Final Destination III by Nelle L'Amour Read Free Book Online

quirked a smile. “I told you it would hurt.”
    “Aren’t you supposed to kiss the boo-boo?” I asked, pleased that my sense of humor was coming back to me.
    “You’re right.” Without missing a beat, he gently pressed his warm, velvety lips against the wound. They were more soothing than any balm. I half-expected his expert tongue to roll along it, but instead he began to roll gauze around my hand.
    “You’re good at this,” I said as he finished off the dressing with a piece of adhesive tape. “You should have been a doctor.”
    “I almost was,” he retorted. “I spent a year at Harvard Med, but switched over to the Business School when my dad got sick.”
    No wonder he knew how to handle Lauren’s suicide attempt. What else didn’t I know about my amazing Trainman?
    Ari’s eyes roamed down my body, lingering on my crotch before stopping at my left knee. “That’s a fine mess.”
    It was. The scrape, about two inches in diameter, was red-raw, and there were streaks of caked up blood all over my calf.
    I winced as he cleaned it up and covered it with a patch of gauze.
    “Thanks, Doctor.” I knew I was recovering because that tingling all over feeling that I got whenever I saw him had returned to me.
    His eyes burned into mine. I glanced down at his crotch and could see a tent between his legs that was not there before.
    “Well, I’d better be going.” I stood up, but Ari held me back, two hands anchored firmly on my shoulders.
    He furrowed his brows. “Where the hell do you think you’re going, Ms. Greene?”
    I thought he might spank me. Again. I cowered under the scrutiny of his intense, steely eyes.
    “You can’t go back on the street in those torn up, bloody clothes. You have no money to get home. And for all I know, there’s some mad serial killer on his way to your apartment right now. He knows where you live.”
    I bit my lip. He had a point.
    Ari strode over to his desk and pressed a button on his phone. “Miss Thatcher, please use my credit card and pick up some appropriate clothes at Neiman’s for Ms. Greene. I trust your taste. She wears a Size 6.”
    “Yes, Mr. Golden,” the voice on the other side said.
    “She’ll be back in an hour. Neiman’s is not far,” he said, heading toward that other room off his office.
    I could hear water running. It went on for a long time.
    Ari emerged from the room and strode over to me. Scooping me up in his arms, he said, “Let’s get the rest of you cleaned up.” He carried me across the room.
    My eyes grew wide. This was no ordinary bathroom. It was practically a spa, all glimmering white marble and shiny chrome. There was a toilet, bidet, full steam shower, a built-in porcelain bath fit for king, and a floor-to-ceiling window with a view to die for. Ari had drawn me a bath, the sunken tub half filled up.
    He gently set me down on my feet. Slowly, he undressed me, letting my filthy, torn clothes fall to the marble. I stood naked before him, speechless.
    “Do you let your new boyfriend undress you like this?” he asked coolly.
    Cringing, I lowered my head. I could not look him in the eyes.
    He tilted up my head with his hand. His piercing blue eyes burnt into mine. “Saarah…”
    Oh the way he said my name!
    “…I did a little reconnaissance on your boyfriend…”
    He spied on Fernando?
    “He’s very handsome, very committed… and very gay.”
    My heart was beating a mile a minute. I wanted to bow my head in shame, but his grip under my chin was too strong. In fact, he was hurting me.
    His eyes burned a hole in me. “I know that one of your favorite sayings is ‘ absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ but don’t ever play that game with me. I don’t mind you playing with toys—in fact, I rather enjoy it—but I will not put up with games.” Fury filled his eyes.
    I was shaking. Tears seared my cheeks. “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice small. Right now, the reason for the masquerade, as justified as it was, didn’t