Sacha's condominium is a large open concept space with floor to ceiling windows at the far end wall that can be seen as soon as you step in through the door.
I walk straight to them as his men carry my worldly possessions in suitcases and boxes inside.
We're up on the twenty-fifth floor and view of the cityscape at night is gorgeous. You can't see the stars very clearly in the city but the lights in the windows of the buildings around us look like the bright night sky.
I'm very aware of Sacha's presence behind me. He's agile and silent but very alert and focused, like a hunter that he is and I feel like a trapped prey.
My lower lip is still tingling from his touch. It's just a brief touch, there's no reason for it to rattle me this much. But it does, it affects me more than any kisses shared with other boys or men before.
If a little touch from him rattles me this much, what would his kiss do to me? I fight the urge to touch my lips.
I watch him watching me through the reflection in the glass window before I blink and look down.
I push away from the window and his eyes follow me as I move around his living space.
I take in the soaring ceiling and the white marble floor that reflects the glittering chandeliers. Everything is in black, white and grey. His place is beautiful, even more impressive than Nico's bachelor pad.
The strong color scheme continues throughout the dining area and living room. A stainless steel fireplace sets in half-wall between the two areas. Big bold painting grace the walls.
I bet it's professionally decorated despite the beautiful decor. It feels cold and impersonal. There are no pictures of him or his family anywhere, no errant jacket or shirt on the back of his chair, or a half-read book on the coffee table.
Then I remember his life isn't really here. His family is in Seattle.
I let my fingers slide over the cool black quartz countertop as I drift from the living room to the kitchen.
"You move like a dancer," he notes suddenly. "Instead of walking, you glide."
I pause before I whirl around to face him. His bright hazel eyes are watching me like he's trying to figure me out.
That comment almost sounded like a compliment and I don't know how to react to something like that from him. "I'm not a dancer," I reply finally. "I mean I did start ballet when I was four, but I stopped…when I was twelve."
He moves silently to stand close to me, like a predator closing in on a prey. His voice is quiet and silky smooth when he asks, "what happened when you were twelve?"
I stopped after Astaroth took away my second nanny…as another lesson when I misbehaved. She was always very stern and cold and I didn't care much about her. Besides I've learned lesson not to care for our paid help after our first nanny. But something inside me broke even more after her death….and I stopped finding joy in ballet.
I tear my gaze away from his piercing stare and lift my chin up. I don't know why I told him about my involvement in ballet or revealed anything about my childhood. The last thing I want is his sympathy and we don't need to know each other.
I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly, "too much work and commitment, who has time for that?"
I'm aware of his penetrating stare drilling into the side of my head as I avoid looking at him. He sees too much and it bothers me.
"Too much hard work and discipline for a princess huh?" He says mockingly after a while.
"Yep," I answer as I slowly walk back to the living room so that we're not standing too close to each other anymore.
"What would you like to have for dinner?" He suddenly asks, "would you like Chinese or pizza?"
"Anything" I shrug my shoulders again. I'm quite hungry as I barely had anything during lunch.
He leans his hip against the kitchen counter and shoves his hand into his pants pocket as he watches me. Always watching me. "Okay," he says after a few seconds. "I'll order pizza."
He orders meat lover pizza, chicken wings, garden salad and chocolate lava cake. My mouth waters as I listen to him make the orders.
"So now what? I'm I supposed to sleep with you to work off the money that you paid to save me?" I ask him waspishly after he puts away his phone. He's being nice and I can't stand it. I have to find reasons to hate him more than I do.
"No princess, sleeping has nothing to do with what we'll be doing to each other." He drawls. His roguish grin is like that of a shark that detects blood in the water. "And whatever it is that we end up doing, you'll be doing it because you want to, not because of the money or you're forced to."
"Then it'll never happen," I tell him haughtily.
"We'll see," he returns. His jaw tight with determination and now I wonder if I had just thrown down the gauntlet to a Nephilim, a natural born hunter.
"Come I'll give you a tour of the place and I'll show you your room," he says suddenly.
The man is making my head spin, one minute he's ignoring me and a while later all he seems to be doing is watching me. One moment he's annoying me, the next instant he's complementing me. He's so mercurial and unpredictable and he's throwing me off balance. I'm feeling as though I'm in the center of a whirlwind whenever I'm near him.
He directs me through a hallway beyond the living room with a warm hand on the small of my back.
There's a home office with a closed door that he doesn't even bother to open or give me a glimpse of what's inside, then there's a well equipped home gym.
His bedroom is the master suite with a king bed right in the middle of it. "You're free to move in with me if your room is not to your liking… or if you want company ." He murmurs in my ears when I take a step inside the room out of curiosity.
I know he's taunting me, but the image of us in his bed together set my pulse racing. The warmth from the length of him heats up my body from behind.
My heart hammers my chest and my body heats up with need when I feel his warm breath on my neck and cheek. That sizzle of electricity in the air between us that I've been trying to ignore is now in full force.
His voice sounds husky when he says "I'm dying to bite your pulsing vein right here…" his lips lightly touch the side of my neck, just below my jawline and a delicious jolt of electricity travels down straight to my core.
Oh no… I force my fuzzy brain to start thinking. He's a known playboy, he must have fed that line and pulled that move on hundreds of women, probably thousands.! With that thought, I duck down under his arm and back into the hallway. Away from the temptation…sort of.
I swallow hard and take a deep breath before I turn to face him again.
His roguish, knowing grin is maddening. "Let me show you to your room, he says turning to walk down the hallway ahead of me like nothing happened and I bite back a frustrated groan.
I stare at him as I trail after him. He's tall and has a great body. His dark brown hair curls slightly over the nape of his neck and the edge of the collar. It looks silky soft and I'm dying to run my fingers through it. I long to feel the muscles on those broad shoulders under my palm. Or maybe I should hit him.
I swing my gaze away as soon as he turn to look at me before he opens the door to our left.
He smiles and I ignore him.
My room is right next to his, it is smaller but it's still got a good size with its own en-suite and a queen sized bed. There are suitcases and boxes on the floor next to the closet. But the glass aquarium and my reptiles are already set up by the wall across from my bed.
"I didn't take you as a girl who likes snakes and lizards."
"There's a lot you don't know about me," I tell him.
"That's true, but I intend to find out," he replies. Before I could open my mouth to give him a saucy remark, he continues "my staff will be here tomorrow morning to put the rest of your things away so don't worry about them." He mentions towards my luggages and boxes.
The pizza arrives a few minutes later and the smell is heavenly. As I peek into the boxes at the kitchen counter, he heads off towards his room.
"Aren't you going to have any?" I ask him.
"I have a prior engagement," he replies, looking at his slim watch on his wrist, "I have to get going." And just like that my appetite is gone.
I'm nibbling slowly on my salad when he re-emerges from his room twenty minutes later. He looks breath taking in a black tux, a crisp white dress shirt, a silver grey vest and a red tie. It is fashionably slicked back making his cheekbones high, the sharp angles of his face, his chiseled jawline look more prominent.
I want to ask him where he's going but that would show that I care…and I don't. So I ignor him and he doesn't say a word as he leaves.
I push the salad and pizza box away, I'm done pretending to be eating.
I wonder if he's going out on a date with Naomi Welsh tonight. Maybe by tomorrow pictures of them toge would grace TMZ and the tabloids again.
I'm imagining them together, tangled up in each other and him whispering words in her ear. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. By the time I'm laying in bed, I'm fuming.
I might be tired, but I can't fall asleep. I shouldn't care about what he does or where he goes or whom he's seeing. If anything, it's a good reminder to guard my heart better. I don't care, I really don't.
I pound my pillow before I settle my head back down again. It's Saturday night and I'm in bed while he's out there on a date and that's why I'm so pissed . I'm just pissed, I'm not jealous. I. Am. Not. Jealous.
I'm usually out partying at this moment or doing something daring that give me an adrenaline rush. But tonight I'm in bed, like a kid or an old lady. An he's out there… God I'm so pissed.
He's going to pay for this! I swear I'm going to make him pay for this.