Page 22 of The Forbidden Billionaire
“Nothing.”
“It’s not going to work,” he points out.
“We’ll see.” I let my gaze slide down him, taking in every detail of his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and long legs, then slowly return to his face.
He looks up at the ceiling and blows out a breath.
My lips curve up. This is going to be easier than I thought!
The doors open, and we go out into the corridor. The top floor is divided into two penthouses, and I own the one overlooking Hobson Bay.
“Stay here, please,” Luke says as we reach the door. He takes a key card out of his top pocket. Wait, he has a card to my door? Surprised, I watch him touch it to the pad, open it, and go inside.
I move forward and stand in the doorway, holding the door open and leaning against the door jamb as he enters. Is he expecting a modern chrome-and-glass apartment? If so, he’s going to be disappointed. The open-plan living and dining room has a light, sunshine-yellow decor, with orange, blue, and pink cushions on the cream suite. The place is scattered with vases of flowers, books, and photos of my family, and other itemsI’ve bought on my travels. A glorious, multi-colored rug from Morocco covers the carpet by the suite. Handwoven cashmere blankets from Kathmandu are folded over the sofa and my favorite reading chair by the window.
Luke walks through, passing the kitchen, then disappears down the hallway. I hunch my shoulders, a little uncomfortable at the thought of him going into my bedroom.
The other security officers never came up here. What is Luke expecting to find? An intruder? A shiver runs down my spine, followed by a flare of annoyance. I’m not a movie star. There won’t be a raving fan hiding under the bed waiting to declare his devotion when I’m alone.
Luke’s only gone a minute or two, and then he reappears. “All good, ma’am,” he says, coming over to the door.
“Thank goodness,” I make myself say sarcastically. “So I wasn’t invaded by the barbarian hordes?”
“Not this time.”
I stand in the doorway, then gesture for him to pass through the narrow gap.
He hesitates, then obviously realizes what I’m doing, and his expression turns exasperated.
I look pointedly at the space between me and the door frame. “There’s plenty of room.”
“This won’t work,” he scolds.
“We’ll see.” I give him an impish look. “When you quit, make sure to tell Marcus why.”
He makes an impatient sound in the back of his throat, then walks toward me. Oh… he’s taking on the challenge. My pulse speeds up as he pauses, then turns to the side and moves through the gap. Ooh, he’s bigger than I realized. Our bodies touch, my breasts brushing his jacket. Tingling, I look up, into his eyes. Wow, they’re so dark and intense.
“Look at that,” I say breathlessly as he exits the other side. “Completely unscathed.”
He runs his tongue across his top teeth. “All clear,” he says.
“What?” I’m puzzled until I realize he must be pressing the button in his trouser pocket.
Giving me an amused look, he backs away, then turns around and heads off down the corridor. “Goodnight, ma’am,” he calls over his shoulder.
I watch him go, then retreat hurriedly before he reaches the elevator and realizes I was watching him.
I lean back against the door, my heart still racing. Completely unscathed.
Yeah,right.
*
The next day, I spend more time than I should choosing what to wear for my lunch date with Dom.
While I sift through my outfits, I try to ignore the flutter in my stomach that suggests I might not be doing the right thing. Marcus told Luke he thought Dom was controlling, and he’s right, of course. It’s the main reason we broke up. So why am I agreeing to meet him again?
I guess I’m hoping he might apologize. After our horrendous argument, I’ve refused to talk to him, so I don’t know how he feels about what happened. As I take out the long black skirt and white crossover top that I know he liked, I think about the roses, and the messages he sent asking to meet me.
