Brazen Bossman: A Hero Club Novel, стр. 31

Christ, even the elevator is fancy. The floors are marble, and the walls are mirrored, so all I see is me from a variety of angles. Perfect. It gives me ample time to overthink my appearance.

I opted for comfort over anything too extravagant, choosing a simple pair of jeans and a simple, long-sleeved, flowy white top. Of course, I did make sure to put on my sexiest black bra and panty set.

I take a moment to check my makeup in the mirrored wall, quickly running my nail alongside my lip line to tame in smudges, then I give my wavy black hair a quick tousle just as the elevator comes to a halt, and the doors slide open.

There he is, waiting for me, in a pair of jeans and a basic black tee that stretches across his chest in just the right way.

“There you are,” he says with a smile.

“Here I am.” I slide my hands down my jeans nervously.

“Are you going to come out of the elevator or are you going back down?”

“Oh. Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m coming.” I step off and take the hand he has extended to me.

“Was the ride all right? Traffic wasn’t too bad, was it?” He slides his thumb over mine.

I can hear the elevator door slide closed behind us. We are left alone in a small hallway that contains a single table with a vase of white roses.

“Yeah, it was fine. Average city traffic.”

“Good. Well, come with me. I’ll give you the grand tour.”

He tugs my hand and we walk down to the left, stopping in front of the lone door that occupies this entire floor.

When we step inside, I have to pause to truly appreciate the stunning beauty that is his apartment.

Most apartments in the city are the size of an airplane bathroom, and that’s being generous. Hell, mine is just barely bigger than that, and I pay a small fortune in rent every month.

But this place is a fucking mansion.

“Holy shit,” I say out loud and he laughs at me. “No, really. Holy shit, Nathanial. This place is amazing.”

“It’s a bit much for only me, but I do enjoy having the space, and your reaction to it doesn’t hurt either.”

He leads me down the entryway and we take a slight left toward a vast, open area completely encased in windows that overlook the city. To the left sits a large, black leather sectional sofa in front of the biggest television I’ve ever seen, and to the right is a formal dining room with a modern glass table fit to comfortably seat six people.

“Hold on. I think you’ll love this.” He places his hand on the small of my back and guides me farther into the open area, and I lay my eyes on the most incredible kitchen.

“Oh wow. Do you cook in here? It’s so spick and span.”

“I do have a housekeeper who comes in daily, but I do cook in here from time to time. Not well, I should add, but I have attempted a thing or two.”

“It’s a crime for this kitchen to be underutilized.”

He slides his hands into his back pockets.

“Would you like a drink? I can say with confidence that I can make a damn good drink.”

“I really need that. Thank you.”

He motions for me to take a seat at the short breakfast bar that separates the kitchen from the dining area.

I try to spin away to walk over to sit, but he takes my hand and pulls me back.

“Wait a second.”

“What?”

I turn to face him entirely and he cups my face in his hands.

“I’m really excited that you came today,” he says, before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to my lips.

If I thought for even a moment our second kiss would pale in comparison to our first, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The simple act of his lips touching mine sends electricity singing through my veins and I melt into his body, pressing my chest closer to his.

I reach up and wrap my fingers around his wrists, holding onto him like I’m scared I’ll drift away from this moment.

My eyes pop open when I feel his teeth sink into my lip and give the softest of tugs.

“Mmmm,” I moan softly.

He presses a final kiss to my lips then smiles. “You like teeth. I’ll have to remember that.”

With a swat to my ass and a command to sit, I do just that, and within a few minutes, he is returning with two glasses of amber liquid in hand.

“Whiskey sour for the lady.” He slides the tumbler across to me.

“How did you know I like this drink?” I ask, taking a sip, and just as I suspected, it’s absolutely perfect.

“You ordered it at the company dinner I hosted the first week I was in charge. I was standing next to you at the bar.”

“How is it possible you remember that? It’s such a small detail…”

“I remember almost everything about you.” He rounds the breakfast bar to stand closer to me.

“You confuse me in so many ways.” I shake my head and look down at his feet. They are bare. I’ve never seen his bare feet before. I want to touch them, trace the curves of each toe. I want to know if he’s ticklish there. Men’s feet are so fascinating, especially when they belong to a man like Nathanial Lennox.

“Tell me why.” He doesn’t crowd me, but I do feel his hand rest on my thigh and his thumb brushing back and forth.

My body is hyperaware of the minimal contact and I hone in on it, making every pass of his thumb feel like fire spreading over my skin.

“It’s like two different men live inside of your body. One minute your cold, short, and really, really mean. Then the next minute, you’re the man standing in front of me. You’re kind, funny, soft, but I can still feel your hard edges. You know that feeling when you