I snickered quietly, getting quite the opposite impression from him. “Can you handle poor?”
“If you had to sleep in my life, you wouldn’t even ask that.”
I snorted. “How big is your house now?” I really was curious.
“Ah, but it wasn’t always that way.”
“Must be a big house then,” I mumbled.
Genuine surprise. “You don’t know where I live? Damn near everyone does.”
“Nope. That’s one thing I don’t actually care to read about in the gossip rags. Everyone needs their privacy. Their home should be their safe haven—not the reverse.”
He stopped in front of his train, not even breathless as he bent to allow me to slide off his back. “I have to admit that is refreshing.” His smile was devious as he climbed the iron stairs. “That’s one less person for my security system to keep out.”
I smacked his ass and stomped up the stairs behind him—while eyeing said perfect ass. “I guess you can stay at my place tonight. But I’m going to pass out soon. You’d probably sleep better in your own bed.”
“And miss sleeping next to a beautiful woman?” His face scrunched in horror. “Never.”
I evaluated his train as the door shut behind us. “Really, you’d sleep better in here. I think I have a few mice running around at my place.”
Mason Corporation’s train, specifically just for Mr. Rune Mason, was all shades of gray. Only the plush leather seats were black, with a black panther stitched into the seatbacks. Silver wood paneling on the floor, light gray walls, and a cool white ceiling with tiny silver specks reminded of his business—construction. Clean and raw. Untouched until his company put all the pieces together.
It was simple. Yet beautiful in its hidden complexities.
Rune tapped on the main panel before leading me to sit down on the softest chair.
I sighed in contentment. “This is nice. Sure you want to sleep with the mice?”
He chuckled and sat next to me, eyeing my actions as I reclined the seat. “I’m a great hunter. I can handle a few mice.”
“They’re big.”
“I’m bigger.”
* * *
“What the heck are you doing?” I questioned, my eyes wide in hilarity. My choked laughter wouldn’t be contained, so I stuck my hand over my mouth to quiet it the best I could—the walls were thin in this apartment complex, and it was late. “Your ass is staring at me!”
Rune glanced over his right shoulder, resting on his elbows and knees. He hissed quietly, “Shh. I found the mice. There’s a shit ton in these walls, and here’s where they’re getting into your apartment.” He waved for me to come hither, his head dipping back down to the floor.
I tiptoed over to the wall and lowered to my hands and knees next to him. I ducked low, and sure enough, right behind my only table, there was a small hole at the bottom of the wall. I whispered, “How the hell did you find that?”
He snorted. “You were in the bathroom forever. I had a lot of time to explore.”
“I was only in there for a minute or two,” I argued. It didn’t take me that long to pee.
“Maybe you fell asleep on the pot?”
“I did not!”
“Anyway, do you have any mouse traps? Or are you all humane and stuff?”
I snorted. “Not with mice, but I don’t have any.”
He tapped his fingers on the ground and tilted his head further to examine the hole. “Well, you’re fucked until I can bring over some equipment to fix this.”
“Won’t the landlord deal with it?”
