Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Riley
“You know, I kinda expected you to live at the Eden,” I’m in the passenger seat, admiring the tall buildings as we’re driving through the south side of the city where Zeke lives.
“Is that how much of a workaholic I look like?” He’s holding back his laughter, one hand on the wheel and the other on my thigh.
“Yup,” I laugh. “If I were you and I lived in such a nice neighborhood, I would never leave my house.”
“Is that so?” He glances towards me, our eyes meeting for a short second but long enough for my heart to jump into my throat.
I nod, weakly. I still haven’t been able to bring myself back into the real world after everything that happened between us this morning.
Never had I ever dreamed of feeling emotions and sensations as deep and overwhelming as I do since I’ve met Zeke.
And the best part is that I’m not afraid of how I’m feeling.
We arrive at his building and he parks his car in the underground garage. The place is as luxurious as I imagined it to be, starting from the elevator to the apartment Zeke lives in.
“Woah,” I gasp as he opens the door and we step inside.
He owns one of the two penthouses on the top floor. The place is all dark wood, black marble and floor to ceiling windows that overlook the city. A single chair in this place is probably more expensive than my entire apartment.
“Did you hire an interior designer for this?” I ask, my eyes catching the leather couch on the right that’s facing a gas fireplace.
“No,” he shakes his head. “I actually did it myself.”
“You’re into interior design?” I stop, turning around to face him.
“Yes, why is that so strange?” Zeke laughs.
“I just didn’t picture you as a guy who is into that kind of stuff,” I tease.
“I’m full of surprises, Riley,” He walks over to the stocked bar and brings out a bottle of club soda. He doesn’t say a word as he pours two glasses and places a lemon in mine. “Care for a fancy drink?”
“Oh please,” I take the glass from his hand.
“I have to grab something from my office,” he says. “Make yourself comfortable while you wait.”
With that he disappears down the dimly lit hallway and I hear the heavy office door close behind him, leaving me to admire the view from the tall windows. I can see almost the entire city from up here, and it’s fascinating.
He returns, grabbing me by the waist and placing a kiss on the back of my neck. “Do you want a tour?”
“You’re not in a rush?” I ask, hopeful.
“No,” he shakes his head. “The perks of being my own boss.”
“Then yes.”
The air smells faintly of cedar and his cologne.
He takes me down the same corridor where he disappeared earlier, showing me his office, the library, and the two guest rooms. We proceed to follow the stairs to the second floor where he shows me the game room and a home theater.
Every single place has the same touch of elegance as the large open space living room.
“Ready for the highlight of this tour?” His hand stops on the doorknob of the last room.
“Is that your pick-up line with girls?” I raise an eyebrow, my eyes squinting at him.
“Actually, no,” He looks away, a small smile dancing on the corner of his lips. “I’m smoother than that.”
“Oh, right,” I laugh. “Sorry.”
Zeke opens the door and I’m once again blown away.
The bedroom is much simpler than I expected.
Soft white walls, a large king sized bed with crisp white sheets, and light oak furniture that give the room an almost peaceful feel.
My eyes linger a little longer than they should on the large bed, thinking of all the things we could do in here, but I force myself to look away before the urge to beg him to fuck me on his white sheets takes over.
Floor to ceiling windows line one wall, letting the city skyline become the only decoration it needs.
Everything is perfectly organized, from the spotless nightstands to the neatly folded throw at the foot of the bed.
There isn’t a single thing out of place, yet somehow it feels lived in. It feels like Zeke.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, looking around the room. “I expected it to have the same vampire-vibe as the rest of your apartment.”
“Is that what you’re calling my taste for interior design?” He raises an eyebrow. “Vampire-vibe?”
“Well, you did go hard on the dark aesthetics,” I run my finger over the sheets, swallowing hard at the realization of how big the bed is.
“Fair,” he nods, sighing dramatically. “Mrs. I-live-in-a-tuna-can.”
“Hey!” I warn him, holding back the laughter. “That’s not funny!”
“It actually kinda is,” he walks over, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me towards him, our bodies flushed together. “Look at you still blushing every time I get anywhere near you.”
“I don’t blush.” My voice is weak as I speak.
“You sure?” Zeke presses his lips gently on my neck, his hands sliding up my back. He takes his time until he reaches my ear. “See? You do blush.” He then turns me around with ease, making me face the mirror on the door to his walk-in closet.
“I—”
I don’t get to finish that sentence because we’re interrupted by his phone ringing. “Saved by the bell,” he laughs, placing a peck on the top of my head. “I need to take this, be right back.”
“Go ahead,” I nod.
Zeke walks out of the bedroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I picture Zeke fresh out of the shower, naked, tucking himself into the bed and falling asleep. I also picture him top of the sheets, my body on top of him as I ride him.
Stop it now!
To get my mind off it, I turn my attention to Zeke’s phone call. I can barely hear what he’s saying, but it sounds like he’s arranging something urgent, and it seems to be related to the documents he picked up earlier from his office.
My curiosity takes over and I push open the door to his walk-in closet, taking a look inside. “I wish I were this organized,” I say at loud, looking at the neat rows of tailored suits and casual clothes.
“Sorry for making you wait,” He walks back into the room, his eyes lighting up when he sees me standing in the middle of his closet.
“This is bigger than my entire room,” I laugh. “It’s fascinating.”
“You were pouting when I pointed that out earlier and now you’re the one to make fun of the size of your room?” He squints.
“I don’t pout,” I roll my eyes, walking back into the bedroom.
“Yeah, my mistake,” Zeke takes my hand as I walk past him and for a short second, I stop breathing. “We should finish those drinks.”
“Yeah…” I say, my voice low as I try to hide how much he’s affecting me.
We walk back downstairs to the bar, and I feel relieved to be away from his bedroom and all the thoughts that kept replaying in my mind while I was in there. Judging by the look on his face, it’s safe to assume Zeke is more than aware of what is going through my mind.
The moment we set our glasses down, he’s looking at me again. Really looking at me. My pulse stumbles as he closes the distance between us, one hand finding my waist while the other brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.
“You’ve been quiet,” he murmurs.
“I blame you,” I whisper before I can stop myself.
His smile is small, almost smug, and then his mouth is on mine. Slow at first, like he’s giving me every chance to pull away. I don’t. Instead, my fingers curl into the front of his shirt as I kiss him back, forgetting everything else in the world, except the way he makes my heart race.
He pulls off my shirt in one swift motion and then his hand settles against the small of mu back, pulling me closer until there’s barely any space left between us, and for one reckless moment I wonder if we’ll ever make it out of this penthouse.
The moment my hand slips under his shirt and I start lifting it up, the front door swings open. “We’ve got a problem.”
A deep voice cuts through the apartment, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps across the floor. Zeke pulls away with a quiet curse under his breath, but it’s already too late. Two pairs of eyes land on us.
On me, standing in the middle of his living room in my bra.
“We didn’t know…” Malachi looks embarrassed as he maintains his eyes strictly on his brother, avoiding to even glance my way, but that doesn’t make me feel any less embarrassed.
“What the hell, Zeke?” Another guy, whom I assume is also one of Zeke’s brothers speaks, but he doesn’t bother pretending not to see me. “You should have hung a sock on your doorknob.”
“Always so classy, Levi,” Zeke’s voice is harsher than a curse when he speaks.
“I…” My voice dies in my throat, my face still burning, as I snatch my shirt from where it landed beside the bar and pull it over my head so fast, I almost get tangled in it. I can’t bring myself to look at either of them, not even Zeke. “Sorry,” I say as I rush out.
“Wait!” Zeke shouts after me. “I’ll give you a ride to the hospital.”
“No need to,” I respond from the doorway. “I’ll just get an Uber.”
With that, I close the door shut behind me and a big sigh escapes my lungs.
I can still hear the muffled voices from the other side of the door, and even though I don’t want to know what they’re talking, I can clearly hear the younger one, Levi, say: “Did you finally pull the stick out of your ass and started loosening up a little?”
“If I were you, I would be careful about the things that leave my mouth,” Zeke’s voice snaps back. “Unless you want a drive to the dental clinic later.”
The entire day passes with my mind in a fog, my thoughts continuing to circle back to Zeke every time I have a free moment at work. I almost end up begging the nurses to assign me extra tasks just so I can fill out the idle moments between patience and paperwork.
When I return home in the late afternoon after the hospital shift, I’m met by two workers installing a new door for the apartment. They’re standing out like a sore thumb in the old building where no one calls workers because the people living here can’t afford it.
“What’s all of this?” I find Elena and Lexi leaning over the kitchen counter, overlooking the workers.
“They’re installing a stronger door,” Elena responds.
“I can see that,” I sigh, tossing my bag over the chair. “But what was wrong with our old door.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Lexi places one hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eyes as she speaks. “What wasn’t wrong with our old door?”
“According to your new friend, everything,” Elena adds.
“My new friend?” I raise an eyebrow, confused.
“Yeah, the guy that came over last night,” she explains. “He arranged all of this and sent the workers over.”
“Oh,” I remember his comment about how easy the old door was to break, but I didn’t think that would make him personally take care of replacing it.
“The short one is hot,” Lexi returns her attention to the workers, checking the blond one out as if he’s a snack and she’s been starving.
“Your taste has always worried me a little,” Elena snaps back, taking a bite from her sandwich in an almost comical way.
“Really?” Lexi turns to face our friend. “We’re going there?”
“I’m just saying,” Elena shrugs.
I wonder what they’d say the same about my taste if they knew everything I know about Zeke.
What do I even feel for him? It all started with clear rules: he was my boss and we had sex once.
And now he is having a new door installed at my apartment without even asking.
His control should bother me more than it does, but it doesn’t.
Considering the space he’s been occupying lately in my mind, I can’t help but force myself to think about the one question I have been trying to avoid.
What if he’s becoming dangerous for my heart?