THE BILLIONAIRE'S GIRLFRIEND

THIRTEEN

Malora woke up with the duvet pulled over her naked body, but alone. She turned her head and gazed at the vast expanse of bed that was spread out on one side of her and the unused pillows and sighed.

Titan didn't stay over, it would seem. After cleaning her up last night and apologizing several times, before wrapping her in the duvet. He'd sat beside her on the bed, watching over her in the dim light, until she felt asleep.

Pushing her legs free of the duvet she dangled them out of the bed and savored the cool air. Then she slipped out of bed. She could hear the faint sounds of Titan's personal shopper, whom she'd never had the pleasure of meeting, rummaging around in the kitchen. She was always as silent as a mouse. Malora pulled on some clothes, brushed her teeth, and went to the kitchen.

She was updating her list on her iPad.

"Hello," she greeted brightly. "I remember Mr. Pitts said, you like jam and I brought you two extra bottles." She held them up in her expressive hands. "You like?"

Malora went forward and tokk them in her hands. "I like. Very much. Thank you..."

"Audrey," she supplied.

"Thank you, Audrey."

She dimpled prettily.

By the time Malora settled down to eat her breakfast of toast and OJ, she had two messages from Mika.

Mika: Girl, I hope you're up.

Then:

By the way, Lloyd  called me looking for you. Your mobile must have been switched off.

Mal: Oh! What did you tell him?

Mika: The truth, of course. You were with Titan.

Mal: What did he say?

Mika: He went dead silent for a while, and then he asked me if I thought you were safe. I said I didn't know, but that you thought you would be. Then he hung up.

She bit her bottom lip.

Mika: You should call him. He worries about you. I think you ought to forgive him now.

Mal: I will. This afternoon.

Mika: So how's it going at casa de Titan?

Malora expelled her breath in a rush. She couldn't lie to Mika because she needed someone to talk to.

Mal: I don't know, Mika. I might as well be a blow-up doll for all the use I am to him. It's really just sex. He's so remote, so angry, and so hurt. I don't believe I'll ever be able to reach him. He wants revenge, but he doesn't have the stomach for it.

Mika: What kind of revenge?

Malora could hear the edge that crept into Mika's text.

Mal: Sexual humiliation. Last night he used a…vibrator on me.

She flushed bright red. The words were almost impossible for her to type.

Mika:  You are so weird. That's not sexual humiliation. Everybody uses them. If anyone offers to use one on me I'm going to lie back, open my legs as wide as they will go and ask them to knock themselves out.

Mal: You don't understand, Mika. He did it because he understands that I'm sexually repressed.

Mika: Oh for heaven's sake. You cried, didn't you?