Free SAFEHOUSE (A BWWM BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE) by Mia Caldwell

known him for entirely that long yet, but I already knew that
this was something he did when he was nervous. What would possibly make him
feel nervous?

 
    “I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t wish for a new bracelet,” he
mused, placing the box in my hand. “Because I already got you one of those...”

 
    I didn’t want to take the top off of the box. I didn’t want to see
what was inside, because if it was what I thought it was then things were about
to get dramatically different. And I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

 
    I bit my lip, slowly pulling the lid back to reveal the beautiful
handcrafted bracelet that I had been ogling over back at the jewelry store. It
was a dainty silver charm bracelet, with different colored stones set in tiny
heart-shaped charms. How did he know? Was he in the bathroom when I had been
staring at the store’s window? But more importantly… why did he give me this?

 
    I quickly tried to suck in the air around me, feeling as though I was
going to hyperventilate. It was an odd reaction, sure, but I had honestly never
been given something so beautiful, or so expensive, in my whole life. I didn’t
exactly know how to react to such a
gift. And then… there was the underlying suspicion I had before. What was all
this about really?

 
    “Don’t you like it? You don’t seem too… happy about it,” Julien
observed, frowning.

 
    I knew the filter was turned way off, before he even said anything.
“No, I’m not exactly happy about it. Why would you get me something this? It’s
too much. I just, I just don’t understand.”

 
    Julien looked alarmed, clearly not expecting my reaction. “I apologize
if I offended you Amira. I just saw you standing there looking at it from the
street, and I thought it would look nice on your wrist. I don’t really have a
specific reason other than that,” he said slowly, trying to work through what
had just transpired. “I can take it back, if you’d like… But I’d really like you
to keep it. You’ve lost so much. You deserve a little beauty and grace.”

 
    I just stood there, my jaw dropped, unable to figure his motive out.
Who just goes and buys something like this for their maid? I had learned to
trust him, learn to feel safe with him even… But now I was second-guessing
myself again.

 
    Julien's face softened. "You had something terrible happened to
you, and it's left you with no one to trust. But Amira, please know that you
can trust me. I will never let anything happen to you."

His words filled me up with something indescribable, something similar to hope
but more.

He reached over and wiped away one of my tears with his thumb, giving me a sad
smile. "I don't like to see you cry."

I giggled, obviously hysterical at this point. Who laughs and giggles at the
same time, anyway? This crying, dummy of a girl, that's who.

"Can we just go back to before? Pretend like you didn't just give me an
insanely expensive piece of jewelry?" Hey, I had to ask, right?

Julien smile faded as he took in a deep breath. "I'm sure you have your
notions about me, I do not generally have such intense feelings for other
people. I try not to let myself have them. Especially after what happened with
Danica. I'm rambling, I apologize.”

 
    Intense feelings?
Oh God…

 
    “I met you and everything changed. I’ve seen you smile despite
everything that has happened… You have a sense of wonder that I thought I’d
never experience again. You’re not just my maid… And that bracelet isn’t some
meaningless trinket. If I had a coin for the well, do you know what I’d wish
for?”

 
    For the second time that day, I was speechless.

 
    “You… I’d wish for you…”

 
    “Take me home and I’ll grant that wish,” I replied, a fire
burning hot inside me.

 
 
 

 
 
    ( Back to Table of Contents )

 
    Chapter 17

 
 
 
 
    We parked the car in front of the château’s front entrance. Half of