“Only if you were in college?”
I walked back to the living room before glancing at the kitchen. “If I had a family I would, too. Although I doubt I’d want to raise a family in the city, personally. But if I did, this would be a great place. Otherwise, I’m getting too old for roommates.”
“Why would you need a roommate?”
I planted my hand on my hip and gave Hunter a leveling stare. Sometimes talking to a man who owned his own island was exasperating. “This place is huge, Hunter. Even if I could afford it—and with prices in this city, I doubt I could, not even with the huge paycheck you write me. And there’s way too much space. I’d use a quarter of it, maybe. I’d end up dusting and cleaning a giant place I’d only use a little bit of. Doesn’t make sense for a single person.”
He stared at me with a blank expression, as though prompting me to come up with another, more reasonable assessment. Realization dawned on me.
“You’ve already bought this place…” I wasn’t sure if I was accusing him or just completely mystified.
“Yes.”
“And had it updated and furnished…”
“Furnished. It has already been renovated. A cleaner is scheduled to come every month—more, if you need it. The new assistant is not only highly competent, she can cook. She’ll take care of all your needs. It’s still in escrow, but I was given leave for you to start moving in.”
“Wait…” That wasn’t quite the conclusion I had come to. “My needs?”
I looked around again, this time with wide eyes. “Are you smoking crack? I can’t live here!”
“Why? The place you live in now is filthy and tiny—you’re not happy there. You were planning to move anyway. I’ve solved the problem.”
“You’ve become my keeper.”
His brow furrowed. “How so?”
With an open mouth, I stared at him. Sometimes the man was just dense. “I can’t afford this place, Hunter, which means you don’t plan to make me pay. Which means you are putting yourself in charge of my living arrangements.”
“Your landlord is currently in charge of your living arrangements, as is your current roommate. What’s the difference? Consider it a perk of the job.”
“But you’d have a key…”
“Yes. And I will use it when I want to spend the night here.”
Shivers went down my spine. He stared at me with that hot, commanding gaze, sucking out my will to resist. I shook my head slowly, feeling the desire to give in take hold.
“I don’t need a quarter of this space,” I muttered. “And it’s so far away from downtown. Getting anywhere will take forever…”
“With Blaire making things difficult for you, you can’t stay with me until I deal with her. I can’t stay in your place, for obvious reasons. This solves those problems. You will take the car service when you need a ride, or use your own transportation, which we’ll pick out next weekend.”
He stepped forward, his eyes dark with arousal. His arm snaked around my middle and pulled me into his hard body. “I don’t know if I can give you a future, Olivia. I’m not sure I can keep you happy long-term. But I’m going to try. For you, I’ll try anything. That is my compromise. This place, that I can visit anytime, will be yours.”
I looked deeply into his eyes. The heat in my middle swelled and overflowed. “What happens if all this ends?” I asked in a breathy whisper, lost in his smoldering gaze. “Where do I go?” It had to be asked.
“You can stay here forever, if you want. This is yours. Upstairs will be a home gym. The extra bedrooms can be offices or whatever you want. This building was purchased for your use for as long as you need it. Change any of the furnishings—you have unlimited spending. Make this place your home.”
His dominating gaze and the heat in his voice had my sex aching. The last of my strength to resist melted away. “Okay.”
He bent to my lips, his kiss passionate and deep.
“What does the bedroom look like, again?” I asked in a needy voice, running my hands up his chest.
Chapter Seven
He wasted no time in getting me to the other end of the flat, his hands peeling away my clothes as mine ripped at his. We backed into the bedroom, lips connected, urgency hurrying our movements. I yanked his shirt out of his slacks and pushed the fabric over his broad shoulders. His perfect chest greeted me. I worked his pants down next, my breath speeding up as he undid the buttons on my blouse. When my bra fell away, he leaned down and fastened a hot mouth to my nipple. I moaned softly, running my fingers through his hair. He straightened up and shoved down his boxers, probably intending to flip me on the bed next, but I had other plans.