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“And I’ll make one a guestroom for when you visit.”
He takes the three steps that separate us and looms over me. I know he thinks that’s supposed to be intimidating, but I find it adorable. And hot.
“I intend to tie your wrists and ankles to that four-poster bed the second I walk in here and not untie you until I need to leave.”
“Is that your way of saying youdon’tneed turn-down service in the guest room?” I asked as lust swirls through me, imagining that scenario.
It’s going to suck only seeing him on occasion, and I’m not sure I’m long-distance relationship material. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m not. I like to be right on top of the people I love, up in their business, seeing them, hugging them, taking care of them every single day.
He is too.
But I’m willing to try this with Henry.
“That’s my way of saying that if you think I’m going to be anywhere but glued to your pretty side when I’m in the city, you’re a little nuttier than I thought.”
“This place is great,” I tell him. “But I want to show you the place I found. It’s closer to school.”
I would love to live in this place. But the warehouse district is not walkable to Loyola. I could bike or take the street car but that’s at least a thirty-minute trip. I could drive, but I don’t want to deal with parking. Getting a place closer to school and being able to walk makes the most sense. And I happen to know just the place.
“You can move into this place today,” he says. He dangles the keys. “It’s ready for you.”
That is tempting. The apartment literally has everything I need. I’d need to have Scarlett and Mariah ship my things—clothes, books, a few personal items—from home, but I can replace my toiletries here, and I obviously not bringing anythinglarge, like furniture, from Ohio. I keep thinking the sooner I get moved, the easier everything will be.
“Just let me show you the other place.”
He sighs and gestures toward the door, but says as he follows me out, “Getting you to and from class is obviously not a problem. That’s what Sammy is for. In part.”
I stop, and he literally bumps into me. I turn. “Sammy? The guy who’s driving us around today?”
I wasn’t surprised that Henry had hired a town car driver for us today. He definitely seems like the type to have other people drive him around when possible. And it has been nice. Sammy is a fifty-eight-year-old white man with a wife and six grandkids, who has lived in New Orleans his whole life, has a delightful Louisiana accent, can make a pot of grits that will change my life, and knows the city like the back of his hand.
He picked us up from the airport, dropped us off at lunch and waited for us, then brought us over here. My understanding was that Henry has hired him for the entire day. Possibly for the whole time we’re in town.
“Yes. But he’s more than a driver. He’ll be your… assistant.”
“What do I need an assistant for?” I ask.
“Well, transportation for one,” Henry says. “He’ll also be taking care of the apartment, shopping, cooking, running whatever errands you have. Generally, just taking care of everything you need so that you can focus on studying.”
“You hired me a butler?” I say.
“I hired you someone to help you out,” Henry says.
“That is…” I shake my head. “Henry, we need to have a talk about your over-the-top spending habits.”
He pushes the button to call the elevator and says, “Do we?”
“We absolutely do.”
The elevator arrives quickly, probably because there are only eight units in this building. Henry ushers me into the car.“Can you give me an example? Something I bought that was completely ridiculous, with no worth at all?”
“Sammy,” I say.
“Sammy is a Marine Corps veteran who worked as private security for a prominent family here in town, but he’s been out of full-time work for a couple of years because of a back surgery that didn’t go as expected. He’s been doing some driving and we’ve hired him a couple of times when we’ve been in town. I asked him about the other services, and he was excited. He’ll take good care of you. You’re going to need the extra help so that you can focus on school. I am helping you out, taking care of you, which you know is very important to me, and I’m giving Sammy a job.”
I blow out a breath. Okay, so that one isborderlineridiculous, but it has some merit. “What about just buying Dan’s bar? You didn’t need to do that.”
“It gave Dan more money than he ever would’ve earned with that bar, allows me to help everyone in the bar out, including April, and I’ve really enjoyed it.” He lifts a brow. “It’s okay that I enjoy the things I spend my own money on, Ruby.” His tone sounds mildly offended.