“I probably shouldn’t go to a party and leave Patsy, anyway,” Nicole said with reluctance. The thought of going to a large party was very appealing, especially all dressed up. It would be really nice to feel like a princess for a night but she couldn’t justify spending the funds.
“Patsy will be well taken care of and it would truly hurt my feelings if you didn’t come,” Jasmine said, sealing Nicole’s fate. She wouldn’t want to hurt either of the two women who’d been so good to her.
“Okay, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get one dress but seriously it doesn’t have to be extravagant,” Nicole conceded. Both Jasmine and Trinity squealed with delight and by the end of their shopping day Nicole was regretting those few simple words.
She didn’t know how the women had managed it but she ended walking from the stores with several bags and the most stunning dress she’d ever seen. She’d felt like amazing when she tried it on. She couldn’t imagine how she was going to feel when her hair was all done and she had on the heels and accessories. She was looking forward to the masquerade but she was terrified to know how much she’d spent. She was determined to pay every cent back.
Trinity and Jasmine had refused to let her see any of the totals but she would tell Ryan she wanted to know the amount and she would pay him back. She wouldn’t allow him to refuse her. She felt too much like a call-girl, with him buying her clothes.
“I’ll take your dress and accessories back to my place. I want you to come over early so we can all get ready together,” Jasmine told her. She’d still not let her see what she’d bought to go with the dress.
“That would be nice,” Nicole told her. By the time they headed back to the hospital, Nicole realized she’d had an amazing day but she was certainly exhausted. The women left her and she quickly fell asleep in the cot the staff had brought in for her.
It was her first night to sleep soundly, the whole night, since the surgery. She was grateful Patsy had been sound asleep herself, or she figured her little sister would’ve carried through on her threat and made her leave until the morning. Nicole would’ve been too stressed to sleep at the house and besides she was trying to avoid Ryan. She really didn’t think she’d be able to resist him.
“I’m fine, you can really stop fussing over me now,” Patsy said, with some impatience with her overprotective sister.
“I’m simply worried about you. You did have major surgery and are finally safe and sound and out of that horrible hospital,” Nicole told her little sister with all the patience of a saint. Patsy had been in a dreadful mood the last few days and was incredibly sick of laying in bed. She’d always been an active child and she was thoroughly sick of bed rest.
“Remember your doctor said you can’t overdo it, only mild walks and no school for at least another month,” Nicole reminded her.
“Trust me, I have you here to remind me,” Patsy told her with a sincere smile. She may be grumpy but she knew her sister was only trying to make sure she’d be okay.
“I love you so much,” Nicole told her, fighting back the tears.
“I love you too sis, now go relax for a while. I promise you I won’t melt away while I sit here and watch a movie,” Patsy told her. “I can’t believe we are in this amazing house and I really hope we get to stay for a while,” she added.
Patsy had been just as amazed of Ryan’s home as Nicole had initially been. She’d stayed there for a little over two weeks now though and had adjusted to the palatial place. For Patsy, it was all brand new and she wanted to explore everything. She was still getting winded too easily though, and had to take it easy. Nicole was going to make sure she did indeed relax.
“What is it?” Ryan snapped at his poor receptionist when she buzzed him.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you Mr. Titan but you have a call on line one,” she said to him. His entire office staff had gone out of their way to avoid him over the last two weeks. He’d been a bear to be around and he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
Nicole had been living with him for a couple weeks and he hadn’t been alone with her since the night her sister had gone in for surgery. She’d stayed night and day at the hospital and though he’d wanted to drag her from the room by her hair and insist she share his bed he couldn’t do it.
He convinced himself he was only thinking about Patsy and didn’t care about what Nicole had actually needed. Even though he wanted his revenge on her he couldn’t hurt her as bad as he would’ve been by making her leave her sister. Nicole had only started to look better in the last few days. She was finally sleeping and her skin was getting a healthy flush to it. It would feel much better to challenge her if she was able to give as well as she got.
Patsy had finally been moved to Ryan’s house that afternoon and Nicole would be back in his bed. Maybe after he satisfied his needs, he’d stop snapping at every person who dared to even look at him.
“Thanks,” he said shortly and took the call. He barely managed to be civil to the man on the other end of the line and wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t call back for a very long time. Ryan gave up on work and headed out the door. He was in no state to be around decent people.
His driver got him home in record time, since there wasn’t any rush hour traffic to deal with. He slipped inside and worked the rest of the day from his home office. He didn’t trust himself to be around Nicole yet because he was sure she was tending her sister and it wouldn’t be good for Patsy’s heart to watch her sister be ravished right in front of her. Man, he was acting like a horny teenager.
His door opened and he was about to growl at the person who dared to interrupt him, when Derek stepped in through the door. He still grumbled a bit at his cousin.
“What’s up your burr?” Derek asked with a laugh. Ryan ignored the question.
“What do you want, Derek?” he asked instead. He knew he was being rude but his arrangement with Nicole was seriously killing him. He was supposed to have her in his bed every night and so far all he’d gotten was one night in two weeks.
“I was just coming to remind you about the party tomorrow night,” Derek said, barely able to suppress his humor at his cousin’s mood.
“I did forget about that. I don’t know if I can make it with Patsy just getting here,” Ryan said. He was certainly in no mood to be at a party and he was sure he wouldn’t be able to drag Nicole away.