Page 43 of Worth Loving You

My bottom lip pulled between my teeth, and I giggled. Licking the juice from his mouth, I purred, “I think we have almost an entire week to catch up on, and we are wasting precious time. You ready to get started?”

Smiling once more, he took the fruit and tossed it to the box on the floor, pushing me to my back. “Sounds like a plan.”

Chapter 16

Chastity Monroe

The apartment was stunning! An eighteen hundred square foot, three bedroom, two and a half bath penthouse with spectacular views of Lake Michigan from almost every room.

The entrance had an empty, rectangular foyer with a door immediately to the left that led to the impressive master suite with a walk in closet that was larger than my room at the old apartment. There was a private balcony that was accessed through the room or the bathroom, as well.

Past the foyer, beyond the laundry closet, was a huge, opened area for the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Instead of two walls overlooking the city, it was one curved row of floor to ceiling windows with a thick, cement column near the edge of the kitchen counters and double doors opening to the patio.

Turning right down a hallway led to a half bath on one side, a full on the other, and two decent sized rooms at the end, the smaller one having access to the wide balcony that spanned the length of the entire penthouse.

Dark gray stained wood floors ran through every room except the bathrooms with stark white, marble tiles. White countertops matching in the kitchen and bathrooms, the cabinets a light gray, the ceilings were fifteen feet tall, all the fixtures and appliances top of the line, brand new, and modern in style.

Other than an oversized, plush armchair in black leather in the living room and a king sized mattress on box springs in the master suite, the place was empty, a blank space with endless possibilities.

My jaw dragging on the floor as I made my third walk through the place, I stopped by the column at the curve of the windows and pressed my palm to it, my stomach quivering. This wasn’t happening. This was not my life now. No way this was my new home.

Milo grunted, reminding me he was here. Craning my neck to peek over my shoulder, he tugged the thighs of his dark gray trousers and dropped to the chair, resituating his suit jacket. He combed his fingers through his hair and then pulled out his cellphone, tapping on the screen.

This gorgeous, rich man wanted me so badly, he was paying me an insane amount of money and buying me this penthouse. What the hell was going on? What universe had I slipped into the last couple weeks?

Maybe there was more to me than what the ghost of my stepfather said. Maybe I was special, even though I was large. After all, a couple weeks ago, when Jennifer gave me a quick makeover, that image in the mirror had impressed even me. What would I have looked like had she had real time, and clothes, to spruce up my appearance?

I adjusted my eyesight to see my reflection in the glass, studying the faded black tee shirt and worn, black jeans. Lowering my chin, I poked a foot out, eyeing the scuffed sneakers before looking at my face with no makeup, my hair in a messy ponytail.

What the hell did Milo see in this? This was not acceptable. I had to do better. I wanted to look…prettier.

“There’s a pool on the roof,” he stated, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair to hold his phone up, reading the screen. “Billiard room, library, a party room with a catering kitchen, a coffee bar, a couple restaurants, fitness room, dry cleaning service…”

He paused to scroll. “Dog grooming area, storage units, assigned parking spaces…Damn, baby girl. You don’t ever have to leave this building. Grocery store, deli, bakery. It’s its own city here. A fucking lawn on the roof. Christ, I want to live here.”

I tugged my bottom lip and smiled, folding an arm over my stomach.

“Huh, those are quartz countertops. And the floors in the bathrooms are porcelain?” Tugging the side of his jacket, he sank lower in the chair, rubbing his chin. “Never heard of that. Hey, you wanna switch apartments?”

Giggling, I shook my head when he glanced at me.

He smiled, shutting off the screen and tucking it into the inside breast pocket of his jacket. A brow lifted, he raked his sight over me, his grin widening as he returned his focus to mine. Patting his thigh, his gaze darkened.

My pulse quickened and I went to him like a magnet. He spread his legs and tugged me to his lap. At first, I was uncomfortable, but that first day we were together, he had made me ride him and the way he came, the sheer delight on his face, I knew he wasn’t bothered with my weight.

So why was I still fixating on it?

He cupped my cheek, his arm curving around my back. “You can decorate this place any way you want. I’m setting up an account for you with an allowance, so do what you want to this place.”

I pulled in a jagged inhale. “Milo!”

“What? You’re my baby girl now, and I need to take care of you.”

“But—”

“Hey, I’m not doing this just to be generous. Being my woman means you represent me. You have to look and live a certain way.”

I pouted, my stomach sinking. “You don’t like the way I look?”