After Eve packed an overnight bag, Arec led her to her car. “I’ll drive,” he said, holding his hand out for her keys. “I’m perfectly capable of driving my own car,” Eve protested. “You were kidnapped and knocked out by something,” Arec said, staring at her with his palm open. “I’m driving.” Eve sighed and put her keys into his hand. “Fine,” she said. “But I’m still protesting.” “I get it,” Arec said, grinning at her. “It’s hard to relinquish control sometimes, but right now, I just want to take care of you.” He reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, smiling. “Are you sure you have everything?” Arec asked, breaking the spell. Eve lifted her head, opened her eyes, and nodded. “I packed everything I need,” she said. “I can always come back for more.” “Not without me, you can’t,” he told her. “I don’t plan on you coming back here by yourself if I can help it.” Eve shook her head but didn’t say anything more. She got into t

Eve could feel her face warm, so she set her cup down, smiling. Arec set his tray on the table and sat across from her. Glancing out the window at the scenery, he said, “Sometimes, I think my favorite time of the day is sunrise. Others, I think the sunset is my favorite.” Eve nodded and said, “I know what you mean. Both are special times of the day. At sunrise, you have all the possibilities of a new day. At sunset, you have the day and all of its problems behind you and the promise of another day ahead.” “That’s beautiful,” Arec said, staring at her. She chuckled. “Some days, I’m more philosophical in the morning than others,” she said. After they finished their meal, Arec stacked everything on one tray, saying, “I’ll take these to the kitchen and let you get ready for the day.” “Thanks, Arec,” Eve told him. Once he departed, she closed the door and proceeded to the bathroom to prepare for her workday. She had just given her reflection a nod when she heard another ta

When Arec returned, Eve had already dished up the chicken parm and had set the plates on the table. “Perfect timing,” she told him. “Everything’s ready.” He smiled at her and said, “That looks delicious.” “Thanks,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite meals.” “If it tastes as good as it smells, I can see why,” he said, walking to the table. Stopping, he smiled at her and said, “I see you put out a bottle of wine. Are you trying to get me drunk, Miss Rolands?” Giggling, Eve shook her head and said, “I just thought it would go well with the meal.” He picked up the bottle and looked at the label. “I mean, I’m sure it’s not as good as you would have at your house, but I like it,” she told him. “I’m sure it will be delicious,” he told her, opening the bottle and pouring some into each of the glasses. She smiled at him and said, “I hope you like it.” He walked toward the table and pulled a chair out for her. “Thank you,” she said as she sat in it. He moved to the other chai

Two weeks flew by as Eve explored Arec’s house while he was at the office. She watched a couple of movies in his in-house theater, swam in the indoor pool, and roamed through the hallways, marveling at how big the house was. However, restlessness began to set in for her toward the end of the second week. She roamed the hallways, not knowing where to go or what to do. She snapped at the servants, and when Arec arrived from work, she kept as close to him as possible. They slept either in her room or his, but they didn’t spend the nights apart. “I love waking up beside you every morning,” Eve told him as they snuggled in bed one morning. He pulled her closer and brushed his lips over her hair. “I do, too,” he said. “So many advantages.” He moved his hand over her hip, causing her to giggle. “I agree,” she said, moving her hand down his back and tilting her head to kiss him. Before they could go any further, someone knocked on Arec’s bedroom door. Groaning, Arec lifted his

Eve picked her phone up and saw a text from Linda. “Hey, girl! What’s new with you?” she asked. “It’s been a bit since we’ve talked, so I wanted to check on you.”Eve chewed on her lip as she thought about how she would tell Linda that she was staying with Arec. Sighing, she typed a message. “Hey, my friend! Have I got news for you!” she said. “You know those creepy packages I’ve been getting? Well, Arec doesn’t want me to stay at my place alone, so he has me living with him in his house.” She waited for Linda to respond but wasn’t waiting long. “WHAT?! You mean you’re staying with your oh-so-hot boss?!” “Yup!” Eve told her friend. “In his HUGE mansion!” “He has a mansion?!” Linda asked. “I’ll have to invite you over to see it,” Eve told her. “You’ll love the indoor movie theater and the pool.” “You’re kidding me,” Linda said. “He has an indoor movie theater AND a pool?! I must see this place!” Then she sent another text. “How long are you staying?” “I’m not sure,” E