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~ Daniela's POV ~

Up until Carson woke up in the early hours of the morning that night was pure bliss. We were finally somewhere of our own, somewhere safe. Not to mention the fact that I spent the night in Carson's arms which made it so much better. For the last few weeks that I'd known him, whenever I slept in the same bed as him I just felt so...safe.

I just hoped he felt the same, after the nightmare he had I had no clue how he was feeling.

While I lay there next to him, I took the time to admire him and his perfect lips and nose, the way his eyelashes cast a shadow over his perfect cheekbones that were defined by his 5 o'clock shadow. He seemed so peaceful now compared to earlier, he wasn't frowning or looking like he was in pain or under pressure.

He just looked so relaxed.

He was so perfect and I was so lucky to be lying there with him at that moment.

"Didn't you ever learn that it's rude to stare?"

So he had a freaking sixth sense or something.

"I wasn't staring I was just-"

"Continuously admiring my face for a long period of time?"

"Exactly." His lips twitched up into a smile before he finally opened his eyes, revealing his beautiful brown orbs. Reaching my hand out gently traced my thumb over a small scar just below the corner of his right eye.

"Did you have a good sleep baby?"

I didn't want to ask him out right if he was okay after the nightmare, something told me he'd want to pretend it didn't happen.

And that's exactly what he did.

In response to my question he nodded his head before he took my hand bringing it to his lips to place a kiss on my palm.

"I did, but this girl I know was driving me crazy in my dreams. She was so damn beautiful."

When he gave me a smirk, I rose an eyebrow at him bringing my face in closer to his.

"Well, I'm sure if you used that cheesy line on her it wouldn't help you to get in her pants."

His smirk only widened in response as he closed the gap, faintly brushing his lips against mine when he spoke.

"Oh trust me baby, I have so many other lines to try out that by the end, she'll be putty in my hands and if not, well there's always the wink. It knocks the sass right out of her."

Before I could try to come back with some sass as he calls it, he pressed his lips to mine. Moving in closer to him I kissed his soft lips and within moments he deepened the kiss, pushing me gently so that I was lying flat on my back while he leaned over me, placing his hand on my waist.

"Not now, later."

When I turned my head to the side to break the kiss, he let out groan as he nuzzled his face into my neck.

"Dani you're the first woman on this planet who has me chasing after her. I don't like waiting."

"Oh stop whining, I'm not making you wait until marriage, just a little bit longer." When I mentioned marriage, Carson lifted his head to look at me with a teasing smile.

"Are you trying to ask me something Dani?"

"Be quiet." I shook my head at him even though my own smile was fighting it's way onto my face. Instead of moving to give me space after I rejected him, he lay face down on top of me, resting his head on my chest.

"Carson you're fat get off me."

"You've seen me without a shirt, so I would like to know how you came to the conclusion that I'm fat."

When he mumbled his words into my chest while I lay there I rolled my eyes as I tried to sit up but I was still being weighed down by him.

"I'm comfy like this, stop moving."

"But..." When I realised his eyes were closed and it seemed like he wasn't going to be moving any time soon, I let out a sigh before dropping back down onto my pillow.

I'm pretty sure I fell asleep after that because when I woke up some time later Carson was no longer in bed on top of me. Instead I could hear the shower running in his bathroom.

By the time I'd woken up properly, Carson had returned to the room with a towel wrapped around his very toned waist. His tattoos on his damp skin were on full show as he walked out the bathroom and into the room sporting a confident smirk.

"I bet you regret calling me fat now, don't you?"

"Nope." I shook my head as I lay there shamelessly ogling his body as he walked past the bed towards his closet. "Well in that case, get up and get changed, we're going out."

"Where?"

"Out." When he turned to give me a smirk I rolled my eyes before I eventually got out of the bed heading into the bathroom.

Since I didn't have much choice on what to wear I just put together an easy outfit with what I had from the shopping we did in Portland.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<

Now that he had his money, his new iPhone and credit cards courtesy of his friend Grey, Carson seemed like he was slowly transforming back into his old self.

Or I guess the person I didn't know before we met.

Even though he told me to get ready so that we could go out, he spent the next half an hour reading through his messages on his phone from the last three weeks. I don't think he even made a dent in them when I finally managed to pry his phone out of his hands.

After he was off that stupid thing, he turned his attention to the bag of money that we had. The money included the 15 thousand dollars that Grey sent to our hotel room in Portland and also the last little bit of money we found in the cabin.

I say little, but it was actually 4 thousand dollars, and Carson gave all of it to me.

Every penny.

He told me that since the money wasn't actually his and that we found it together I had just as much of a right over it as he did. He said that he wanted me to at least have some money for the time being until I got a job and earned my own money, which I found so cute.

Of course he did reiterate a million and one times that he would be paying for everything anyway so there was no need for me to have any money. But I think that was just his masculinity talking because he knew how much my independence meant to me.

"Aren't you going to show me around your house?"

From the little I'd seen it was absolutely beautiful and from the window I could see the beach right outside his house.

The beach was something I was so excited about.

"I will beautiful, but you made us sleep really late and then delayed us even more so now we only have a couple of hours before the shops close so we'll do that later."

I narrowed my eyes at him when he turned to look at me with a smirk just as we reached the door to his garage.

"You know it was your fault."

"Mhm, did you bring your necklace like I told you too?" When he mentioned my necklace that I took absolutely everywhere with me now that I couldn't wear it, I nodded my head patting my jacket pocket.

"It's right here, why?"

"Because the first thing we're going to do is get that fixed. Then we'll go shopping."

Before he could open the door I grabbed his hand to stop him, moving in between him and the door.

"I don't know if I've told you today that I love you, very much." Carson pressed me up against the door as he leaned his head down, bringing his face closer to mine.

This time it was me who seemed to be pushing for this to go further than it had ever gone between us and it was Carson who reluctantly pulled away from me before that could happen.

"We really need to go Dani." Letting out a sigh, I nodded my head although my eyes were still focused on his swollen plump lips that just tasted so good.

Clearly noticing where my gaze was, he let out another laugh as he stepped away from me and took my hand before pushing the door open. "Come on Trouble."

Following him inside the garage, I once again stopped in my tracks when I saw the number of super cars he had stashed away in there. I didn't even know much about cars but I knew that these were beautiful.

He had at least eight cars in there.

"Which one shall we take?"

"All of them." Once again he let out a laugh while I continued to stand there in awe and instead he chose to go over to a little safe where I'm assuming he kept the keys.

"Pick one baby."

"The black one." When I pointed at the black car at the back, he gave me a proud nod, taking out the keys. "Good, that's my favourite."

"What is it called?" When we walked over to the car, Carson unlocked it, opening my door for me. "Bugatti Chiron."

"Is that good?" My clueless response bought a smile to his face as he nodded, gesturing for me to get in. "It's good baby."

When I finally got into the car, I noticed just how luxurious the car was just by the feel of the leather seats. It definitely seemed like one of the most expensive cars I'd ever sat in.

"How much did it cost?" When Carson got in next to me, turning on the engine I couldn't help but jump at the sudden growl it let out in the confines of the garage.

"Three million."

"Holy shit."

I was sitting in three million dollars.

I was putting my butt on three million dollars.

I don't think anyone understands how big that moment was for me.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<

Just as he said, we first got my necklace fixed at a jewellery store who told us we would be able to come and pick it up in the morning tomorrow. So that meant we'd be coming in the afternoon because Carson and I woke up at 2pm that day, which meant we wouldn't be falling asleep until the middle of the night again.

After that we went shopping in a mall and not on Rodeo Drive like Carson so desperately wanted to.

I guess he was going to have to get used to now being with someone who shopped at normal stores and not the designer places that he was used to. I may have lived with Ayden for the past few years and therefore worn designer clothes like he wanted me to, but that didn't mean that was who I was.

I was quite happy going into stores like Zara, H&M or Forever 21. He was more into stores like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Versace.

So we spent a long time hunting through all the stores in the mall that I liked the look of and I ended up buying half a wardrobe for myself knowing I would need the clothes in New York since every item of clothing I owned was maybe still at Ayden's penthouse.

Unless he threw it out.

After I bought my clothes, we went to a few shoe shops where I bought some trainers, high heels and some everyday shoes. I wasn't sure how quickly I would get a job but I knew I'd be attending interviews so I would need at least some smart clothes and shoes for that.

I guess if I got a job another shopping trip would be in order.

Finally, we picked up some make up which I was so grateful for because I was a girly girl inside out and make up was my therapy. I loved putting it on and mixing up the different techniques and colours and types of make up. It was just my favourite.

"Are we done?" I couldn't help but laugh when Carson grumbled next to me, holding my shopping bags. We'd already taken a trip to the car to put some of them away and he did make some comments about how his nice, expensive car wasn't supposed to be stuffed full of shopping bags.

"No just one more store, but you can stay outside for this one." When we eventually stopped outside of the intended store, Carson gave me a confused frown which looked super cute on him.

"Why? I thought you wanted my opinion."

"Yeah, but not on this." When I nodded my head towards the bright pink store front of Victoria Secret, his eyes zeroed in on one of the mannequins dressed in some white lingerie in the window before he pouted even more.

"But Dani this is the fun stuff. You made me give you my opinion on every freaking shirt and dress and skirt you bought, why can't I come with you in there?"

"There's multiple reasons. You might make other women feel uncomfortable, you'll annoy me or you might have women throw themselves at you and I don't want that."

Finally he let out a huff before he leaned against the wall outside of the store, taking out his wallet clearly with the intention of paying. Unless he was just checking if he had a condom in there which was the only other reason I could think of him taking his wallet out.

"Carson I'll pay, I have money."

"No, take my card. It's okay, I have some catching up to do, I haven't spent a thing for the past three weeks."

When I still just stared at his American Express card reluctantly, he reached out and took my hand, putting it between my finger and thumb.

"Take it baby and don't worry, this is the one store I want you to spend as much as you can. Just buy everything, then you can model it all for me."

When he gave me a smirk I couldn't help but laugh as I quickly stood on my tippy toes to press a kiss to his cheek before I left.

I didn't end up buying everything like Carson said but I did buy a mixture of stuff. I had to buy some comfy stuff for periods and just days when I needed to be comfortable and then of course the lace stuff.

When we finally got back into the car, Carson turned to look at me after checking his phone for some messages. I'd noticed he hadn't replied to a single one, he'd only been checking them. "Shall we go and get some dinner? Are you hungry Dani?"

We did manage to eat something in the mall during our shopping trip, but I guess it was time for dinner since it was almost 9pm.

"Yeah I guess, but...actually, never mind. Do you know any good restaurants here?" He was the only one who'd ever been to this city after all.

"What's the matter?" Shaking my head, I was about to deny there was any issues until he gave me that look which told me to just tell him. "I kind of want to cook at home, but we can eat out if you want."

"We can do that if you want. I had someone go shopping so there is-"

"Wait, what? You have a person who does your food shopping?" When I said this he just gave me a frown as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Maybe for him it was. When I lived with Ayden I always did the food shopping and the cooking.

Bitch, you were Ayden's shopping person, he just didn't have to pay you.

"Yeah. I have a cleaner and a chef too but they're not working right now. You didn't think I did that shit myself did you?"

Yes.

"No, I guess not." Why did I all of a sudden feel so stupid?

He was rich and when I say rich I don't mean he just had money, I mean his entire lifestyle was contingent on his money.

He probably felt so out of place shopping in the mall with me when he could have easily gone to Rodeo Drive and not batted an eyelid to buy things from there.

"What's the matter Dani? You're acting weird." I could tell he was irritated by my shift in mood and honestly I wasn't exactly sure what had caused it. I was just confused.

"Nothing Carson, can we just go? We're still sitting in the parking lot."

He held my stare for a moment before he eventually shook his head, starting the engine of the car.

When we finally got home, despite him telling me numerous times to leave it, I took most of my bags myself up to the empty bedroom room next door to his bedroom. I didn't really want to crowd his entire room with all my bags that needed sorting out.

By the time I'd finished taking them upstairs and I'd changed into some sweatpants and a T-shirt, I could hear the sound of pans clanging from somewhere in the house.

Making my way downstairs, I stood mid-staircase when I saw him in the kitchen cutting something on a chopping board.

"What are you making?" When I finally entered the kitchen area of his open plan ground floor, he turned to look at me. "I was thinking pan fried fish and some vegetables?"

Oh yeah, he's a health freak.

"That sounds good. Do you need any help?" When I made my offer, I spoke in a tentative tone, unsure of how I was supposed to act around him.

I guess that little moment we had in the car was my fault, and he didn't seem very happy about it judging from his response. I watched as he turned back to the vegetables he was cutting keeping his back to me when he responded.

"No, you can sit down if you want or just come back when it's ready."

"Okay." When he still didn't look at me, I slowly turned around heading away from the kitchen. At first I was going to go upstairs, but then movement outside the window caught my attention.

Stepping closer to the window, I remembered his house was right on the beach which meant the movement was the waves in the distance. I wasn't sure if he'd be happy if I went outside, but I guess I hoped he would when I opened the sliding door, feeling the sea breeze hit my skin as soon as I did.

Stepping out of the door, my feet hit the warm soft sand as I stepped out, walking towards the ocean. Although it was dark, the light coming from inside the house and the subtle moonlight allowed me to see the ocean in the distance.

I walked up to the water, a small smile tugging at my lips when the tide washed over my feet for the first time before retreating again. Standing there, I just watched it happen a number of times as I looked out at the vast ocean.

I felt like a little girl again, seeing and experiencing something new all over again. I enjoyed every second of it, standing there in the peace and quiet with only the sound of the soft waves to keep me company.

After the hectic, crazy past four weeks I'd had, this moment was serene and perfect.

The breeze from the ocean whipped around me causing my hair to fly gently in the wind. The air itself felt so fresh and clean, but also crisp.

I don't know how long I was stood there as my mind drifted back to all the events over the last few weeks. At one point I felt claustrophobic being locked in that tiny room and now I felt like I had all the space in the world staring out at the vast ocean in the distance.

I didn't hear his footsteps come up behind me in the sand so I only knew he was behind me when he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind causing me to jump.

"Sorry." He mumbled the apology while I turned to look at him before I eventually turned back to look at the ocean. It fell quiet between us for a moment as we just stood there, enjoying the peacefulness.

"You know this is the first time I've ever been on a beach."

"Really?"

"My parents weren't rich, they could never afford to take us anywhere outside of Ohio. We went on a few of those caravan vacations but apart from that they saved all their money for when my sister and I went to college."

Carson didn't say anything while I continued to stare out at the dark ocean which standing there seemed like it could have been never ending.

"I know you're rich Carson, but I'm not used to it, you have people to do everything that I'm used to doing myself."

"I thought Ayden was rich."

"Oh he is, but he made me do everything for him. What I'm saying is that it's going to take me time to get used to you acting so casual about having someone do the smallest of things for you. It's not a bad thing, it's just different to me."

Eventually I turned around in his arms, noticing the frown on his face as he looked at me.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel...uncomfortable? I don't know, I guess uncomfortable is