“Of course.”
I eyed him skeptically. “You barely know me.”
“I know enough,” he returned.
It was a good thing his focus was ahead of him, not on me, because I didn’t want him to know how easily he made me melt.
It took almost an hour to do the full tour. The penthouse was huge—so big that calling it an apartment didn’t feel right. I’ve certainly never known an apartment to have its own ballroom. Ocean showed it to me, along with the gym, the pool, and the rooftop terrace. The rest of the apartment was a blur of extravagance until he finally showed me his room.
“It’s nice,” I said as I walked around. The room’s dark interior screamed masculinity, and the massive bed beckoned me as I ran a finger over the heavily starched bedding. “Not as pretty as mine,” I teased, “but it suits you and it…smells like you.”
The scent of his cologne lingered in the air along with the smell of freshly washed sheets. His staff was incredibly discreet and swift. Not once did we see any of them during the tour. It felt like we were blissfully alone even though we weren’t.
“I’m glad you approve,” he said as he leaned against the wall by the door.
I didn’t respond as I walked over to his nightstand and boldly opened the drawer to see what he kept inside.
Nothing.
Not even a box of condoms.
Thinking maybe I guessed his side of the bed wrong, I walked to the other side and found the same thing. Nothing at all.
Tossing a frustrated glance at Ocean, who was watching me with his fist covering his mouth to hide his grin, I hurried over to the double doors and found the closet with only a few suits hanging inside. No box of secrets or even a junk drawer.
His bathroom was just as cold and sterile, so when I emerged crestfallen, Ocean noticed immediately.
“I don’t understand,” I said so softly that I’m surprised he heard me.
“Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for, and maybe I can help.”
“You!”
“I’m right here,” he barked while throwing out his hands.
“No! I mean everything that makes you who you are. There’s nothing here. You seem to know everything about me down to my wildest dreams, but the only thing I know about you is that you’re dangerous. You don’t—” I paused with a hiccup when the answer dawned on me with the crushing weight of a sledgehammer. “You don’t really live here, do you?”
“Yes, Coby. But only when necessary.”
“Then why am I here if this isn’t your home?”
“Because where I live most of the time isn’t safe for you. At least until after the wedding.”
“Tell me why,” I demanded. When he hesitated to answer, my mind formed a conclusion of its own that my mouth didn’t hesitate to share. “Let me guess…it’s where you keep your other bitch?”
Ocean pushed off the wall and closed the distance so quickly I barely had time to do more than stumble back. “Is that the kind of man you take me for?”
“I don’t know, stalker. You know everything about me, but I don’t know shit about you.”
“Thenask.”
“Okay, what’s your favorite color?” I asked just to be a smart ass.
“Red,” he answered without missing a beat. “What else?”
“F-favorite TV show?” I stumbled to ask.
“I don’t watch TV.”
