“I got hit in the face two days ago. You’ll be happy to know this happened during a…I guess we’ll call it a sparring match and the other person lost,” I somewhat lied. “As for wanting to know if other women are being beaten in my family, I’ll let that go. For now.”
“And what do you plan on doing with that information, daughter?” Stefan questioned, not at all pleased. I just smiled at him.
Dr. Ben cleared his throat, regaining my attention. “Any medical history I should know about? Diabetes or high blood pressure?” he asked and began pumping air into the cuff. He was smart, beautiful, and cared for others. He almost seemed too perfect. There had to be a catch.
“No. I didn’t pass out because of an underlying condition. It’s because I haven’t eaten, but no one will listen to me. I’m about to take a bite out of Louie here if I don’t eat something soon.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Day before yesterday,” I mumbled sheepishly. The men in the room stilled and Dr. Ben released the air in the cuff.
Louie dropped his arm from around my shoulders. “What the fuck, babe? Are you anorexic or something?”
“Does my ass look like it’s anorexic?” I snapped.
“Do you normally go long periods without eating?” Dr. Ben asked as he took the cuff off my arm.
“No. Only when my emotions run high. At those times, the last thing I think about doing is eating. I think the only exception is when I’m on my period. I swear the amount of ice cream I consume should put me in a sugar induced coma.”
“Why were your emotions running high?” Dr. Ben inquired.
I glanced at Stefan, then Jamie. “Let’s skip the therapy session. I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to me drone on about my daddy issues or my love life. Just feed me a damn cheeseburger and I’ll be square.”
Jamie stormed out of the study. He was clearly pissed. I sighed and returned my attention back to Dr. Ben, ready for this to be over. “So, Doc, am I good here?”
He gave me a dazzling smile again. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about. I recommend you eat something right away and take it easy for the rest of the day.” He got to his feet and turned to Stefan. “She’s going to be fine. Sounds like her blood sugar dropped. It’s explains why she fainted,” he reassured him. They shook hands again and the beautiful doctor took his leave.
“I’m just going to say this out loud because I know we’re all thinking it. That man was so beautiful. I swear Fabio and Aphrodite bumped uglies and the result was him.”
“I’m sure his boyfriend thinks so, too,” Louie laughed. Ah, there it is, ladies. The catch.
“I need to speak to my daughter alone,” Stefan said to Louie. Obediently, Louie stood from the couch, squeezing my knee before leaving. Even he knew I was going to get my ass chewed.
“If you’re going to lecture me, just know I already feel like shit.”
Stefan didn’t say anything. Instead, he quietly stared at me, looking deadly still with his arms crossed over his chest. He did nothing to hide his anger.
“I’ve been like this for years and don’t tell me you’re not the same way. If Brody wasn’t here, I highly doubt you’d remember to breathe.”
“You’re right. I recognized my faults and I found an alternative way to fix them. You, however, have failed to do that.”
“Are you saying I should hire someone to remind me to eat?”
“I don’t care what you have to do, but what just happened will not happen again. You won’t like what I’ll do if it does, am I clear?”
I was a weird mixture of contrite and happy. I’d scared him. “Okay.”
His frown took some time to fade. He eventually sighed and walked behind his desk to take a seat. Jamie barged in with a plate in hand the instant Stefan’s ass met the cushion of his leather chair. He beelined for me, still looking pissed, and placed the plate in my hands without really giving me much choice but to take it. I beamed once I saw what was on it. It was a cheeseburger with a side of bacon and hash browns. My mouth watered at the delicious sight.
“I think I might actually cry. This is the best thing anyone has ever given me.”
Jamie rolled his eyes. “Just eat it,” he ordered, taking a seat next to me.
I bit into the cheeseburger and moaned. “I think I’ll hire Jamie as my own Brody,” I said in between bites. He’d be perfect for the job. He’d bring me all the foods I loved, and I wouldn’t have to worry about getting fat because he’d help me burn off all the calories with multiple orgasms. It’d be heaven on earth.
“He already has a job. Find someone else.”
Well, that just shattered that fantasy. I frowned at Stefan. How come Brody could do both his job and take care of him, but Jamie couldn’t? It frustrated me that I couldn’t call him out on that. At least not until he was ready to talk to me about their relationship.
“Speaking of hiring someone, when should I expect my own personal goo—I mean, security?”
Stefan gave me a look that said he wasn’t fooled.
“It’s like smoking. It’s a bad habit to kick. Especially since the nickname fits so well.”
“Your new security should be here next week when he’s done with another assignment.”
I nodded. “Until then, I want Dean assigned to me and possibly for the future along with my new security.”
“He’s not ready for that. He’s barely been with us a year,” Jamie argued.
“Then make him ready.” I wasn’t going to budge on this. If I had to have security with me, then I was going to choose who I was going to be stuck with. “I will not be cooped up in this house for a week.” Plus, I liked that he was new and that he was an asshole. He wasn’t a kiss ass like the rest of them. He was perceptive and thought for himself. He'd sure as hell questioned my every move yesterday until he'd found out I'd been lying. He was also loyal and didn’t feel the need to throw me under the bus to prove it.
Jamie didn’t appear happy as he turned to Stefan for back up. They exchanged a look before Stefan sighed tiredly. For once, he was in the middle. “I’m good with it.”
Jamie frowned.
“But you need to tell Jameson or myself where you’ll be going when you leave the house.” That seemed to placate Jamie a little and it was a compromise I was willing to make.
“I’m fine with that…for now.” I wasn’t a child anymore. I should be able to come and go without having to tell someone. Stefan didn’t seem pleased but didn’t argue. I took a bite of hash browns. “Yum,” I moaned around my food. I noticed the side of Jamie’s mouth twitch. I think he secretly liked that I loudly enjoyed my food.
As I chewed, I caught Stefan looking from me to Jamie. “Something you want to know?” I asked.
“No,” he replied with a strange look in his eye that I couldn’t decipher.
I didn’t dwell on it because, well, bacon was calling my name.
CHAPTER 24
Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. It was a magical concoction I wholeheartedly believed was the cure for bitchiness and homicidal tendencies when Aunt Flow came to visit. That was why Ben and Jerry's was always stocked in the freezer.