so its pretty comfortable right now. But when it gets too cold to get in and out of during the winter, there are walls that go up and it becomes and indoor pool. Want to go swimming?”
That kind of news was definitely something she didn’t want to hear about. What did he do that he could afford this kind of luxury? She took an involuntary step backwards, shaking her head. “I didn’t bring a suit.”
He chuckled a moment before his hands came to rest on her shoulders. “I don’t think you’ll need a suit if you go swimming with me.”
Lana shivered and turned to look up at him, her eyes wide with fascination and embarrassment. She couldn’t respond and he seemed to sense her discomfiture and took pity on her. Chuckling, he let his hands slide down her arms. “Don’t be afraid, Lana. I promise, you’ll enjoy everything we do together. And we’ll take things as slowly as you need.” He stepped away from her and walked into the huge living room. “How about a glass of wine?” he asked, standing beside an elaborate bar.
“Um…that would be nice,” she said, biting her lower lip as fear started to increase. Now that she was here, she wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. Perhaps Victor was too sexual for her? Maybe he would become impatient with her fears and would get irritated with her.
“Tell me about your day,” he said, handing her a glass of red wine, indicating that she should take a seat on the sofa. He went back behind the bar and made himself a drink, watching her.
Lana took a sip while standing in the middle of the room, then in an effort to appear calm and sophisticated, she walked around the room, admiring the incredible art. “I had a pretty unproductive day,” she finally said, but didn’t go into any details. How could she admit to this man who exuded confidence and purpose that she’d been unable to concentrate due to her fears about meeting with him?
She stopped at one picture in particular that she liked. It looked oddly familiar but she wasn’t sure why. Then it hit her. Turning, she looked across the room at him. “This is a beautiful replica of Van Gogh. Where did you get it?”
Victor smiled as he tossed ice cubes into his glass. Picking up the bourbon, he walked over to where she was standing, trying to pretend this was easy for her and took her purse off her shoulder, placing it on the coffee table behind her. “It’s not a reproduction,” he finally said and stood there admiring it.
Lana swallowed painfully. “Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, being so far removed from a world where people could casually purchase art work for millions of dollars. The piece wasn’t even the center of the room. There was a large oil painting over the mantle. She didn’t even go close, afraid to find out who the painter was on that one.
“You’re too nervous,” he said softly beside her. “Why don’t you sit down and relax. All we’ll do tonight is talk unless you want something else to happen. Okay?”
Lana let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and smiled gratefully up at his handsome face. “That would be nice,” she finally said, relief showing all over her features.
He ran a finger down her cheek and smiled gently down at her. “You just have to promise me one thing,” he said and took her hand to lead her back to the sofa.
“What’s that?” she asked, reassured and positive she could respond appropriately. Now that he’d reassured her that she could back out of the sex part without him being angry, she felt much, much better.
“Just let me kiss you once, right now so we can get that out of the way.”
Lana blinked and her heart rate spiraled. She could feel her breath catch in her throat and tried to take a deep breath, to ease the tension. But it was impossible. She looked up at him, at his dark eyes that seemed to be able to see into her soul. What she saw there was only slightly reassuring, while at the same time, it
That kind of news was definitely something she didn’t want to hear about. What did he do that he could afford this kind of luxury? She took an involuntary step backwards, shaking her head. “I didn’t bring a suit.”
He chuckled a moment before his hands came to rest on her shoulders. “I don’t think you’ll need a suit if you go swimming with me.”
Lana shivered and turned to look up at him, her eyes wide with fascination and embarrassment. She couldn’t respond and he seemed to sense her discomfiture and took pity on her. Chuckling, he let his hands slide down her arms. “Don’t be afraid, Lana. I promise, you’ll enjoy everything we do together. And we’ll take things as slowly as you need.” He stepped away from her and walked into the huge living room. “How about a glass of wine?” he asked, standing beside an elaborate bar.
“Um…that would be nice,” she said, biting her lower lip as fear started to increase. Now that she was here, she wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. Perhaps Victor was too sexual for her? Maybe he would become impatient with her fears and would get irritated with her.
“Tell me about your day,” he said, handing her a glass of red wine, indicating that she should take a seat on the sofa. He went back behind the bar and made himself a drink, watching her.
Lana took a sip while standing in the middle of the room, then in an effort to appear calm and sophisticated, she walked around the room, admiring the incredible art. “I had a pretty unproductive day,” she finally said, but didn’t go into any details. How could she admit to this man who exuded confidence and purpose that she’d been unable to concentrate due to her fears about meeting with him?
She stopped at one picture in particular that she liked. It looked oddly familiar but she wasn’t sure why. Then it hit her. Turning, she looked across the room at him. “This is a beautiful replica of Van Gogh. Where did you get it?”
Victor smiled as he tossed ice cubes into his glass. Picking up the bourbon, he walked over to where she was standing, trying to pretend this was easy for her and took her purse off her shoulder, placing it on the coffee table behind her. “It’s not a reproduction,” he finally said and stood there admiring it.
Lana swallowed painfully. “Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, being so far removed from a world where people could casually purchase art work for millions of dollars. The piece wasn’t even the center of the room. There was a large oil painting over the mantle. She didn’t even go close, afraid to find out who the painter was on that one.
“You’re too nervous,” he said softly beside her. “Why don’t you sit down and relax. All we’ll do tonight is talk unless you want something else to happen. Okay?”
Lana let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and smiled gratefully up at his handsome face. “That would be nice,” she finally said, relief showing all over her features.
He ran a finger down her cheek and smiled gently down at her. “You just have to promise me one thing,” he said and took her hand to lead her back to the sofa.
“What’s that?” she asked, reassured and positive she could respond appropriately. Now that he’d reassured her that she could back out of the sex part without him being angry, she felt much, much better.
“Just let me kiss you once, right now so we can get that out of the way.”
Lana blinked and her heart rate spiraled. She could feel her breath catch in her throat and tried to take a deep breath, to ease the tension. But it was impossible. She looked up at him, at his dark eyes that seemed to be able to see into her soul. What she saw there was only slightly reassuring, while at the same time, it
Similar Books
