly as I glance over at the calendar on David's desk, and remember what day it is.
"They didn't pick it." I mutter under my breath, and while my eyes are back on the blueprints, I feel everyone freeze.
"What do you mean?" David asks, a hesitancy in his voice that reminds me of when he’d asked about my past after we'd been at the shooting range.
A hesitancy that means he isn't sure he'll like the answer.
I put the paper down.
"It's the 12th November today." I say. The guys look at each other before turning back to me. Clearly they never read their diaries. "The 13th November is tomorrow. As in, the date of the DeVane Ball."
"What in gods hell is a DeVane Ball?" Harlan asks, his eyebrows frowning in confusion.
"It's a charity fundraiser, hosted by the DeVane family to raise money for low income families who've had someone in the prison system. Help them reintegrate, get solicitors, be represented for a fair trial and all that jazz." I explain, before turning to David. "Henry DeVane is on our board. He invites you every year. I know because he dropped the invite off three months ago while you were in a meeting, and I accepted it and put it in your calendar. Obviously it was before I knew what you do in your spare time." I add, catching Theo smirk at my comment. "The picture on the invite, their website, it's their blueprints, or some version of it, that's why this looks familiar. The ball is tomorrow, at the DeVane Hotel. So these guys didn't pick the hotel as a base, they're scouting it out. They're probably going tomorrow, so they're putting things in place for the event, to make a scene or rob them or–"
"Or to get to me, knowing I was invited." David interrupts, suddenly standing up, pushing me to my feet, and pointing at the guys. "Get security in place for tomorrow and get one of us down at the hotel right now – try and find out what preparations they're doing."
Theo and Harlan instantly nod and rush out the room, with David gathering up his phone from the desk and starting to follow them. He gets to the door before he freezes, seemingly contemplating something in his head, and then he turns around and walks back up to me.
I barely have a chance to blink before his hands are on my jaw pulling me to him, his lips instantly finding mine as I gasp into the sudden kiss. Sensing me trying to pull away, he just moves his hands to my waist, tugging me closer, his tongue licking my bottom lip, begging for entry.
"David what is... what are you doing?” I breathe, my mouth finally being released from him as he fervently kisses down my neck instead.
“Thanking you. Profusely.” He replies, moving back to my mouth to kiss me.
“Don’t you have to go?”
“They can handle things for a few hours without me.” He mumbles into my lips, using his hold on me to turn me, and push me suddenly against his desk.
“I need to make sure you know how wanted you are.” He adds, his lips trailing over my collarbone, his hand coming to the top of my T-shirt to pull it down, so he can start kissing down my chest.
"David…"
"I mean it. Let me thank you. Let me show you, Doll." His words are getting softer, more persuasive, more alluring each time he speaks.
My head rolls back a little as he continues to kiss every inch of my chest that he can expose without taking my clothes off, my hips instinctively starting to rock into him.
One of my hands goes to his hair, the other going to the desk behind me to keep myself upright. Licking my bottom lip and taking a deep breath, my brain fog clears up just enough for me to respond–
“You don’t need to show me.”
I sense him hesitate, for a split second, his tongue stilling on my skin, before he moves his hands back to my waist, his face moving up to mine.
“Why not?” He asks, his voice low, challenging.
But it gives me the second I need to formulate my argument.
“You don’t…” My hand slips down to his neck while I take a deep breath. “We don’t have to do this every time you want to…”
“Don’t I?” He smiles, leaning down to kiss me again, but I move my head back.
“It’s not the only way–”
“It’s the most fun way.” He interrupts as he kisses along my jaw, and pulls me closer to him.
"David!”
“Okay.” He groans, taking his lips off me completely, and looking me in the eyes once more. “I just thought you wanted me to spend more time fu–”
“I want a lot of things.” I laugh. “That was only one of them.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “I just mean that we don’t need to have sex every time you want to thank me. Or involve me, alright?”
He stares back at me, just breathing for a few seconds. Then he licks his bottom lip, and starts to relax his hold on me.
“Then I have another idea.” He finally says. “We’re buying you a dress.”
“A … what?” I ask, dumbfounded at the random suggestion. "Why?"
"Because you are going to be my date to the Ball."
"Ha! Funny."
"I'm being serious." He frowns.
"You've spent how long keeping me in this apartment? For my safety? Now you want to show me off at an event they're probably going to try and attack you at?"
"We will have security." He replies, kissing my neck again. "Lots of security."
"But it–"
"And it is the perfect place for me to show everyone that you are with me, and you are untouchable."
I stay silent, my brain already whizzing at all the possible ways this could go wrong. I am silent for so long that he speaks again.
"Come on Doll, stop thinking. I’ll protect you. The guys will protect you. Let me buy you a gorgeous dress and show you off… please?"
I breathe deeply before answering.
"Okay."
A few hours later, I finally understand what David's idea of 'buying me a dress' entails.
It entails 15 dresses being delivered to the apartment in various bags and boxes by a personal stylist. Apparently.
I am sat on the couch when they start bringing them in, my mouth dropping further and further with each new arrival. Once the front door shuts for the last time, David takes my hand and pulls me up to stand.
"I… what… how do…” I stutter, reading some of the logos on the bags and instantly knowing that this pile of garments in front of me is probably more than my salary has been at… well, both jobs combined.
"Don't question it." He whispers into my ear with an amused smile. "Just start trying them on."
He leaves me standing, replacing my position on the couch, watching me be frozen in utter shock for a few seconds before I bend down to pick up the closest bag. He speaks up when I start heading to my room.
"I don't think so, Nora." He calls out, making me still, and swivel round to face him. He gestures to the floor in front of him. "You can get changed right here."
Blinking at him, it takes me a moment to understand his request. Not that it is actually much of a request.
I walk back to the middle of the room, his eyes never leaving mine as he throws his arms over the back of the couch, and I slowly put the bag down by my feet.
Well if he wants a show…
Over the next hour, I purposefully take my time sliding off each piece of clothing, pulling on a dress, modelling it for him, and starting the process again. His eyes are constantly on me, making me feel powerful, and sexy. He makes short comments on the dresses, which I can't make him elaborate on any further considering he will instantly order me to take it off to try on the next one. They are all gorgeous, they all fit perfectly, but they are all dismissed.
It has thickened the air, the tension between us both palpable, with me wanting to just throw myself on him, and him trying to make the lack of contact last as long as possible.
It isn't until the second to last dress that something different happens.
Once I've gotten it fully zipped up, I run my hands up and down the sides of my body, feeling the material, smoothing it out, before looking up at him.
"This one feels nice. Do you like it?" I ask sweetly, starting to turn around so that he can get a full view.
He sits forward, rests his elbows on his knees, and raises an eyebrow. Then he tilts his head to the side, while I continue to turn around, until I am back facing him.
"No." He says simply.
I actually huff this time.
"David, what exactly is wrong with it this time?"
"There's a rip in it."
I frown, twisting myself round to try and see what he is talking about.
"I don't… David there's no rip what are you–"
"Come here, I'll show you." He orders, gesturing with his hand for me to walk towards him, which I do.
I am about to ask again where this supposed rip is, when he grabs the bottom of the dress with both hands, and rips the material right up the middle.