Impulse (Billionaire Secrets 5)
“How did things go with your dad?” she asked.
He handed her the glass. “He’s still on the clock at work, so I was only able to text him some of the details. I’ve transferred money to the hotel, so he’ll be able to check out and come over here after he gets off work. I told the doorman to expect him, your parents, and Finn. Hope everything went well on your end.”
She nodded and took a refreshing sip of water before setting it down on one of the counters. “Dad will head home, pick up a few essentials, and then drop Finn off here in a few hours.” Apprehension settled over her. “I told him not to tell Finn the gory details.”
“That was the right choice.” Simon crossed over to her, taking her shoulders in a firm, but gentle grip. “Still, this sudden arrangement is probably a lot for Finn to take in. Do you want to choose an apartment now? That way things will be a little more stable when he arrives.”
“Yes. I think that would be best,” she said in a shaky voice.
He gave her an encouraging smile that sent her heart fluttering. Even though he had practically demanded that she stay here, she didn’t feel resentful or anything like it. She felt cherished and protected, despite his infuriating pushiness.
Once she slung her handbag over her shoulder, Simon clasped her hand to lead her out of the apartment and into the hall outside. “There’s the apartment next door. Or the one next to that one if you want more privacy.”
The fact that he owned the entire building and every apartment in it still amazed her. Nobody else lived in the building, which meant that Simon had the run of the place. Not having neighbors sounded a bit lonely to her, but it seemed to suit him.
“Where will your dad be staying?” She tried to keep the emotion out of her tone, but what she really wanted was for Onslow to stay out of her hair. They could try to get along later, when the crisis was resolved and they weren’t dealing with some shadowy group making threats.
“Haven’t decided yet,” Simon replied. “I’ll make sure you and Finn have plenty of space to yourselves, though, so I won’t set Dad up in an apartment next door to yours or across from yours either.”
“Thanks for understanding.” She offered him a pained smile, almost regretting that he had caught on to her unease about this setup.
He gave a curt nod and guided her to the apartment two doors down from his. When he swung the door open, she slipped inside.
Heather had seen each individual luxury apartment in the building, but not even that could have prepared her for how spectacular the décor was. Unlike Simon’s masculine apartment, this one had a more feminine and inviting touch, with pink and gold furnishings.
As he led her into the living room, she was so dazzled by the place that her mouth fell open. “Simon, there are fresh flowers in here.” A bouquet of pink roses was set in a crystal vase on the low, cream and gold- trimmed coffee table. The delicious scent of the flowers hung faintly in the air.
Simon gave her a sheepish grin. “Right before we left Dover I called the housekeeping service that manages the place and asked them to spruce up all the apartments.”
“One housekeeper cleaned up all the apartments in the building?” she asked in shock.
“No, I asked for about twenty housekeepers to come here and—”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “How much money did that cost?”
He released her hand to slide his arms around her waist and draw her close. “No amount of money is too much when I’m spending it on you. Anyway, we agreed that as long as I stay within a certain budget, I can spend my money however I want on you.” He paused. “Never mind all that. We’ve barely had a moment alone today and all I want to do right now is kiss you.”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, the hard, muscular planes of his chest pressing into her. Their lips met, sending sparks of electric heat radiating through her body. His giving and equally demanding mouth already had her reeling. As he pried her lips apart and plundered her mouth with his tongue, her heart skipped a beat. Something cruel, and frightening, and shadowy was hunting them, and yet she had never felt safer than she did right now in this moment. The safety and comfort of his arms was all she needed to reassure her.
Breathless, she let her hand drift up until she was running her fingers through the locks of his dark hair.
He groaned, the sound rumbling so forcefully in his chest that she could feel it through her blouse, all the way down through her skin until it pierced her heart. For years she hadn’t remembered what it was like to be this wanted. This desired. Simon reminded her of that feeling every day, but she would never be able to get enough of it. Not when her tongue collided with his, causing the most incredible tightening between her legs.
When he pulled away to break them apart, she felt the heavy weight of his gaze as his eyes swept over her. The need in his eyes was so blatant he didn’t have to say a single word.
“Why did the housekeepers decide to bring roses?” she asked, needing a moment to cool the heat that threatened to engulf her.
“I asked them to,” he told her. “I didn’t know which apartment you would want, so I asked them to put roses in each apartment for you.”
“Oh, Simon. You are so sweet.” She blinked rapidly, not wanting to spoil the moment with her waterworks. Getting used to his money was probably not going to happen anytime soon, but she could always appreciate a romantic gesture. Appreciate and then reward it. The sudden heat in her cheeks reminded her of her own desire coursing through her. She reached for one of the roses, plucking it from the vase. Bringing it to her nose, she softly asked, “Do you want to show me what the master bedroom looks like?”
“Is that your way of saying this is your final choice for an apartment?” he asked, his eyebrow quirking up suggestively. “It’s a shame we don’t have the time to test all the bedrooms in the building.”
With a laugh she tugged on his lapel with her free hand, allowing a smile to turn up the corners of her mouth. “One of these days we will. For now, why don’t you show me this master bedroom before everyone arrives?”
Simon was already kicking his shoes off.
Chapter 11