“Lot 2 and Lot 8.”
The home on Lot 8 was a study in curves. There were three tiers, each one with a balcony bowing out, the bottom one being the deepest. The top tier, where the master bedroom was located, had the smallest, and even that balcony was large enough to hold three outdoor couches and a hot tub. The pool off the back was a perfect circle that went right to the edge of a ten-foot drop-off. The whole building was done in earth tones, and the glass was emerald green from the outside.
The golf cart disappeared from sight, and Adam turned from the window. “She’s scheduled two move-ins on the same day? That’s an overload of work.”
“She hasn’t shied away from a task yet.” Ben tugged at the beard he’d been growing. “I believe she scheduled these move-ins on the same day so she could plan to be out in the development for the day. She said it was better to spend one day putting out fires than two.”
Adam grunted in response. “She’ll wear herself out.”
Ben paused. “Perhaps you could invite her to lunch? Make sure she gets a healthy meal.”
“Are you mad?” Adam had to remove his mask to eat. The small hole in the plastic didn’t allow for more than a straw to pass through, and he was done eating his meals from a blender.
“It would be good for both of you. Although I’m a stimulating conversationalist, you must be tired of me by now.”
Adam nodded thoughtfully. “I have been cooped up here.” Except for his doctor visits, he didn’t leave the house. And even those were done in the wee hours of the morning, when reporters were less likely to see him come and go through the main gate. He did follow the progress of the case against the madman who’d cursed him with acid; he hadn’t made it to court because he’d been placed in an asylum with little hope of getting out. Adam made a large contribution to the institution to ensure they had enough to function for decades to come.
Bella wouldn’t be terrible to share a meal with. Besides her obvious beauty, she had a quick mind. He would have bet the castle that she wouldn’t make it past the first-week probationary period, but she’d done well. Not perfect, but a passable job as his liaison with the residents and with the land survey for Phase II, which showed promise for a better performance the next week. Adam continued to check on her work more as something to pass the time than out of need. She didn’t shy away from his face anymore. He never asked her if she remembered him from the courthouse or the hospital, because he didn’t want to. He didn’t know why; he just didn’t.
Having lunch with her, he did want to do. He couldn’t explain that any better than the other, so he followed his gut. “Send her a request to join me for lunch.” He sat at his desk, ready to dive into his monthly bank statements.
“I don’t think so.” Ben busied himself dusting off the bookshelves, a task that was neither his nor needed to be accomplished.
“But it was your idea.”
“I saidyoushould invite her.” He craned his neck to look out the window. “She’s just returning. If you hurry, you can catch her before she makes it to her office.”
“It’s not her office; it’s my study,” Adam grumbled as he made his way out of the room. Of all the silly ideas. “A note would suffice.”
He nearly ran over his uncle in his haste to get to Bella before she buried herself in work again. Once that happened, it could take hours for her to surface. If he was going to pull off a casual invitation, it had to be now. “Uncle, what are you doing here?”
Uncle Philip worked his lips for a moment before he sputtered. “Two more tenants have moved out this week. That’s ten in total.”
“Ten? From The Rose? But it’s always been a hot spot.” He couldn’t remember the last time they’d updated the building, but it felt like yesterday.
“I know.” Philip wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. “Something is amiss. I’m afraid our reputation is slipping. We haven’t had more than the basic upgrades in fifteen years.”
Adam lightly touched the plastic compression mask. All his pain happened because of The Rose. If he didn’t own the blasted building, he would have been spared the senseless curse of a wild man. “Let them leave. I’ve half a mind to bulldoze the whole thing and start from scratch.” He continued on his errand, intent on finding Bella and forgetting about all the trouble The Rose had brought into his life. If it hadn’t been for that building, and his father’s sentimentality in holding on to it, then Adam would be able to look at himself in the mirror without knowing horror and dread. He hated that place, hated the fact that it was tied to him because of a choice another man made. How many scars would he have to bear because of another’s actions?
“You can’t do that,” his uncle called after him. “It’s in your father’s will that The Ro—”
Adam spun and advanced on the now cowering man. “I don’t care what the will says!” he spat. “My father did all he could to control me in life, but I will not be told what I can and cannot do. I’m the master of this castle, the master of my fate. Let them leave.” He threw his arm in the air and stormed through the hallways.
“I’ll leave a copy of the will in your study.” Philip’s voice grew smaller as the distance from him grew longer.
In a few more turns, Bella appeared before him, her head bent over a fat law book. Her cheekbones stood out and her skirt hung on her hips. She hadn’t been taking care of herself, just as Ben had said.
“You will join me for lunch and dinner today,” he growled.
Her head popped up, her doe-eyes wide. She locked gazes with him, her eyes never leaving his to take in the mask or look him over. She saw right into his soul. “I will not.” She snapped the book shut and brushed past him into the study.
“It will do neither of us any good for you to work yourself into a sickbed,” he growled.
“I’m in excellent health, thank you very much.”
“You’re thin as a rail and pale as a ghost.”
“Thank you for that narrative on my physical appearance, but I’ve neither the time nor the patience to sit down to a meal with you today.”
