Innocence (Tales of Olympus #1)(8)

Too late, she thought of her manners. This obviously wealthy man had taken time out of his day to check in on her when she was sure he had a million more important things to be doing.

“I’m sorry. I’ll get out of your hair. And I really should be getting home.”

She didn’t even cringe as she said it. Well, not too much. But whatever her problems were, she was done foisting them on this man.

He tilted his head sideways, examining her in a way that made her mouth go dry again. “Last night you said you didn’t have a home.”

Cora felt her eyes go wide. “Oh.” Shoot her now. She knew she talked sometimes in her sleep. She tried to laugh it off. “Well I was working as a live-in nanny.”

“And?”

Cora opened her mouth and a helpless little noise came out. How could she even begin to— And it wasn’t like it was his problem—

But Marcus Ubeli arched a dark eyebrow in a way that demanded the truth.

“Well, I sort of quit.”

“Sort of quit? Either you did or you didn’t.”

She let out a breath in a rush of air. “I did quit. But I still need to go back and get my last paycheck and all my stuff.”

She couldn’t help her frown thinking about what sort of scene that might be. But all the money she’d made in the last six weeks was there, and her backpack full of clothes and the few other things she’d brought from Kansas—

“I’ll have your things picked up. You can stay here until you’re back on your feet again.”

“What?” Cora’s back went stiff. “No!”

Dang it, she was being rude again when this man had only been kind to her. “No, I mean, thank you. That’s very nice. But I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I’ll go by and pick up my things and go to my friend’s house.”

He didn’t have to know she was speaking about a hypothetical friend. Especially since her phone was gone. That creep from last night had kept it after he’d picked it up and she hadn’t memorized Europa or Helena’s numbers.

But the Donahues paid well. She’d have almost fifteen hundred dollars all together once they paid the half of this month’s paycheck she was owed. Maybe she’d catch a bus and find somewhere cheaper to live. The big city was the best place to hide from her mother, but it was too expensive.

“Sounds like you’ve got it all worked out,” he said. “I’ll have my driver drop you wherever you want to go.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and touched a button. “Sharo. Yes. Bring the car around. You’ll be escorting Miss…” Marcus’s eyes came Cora’s way.

“Vestian. Cora Vestian.”

“…Miss Vestian wherever she’d like to go.”

He hung up the phone and slid it back in his jacket pocket in one fluid gesture. “It’s nine p.m. I’d be happy for you to stay here another night and let all your responsibilities rest until daylight. What can you really accomplish tonight?”

Cora clutched yesterday’s dress to her stomach. “Oh, it’s fine. I’m a night owl. So are my friends.” Lies. All lies. She was usually in bed before the evening news.

If Marcus could tell she was lying, he didn’t call her on it. He merely inclined his head and held a hand out toward the door. “Sharo will be waiting by the time you get to the front of the hotel. May I walk you?”

She blinked, then nodded. She’d never met anyone so… well, so courteous. Courtly, that was the perfect word for Marcus Ubeli. He was like some old timey knight with his chivalry, coming to her rescue when she was a damsel in distress.

Books had been the one entertainment her mother allowed and she might have swooned over a knight or two throughout her adolescence.

Marcus held out an arm. She shoved her dirty dress behind her back, more glad than ever that she’d balled up her dirty undies and bra inside it, and took his arm with her other hand. Electricity crackled through her body the moment they touched.

Not to mention that the strength that emanated off his body was… wow. Just wow. She’d never felt anything like it. Being so near him made her feel a little light-headed all over again.

He led her smoothly across the living room of the penthouse, out the door and to the elevator. Cora had never wanted an elevator to come faster and wished it would never show up at the same time.

“So,” she said, hating the way her voice came out as little more than a squeak. Gods, she must seem like such a little girl to someone like Marcus. “What do you do? Like, I mean, as a job?”

She glanced up at his face.

Bad idea. Really bad idea.

She’d only seen him in dim lighting before. The hallway didn’t have fluorescents or anything but it was enough to see that, holy crap, Marcus was gorgeous. Freaking stunning from the top of his elegant cheek bones to the strong set of his jaw.

And the way he smiled down at her, still all dark and broody but like she amused him at the same time—it took her breath away. Literally she was having a hard time remembering how to breathe.

His grin deepened until a dimple popped in his cheek and she jerked back like she’d been struck.

“I own many business and investment properties. You all right?” Marcus’s brow wrinkled. His eyelashes were black and long, a hint of beauty on a hard, masculine face.