"I don't know if I can sleep during the day." Although I'd gotten little sleep, I now felt wide awake.
"It takes me a couple of days to get used to working through the night and sleeping in the daytime," Nate said. "And just when I get into the rhythm of it, the harvest is over, and everything goes back to normal."
"Sounds confusing."
"You get used to it."
He led me inside and through the kitchen where Eileen and another woman were loading the dishwasher.
"Don't work too late, Aunt Eileen," Nate said as we passed by.
That was unexpected, but I guess it explained their similar accents. "She's your aunt?" I asked as we walked along the corridor.
"Yes, my father's sister."
"And she works for you?"
"She insists on it. She says it makes up for my father's inadequacies." Nate frowned as if he'd said too much. Like me, he wasn't ready to share anything personal yet.
He steered me along the corridor, up an enclosed staircase, which was more private than the one sweeping into the entrance hall, to a bedroom. It was nicely furnished in soothing shades of cream. I felt instantly at home. This suited me more than my own apartment back in Beverly Hills, which had been decorated by someone my mother hired. She'd designed everything to impress anyone who saw the space, with no consideration of my personal taste.
"My room is across the hall if you need anything." Nate glanced at my dress. "Do you need help getting out of that?"
"Oh, no, I'll manage."
Over the years, I'd become something of a contortionist when it came to unfastening hard-to-reach zippers.
Nate nodded. "I'll ask Eileen to find something for you to wear until we can get some of your things brought here."
"I'll just buy some new clothes." I pursed my lips. "If there's a store nearby."
"There is, but I doubt you'll find anything you'll want to wear."
"Do they sell jeans, shirts, boots?"
"Yes."
"Then it will be fine. I doubt there's much need for ballgowns out here." To be honest, I would be glad not to have to dress up for a while. Lately I'd been feeling more like a doll than a person.
"Not much, no."
Nate leaned in close and kissed my cheek. It was brief, chaste, and over before I'd really registered it was happening.My pulse kicked hard. Nate stepped back before I could wipe the surprised expression from my face.
"Sleep tight, Juliet."
"You too."
When he stepped out, closing the door behind him, I just stared at it for a moment. My hand instinctively went to the spot where he'd kissed me. A smile touched my lips.
Don't, I told myself.Don't overthink it.
I was here because I needed protection from a man who scared me, and Nate had agreed to help me. That was the extent of our connection.
Deciding I would try to sleep, I closed the curtains, which had a thick blackout lining, and undressed. I kicked off the boots I'd borrowed, stretching out my toes, then got into bed. The agreement I'd made with Nate was unconventional. He was a virtual stranger, but I'd given him authority over my behavior. For some reason, that didn't scare me as much as it should.
As I snuggled into the soft pillow, I felt for the first time in weeks as though everything would be all right.
Chapter Four
