Built For Love

Built For Love chapter 7

Abel

I was kidding about the

amount.” Pepper’s hand trembles as

she hovers over the check with its many zeros. “But this is a joke, right? It’s not a real negotiable check.”

“The great thing about checks is that they’re valid on whatever. I could

write a check on your underwear and as long as it has my account and the bank’s routing number, you could cash it.” I flash her a smile and shove the pointy end of the pizza in my mouth. “Really?” Then she wrinkles her nose. “I’m not dumb. I went to school for design, not fashion.”

“Never thought you were, honey.” I nudge the box to her side of the

table. “Eat up. After we’re done here, I’ll drive you to your new digs.”

Pepper gives one last longing glance at the check before folding it

neatly in half and then half again. “I won’t actually need you to put me up since I have this. I can rent a far better apartment once this is deposited.” She waves the small piece of paper in the air.

I wipe my thumb down the side of my mouth and think about what an

idiot I am. I gave a poor girl money so now she can flee. It’s like opening the cage and blowing wind under a bird’s wings. And it’s not that I want to clip her wings. Hell, I want her to fly high, but I also want her to come

home every night to my place, also known as her new digs. I clear my throat. “Actually, it was a joke.” I snatch the paper out of her

hands and tuck it into my breast pocket. “It’s the right amount, but I can’t give it to you until you actually render the services. Beck would have my balls. But don’t worry, once the job is done you’ll get this entire amount.” I pat my chest. “I’ll keep it safe until the project is done.” A pouty frown turns the corner of her mouth down. “Why’d you write

me a check in the first place if you never meant for me to keep it and don’t call me honey. We’re not dating. You’re my client.”

“Why not both and you’ll get the check in full when the job is done.” I

finish off my pizza and guzzle down the root beer. Pepper nibbles at the

pizza, but the loss of money has nuked her appetite. As we leave, guilt is settling in at the base of my neck. I don’t like it but she’s already talking about flying away, which I’ll like even less. The good thing is that I’m going to treat her so well she won’t need to dip into her bank account for a thing. It’s my duty as her man to keep her happy, and part of that is making sure she’s got everything she wants before she even gives voice to it. Clothes, purses, shoes, makeup, books, movies, computer gadgets. If she wants it, I’ll be providing it. It’s not just a matter of making her financial

worries go away, it’s the satisfaction I’m going to get seeing her wearing

nothing but the things I bought her. That silky bra cupping her bountiful t**s I bought that. The lace underwear cupping her thigh? I bought that too. The

shoes on her feet, the bag on her shoulder, the lipstick staining her lips. It came from my wallet. I run my tongue on the inside of my lower lip. Yeah. It’s my stamp of ownership.

“Where is it that we are all getting put up?” Pepper asks as we speed

north up highway 92 toward my little plot of land outside of the city.

“We?” “There are twenty-two apartments in that building. I guess there’s so many of us that you can’t put us all in the same place?”

My sausage alarm goes off. “Was there someone you were thinking of

in particular?” Damn. Did she have her eye on some male tenant? Worse, did she have a thing with a male tenant? I press down on the gas. It’s even more imperative that I get her to my place where I’m going to engage in a full lockdown until we figure out exactly what’s going on in her life. “Everyone will go to Riverside. Each unit is fully furnished so the.families won’t have to worry about moving their stuff in and out of storage.” “Is Riverside up north?” She peers out the window, trying to look for a familiar landmark.

“No.” “But…aren’t we going north?”

“Yeah.” She twists in her seat to look at me. “If everyone in my building is

going to Riverside, why are we going north? You aren’t kidnapping me,

right?” She laughs lightly, but there’s an underlying current of concern.

“Riverside isn’t right for you, hon—Pepper,” I correct myself. “You

need a lot of space to work through the redesign of your building.”

“Oh, so this is office space? What about the headquarters we were just at? Can’t I work there?” “Nah, I think Beck’s going to finally make a move on Marist and we don’t want to be in his way. He’s been jonesing for her so long, he’s bound to jump her. We don’t want to walk in on him going down on her in the conference room...unless you’re into that kind of thing.” I arch my eyebrow.