“I’m glad to see you didn’t back out.” Asmodeus curled his lips into a wicked smile. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
“There is nothing humble about this abode.”
Asmodeus led me through the revolving doors and into the lobby while the driver trailed behind us with my bag. My boots clicked against the marble, and the door man glanced up from behind his podium. He gave a smile and a nod to Asmodeus before turning back to the screen before him. I gazed around as we continued toward a bank of elevators along the back wall of the lobby.
Everything glistened and sparkled as if every single surface was polished clean each day. The chandeliers flickered with luminous light, and expensive paintings adorned the cream walls. I couldn’t guess how much one of these apartments cost, but I knew it had to be way more than the salary of a nightclub owner. Right?
After the elevator hurtled us up to the top floor, I followed Asmodeus into his penthouse apartment. I tried to swallow down my shock. Everything was sleek and black. The luxurious space ended with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a view of the sparkling city lights. I trailed over to them and pressed my hand against the glass. My breath stuck in my throat as I gazed down at the very distant street.
Asmodeus stepped up beside me, following my gaze. “There’s nothing else like New York City at night. Welcome home.”
Darkness settled over my awe. I narrowed my eyes and stepped away from the window. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my bag beside the door. The driver had dropped it and left me alone with my new boss and his dimpled smile.
“This isn’t home. I’m only here for a month.” My tone was sharper than I intended, but this guy really set my nerves on edge.
“You’re welcome, Mia.” Sighing, he strolled over to the kitchen. With the open floor plan, most of the apartment was in one big space. The living room, dining room, and kitchen all fed into each other. There were three doors leading off from the main room. While Asmodeus rustled around in the kitchen, I let my curiosity lead me to the first of the doors. I cracked it open and peered inside. A luxurious bathroom looked back at me. A clawed tub sat in one corner where a rainfall shower-head hung low over the center of it. Plants dotted the entire room, basking in a strange humid heat that seemed to seep out of the floor.
I closed the door and moved on to the next room. Peering inside, I spotted a massive bed that hunkered beneath black silk sheets. The windows were covered completely with dark curtains.
“That’s my bedroom. Not yours.” His voice sounded right in my ear, and something skittered down my spine. I jumped and twisted to the side, heart hammering. Had the asshole crept up on me? But no…Asmodeus was still in the kitchen, pouring some gin into two tall glasses.
I blinked at him, my blood rushing through my veins. “How did you do that?”
He lifted his eyes from the drinks. “Do what?”
“You…” I pointed to the spot beside me, as if he’d been there only a second ago. “Your voice. It sounded like you were right beside me.”
His brows arched, and he shook his head. “You must be tired. How about we have a quick bite to eat, and then you can get an early night? Tomorrow is your first day at your new job, after all.”
“I thought I didn’t start until eleven at night.”
“You’ll need to come in early, sign some paperwork, and go over some things with the other dancers.” He lifted two plates from the counter and carried them over to the dining table. “And we’ll need to take you shopping for a few outfits.”
“Excuse me?” I asked as I joined him at the table. “Are you insinuating my clothes don’t fit in at your fancy club?”
“That’s exactly what I’minsinuating.” He plopped the drink next to my plate and scowled. “You take everything as an insult, Mia, when you don’t stop to think how your own words come across. You can’t wearthatto dance in my club. There are threads hanging off your shirt.”
I glared at the plate before me. It held a steak with some butter-coated potatoes. My stomach growled, despite myself, and I pushed up from my chair. “You’ve insulted both my appearance and my clothes. How would you react to that?”
“Some jobs require a uniform. Being a dancer at a club is one.” With a frustrated sigh, he took a long gulp of his drink. “I was hoping we could have a nice, enjoyable first dinner together to cheers to our new partnership, but I was an idiot to think you’d do anything other than pick a fight.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to have dinner with you.”
“Good.” He gave me a bitter smile, and this time, no dimples dotted his cheeks. “I don’t particularly want to have dinner with you either. I was dreading it, actually.”
With narrowed eyes, I whirled away from the table and grabbed my bag. I pointed at the only door I hadn’t checked. “I’m assuming that’s my room.”
“That’s the one.” He picked up his knife and fork, and cut a piece of his steak, while my plate sat abandoned on the table. “You can show it to yourself. Sleep tight, Mia.”
I squeezed the strap of my bag and stormed into the room. Once the door was firmly shut behind me, I let out an anxious breath. A large space stretched before me, cozier than the other. A thick rug spread across the marbled floor, and the draping curtains hung open to reveal the city beyond. I dropped my bag and kicked off my boots, curling up on the king-sized bed. The silk sheets brushed against my cheek as tears spilled out of my eyes.
What was I doing here? How had my life become this? I was surrounded by glittering, sparkling things, and yet I’d never felt more unmoored. It was so quiet, eerily so. The blare of the taxi horns was distant and muted. I couldn’t hear the rumble of trucks or the clatter of the subway. We were too far above it all.
A knock sounded on the door. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to pretend I hadn’t heard it, but it would do no good to ignore my new boss. If I kept this up, there was nothing to stop him from firing me. With a heavy sigh, I pushed off the bed and padded over to the door. When I pulled it open, Asmodeus was nowhere to be seen.
Frowning, I began to push the door shut again but stopped when something glimmered in the corner of my eye. I dropped my gaze to the floor, and my stomach twisted. He’d left the plate of food there for me.
I glanced around the dark, silent penthouse. He must have left to go to his club for the night. And he hadn’t tossed out my plate. I knelt, grabbed the food, and then toed the door shut.
