Page 25 of The Temporary Fiancée
The doors open on Reed’s penthouse, and immediately, all thoughts of the lobby or the elevator are blown straight out of my mind.
The foyer is wide and spacious, the walls white and floors made from broad panels of pale wood. It’s elegant and sophisticated. There’s a long table against the wall, upon which an abstract sculpture sits; there are tasteful paintings on the walls. The crisp minimalism extends into the rest of Reed’s bright penthouse.
The view over Manhattan is unbelievable. The windows are huge, taking up the entirety of two walls. There’s a fireplace. A grand piano. I stand in the entryway, my mouth open.
I don’t know what I was expecting. A castle? A palace? Reed’s childhood home, copied over? Whatever I’d built up in my mind, it’s nothing compared to the real deal.
Sothisis how a modern Eastwood lives. It’s leagues away from my shitty little apartment. In fact, I’m even more embarrassed about my place now that I’ve seen the penthouse.
“Holy shit,” I say in a low, reverent voice. “You livehere?”
“Well, for the next six months, so do you.”
I exhale. “That’s gonna take an adjustment period, huh?” I glance in Reed’s direction, but I’m too ashamed to look him in the eye. “I mean, you saw the dump I live in.”
Reed hums, walking over to me casually. “Sure, but I didn’t care where we were last night. Only that we were together.”
I bite my lip. My heartbeat speeds up a little, despite my efforts to keep myself neutral. “Yeah?”
“Besides.” He comes up behind me, breathing his next words into my ear: “I was distracted by one of the most beautiful views I’d ever seen—that pretty little pussy.”
My legs close together as arousal rushes through me. I turn to face him, my breath bated; tension hangs between us at the reminder of last night.
Before anything can happen, I take two quick steps back, nearly colliding with the piano. My heart races as I remind him, “Don’t forget our no sex rule.”
He gives me a lopsided grin and a shrug. “Sorry. Thought that only went into effectafterwe sign the contract.”
For a few seconds, I’m sorely tempted. If he made a move, I’d let myself be caught up in him all over again.
Then he says, “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t do anything that you don’t want to do.” His joking tone fades. “I want to make sure you feel comfortable and safe in this arrangement. And it would be nice if we were friends, you know? We’re going to be around each other all the time. We might as well enjoy each other’s company.”
“For sure.” I let out a breath to cool my head. This doesn’t exactly soothe my worries, but at least Reed knows where to draw the line.
I’m almost impressed. I was worried he’d be a lot more immature about this whole situation.
“Anyway—” he gestures to the open space of his apartment—”feel free to snoop around. I’m gonna be in my office, writing up a draft of the contract, but you should make yourself at home. Go wherever you want. Do whatever you want.”
“You sure about that?”
“Mi casa es su casa,right? Literally.” He gestures to the kitchen. “Eat whatever you want. There’s some food in the fridge, I think.”
With a shrug, I deposit my bag next to the couch and take him up on his offer. He disappears into an office off of the hallway that runs down the center of the apartment, and I head in the opposite direction, poking my head into every open door.
The place is huge. It’s almost exciting to explore every room. Aside from the spacious living room, there’s also a cozier den. There are three bedrooms, a home theater, and a pool room. Everywhere, there are huge windows that face the street, letting light into the space.
Reed doesn’t reappear for a while—I guess the contract is taking him longer than I thought it would. Even when I’m done exploring the entire apartment, he’s still locked in his office.
I feel like I could use a refresh after not sleeping much last night—and, of course, all the sex. My shower this morning wasn’t quite enough. It’s been a hectic morning, and I need a second to relax.
So I drag my bag into one of the bedrooms, then fill the huge bathtub in the en suite bathroom. There are candles on the marble ledge next to it; I light them as I step into the tub, settling into the warm water. I sigh, letting my muscles relax, and breathe in the scent of pine.
A few seconds later, I realize my mistake when the door slides open.
Reed is standing there, his eyes wide with surprise at the sight of me. Then his expression changes. He takes a deep breath through his nose, looking at me with hunger in his eyes.
“Um—sorry,” I say, sitting bolt upright. I wrap my arms over my chest, trying to hide my body as best as I can.
“Don’t be sorry.” Reed shrugs, approaching the tub, and kneels next to it. He runs a hand along the edge of it, his eyesfixed upon my face. They don’t waver as he adds, “I said free rein, after all.”
