The Arrangement Duet Box Set Read online

  “I suppose.”

  “Please, the condo is sitting empty and would be a safe place for you to live. The building has twenty-four seven security at all times plus the unit itself has a state-of-the-art security system. You wouldn’t have to worry about someone breaking in.”

  “I… I don’t know how I feel about this. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

  “Kenzie, it’s very likely you’re in this mess because of me. Please let me do this for you, let me protect you.”

  I can’t remember the last time I said please so many times. I don’t beg for anything, yet here I am begging Kenzie to let me keep her safe. Again, this is something most women wouldn’t even question: I am offering to put her up in a luxury condo, completely expense free, and she is worried about taking advantage of me. This is the woman I first met on the sidewalk a few months ago who tried to refuse my offering to replace the clothes that I had ruined. It’s hard to reconcile this woman with the one who receives a paycheck for going on dates with me. Looking around her small apartment, I begin to see why she might have been tempted to agree to Bridget’s offer. If this is all she could afford working two jobs, what chance did she have to get out of here?

  “Okay,” her voice is barely above a whisper, but it’s there.

  “Great, thank you. Please take only what you absolutely need; the apartment is fully furnished, and I can replace anything you don’t want to bring. I’ll have Carter arrange for a member of my security team to wait here for the locksmith so that anything you don’t take tonight is safe. We’ll arrange for someone to get the rest of your items tomorrow.”

  “Nicholas, I don’t have very much. They destroyed most of furniture, the jewelry is gone.” She looks sadly at her bed and television. “Just let me throw some things into a garbage bag.”

  “Of course, whatever you want. I’m going to speak with Carter for a moment, but I’ll be right outside the door.”

  “Nicholas, he can come into the apartment, you know,” she chuckles before opening a drawer and pulling out a bag.

  “I’ll let him know.”

  I close the door as I leave the apartment, noting that it barely latches shut. It’s obvious someone kicked in the door to gain access. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, relieved that I was able to convince her to move out tonight. I don’t know what I would have done if she continued to refuse to leave or had insisted on staying in some fleabag motel tonight. Even though no woman I’ve ever dated has ever been in my condo since I bought it, I find myself oddly disappointed that she didn’t take me up on the offer to stay in one of my guest rooms. After she moved out and I sold that condo, I vowed to never let a woman get that close to me again, yet here I was offering Kenzie to essentially move in with me.

  “Sir?” Carter pulls me from my thoughts before I can figure out why it bothers me that Kenzie said no.

  “Kenzie has agreed to move into the vacated condo that Alex and Ella were in. Can you arrange for a locksmith to fix the door tonight and have Hunter wait here until they arrive?”

  “I’ve already contacted someone and they will be here within the hour to fix the lock; Hunter should be here momentarily as well.”

  “I would like Hunter assigned to Kenzie full time beginning tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “She is bagging up a few things to take with us, but if there’s anything left that should be saved, can you arrange for it to be delivered tomorrow? She didn’t think there would be anything as most of the furniture was destroyed by whoever broke in.”

  “I’ll arrange for someone to dispose of anything left behind.”

  “Did the police have any leads?”

  “No, there were no prints and this building obviously doesn’t have any security cameras, so there was nothing to go on. They suspect it was someone who lived here though. A few of the residents apparently made comments about seeing Kenzie getting into a high-end car a few times—“

  “The car service?”

  “That’s my guess. Bridget had a car service bring Kenzie to PFS for your last two... dates. I’m guessing a car like that probably stood out when it picked her up.”

  “So this was my fault…”

  “Sir, I don’t think—“

  “Kenzie told me to tell you to come inside rather than standing outside her door.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Kenzie?” I call before opening the door all the way not wanting to startle her.

  “Over here.” She’s bent over, trying to pull the small fridge out from underneath a countertop.

  “Ma’am, please allow me,” Carter quickly offers.

  “Thank you, Carter, if you can just pull it out a little, there’s something behind it I need to get,” she explains.

  Carter pulls the small fridge out from under the counter, and as soon as it’s out a few inches, Kenzie indicates that he can stop. She reaches behind the fridge, and after a few moments of searching she pulls out a beige envelope that must have been stuck to the back of the fridge.

  “Carter, if you wouldn’t mind, could you help me pull the dresser from the wall? It shouldn’t be very heavy, they… most of the drawers are empty now.”

  Just like with the fridge, Carter moves the dresser away from the wall a few inches and Kenzie reaches behind to pull out another beige envelope. I’m about to ask her what is going on, but Carter shakes his head at me, indicating that I shouldn’t ask.

  Knock knock

  “That will be Hunter; what can we take to the SUV for you, Ms. Rose?” Carter asks.

  “Just that black bag, I can grab the duffel bag and my purse—“

  “We’ll take the duffel bag and the other bag ma’am. I’ll come back up for you both in a few minutes.” Carter quickly grabs the two bags before Kenzie can protest and leaves the apartment.

  “If there’s anything you think you overlooked, Hunter can bring you back here tomorrow to get it—“

  “Hunter?”

  “He’s going to be your CPO—“

  “I’m sorry, my what?”

  “Close protection officer—he’s assigned to your security. He will take you wherever you need to go and will ensure the press don’t bother you.”

  “He’s going to follow me around?”

  “Yes, I know it’s a lot to take in, but trust me, after a little while you will barely notice him.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “His job will be to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again, Kenzie. He’s there to keep you safe.”

  “I know, I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m being argumentative—“

  “Not at all, I know this is a lot to take in all at once.”

  “It’s just not how I expected to be spending my night tonight,” she sighs and shakes her head, looking around the room one last time before Carter indicates that the SUV is ready for us to leave. I take her hand in mine and lead her out of the apartment; she follows me but doesn’t say a word as I’m sure she tries to come to terms that she is leaving. It may not be much, but I get the impression that Kenzie liked the place. When we get into the SUV, she stares blindly out the window…

  “Why did the police call you, Nicholas?”

  “When we… when we started our arrangement, Carter spoke to the captain in this precinct and requested they contact him if there was any police activity in or around your residence.”

  “So you knew where I lived?”

  “I didn’t, no. I have maintained my ignorance of that aspect of our contract until tonight,” I assure her, trying not to ruin the little bit of trust that I think she has in me.

  “But Carter knew where I lived?”

  “Yes.”

  “Bridget told me the information wouldn’t be included in my background check; that you wouldn’t know where I lived or know how to contact me.”

  “She didn’t give Carter that information. Carter ran a background check—“

  “What the hell is it with
you running background checks on people without them knowing?!”

  I’ve never heard Kenzie raise her voice or curse, so I’m taken aback by her reaction.

  “Kenzie… It’s standard protocol to run a background check on anyone I come in contact with because of who I am. I have never looked at the report though, Carter gave me very basic information on what was in it.”

  “Gee thanks,” the sarcasm is evident in her voice.

  “I’m not going to apologize for the fact that Carter ran the report. In my line of work, it needs to be done. Everyone is considered a risk to PFS, to my family, or to me until we have a thorough background report completed.”

  “I understand that, but don’t you think that people like you should at least ask someone before they go diving into someone’s past?”

  “People like me?”

  “Bridget did the same thing! Before she called me about this… about her business, she ran a background check on me. Again, without my permission.”

  “Kenzie, unfortunately it’s how people are weeded out and how risks are reduced.”

  “I’d like a copy of the report.”

  “Of course… Carter, please send Ms. Rose a copy of her background report when we return to the condo.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “I don’t suppose I need to provide you with my email address Carter?”

  “No ma’am, I have that information already.”

  “Of course you do.”

  “Kenzie… I don’t know what to say.”

  “I think I just want to call it a day and deal with everything tomorrow if you don’t mind, Nicholas. It’s been a very long day, and I’m exhausted. I’ve been awake now for more than twenty-four hours so I’m probably not handling this the right way.”

  Kenzie doesn’t say a word for the remainder of the drive, but just before we approach The Accord, she takes my hand in hers and squeezes it gently. The subtleness of this gesture makes me smile, and despite everything that happened, for the first time in a couple of hours I feel relaxed.

  Chapter 15

  Kenzie

  Finding my apartment torn apart when I arrived home from the exhibit with Nicholas was the very last thing I expected. I was just beginning to try to piece together what had happened when Carter and Nicholas knocked on my door, surprising the hell out of me. I never would have thought that Nicholas would suggest—well insist—that I move out of my apartment and into a condo that his company owns. I hate the idea of having to be dependent on him for this apartment; he could terminate our arrangement at any time and I would essentially be homeless again.

  What happens if he decides he doesn’t need me any longer? I wonder if he would at least give me a couple weeks to find another place? If I save all my money from Bridget and from the bakery, I could have enough to cover the cost of a hotel room for a few days or a cheap motel for longer until I found another apartment to rent. I think that’s what I’ll do… I’ll save as much as I can so when Nicholas does end our arrangement and I lose the apartment, I will at least have saved enough to pay for another place.

  “Kenzie? We’re here,” Nicholas pulls me from my thoughts just as I think I have a plan for moving forward.

  “Sorry.” Somehow I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t realized that Carter had not only parked the car but was holding my door open. Just before I slide across the seat, I realize that Nicholas is holding my hand. I’m surprised by the gesture especially considering our “date” ended several hours ago. We walk through an underground parking garage with Carter following behind us.

  “Where are we?” I feel stupid for not asking, but I hadn’t paid attention to where we were driving. That in itself surprises me because I’ve never done that before. I never let my guard down so completely as to not know where I am going and where I will end up.

  “We are two blocks from the bakery in a building called Accord Towers. The condo is on the fifth floor and then I live a few floors above it—“

  “You live here?”

  “Yes, however, I want to assure you that you will still have your privacy. I don’t have a key to this place, only Carter does, but no one will enter the condo without your approval. This will be your place, Kenzie. It won’t change anything about our arrangement…”

  “But it does…” I sigh. “It changes everything.”

  “No, it just changes where we meet for our dates and where you are dropped off at afterwards. I will not come into your space, Kenzie; the condo is yours,” Nicholas explains as we take the elevator from the parking garage.

  But… for how long?

  “Mr. Parker, Ms. Rose.” Carter ushers us through a doorway into a beautiful living space.

  “Holy shit,” I gasp, taking in the space before me.

  The door opens to a small tiled entryway, but just beyond that is a large living room, completely furnished as Nicholas said it would be. There is an oversized loveseat and a larger couch in the room, plus a coffee table, two end tables, and an entertainment center, yet the room still looks incredibly large. The apartment is completely open, but unlike my last space, this actually has defined rooms, and several of them. There is a small dining room with a table that can seat four next to a large kitchen with what I can tell even from here are top-of-the-line appliances.

  “There are two bedrooms just down the hall, one is set up as a fully equipped office. There is a guest bathroom in the hallway, then the master bedroom with a separate bathroom and walk-in closet. Feel free to change any of the furnishings while you’re here—“

  “Nicholas, I’m sure—“

  “The space is yours, Kenzie, if you want to paint the walls, get new furniture or anything else, please do so. The kitchen is stocked with dishes and cleaning supplies, though I’m not sure what is left in the pantry from Alex and Ella—“

  “Mr. Parker, Ms. Rose, if I may interrupt.” I somehow hadn’t noticed Carter standing in the entryway just sort of watching or waiting for us. “The pantry and fridge should be stocked with kitchen essentials and there are a few prepared meals in the freezer until you go food shopping. If there is something you need in the meantime—“

  “No, I’m sure whatever is in there is fine, Carter. I hadn’t expected anything remotely close to this, so thank you.” I’m taken back that all of this was somehow arranged in such a short period of time.

  “The meals are delicious, Julie has a way of cooking things so they never taste like they were frozen,” Nicholas says.

  “Julie?”

  I know Nicholas doesn’t have a girlfriend in public, but could he have someone that he keeps out of the media spotlight? He said he didn’t have time to date, but what if that wasn’t true and he was just protecting her from the media? I’m not sure why, but suddenly the idea that he is with another woman bothers me. Our exclusivity clause actually only applies to me.

  “My housekeeper and personal cook. She keeps my freezer stocked with prepared meals so that I don’t starve on the weekends when she is off or on the rare occasion she goes away. There should be instructions on each container as to how to heat it.”

  “That’s very nice of her, please thank her for me.” Relief floods me before I have a chance to understand why.

  “Of course. Is there anything else you will need tonight?”

  “I don’t think so…” Who could possibly need anything else in a place like this?

  “Ms. Rose, here is the security code to the apartment and instructions on how to change it. This key is for the ground level entrance, here is the code to the parking garage needed to gain access from the outside or from the elevator, and then this is the key to the apartment. You should find a list of all the building amenities in the office, now accessible to you. I know Mr. Parker gave you my number if the press bothers you, but if you need something, please call me at any time. This is Hunter’s cell phone number, please contact him in the morning and let him know your schedule for the week. I ask that you not leave the buildin
g without him; he will escort you anywhere you need to go, even if it’s in the middle of the night.”

  “I’m sure that won’t be necessary but thank you. I’ll call him tomorrow and let him know my work schedule: it’s pretty much the same every week so it’s easy to plan around.”

  “I’ll let Bridget know the details for Saturday once they are confirmed?”

  “Sounds good. Thank you again, Nicholas… this… thanks for, well all of it.” I lean up on my tiptoes and kiss him lightly on the cheek. I don’t know whether I’m out of line or not; technically our date ended hours ago but I feel I need to show him my appreciation somehow.

  “It was nothing, Kenzie…”

  “Good night Nicholas.”

  “Night.”

  With that, I’m left alone in this incredibly large, elegant apartment that I know I could never afford. Despite now being awake for more than twenty-four hours, I find myself full of energy and can’t help wanting to explore my new home, even if it’s only a temporary new home. I walk through the living room, wanting to head straight for the kitchen, but I stop in front of patio doors that I discover open to a small but cozy patio complete with two chairs and a small table. There isn’t much of a view, you kind of look across the street to another building, but the thought of just being able to step outside for a few minutes without having to step around or over drunk/high people is perfect for me. I love the sound of the hustle and bustle of the city below me, yet the patio makes it seem like I’m far enough away from all of that.

  Back inside, the kitchen is more impressive than I ever could have imagined. There is a large gas range, a dishwasher, a small walk-in pantry, and a full-size fridge. The kitchen itself is easily as large as my last apartment. As Carter mentioned, the fridge and pantry are stocked with what you would expect to find in a kitchen: spices, flour, sugar, milk, eggs, cereal, snacks, fruit, vegetables, soda, beer, and wine. I could not shop for a couple of weeks and not starve, but I’m actually eager to go food shopping—I can’t remember the last time I was able to cook an actual meal. Despite trying, I quickly discovered there are only so many things you can cook on a hot plate that end up tasting halfway decent.