Be a Doll(3)

“I hope we didn’t make you wait too long,’’ Mrs. Stein said, a fake smile stretching her thin lips covered by a nude lipstick.

The man stood up and shook her hand and I was taken aback by how massive he was. Sitting, he already had an imposing aura, but standing he commandeered the space, sucking up the air and everything around. His thick wavy brown hair perfectly styled fell casually over his forehead, but that was the only thing casual about him. His tall and quite muscular body was encased in a business suit so perfectly tailored it only emphasized further more his broad chest and shoulders and powerful legs. The dark fabric enhanced the startling contrast between his ebony hair, dark eyes and his pale skin.

He looked nothing like I had expected.

“Mr. Grimes, let me introduce you to Lila Hodge.’’

His dark eyes turned to me. I expected him to leer at me, picturing my body under the conservative and elegant clothes, but he didn’t. Instead, he locked eyes with me and said nothing for a few long seconds. The intensity and the unreadable expression on his aristocratic yet very masculine face made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t move. I wouldn’t back down. I bet Mrs. Stein already cursed me in her head for not showing a demure attitude like we were taught to be upon first meeting a prospective husband, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to it.

“Miss Hodge. Please, take a seat,’’ he said and gestured to the couch opposite to the one he had been sitting on when I walked in. If I didn’t know better I’d say I was in his home instead of Carter Manor.

“Thank you, Mr. Grimes,’’ I said using an even voice and promptly sat at the designated place.

“I’ll let you two get acquainted. Mr. Grimes, if you need anything press the button next to the door.’’

“Thank you, Mrs. Stein.’’

With one last dark look my way, she walked out and closed the door behind her, leaving me in the presence of a man who could very well become my husband, a man I had read many things about when it came to his business endeavors, thanks to the business and economy pages of the newspapers we were tasked to read.

Slowly, with a reluctance I couldn’t fully mask, I gave him my full attention. My breathing staggered when I realized his eyes had been on me all this time, studying me as if I was some bug under a microscope.

He leaned farther back in the couch, making the leather crinkle noisily under him. He kept his legs parted and one hand on the file to keep it on his strong looking thigh while his other hand ran along his square jaw.

“Do you know who I am, Miss Hodge?’’ he asked me with a deep voice that rumbled through me in a dark caress that made my heart beat faster. Everything about this man made me think of a predator trying to find the first opening to attack.

I had been ready for a sick man who wanted a plaything to parade around, I had been ready for an old man, I had also been ready for a man who would be despicable and disgusting at first sight, but I hadn’t been ready for a man so young with manners, if brisk, and good looks as Mr. Grimes.

“It would be difficult not to, Mr. Grimes. You’re at the head of an empire after all. I believe you were on the ‘Top 50 Fortunes Under 50’ a few months ago.’’

He nodded and drew his plump lower lip with the tip of his fingers. “I see that Mrs. Stein made sure you did your homework.’’

Inside, anger slowly rose to push away the fear placating me. I hated the condescending tone that man used as if I was nothing more than a nuisance, a child he could inspect at leisure to see if I would fit to whatever list he had in his head. But I didn’t show any of this. I merely nodded my assent and waited for his next question, knowing full well that I couldn’t make a wrong move if I didn’t want to end up on the streets with no hope left whatsoever. I went through that once already, all hope and happiness snatched away from me way too young. The only thing that kept me a bit optimistic was having the impression that this man wasn’t particularly interested in me. He seemed rather disappointed which could only serve me.

“Fine.’’ He opened the file and scanned the first page, his dark eyes moving left and right as he read. He brought a hand, big and yet with nails that looked to be perfectly trimmed, and pointed at something there. His eyes found me again. “It says here that you will be twenty-five in a few months, but there’s no mention of where you’re from. This file is pretty complete, so why this oversight?’’

I frowned and tilted my head slightly to one side before I pushed back a few light brown curls about to get in my face. “You’re not without knowing that my past has little to do with Carter Manor, Mr. Grimes. If you’ve been shown my profile I believe you weren’t asking for an heiress among the ladies living here. I don’t see why it matters.’’

His eyebrows bunched over his eyes, darkening them so much that it was hard to tell if he was angry or merely curious. “I have my reasons and I’d like you to inform me.’’

Everything inside me screamed ‘no’, but my reason told me to behave like I’d been taught. My whole body locked and I forced my jaw to relax. “I was in New York when I met Mrs. Stein. Before coming here I’m afraid I had never stepped foot out of the state of New York.’’

“Hm,’’ he mumbled and fixed the file once again. As he moved, his watch, expensive without a doubt, caught a sunray before it disappeared once again under the sleeve of his suit. The man exuded money and importance and somehow it threw me for a loop.