Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“You’re going to be up all night,” I tease, twining my fingers together to keep from playing with his tie. It’s a dark navy silk number and it suits him well in his crisp gray suit.
He raises his eyebrows. “What’s wrong with staying up all night?” His voice is low, throaty, and I love it.
“A man with as much work to do as you have needs his beauty sleep.”
“Hmm.” He looks down at me just as the wind takes a lock of hair out of the clip I’ve had it in. He catches it with his finger and tucks it back behind my ear. His touch is like fire and I lean into it. “What are your plans for the evening? Maybe you could help me take the edge off.”
“I don’t have any,” I tell him, my heart fluttering. “Did you have more work to do?”
“I do. A few things need tending to, but I take my work upstairs for the evening,” he says. “Care to come up?” The tension between us grows with every passing second we walk to the building. As we step into the elevator I have high hopes…unfortunately it’s occupied by an elderly woman so I keep my distance and so does Graham, although our eyes catch in the reflection. With every second, my heart beats a little harder and a little faster, but he doesn’t put his hands on me, not even as the woman steps out with a little hum and nod, and the two of us make our way to the penthouse.
It’s not lost on me that the first time I ever saw him was in this elevator. I catch him looking at our reflection as it whisks us up, and I bet he’s thinking the same thing.
Even as he steps out of the elevator with me following, he still hasn’t touched me. My steps halt before I make it even three steps in.
The view from his living room windows takes my breath away.
“This is stunning,” I breathe, unable to help myself as I look out over the city.
Graham comes up behind me and puts his hand on my lower back. My eyes close from the simple contact. I crave his touch like I didn't know I could. “It’s the same view you have, my little temptress.”
That nickname, with the warmth of his hand on my back, sends pleasant shivers all over my body and I’m all too aware my nipples harden. “It’s different up here,” I tell him, meeting his gorgeous eyes. A spark ignites and I sink my teeth down into my lower lip.
“Have you ever considered that it’s different because you’re here?”
“No.” I huff the smallest of laughs. “I’m sure it doesn’t matter where I am.”
“Yes, it does.” Graham looks down at me with intensity in his blue eyes. “It matters more than you think.”
I’m ready to crawl into his bed and never come out again, but I shake myself out of it. “Did you say you had work to do?”
Regret crosses his face, but he steels himself. “A few things before I’m done for the night.”
Graham’s penthouse is massive compared to mine. No surprise, since his takes up the entire top floor and mine is only a small section floors below. A large living room in the middle reminds me of mine, only it’s wider, with more understated furniture and built-in shelves underneath the floor to ceiling windows. A small office is off to one side, and a hall leading into another section of the penthouse. I can see through to his kitchen and peek into a dining room from here. He waves his hand toward the right. “My bedroom is down that way.”
I resist asking him to take me there right now. If I had an hour alone in here, I’d have to explore, because there’s so much space and soft, tempting lighting, and I bet he has a private gym and a library, too.
Graham sits at a large, rounded sofa in his living room, his laptop on his lap. At first, I try to sit primly next to him, my feet on the floor and my dress, a simple cream pleated number smoothed over my legs. I kick my heels off and ready myself to tuck my legs under me.
But…
“Is it all right if I put my feet on the sofa?” I ask. I imagine it’s far more expensive than anything I’ve ever owned, and his entire place looks spotless. “This couch is too comfortable.”
“That’s why I bought it,” he says, a smile quirking his mouth. “Put your feet wherever you want.”
I tuck my feet up under me and find a blanket spread over the back of the couch. It’s lightweight and luxuriously soft, and it feels good to cover my legs.
“What has you working late?”
“Building my empire,” he says simply, then taps away at his keyboard for another few minutes. “But I want you here while I work,” he murmurs and then looks at me, “so I can have you after as a little reward.”