Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 74: Did He Even Miss Me?

“Paying you back?” I said as Soren and I walked along the path to my cottage. I had only started my wo rk a few days ago, and I didn‘t have enough savings yet.

But he wanted me to pay him back? And he was leading me home.

I felt panicked. What if he wanted me to do something I wasn‘t ready for?

Rosalie, stop thinking like that! I scolded myself.

Soren wasn‘t that kind of person, I should have known by now!

He had a crooked grin on his face, and even though I had never had a reason before not to trust him, all of the thoughts before that I‘d kept in the back of my mind about how odd it was that he was being so ni ce to me, resurfaced.

Who would do all of this without expecting something in return?

No one.

So.. did he want something from me after all?

No, no, I kept shaking my head. He wouldn‘t. I must have thought it wrong, but what if…

I felt like I was about to cry. What should I do? I regretted so much that I didn‘t insist on not buying that expensive furniture.

“Come on, Ro,” he said, reaching over and tugging on my hand. “Come into the cottage. I have something I want you to see. I think you‘re going to like it.” He

made that last statement in a sing-song voice.

Cold chills ran down my spine. “I think I might not,” I thought to myself. To him, I said, “I am pregnant, you know?”

“I know,” he said, his eyebrows furrowed. We paused in the foyer. “What difference does that make?”

“A lot,” I told him. I knew I was just making excuses when I should‘ve been honest. “It wouldn‘t be… comfortable.”

“Well, you can always just scoot back.”

“Only so far,” I reminded him.

He shrugged. “Your tummy‘s not that big, and your legs are pretty long. It‘ll be fine.”

I couldn‘t figure out what my legs had to do with anything, so I just stared at him for a moment.

“I wasn‘t sure if it would fit. It‘s pretty big. And the opening‘s kinda small.”

My eyes bulged, “How do you know that?”

“Well, I measured,” he said leaning against the door jamb to the living room. “The rear entry was even tighter than the front. But it squeezed in, steps and all.”

“Steps? Wait––what?” I realized then I was missing something.

“If you don‘t like it, I can have it taken back out, but what do you think?”

When he finally moved aside, that‘s when I saw it.

A baby grand piano.

It was sitting in the corner of the living room. One of the small sofas was gone, and a chair was moved over, but it fit.

And it was gorgeous. The black polished surface gleamed in the sunlight coming in the front windows. I covered my mouth at the sight of its stunning beauty.

“Do you like it?” Soren asked me.

“Soren,” I couldn‘t take my eyes off it, “I love it! It‘s the most beautiful piano I‘ve ever seen!” That might not have been completely true. I remembered that white piano back at the Drogomor pack. But this one ? This one was in my cottage. It was mine.

Or was it?

I paused a few steps into the room, turning to look at him and remembering the conversation we‘d just had and what I‘d thought he was getting at.

“Soren, I can‘t accept this, though,” I told him.

“What?” his forehead crinkled. “Why not?” He looked like he was a child, and I‘d just ripped his ice crea m cone from his hands and dumped it on the ground.

“Because it‘s too expensive!” I replied. “This had to cost a fortune!” My fingers longed to brush over the smooth ebony surface of the lid, which was open, ready for me to sit on the bench and play. I wanted to run my fingers over the keys and hear the melody come to life and fill the c ottage with beautiful music.

“It doesn‘t matter what it costs, Ro. I brought it here so that you can start paying me back. I told you, thi s is how you‘re going to pay me back, remember?”

“I am confused,” I admitted. “How is buying me another gift helping me pay you back?”

“You said you are a singer, and you play piano, remember?” he said, grinning at me but still looking exasperated. “I want to hear it. I imagine you have a beautiful voice. If you‘ll sing for me, then you can start paying me back. My own private concerts from a n angel.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “That‘s how I will pay you back? By singing?” It didn‘t seem like a real request. It wasn‘t like I was a famous singer. I was just an ordinary girl who liked to sing. Why woul d my songs be worth paying for?

“Yes!” he said, shaking his head like I was the child now, one that didn‘t listen very well. “You sing, I‘ll listen, and that‘ll help repay your debts.” He had that twinkle in his eyes again.

“I don‘t think that‘s much of a repayment,” I admitted to him. “I love to sing–and I love playing the piano. I‘ve been itching to play again for a while now. It‘s just more of a reward for me.”

His shoulders shot up for a moment before he dropped them again. “Not every business transaction ha s to be painful, Ro. I‘m glad you like to play. I may join you sometimes, but I‘d rather sit in that comfy ch air and listen to you, my eyes shut, a nice drink in my hand, my mind floating far, far away.”

I smiled at him, looking all relaxed already. It was different to be around a man who knew how to let thin gs go and separate work from the rest of his life.

“Come on, Ro. Accept the gift– or another job offer. If you feel that bad about it, you don‘t necessarily have to

take it with you when you leave here, although you‘re welcome to. For now, I‘m gonna pour myself a scotch and you a nice ice water–and sit in that chair and listen to you tell me if the tuners did a good job or not.”

“I thought you had a meeting,” I reminded him.

He looked at his watch. “I‘ve got twenty minutes. Sooth my soul, Ro.” He reached up and tweaked my chin with his thumb and first finger, and I felt a pulse of electricity shoot down my spine.

I told myself I was just giddy over getting to play the piano again. Clapping my hands together in excitem drinks. I‘d have to make sure no one ever sat anything wet or cold on the piano, coaster or not! I didn‘t want the finish ruined.

I sat down and readied my fingers, trying to decide what to play. I ran through a few scales and found th

I didn‘t want to play anything I‘d ever played for Ethan before, not right away anyway, not if I could help it.

As my fingers ran over the keys, and I began to sing a song I knew by heart, I thought about the other men in my life and how t there, eyes closed, drink in his hand, a smile on his face.

My father, my brother even Ethan. None of them had been kind to me. None of them would‘ve ever give me to be happy.

Granted, Ethan did give me the necklace I was wearing, but only because Georgia had given me the train.

Did he even miss me? Was he with Madalynn now? Did he even think about me at all?

He probably missed the baby, but he would just find someone else to carry his child.

All I ever was to him was a breeder, someone to produce his heir….

But to Soren–He didn‘t want anything from me… He never asked anything from me. He seemed to see me as a human–as a friend.

My fingers traced the keys for several more minutes. I switched songs a few times before his watch beeped, and he reluctantly ope

When he looked at me, there were some emotions in his eyes I couldn‘t quite read. Surprise, peace and desire. However, in a blink of an eye, his branded smile was ba the emotions I had glimpsed before seemed to be just my imagination.

He got out of his chair, and I stopped playing, standing to meet him.

“That was so very beautiful. I‘m so sorry I have to go,” he seemed to be in a bit of a rush which was rare if you don‘t mind.”

“No, of course I don‘t mind,” I told him.

A small sigh escaped his lips as they turned upright at the corners. “Good. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, when I can‘t sleep, something like t

“It would be my honor to play for you.” I smiled.