Pause. “Right away.”
He tapped the desk again.
“How do you do that?” I asked, gesturing to his desk. “It just looks like glass from this angle.”
He grinned. “It’s magic.”
“I’m not five.”
“I’ll show you the technology some other time. It’s nothing more than a tablet on a larger scale.”
And, I imagined, with a much larger price tag.
He walked toward me and gestured to the door. “Ready?”
“Yes. Where are we going?”
“My place. Is that okay?”
His territory. Was that an intentional power play? I could have fought the decision, but I was reluctant to have our discussion at my condo. Right now it held too many memories of our last fight. “That’s fine.” I followed him to the door. “Oh, wait.” I dashed to the table where I’d thrown the envelope and picked it up, stuffing it back in my bag.
“What’s that?” he asked.
I gave him a puzzled look. Was he really going to pretend he didn’t know? Or maybe he didn’t want to discuss it until we arrived at the penthouse. “Let’s talk about it at your house.”
We took the private elevator down. William didn’t move to kiss me, but he did hold my hand all the way down and out of the building. George was waiting out front with the black SUV. He held the door for us, his head held high. He didn’t even glance at me, just murmured, “Good afternoon, Mr. Lambourne. Miss Kelly.”
Some things never changed. We climbed in the back of the car, and William raised the privacy screen. I wondered if he would pull me onto his lap, kiss me, run his hands up my skirt…but he merely held my cold hand in his large warm one. “No gloves?” he asked. I gave him a look, daring him to say anything.
He grinned and squeezed my fingers. In a way that was comforting, and his restraint meant I could keep my thoughts focused on the conversation ahead.
I loved him.
I was willing to be totally honest with him.
The stalker shit had to stop.
As soon as I covered those topics, I could jump him.
“What are you smiling about?” William asked.
“I’ll tell you later,” I said.
The drive to William’s penthouse at the pricey State and Walton location didn’t take long at this time of day. We arrived and George opened the car door for us. William led me through the foyer and into the elevator. My heart pounded against my ribs. This was it. I was going to bare my soul. I could only pray William accepted me.
The elevator doors opened on the fifty-sixth floor, and we stepped into William’s marble lobby. Beyond the small entryway, the floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the Chicago skyline. The bright sun glinted off the glass and metal, and the dark blue expanse of the lake extended as far as I could see. William led me into the living room and shrugged off his coat, laying it neatly on a chair. I watched him remove this outer layer and took a deep breath. It was impossible not to think of the last time I was here—the night William had surprised me with the naked sushi. I could remember him whispering in my ear, “Are you still hungry?”
I had been then, and I hungered for him now. I didn’t know if I would ever have my fill of William Lambourne. I shivered, thinking about that night and the way William had touched me, caressed me, fucked me…
“Do you want to sit down?” he asked.
“Maybe in a minute,” I said, pulling the envelope from my bag. “First I want to talk about this.”
Twenty
“What is that?” William asked, moving to stand beside the chair. He was angled so that when I looked at him I also had a glimpse of my black and white surfing photo hanging on his wall. I couldn’t help but stare at it and think about that time in my life. That time—all of me, my past and my future—were part of William’s life now. If there was another way to show that more plainly, I couldn’t think of it. He was displaying his commitment to me on the wall for all to see. My art was part of his home. He wanted me here with him—he had just dropped everything he’d planned for the afternoon to be with me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Parker to reschedule all of the meetings and conferences with big shots this afternoon, but William hadn’t even seemed to think twice about it. I was part of his life now. I was one hundred percent included. I was the priority. Finally, I got it.
I wanted to show him I felt the same way. I dropped the envelope and moved toward him. At the same time, he opened his arms and enclosed me within them, pulling me against him. As soon as I touched him, my determination to talk wavered. He smelled so good, comforting and enticing all at the same time. I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent and feeling the steel of his muscled torso. I could hear his heart beating, could hear the way it quickened when I wrapped my arms around him. It felt so good to be in his embrace, like sinking into your own bed after a long vacation. I felt right here.