Page 93 of Enthrall
Laughter roared from around me. Yet again I blushed wildly, but from everyone’s smiles they found my glee endearing.
Bailey threw me aRichard’s kind of cute look,but not discreetly enough.
He caught it and his face shifted to unreadable. “I’m going to check out the view.” He ambled out, taking his glass of wine with him.
“Thank you so much for my amazing gift,” I said. “If ever you need me to work overtime let me know.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Cameron. “We bought it from Costco. They virtually gave it away.”
Costco?
Hadn’t Richard and Lotte visited Costco together over a few weeks ago? Surely that was well before Lotte’s friend had asked her to find someone to live here? I peered over at Lotte. Her gaze remained on the tile.
“I’m going to take another peek at the view too,” I said, feeling decidedly more confident than usual as the carbs mixed with the wine and relaxed me.
Richard stood on the balcony, resting his elbows on the rail and staring out at the ocean.
“Isn’t the view amazing?” I said.
He turned and leaned back against the railing. “Spectacular.”
“I’m so grateful. I have to pinch myself.”
“You’ve got the place looking great.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“No.” He took a sip of wine. “Apparently the bathtub’s something else.”
“Do you want to see?”
I led him through the living room. A burst of laughter came from the kitchen and it eased my guilt over leaving my guests to entertain themselves. It felt nice to take another peek at this room.
Richard strolled around the tub, his gaze meeting mine. “Decisions...decisions...bath or shower? I’m tempted to take one now.”
I feigned shock.
He set his wine down on the marble counter near the sink. “We should get back.”
“I feel safe,” I said.
“I don’t.”
Something passed between us, an invisible spark, and he took hold of my wrists and shoved me back against the wall, pulling my arms up above my head. He held them there, his firm body pressing mine. This yielding pose and the strength he’d used to get me into it made me go lax in his grip, weaken, my core tightening in anticipation of where he was taking this, taking me.
His lips came dangerously close. “Mia, the things I want to do to you.”
A flurry of thrills shot up my spine.
He let go and took a step back, his stare breaking from mine. “Stay away from me. Promise you will.”
“I won’t.”
Confusion marred his face.
“You don’t want to kiss me?” I said.
“You know I do. More than anything. It’s complicated.”
