Page 33 of Prized Possession

“I was expecting you to say you have butlers, drivers, and private chefs, like at Morelli Manor,” I confess, my cheeks heating as I blurt out my thoughts.

He shakes his head with a small smile. “I moved out to get away from all of that. Anyway, shall we go in?”

He points to the lift, and I realise that the whole time we’ve been talking,I’ve just been standing by his car like a crazy person. I rush over to him, knowing my cheeks are going to be even fucking redder than they were before.

The lift arrives within seconds, and as the door opens, he places his hand on my lower back to guide me inside. “After you,” he says, his voice a deep grumble.

Fuck, my stomach flips and my skin tingles where his hand is against me. It’s barely even a touch, yet my nerve endings feel like they’re on fire.

He guides me into the lift, and I turn to face the door once we’re both inside. He drops his hand, so he can press the button for the penthouse, and it seems to take fucking ages for the doors to close. I choose to ignore the way my body seems to ache over the loss of his touch.

With each nanosecond that passes, it’s like the air starts to sizzle around us. He’s standing so close, I can feel the warmth from his body.

Thanks to the romance books I read, I’m now analysing our proximity in the confined lift, sexy thoughts flashing into my head like a dirty movie.

I want him to push me up against the lift wall, to slide his leg in between mine until I’m grinding on his thigh. I want him to wrap his hand around my neck while his other arm cages me in, completely dominating me. I want to feel the press of his soft lips against mine as he swallows my moans with his kiss.

The loud ping of the lift announcing we’ve reached our destination pulls me out of my fantasy, and I have to blink a few times to clear my mind.

Am I sweating?I feel like I’m sweating in places I didn’t know I could sweat.

The biggest problem with the fantasy is that I already know, if anything were to ever happen between me and Marcus, my imagination wouldn’t even come close.

That one incident in the alleyway taught me that. His actions and domineering presence caught me off-guard in a way I never expected.

Now I know that my imagination is woefully lacking—and given how wet my knickers currently are, that’s saying something—I’m a little worried about anything happening in real life. I have an awful feeling that Marcus Morelli has the power to break me, and I’m not sure I want to stop him.

As the doors open, Marcus walks out first, motioning for me to follow. As soon as I walk into the hallway, I’m stunned. I don’t know what I expected, but this is not it.

The long corridor has several doors on either side. Despite it having no windows, the space is so light and bright, with crisp white walls and beautiful black picture frames. The black wooden doors contrast so well with the sleek white walls, making the place look elegant in an unexpected way.

“This is where you can hang your coat and leave your shoes,” Marcus says,pulling open the door on the immediate right of the entrance to reveal a small utility room.

There’s a row of coat hooks along one wall, with shoe storage along the floor. There’s also a splattering of umbrellas, bags, and other random items, that all seem to have their own place.

Marcus removes his shoes, and it seems so weird to see him in just socks. He takes off his jacket and hangs it on the door, loosening his tie as he does. Without giving it much thought, I take off my uncomfortable heels and place them beside his, as I slip off my coat.

Before I can reach up and place it on a hook, Marcus takes it and does it for me. It’s so domesticated that it completely throws me, and I’m once again lost for words. Luckily, I don’t need them, as Marcus leads us out of the utility room and continues the tour.

The apartment has three guest bedrooms—though one seems to have been claimed by Miles, his Head of Security—a small office, two bathrooms, and a master suite that has a small sitting room, a large bedroom, and a fucking gorgeous en-suite.

The claw tub alone grabbed my attention, until I saw the multi-jet rainfall shower big enough to fit several people inside. Hell, it’s even got a bench seat in there, so you can sit and enjoy the water streaming over you.

Damn, I wish this was my bathroom instead of Marcus’.

Don’t get me wrong, the bathroom that he tells me will be all mine is gorgeous. It has a large jacuzzi tub that I could spend hours in, and a waterfall shower similar to his, but there’s just something missing.

Every room he shows me is more beautiful than the last. Decorated in bright whites, black, and grey, it looks like it’s been done professionally. Everything is sleek and clean, but there’s also a nice homely feel to it.

Even though I wasn’t expecting a bachelor pad—that’s just not Marcus’ style—I didn’t in my wildest dreams think he’d live somewhere as beautiful as this.

Though, as I wander around, I note the lack of a personal touch. There are no photos on the walls, no memories dotted about. The house looks immaculate, but it doesn’t tell me anything about Marcus.

As he leads me to the final guest bedroom, he looks a little hesitant for the first time during the whole tour, like he’s unsure what I’ll say. With his hand on the door handle, he turns to face me.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure what you’d want your room to look like, and given I didn’t really have much of a plan, I’m sort of winging it. But after talking to Miles, I know it’s important for you to have a safe space while you’re here. I want this place to feel like home while you’re here.

“I’ve left it how it was, for now, but I figured we could decorate it any way you’d like. If there’s any particular furniture you’d like, let me know and I can get it for you. Basically, it’s your space, and you can do what you want with it. Of course, I’ll pay, and help with decorating, so you don’t have to do it all yourself.”

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