The second we were alone, I wriggled from Elijah’s arms and padded away, across the marble floor to the table. Under the cover was burgers. Oh God, was I hungry. Next to it was a folded note on a silver plate. I held it up to show Elijah.
“The letter from your PA, printed on cardstock. Oh, and a butler? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“What were you expecting?”
“Taxidermy of servants who displeased you. Black satin sheets. A mirror on the ceiling. You know, the normal.”
“No staff or satin sheets. Mirror’s in the bedroom. Try not to break it with those loud screams.”
I barked out a laugh then slapped my hand to my mouth to stop it.
Elijah watched me from the entryway. In only his jeans, the man who’d claimed me was a compelling sight, dark ink decorating his arms, his shoulders broad and torso tapering toa narrow waist. At some point, I’d messed up his dark hair with my fingers.
For a heartbeat, I almost forgot what he was. A rich wanker who was just another attendee of the billionaire’s party. A fact he’d confirmed himself.
I turned back to the food. My mouth watered.
“Eat. You’ll need the energy,” Elijah ordered.
“Only if you are.”
He gave up his lean and prowled over. “In case I poisoned it? Alton has more class, even if I don’t.”
Elijah took a seat at the table and snagged a burger. I collected the other and bit into it. Damn, that was tasty. Once I’d cleared my mouthful, I phrased a question.
“So, you live in a hotel?”
“I leased the apartment once I got my place in the game. We have it for as long as we want it.”
“No mansions available in town?”
“Not my style.”
“No overpriced artwork or animal heads?”
“There’s a judgemental urban fox who sometimes watches from behind the wall in the parking lot.”
I peeked at him.
The burger was gone, eaten in a few bites, and he watched me like I was more interesting than his billions.
More dangerous, too.
Elijah lifted his chin. “You’re prejudiced against me. Why?”
“I know your type.”
“You don’t know me. In fact, you don’t know anything about me.”
Mostly, that was true. I finished half my burger, the edge taken off my hunger. I couldn’t ignore a different kind of need that swirled deep inside me.
Something ticked over in Elijah’s gaze as if he recognised my twisted feelings. He slid the champagne from the ice bucket and dried it with a towel, the movement slow and distractingly sexy. “Tell you what. We’re in this thing for at least thirty days. You get to ask me three burning questions now, then for the next week, we’re doing nothing but enjoying each other. No history and no money talk. Only us, being together.”
My mind supplied visions of exactly how we could enjoy ourselves. X-rated ones.
He thumbed the cork, and it shot across the room, knocking against the glass wall that looked out over the city lights. “All I know is if I don’t get back inside you soon, I’m going to burn up. So get thinking.”
A small gasp escaped me. He smirked and poured the wine.
