We pulled up to a red light, and he grabbed my hand, lightly squeezing it. "Are you going to tell me where we’re going?" I asked, my voice surprisingly low and suggestive. Seeing William behind this powerful luxury car and holding my hand was making my heart flutter.
He lowered his shades to look me in the eye. "I’m going to spoil you," he whispered. I liked the idea of being spoiled by my secret stranger.
After stopping for croissants and coffee, we arrived at a luxury spa on Briarcliff. William stopped at the valet and tossed his keys to the attendant before guiding me inside. The moment we walked through the doors, we were hit with a flurry of activity all at once. Suddenly, I was handed a glass of champagne by a thin woman, and then a man started softly trying to fluff my hair while whispering orders to his assistant. One person took William’s jacket, and another, a bubbly woman with curly pink hair and thick-rimmed glasses, made her way toward me.
"Welcome to Penn Avenue Luxury Spa. We’ll be starting off with a couples massage, a myofascial cupping session, a body renewal scrub, full haircut, color, and style. Manicures. Pedicures. Mr. Civella requested every service on the book," she said with a giddy grin before lowering her voice to a whisper. "Girlll, tell me your secrets! This man ordered the works. No expense spared! So lucky. Does he have a brother?"
He had two, not that I was sharing.
As I looked back at William, I saw his calm and relaxed face, as if he were enjoying every bit of this.
"A day at the spa?" I inquired.
He licked his lips before responding. It was a slow, leisurely move full of intent. "Only the best for you, Miss Cross."
There was not a tight spot in my body. Each of my muscles was completely relaxed. The two-hour massage with William was beyond anything I’d ever experienced. It was sensual, relaxing, peaceful. It seemed to me that every time I looked at William, he had his eyes on me, as if I were the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. I’d never been treated to something so luxurious. My skin was buffed, my nails were polished, and I was currently getting golden, sun-kissed highlights in my hair. I had enough foil in my hair to pick up the local news station, a joke my stylist didn’t find very funny. I suppose it wasn’t the first time he’d heard it.
I was sitting under a massive hairdryer and watching William. It was like taking an indulgent drink of fine champagne. I stared without shame or reservation. I looked at the skull tattoo on his neck, the way his eyelashes curled slightly, the veins in his hands. The steady bob of his Adam's apple.
I ran my fingers over the soft robe wrapped around my body and hummed in appreciation. "I love this robe," I whispered.
William was sitting in a nearby leather chair, legs crossed, sleeves rolled up. He had his iPad in hand and was reading an e-book. He peered at me over the edge of his iPad. "You can have it."
I blushed. "Thank you for today," I whispered. "But…"
He looked up at me and powered off his iPad. I loved that I never felt like I was fighting for William’s attention. He was completely attuned to me.
"But what?"
"Why? This feels like an excessive treat."
William grinned while leaning forward to rest his chin on his fist. "Excessive?"
"I’m not complaining. It just feels…" William waited patiently for me to answer. I couldn’t even finish my thought. "Why? Why me?"
"I like excessive things," he murmured. "And it makes me happy to give you all the things you deserve, Miss Cross." I shifted in my seat. "You’re not used to this," he observed.
"I’m not," I replied with an uncomfortable chuckle.
"You know what I’ve noticed about you?" he asked.
I shook my head, the foils on my hair shaking with me. "What?"
"You do everything for everyone else. I watched you work your ass off and never once complain. So many times I wanted to help you, but…"
"The deal," I finished for him. I refused to resent my best friend for making that arrangement with William, but still, it stung. "Can you tell me something?"
"Anything."
"What happened between you and Malice?"
My question made William shift in his seat. I watched him inhale and then exhale, stalling. "I’m very good at business," William admitted. "A majority of our...legal...fortune is a result of my tedious efforts with the stock market and dabbling in hard investments across the country. I’ve always been good at it."
"That still doesn’t explain why he…"
"Hates me? My brother was trained from birth to be competitive. He’s the firstborn. There’s a phrase in royal families that can be applied to my family. He’s the heir, I’m the spare. I guess it created a lot of friction between us. He has to constantly prove himself with others in our organization, and as a result, he is forced to put me in my place. There are some who think I’m more suited for his job."
"Do you want his job?" I asked.
William took a sip of his drink. "It’s not worth challenging him now. For the most part, I like being the spare. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier. Nicholas hates me because he knows I’m very capable of taking over. I’m fine with biding my time, though. Right now, I’m sitting across from one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen, and my brother is off somewhere sniffing out a rat."
That got my attention. I leaned closer to hear him. "What are you talking about?"
William looked uncomfortable, like he wasn’t supposed to say something. "Nick is looking into the Hale situation for you."
My brows raised. "He is?"
"We decided it might be best if you were away from the mansion until things are sorted. I was going to take you to dinner tonight too."
"So, is Hale guilty? What did you find? Where is Malice now?" I had a million questions. Malice actually was listening to me? And he’d sent me away? With William of all people.
"Hale is up to something," William replied. "Don’t worry, Nick is taking care of it." I leaned back in my seat. Hot damn. I couldn’t help but smile. "Why are you grinning like that?"
"Because I’m right!" I exclaimed. "I knew that fucker was a creep. Vindication is sweet." I basked in the glory of being right as the hairstylist finished up my trim and color. It took every ounce of restraint I possessed to not text Malice. I wanted to see Hale’s greasy face the moment he was caught.
It wasn’t until I was getting dressed that I realized my job was done.
Done. I’d found the rat. I did what Malice hired me to do. Did this mean I could go back home? It all felt anticlimactic.
I walked out into the lobby feeling less enthusiastic. I wasn’t sure what this meant for my future at Eden’s Place or my role in the Civella family. Would Malice stop funding my grandmother’s medicine now that my job was done? I mulled over my concerns while William paid the bill.
I cleared my throat to gather his attention, and the moment his eyes landed on me, I felt my skin buzz from his heavy gaze. "You look stunning," he whispered.
I shifted my weight and stared at the ground. "Amazing what trained professionals can do with a hairbrush."