Page 51 of Unraveling the Truth About Love
Chapter Twenty-One
MOVING INTO TREAT’S apartment didn’t take very long with the help of Josh’s driver, Jay, but from the moment she walked into the Dakota, Riley felt completely out of her element. The enormous foyer swallowed her, and between the eleven-foot ceilings, expansive living room, dining room, library, and three large bedrooms, she knew she’d been given a handout at one thousand dollarsa month, and it embarrassed her.
Josh took her through the maze of rooms, each one bigger than the previous one, passing furniture so rich and finely made that she was afraid to touch it.Do people really live this way?
She unpacked her meager belongings in the master bedroom outfitted for a king and queen. A four-poster bed that she needed a footstool to climb into graced the center of theroom between two eight-foot windows. Cherry furniture with elaborate carvings that could only be handmade lined the walls. A mirror larger than her bedroom wall back home hung above the oversized dresser. It looked like it belonged in an upscale showroom.
She escaped to the kitchen, hoping to feel more comfortable away from the expensive woods and textures. She was not that lucky. Riley loweredherself onto a barstool in the enormous kitchen. She’d always imagined that living in a lavish home would be exciting. She not only felt out of place, but she felt downright lonely, even with Josh just down the hall in the ridiculously large master suite. She pushed to her feet and flew into his arms when he came looking for her.
“You okay?” He rubbed her back.
“I’ve just never stayed anywherelike this before. It’s huge. Why would he have such a huge place? I mean, even with Max, it seems really, really big. I thought he was so down-to-earth.” She snuggled into him, wishing she were back at Savannah’s.
“He is down-to-earth. Who he is isn’t linked to the homes he owns. That’s real estate, investments. Treat is the man you always thought he was. It’s a bit big. I’ll admit that. Butdon’t judge him based on his apartment.” He took a deep breath. “Riley, come with me.” He took her hand and led her out of Treat’s apartment, down the elevator, and into his own apartment.
“Where are we going? Don’t tell me he owns two of these monsters,” she said.
He withdrew the key from his jeans pocket and unlocked the door. “This is my home,” he said.
Riley covered her mouth.I’m suchan idiot.“Insert foot in mouth,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to these types of luxuries. And I’m not a handout. A thousand dollars a month wouldn’t even pay for someone to wash his windows.”
“Relax, babe. It’s not like he needs the money,” Josh said. He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her forward.
Riley hadn’t spent much time picturing Josh’s apartment, and as shewalked through the lavish rooms, she realized that she saw pieces of him everywhere. Instead of velvet couches, like Treat’s, his were leather and cloth, with chenille throws across the back and thick brown area rugs covering the hardwood. His apartment felt very masculine, very Josh. She glanced over the bookshelves, where she found not only books, but candles and other knickknacks. She pickedup a heavy metal frog holding a magnifying glass and raised an eyebrow in question.
He shrugged. “He was cute.”
She set it back down and picked up a picture of a very young Hugh standing beside a red car. “He looks happy.”
“His first race. I took that right before he headed out to the track.” She set it down and ran her finger along the books: a mixture of fine literature and recent fiction.“You’re a reader?”
He shrugged again. “When I have time.”
“Candles. For your hot dates?” she teased. Inside she winced, not wanting to hear the answer.
“I’ve never had a woman I dated in my apartment.”
Riley spun around. “No way,” she said.
“Way,” he said. “I told you. I’m a private guy. My place is my place. It’s the one place I can come and feel…I don’t know…safe, away from the scrutinyof the public. Bringing a woman up here would bring that world in. I didn’t want that.”
She asked the question that begged to be asked. “What if you wanted to, you know…”
“They had apartments.” Each word was laced with honesty.
“Eight years and not one single woman in your bed? Come on, Josh,” Riley said.
“Eight years and not one woman inmybed,” he assured her.
She couldn’t imagine havingthat sort of self-control. It seemed unimaginable. Could he be saying what he thought she might want to hear? She searched his eyes and came away knowing that he was telling her the truth.
“So I’ll be the first?” she asked, reaching for his hand.
“We’ll see,” he teased. “Hopefully the last.”
She wrapped her arms around him and realized that he’d invited her over to his apartment after theirfirst date. “Josh, you invited me here after you took me through the subway that first night, remember?”
“I remember that night very well, and I hope I never forget it,” he said with a smile.
