“Thank you for this,” she said quietly.
“You don’t ever have to thank me for helping you, Reese. We’re friends. It’s what people do when they care about someone. You’d do the same for me.”
“I guess I’m used to being the one who takes care of everyone else,” she said thoughtfully.
“Then I guess it’s about time someone took care of you for a change,” I informed her as we arrived in her room.
As I put her gently on the bed, she suddenly lifted her head, her eyes wide open. “I never got to bid on the necklace at the auction!”
I dug into the pocket of my jeans. I was going to save the surprise for later, but she looked so disappointed that I wasn’t about to make her wait.
I held up the necklace. “You mean this one?” I teased. “I had a friend win the bid for me. It’s yours. Consider it a gift for all the times you’ve fed me.”
“Devon, I have to pay you for it. I’m not sure I have enough in my savings here to cover it, but I have money I can’t access in my real bank accounts.”
“Not happening. I’m a billionaire, Reese. Just let me give you one small gift without being stubborn about it.”
She took the necklace from me like it was a priceless diamond necklace.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said with a sigh. “But I’m not taking advantage of you just because you have billions of dollars. I’ll take it, but only if you let me do something nice for you in return someday.”
I could think of a millionnicethings she could do for me that would make me extremely happy, but I wasn’t opening up that topic right now.
My priority was her well-being right now, and what she needed was some sleep.
The friends with benefits discussion that had gotten interrupted earlier was going to have to wait.
Now that I knew everything that she’d been through all I wanted to do was make sure that she felt…safe.
Reese
The following week turned out to be the best days I’d ever spent in Crystal Fork.
Hannah had no problem with me continuing to work at Glam Anywhere even though I’d lied about my work experience. She’d insisted on me staying in my current job.
None of the Remington family treated me any differently than they had previously. In fact, they were even more protective and kind to me.
I’d answered all questions they wanted to ask about my life because I had nothing to hide with them anymore, and I wanted all of my friends to know the real me.
“How are things going living with Devon?” Hannah asked as we ate lunch together in the reception area of the office on Friday afternoon.
“He’s been incredible,” I answered honestly after I’d swallowed a bite of my chicken salad. “But he’s definitely overprotective.”
Devon took me to work every day after we got a coffee at The Mug And Jug, and he left work early to pick me up at closing time.
Never, at any time, was I alone at his place, and he was diligent about locking up the house and setting the alarm system.
Hannah snorted. “I think that’s true of all of the Remington brothers and their women.”
I looked at her in surprise. “I’m not his woman.”
“Are you kidding?” she asked drily. “We all saw him lose his mind at Millie’s when he found out what happened to you. And his behavior after that. Devon never acts like that. He definitely considers you his woman.”
“We’re not together, Hannah. We’re friends. I’m not going to lie and say that I’m not attracted to him. No more lies of any kind with anyone who knows the truth from now on.”
“He’s obviously attracted to you, too,” Hannah observed. “The two of you have never…”
“Had sex?” I finished for her since she’d probably stopped because she didn’t want to invade my privacy. But I trusted Hannah and there wasn’t much I wouldn’t tell her. “Nope. You know that Devon doesn’t do commitments or girlfriends. I’m so attracted to him that I even offered him a friends with benefits thing with no strings attached. He never really gave me an answer and he hasn’t mentioned the topic this week.”