My eyes lift to Jordan as she straightens in her seat and rubs her sleep-swollen eyes. No matter how hard she tried to stay awake, I watched her doze off a dozen times before she finally let sleep take her. The fact that she felt safe enough to sleep settled some of the stirring in my chest since my brother showed up at the cabin.
She keeps her head turned to the window as Murphy takes us over the Hudson River toward Central Park.
The flight is smooth as we descend, and yet turbulence stirs in my chest as I get closer to home. Irrationally, I feel robbed of the few days I had left with Jordan.
Although, my brother is right. I’m lucky nothing bad happened between us. Maybe it’s a good thing our time got cut short before I did something I might regret.
Fifteen
Jordan
“Holy shit.” I don’t actually mean to say those words out loud, but as Murphy lowers the chopper onto the flat roof of a modern high-rise, the words just slip out.
This isn’t just some fancy New York skyscraper. I’ve seen this building while visiting the park. Constructed in all white and glass, it stands out like a crystal cathedral on Central Park West. And every level is the size of at least two typical levels, with balconies that drip in green vines and foliage.
Once the engine shuts down and the rotors stop, Murphy opens the door. “Welcome home, sir.”
Alexander grunts and shoves out of his seat.
Hayes holds his arm out toward the open door. “Ladies first,” he says without a smile.
I step down from the interior and find Alexander waiting. He leans down as if he’s about to say something but stops to scowl at something just over my shoulder.
“Yo, Zander!”
Alexander grumbles and his jaw throbs.
“Alex. Zander.” Another hit to what I thought I knew about this man. “You said no one calls you that?” He also said he never lies, and I believed him. After a helicopter showed on his doorstep, I’m questioning everything.
His hazel gaze warms on mine. “You asked if you could call me that.”
Oh. Right. I guess nicknames are reserved for those closest to him, and although we shared our bodies last night, I don’t count. I bite my lip and wince at the sharp pain and coppery taste of blood, a reminder of his mark on me.
His expression darkens.
A hand lands heavily on his shoulder, and a man who looks identical to Hayes, so much so that I have to look back to make sure it’s not him, greets me with a smile.
“You must be Jordan.” He offers his hand. “No, you’re not seeing double. I’m Hudson, that asshole’s twin brother and this grumpy prick’s younger brother.”
Alexander seems less than amused by Hudson’s introduction.
Hudson’s perfectly white smile and kind eyes never once falter as he shakes my hand. “Zander has a shit ton of work to get caught up on, so I have the honor of getting you home.”
Home. Right. “Okay, thank you.” I turn to Alexander, my Grizzly, and search his eyes for some semblance of hesitation. A sign that he’s not ready to say goodbye to me for good. He only looks at me with cold indifference.
“Alex, you’ve got a conference call in thirty,” Hayes yells with his phone pressed to his ear.
“What the hell are we standing out here for,” Hudson says and herds us both toward a set of large glass double doors. “I’m sure you’re starving and exhausted and want to put all this behind you.” He opens the doors, and Alexander walks in first, with Hayes on his heels. Hudson stays by me as we enter into a beautiful lobby filled with white overstuffed couches, natural wood accent tables, and a fully stocked bar, complete with a bowtie-wearing bartender.
The stairs lead down to another lobby similar to the one above, but the bar is replaced by a bank of glass elevators.
Hudson leads me past the elevators and around the corner to another set of glass doors, these frosted for privacy. There’s a lighted keypad on the wall that I assume must be how the door is unlocked, but because it’s already open, I don’t see anyone use it to know for sure.
The penthouse beyond the door is like nothing I’ve ever seen in person. I step into a gigantic open living space with a modern black sectional couch that’s bigger than my entire apartment. The kitchen is huge and boasts professional-grade stainless steel appliances and a dining table that seats at least twenty. I can’t imagine Grizzly being able to tolerate that many people in his space.
The floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the expanse of Central Park, and the natural wood and indoor plant accents give what would normally be a sterile-feeling space the warmth of nature and the outdoors.
“This way,” Hudson says and motions to a spiral staircase that seems to practically float at the edge of the room.
I search for Grizzly, but he must’ve slipped away while I was admiring his home.
“Come on, over here.” Hudson waves me forward.
I follow him up to another living room with a more comfortable-looking couch and a television the size of a taxicab. He leads me through another set of double doors into a bedroom. A king-sized bed is made up in all white, thick pillows, and a comforter that I’m sure is down. The window here is similar to the one downstairs, with a full view of the park. I’ve never seen the park from this high up before.
“There’s food on the table there. Bathroom is here,” Hudson says, calling my eyes from the view. “I took the liberty of having some clothes sent up as well as any toiletries you might need.”
“Clothes? How did you know my size?”
“Hayes made a guess on your flight in. He’s actually really good at it.”
That doesn’t surprise me. The twins have the kind of face that would draw a woman’s eye from across a room. And their tall, lean, muscled stature and sharp clothes would have even the most skeptical woman convinced she’d found the one. I’m sure they’ve had more than their share of female companions. I noticed neither of them wears a wedding ring.
“Take your time. When you’re ready, I’ll be downstairs. I have a car waiting to get you home.” He snaps. “One more thing, I almost forgot. We have a doctor on the way over to check out any injuries you might have.”
I rub my sore ribs and healing wound. “I’m fine.”
“I’m sure you are. It’s just a precaution.”
“Did Gri…” I clear my throat. “Did Alexander ask you to do all this?”
His brows pinch together.
“I mean, why not just take me home now? Why the first-class service?”
His smile falls, and his expression is tinged with pity. “Look, Ms. Wilder—”
“Jordan.”
“Jordan.” He tilts his head and slips his hands into the pockets of his slacks, making him look like a cologne model. “Can I speak freely?”
“Please do.”
“I can’t imagine what these last few weeks have been like for you. I’d like to say the first-class service is because we have compassion for what you’ve experienced, what with being lost in the forest and the broken ribs and the storm—”
“I wasn’t aware anyone knew about that.”
He leans in. “Word travels fast.” He leans back. “Which brings me to the point. We can’t have you leaving the building…” He takes in my dirty coat, my stained pants, and my dirty boots. “Looking like this.”