Under His Roof

LAURA

Xavier's penthouse was absolutely beautiful. There was no words to describe it. The view was breathtaking even at night. Floor to ceiling windows with a breathtaking view of the city which spanned out like stars, expensive furniture that blended with the color of the marble walls. Everything was perfect and cold, just like him.

I stood in the entrance with my duffle bag, suddenly aware of how out of place I was. Xavier walked past me into the living room and two people looked up from the couch.

"Xavier, you're back," the man greeted. He looked younger than Xavier, and I recognized him from the funeral. Xavier's brother. He smiled when he saw me. "And you brought company."

"Lucas,Juniper, this is Laura Grey," Xavier said. He didn't look at me when he said it. "She'll be staying here."

The woman, Juniper, stood up slowly. Her beauty was intimidating and when her eyes swept over me from head to toe, I could tell she found me lacking.

"Staying here?" she repeated. "Since when do you let women stay here?"

"Since now." Xavier's tone made it clear the subject was closed.

Lucas stood up and walked over to me. He held out his hand and I shook it. "Nice to meet you, Laura. I'm Lucas, the charming sibling. That's Juniper, the mean one."

"I'm not mean," Juniper said. She crossed her arms. "I'm cautious. There's a difference."

"Ignore her," Lucas said. He was still holding my hand. "She doesn't trust anyone Xavier brings home, probably because he never brings anyone home."

Xavier grabbed my bag from my shoulder. "Lucas, shut up. Juniper, go home. Laura needs rest."

"I live here," Juniper said.

"Then go to your room." Xavier walked down a hallway and I followed him. Behind me, I heard Lucas laugh.

"Oh this is going to be interesting," Lucas said.

Xavier stopped at a door and opened it. The bedroom inside was huge with a king size bed and its own bathroom. 

"This is the master bedroom," Xavier said. He set my bag on the bed. "You'll stay here."

"Where will you sleep?"

"The guest room down the hall." He moved toward the door. "The bathroom is stocked with everything you need. If you need anything else, let me know."

"Xavier, wait."

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Thank you," I said. "For helping me today and bringing me here. I know this isn't part of the contract."

"The contract doesn't matter if you're dead." He left without another word.

I sat on the bed and looked around the room. 

I unpacked my bag. It didn't take long since I'd only grabbed a few changes of clothes and my toiletries. Everything else was still at my apartment, probably ruined. I showered and changed into pajamas and climbed into bed.

I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I stared at the ceiling for hours thinking about everything that had happened. 

At midnight I gave up on sleep. I left the bedroom and wandered through the penthouse. It was quiet, Lucas and Juniper must have gone to bed. I found the kitchen and opened the fridge looking for water.

"Can't sleep?"

I jumped and turned around. Xavier stood in the doorway wearing only pajama pants. His chest was bare and covered in scars. While his left arm was designed with tattoos. Despite the ruggedness of it all, it was till attractive on him.

I stared. I couldn't help it. This was not the buttoned up businessman in the expensive suit. This was someone else entirely.

"Sorry," I said. My face felt hot. "I was looking for water."

"Cabinet above the sink." He walked past me to a different cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He poured himself a glass and leaned against the counter. "You're not going to find sleep in the fridge."

"I know. I just needed to move around." I got a glass of water and sat on one of the bar stools. "Your brother seems nice."

"Lucas is too nice. He trusts everyone." Xavier took a drink. "Juniper is the opposite. She trusts no one."

"What about you?"

"I trust people who prove themselves worthy of it."

"Have I proven myself?" I asked, sjpping the water.

"You signed a contract to marry me for money. That doesn't exactly inspire trust." His eyes met mine over the rim of his glass. "But you also stood up to me today. That was either brave or stupid."

"Probably stupid," I admitted.

The corner of his mouth twitched. If I squinted, I would spot a tiny smile. "Why did you become a nurse?"

The question surprised me. "I wanted to help people. When I was in the orphanage, one of the caretakers got sick and it was cancer. The nurses who came to help her were so kind and patient. They made her last days bearable. I wanted to be like them."

"And the clinic? The one you want to start?" He asked, his dark eyes boring through me.

"Terminal patients need more than just medical care. They need someone who sees them as people, not diseases. I want to create a place where they can have dignity in their final days." I looked down at my water. "Your mother understood that. That's why we became friends."

Xavier was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was softer. "She said you were different, and that you saw people, not their bank accounts."

"She was right." I said, my voice form.

"She's barely wrong about anything, or it could be that you're really good at pretending."

His statement stung, but I had to convince him. "I don't know how to prove it to you. But I'm not pretending. I cared about your mother. She was kind to me when no one else was."

Xavier drained his whiskey and poured another glass. "The mafia rumors you've heard about me. They're true."

My breath caught. "All of them?"

"Most of them." He looked at me. "Does that scare you?"

"Yes," I said honestly. "But not as much as Richard did."

"Richard won't be a problem anymore."

"What does that mean?" I couldn't help the smile that spread on my face.

"It means I handled it." His expression was unreadable. "You're under my protection now, Laura. No one will hurt you again."

The way he said it made my skin prickle. 

"Why are you being nice to me?" I asked. "A few days ago you thought I was using your mother. Now you're protecting me."

"I'm not being nice. I'm being practical. You're going to be my wife and I protect what's mine. It's that simple."

"Is it?"

He set his glass down and moved closer. He stopped right in front of me and I had to tilt my head back to look at him. This close I could smell his cologne mixed with whiskey. This close I could see the gold flecks in his dark eyes.

"You ask a lot of questions," he said.

"You don't answer many of them."

"No. I don't." His hand came up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. The touch was surprisingly gentle, for a man that looked like he could kill without thinking twice. "Get some sleep, Laura. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Why? What's tomorrow?"

"Our wedding."

Before I could respond, his phone rang. The moment shattered. Xavier stepped back and pulled the phone from his pocket. His expression hardened as he looked at the screen.

"What," he answered. His voice was cold again, all the softness gone.

I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation but I watched Xavier's face change. His jaw clenched. His eyes went flat and emotionless.

"When?" A pause. "I understand. We'll handle it." He hung up and drained his whiskey in one swallow.

"Xavier?" I said. "What happened?"

He turned to look at me and something in his expression made my blood run cold. "Richard Donovan was found dead an hour ago in his apartment. Apparent suicide."

The room tilted. "What?"

"He's dead, Laura. He can't hurt you anymore."

"What did you do?" I shuddered.

Xavier's expression was unreadable. "I protected you. That's what husbands do, isn't it?"

He walked past me toward the hallway. I sat frozen on the bar stool, my heart pounding in my chest. Donovan was dead. The man who'd been stalking me for months was dead. And Xavier was responsible for it.

Xavier stopped in the doorway and looked back at me. "The wedding is tomorrow at noon. I suggest you get some rest, Mrs. Blackwell."