Chapter 6 : Lady Of The House

*Dove*

He gave me the key to his house. I stared at the thing for I don’t even know how long. Amy was looking between me and Miles with wide eyes, unable to form words.

Finally, she had pieced it all together.

“You…and he…what?” There were very few times when Amy was stunned into silence and this was one of them. Her eyes darted between us rapidly and she looked like she was ready to faint. She could not believe her eyes at all.

“Yes, Miss Howard. Your lovely friend is married to me.”

“She…I…oh, my God.” She turned her head slowly to meet my gaze. “You bitch! You married up.”

Of course, leave it to Amy to be so…Amy. She wasn’t shy about speaking her mind and her mouth had no filter.

“I’m sorry, I meant… You know what? No, I meant what I just said. You married a billionaire? When? How? Why? And do you have a friend, Mr. Scott?”

Miles laughed lightly, the raspy chuckle tickling my core.

Well damn, that was a place that had been dormant for quite some time. Who knew all it took would be a laugh?

I was weak.

“Please, call me Miles. You are my wife’s friend after all. And yes, I do have a few friends but many of them are dogs and undeserving of a woman of your calibre.”

Amy blushed.

My hot shot, man-eater friend was blushing like a little schoolgirl. I was at a complete and utter loss for words. This man would be able to charm the pants of a nun if he tried.

He was just that good.

“Miles, of course.” The smile that graced my friend’s face was the cheesiest and most aggressive smile I had ever seen. “So, why my friend?”

“Amy,” I hissed at her. “Can you give me a minute with him? I have to discuss a few important things with him before we head back to work.”

“But…okay.” She then turned to my husband. “You need to come out to brunch with us sometime, Miles, so we can get to know you better.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. He’s so busy and—”

“I would love to,” he interjected with a charming smile.

My neck turned toward him slowly, a pained and forced smile on my face. I was going to kill him. This was not a part of the plan. What did he mean that he would have brunch with my friends?

“Oh no, Miles. Remember you said you had that thing for the next three months so you are super super busy.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Mm, I don’t recall, baby. What thing do you mean?”

“Ah,” Amy squealed, “he calls you baby. I could just die. Anyway, I will let you two talk. D, I will meet you in the van. Thanks again Miles, it was so lovely to meet you and I hope we can do the brunch thing. You seem so refreshingly…you.”

“Bye, Amy.”

My friend left looking between the two of us like we were the greatest thing she had ever witnessed. The joy in her eyes was like a sucker punch to my gut. She really thought that I was happy but here I was lying to everyone.

When the door shut, I leveled him with the best glare that I could. “Why would you agree to brunch? That is not a part of the deal.”

“Would it not be weird if your husband didn’t get to know your friends? They are the closest thing you have to sisters no?” he questioned, raising a brow at me.

I huffed, folding my arms over my chest. “Well, yes, but still. You can’t just say yes to that kind of stuff. Amy will remember and she will want to meet to do the brunch. We should decide on those things together.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry.” The sincerity made all the annoyance that had built up disappear.

Curse him.

I hated how he was just able to de-escalate the situation so quickly. I didn’t even have time to rage like I wanted to.

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were.”

“I did.”

“You didn’t tell me that you owned all of this.” I gestured to the entire office. “You are not just some random Miles on the street.”

He smiled. “I am just a random Miles on the street.”

I rolled my eyes. “No random Miles would have a net worth of 40 billion dollars. You are not some ordinary Miles.”

“To you I am.”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart was doing weird things today. Maybe it was time for me to see a doctor.

“I…” I had no words to say to him.

“Look, I didn’t want you to know who I really was because I was worried that my name would scare you off. I didn’t want you to run off without hearing me out,” he explained.

“What if I am a gold digger and I mooch you for all you’re worth.” I was exaggerating. I wanted nothing to do with his money. Any sane woman would be overjoyed to be tied to this amount of wealth but I was not. With that amount of money came a multitude of issues and problems.

I had seen many cases of the rich and wealthy people I had interacted with that money never solved the storms from within. They only blanketed their pain. And I already had enough problems.

“You wouldn’t be able to spend all the money I have within your lifetime, love.”

There went my stomach again.

We were alone and there was no need for him to use those little terms of endearment. But here he was, making my heart flutter like a little schoolgirl with a crush.

“I mean, I could if I really wanted to. But that is not the point. What I am saying is that you should have told me that you were the Miles Scott,” I said.

“I’m just Miles to you. Not billionaire tycoon Miles. Not New York’s most wanted bachelor. I am just Miles. Your Miles.”

My Miles.

Why did that thought make me feel so…giddy?

“Okay.” I placed the box on the desk. “And what was this?”

“You’re moving in with me.” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I get that, but why did you have to ask me in such a grand way? Mailing it to me would have sufficed. You know, keep things low-key and private,” I said.

“Does anything about me scream low-key?” he asked, his voice smooth.

The money. The looks. The extravagance.

“No.”

He shrugged, leaning back in his wheelchair. “There you have it. But from now on I won’t do these kinds of gestures. I will keep it…low-key as you said.”

I nodded. “So when do you want me to move in?”

“Today would be great.”

My eyes nearly bulged right out of my sockets. “You’re out of your mind. I can’t move in today. I have to get all my stuff in order. And not to mention my mother. I don’t even know where you live.”

“Delmore Tower.”

“You’re kidding me.” That was the most exclusive residential property in all of New York. The waiting list to even view the place was like two years long. Only the crème de La crème of society lived there. “But who am I kidding, where else would you live? Any other place would be a shoe box compared to that place. And, of course, you live in the penthouse.”

When he didn’t laugh at my joke my smile slipped from my face.

“How much did it cost you?” I was just curious as to how much money this man truly had. The basic rent for a small studio was at the very least $30,000.

“Nothing,” he said simply, his eyes never leaving my face.

My eyes widened. “What do you mean nothing? Did they give you the place for free?”

“The building is mine.”

The silence that passed between us was palpable. The only sound that I could hear was the blood rushing past my ears and the speed of light.

“Of course you do.” The little squeak in my voice was from the shock and surprise.

I truly had no idea who I was married to.

Miles leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. “I’m sure that you have much to do and you need to be running along back to work. Can I see your phone for a second?”

Without saying a word I handed him the phone, my mind still trying to process everything.

A few seconds later a phone started ringing and it was then I noticed that he was calling himself. He ended the call and gave me back my phone.

“I think it’s only appropriate your husband has your phone number. You can go now, Dove. I will call you later.”

Wordlessly, I got to my feet and gave him one last look before making my way to the door. But just before I left his office he called my name.

I turned to face him. “Yes?”

“I know this is a lot to take in but I never want you to forget my promise to you.” His ocean eyes glistened against the sunlight. “I will always do right by you and I will always respect you. We may not have had real vows but that is my one true vow to you.”

“Okay,” was all I could manage before I walked out and closed the door behind me.

This plan had been crazy from the beginning but I had gone ahead with it because my mother needed saving. But now I had so many questions in my head.

What did this man, who could have whatever and whoever he wanted with the snap of his hand, want with me?