Page 7 of Consumed By Desire

He starts to walk down the hall without giving me a chance to take my boxes back from him.

I catch up to him. “I should get those from you.”

“Not at all. I’ll walk you to your door.”

“How do you know which one’s mine?”

“There are only three units up here, and I’ve met the couple who lives in the one at the end of the hall. Unless you’re moving in with me, that only leaves one you could be going to.”

I blush at the idea of having Asher as a roommate. Maybe even accidentally running into him as he comes out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

My mind’s still in the gutter when he stops in front of the first door we get to. “Here we are.”

“Great.” I fumble in my purse for the key while he waits, not in the slightest hurry to rid himself of the boxes.

I want to invite him in but even though he’s not acting impatient, I’m getting the strong vibe that he’s a busy person.

“Where would you like these?” Asher asks.

“You can leave them here. I can get them inside.” I wish Asher was wearing a t-shirt instead of a suit so I could get a good look at his arms. “Thanks again for helping me out.”

“It’s nothing. Let me know if you need anything else.” His smile’s warm and it’s doing things to my insides. I’m drawn to this man in a way I’ve never felt before. He’s entrancing. Neverin my life have I wanted to sleep with a guy I’ve just met. I’m certain I’m not the only woman who would want to get him naked in an elevator. “I’m right across the hall.”

I clear my throat, truly hoping my face isn’t betraying every single emotion that he’s causing to flare up in me. “Great.”

“I’ll see you around, Elena.” He touches my arm briefly before he walks off. My stomach flips. I hope so, I add silently as he walks off.

I drag my suitcase inside and go back for the boxes. Again the top one slips out of my arms. It spills onto the smooth tile of the apartment. I glance around quickly to see if Asher heard. If he did, he doesn’t give any sign of it. He’s striding down the hallway with confidence and purpose. I step inside but I can’t help but peek out again.

Just to see exactly where he’s going, in case I might need to thank him again later. I’m halfway inside the doorway because I don’t want him to catch me.

He doesn’t turn around. He’s busy on his phone, talking in low tones. I lean against the door frame to watch him surreptitiously. His confidence makes him even more attractive.

Asher stops in front of the only door I can see. The entire length of this hallway must be his place. Mine isn’t half that big. I linger for a moment even after he disappears. I knew this building was fancy but it didn’t expect it to be quite like this.

I close the door silently behind me, turning to find myself surrounded by the mess from the box. I shudder at the recent memory. Making a mess isn’t exactly how I wanted to kick off the start to my new fabulous life. Not very super-glam of me.

No matter. It’s just a minor blip. Full of resolve, I turn around and I can’t even believe what’s in front of me. This place is truly amazing.It takes me a moment to realize why it’s so bright. It’s not just the white walls and pale gold paneled flooring. There are actual skylights in here.

I wander around in almost in a daze. If this is an apartment, then what have I been living in all this time? I can’t believe it. The view alone is jaw-dropping. I stop to stare out of the floor to ceiling windows. I’ve never seen Central Park from this angle before in my life. I love the park and to get a glimpse of it from above is like shifting into another world.

It takes some time to find the bedroom. I pass by the kitchen while I’m looking for it and I can’t even take in all of the super-shiny, intimidating surfaces. It’s so big that’s going to have to be something to explore later. It’s the kind of kitchen where you’d make several courses to serve to your twelve guests in the formal dining room.

Maybe Asher can be my first one.

I laugh at myself. Yeah, like I could cook well enough for him. Maybe I could order in something nice and pass it off as my own. As if I could afford ordering in the kind of meal he must be used to. I try to picture eating pizza in the sleek, pristine living room and laugh. That’s not going to happen here.

I stop short when I find the bedroom. So this is where the real view is. The huge expanse of blue sky extending far into the distance is all I can take in. Until I get lost in the beautiful carpet of trees spread out among the swathes of other skyscrapers.

The only thing that tears me away is my stomach’s insistent growling. This place is so stunningly gorgeous that I don’t want to leave, but I’ve got to find something to eat. I can get back to this view soon enough.

I want to explore this side of the city that I never come to.

Chapter 4

Elena

It’s been two glorious days of living in luxury and I’m already used to it. It’s going to be extremely difficult to leave once my time here is up. This is the lifestyle I want. No question about it.

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