Royally Kidnapped by the Prince novel Chapter 11

KENNEDY

I thought I let my hopes up. 

What was I thinking inviting Thayer over into my room? But what about that, we’ll continue this later speech? Oh, god! I buried my face into the pillow in frustration, hoping my embarrassment would decimate. 

I’d known to be straightforward, but with Thayer around, I tended to make terrible mistakes. He had just consumed me—my thought, my energy—my world in general, and the fact that I enjoyed it a lot, it should terrify me, but it was quite the opposite. I found it more liberating.

In truth, if it wasn’t for the three big bad wolves, I couldn’t have faced my ex and that woman alone, but those guys boosted my confidence and backed me up, and it felt good. 

At my work, I shared my perspective. With my sexual partner, I voiced out my needs, but with Thayer, though, it was another story—I was a patient person. It was not that he was my sexual partner, but I never initiated anything.

After I emailed the signed contract, I searched for an affordable bed. I checked out on Ikea, but nothing had satisfied me so far. I found myself lying alone in bed, thinking about my promotion. 

Alessia gave me a day off to decide on my assignment. I was supposed to receive her email tomorrow. If I wouldn’t get this one, I might as well quit and went after my bucket list, which I always wanted to travel the world. 

I woke up early in the morning. After I hit the shower, I put on some ripped jeans, shirts, and sneakers. 

An hour later, I was in my apartment—our apartment. My shock had my head spinning? I looked down at my key if I entered the right apartment, but it wouldn’t open if I was in the wrong door, right?

I began to realize what kind of people I was dealing with. Judging by the elegant and perfectly crafted furniture, no doubt Thayer could be a billionaire, yet he was down-to-earth and never bragged about how wealthy he was. 

The custom moldings had dumbfounded me. When I looked down, from ordinary tiles replaced with rare imported wood flooring, then also added, throw fluffy rugs under the glass coffee table, the pillows, and the small opulent fireplace added a European vibe. An Italian painting on the wall and a modern Murano glass chandelier hanging on the ceiling must have cost a fortune.

The blood-red granite countertop and kitchen appliances were also new, and the freshly cut pink tulips were on top. How did they make this happen overnight?

I slid to the stool, thinking of how could I pay for all of these. Of course, I still have to pay half because we shared this apartment. I left my bag on the counter and pulled a bud of tulip before I marched to my room at the right corner of the apartment.

The door was unlocked, but then the knob was new. I shook my head in disbelief.

“Wow!” The queen size bed screamed elegance with its upholstered head, footboard, and button chair in cream white. Two bedside tables matched perfectly the closet. Three simple black framed above the headboard. With designer duvet folded half on the well-made bed.

I laughed alone like crazy, throwing myself into the bed. I stared at the crystal firework chandelier hanging at the ceiling, wondering why Thayer was doing this? I knew our chemistry was maddening than the pull of the black hole, yet he never made a move. Maybe he was not married, but maybe, he had someone special.

Did he have a social media account? How old was he? He did not look a year or two older than me, but he looked well-accomplished in life.

***

I jolted up. My hand was on my chest. 

“Sorry if I scare you? I swear I wasn’t watching while you sleep.” His gaze was still on the Style magazine.

“How long have you been here?” My heart was still in my throat.

“Do you like the bed?”

“Thayer?”

He lifted his gaze and met mine. Something was wrong. The sparkles in his eyes were gone.

“What’s wrong?” I asked urgently. His grandfather instantly came to my puzzled mind.

“My father needs my assistance,” he said casually.

“So you’re leaving.” I leaned against the headboard.

“No, darling.” Darling? Wow!

I blinked rapidly, making sure I wasn’t dreaming. Did he just call me darling while he’d been switching from hot to cold?

“Would you come with me?” he followed up when I seemed to find myself speechless before him.

My jaw dropped. “What?”

“I’d like you to come with me.”

I chuckled. “What’s going on? What is it all about? I know it’s none of my business, but you’re starting to scare me.” I folded my hands on my lap.

“Nothing to scare about me, Kennedy.” He met my gaze. But I was finding it hard to believe.

“I know nothing about you, Thayer. For all, I know you’re a drug lord, does human traffic for a living, or maybe you’re a member of Italian Mafias.” I rolled my eyes. “I heard contract killing pays well.” I knew I was exaggerating things, but he was a kind of puzzle that took years for me to solve.

“That’s why I’m inviting you to come home with me. And I’m no such of those things.” His words just rolled out on his tongue. He was even elegant when he talked.

I shook my head. “I can’t. I have a job here.” I raised my hand. “And please, don’t tell me that you can offer me another job because that’s ridiculous.”

He nodded slowly, but I felt he didn’t use to get turned down, and he was taking it hard. His smile was faint. He sighed deeply as if fighting exhaustion. 

When my eyes started to burn, I looked up. 

“Kennedy.” His voice was low, deep, and velvety. 

“Just go.” Damn it! Why did I feel so suddenly emotional? “Why did you furnish the entire apartment if you won’t even stay a night?”

“Kennedy, darling.” He reached out for my leg. “Look at me, please?”