He'd chosen carefully, but each man had something in common. Contacts. Everything was about contacts to my father and he would have gladly sold me in order to gain an upper hand. I vowed I would never again feel the way he made me feel. Like I was nothing more than cattle.
I looked up when Jace's hand paused its movement against my back. His eyes were dark as they studied my face. I felt as though he could see through me, right down to my very soul. The idea filled me with a debilitating fear unlike anything I had ever known and I sucked in a deep breath for courage. "What are you looking at me like that for?"
"What were you thinking?" Jace asked. There really was no beating around the bush with him.
I shook my head. "Nothing."
He nodded, but I could see by the stiff cold swamped his eyes that he didn't believe me. A wave of relief washed over me when the elevator door opened up to a clean, modern lobby. The floors were a black marble that had intricate flecks of gold...no wait, maybe it was silver and the walls were a bright shade of white. It looked almost sterile, but I loved it. I loved the modern, spacious look. I couldn't help but wonder what his condo would look like.
"Come." Jace pushed gently, but authoritatively, against my back as he guided me across the spacious room. The art on the walls was exquisite. I could have stood here studying the art all day if he'd allowed me.
Jace typed a code into the door and it unlocked. He twisted the knob, letting the door fall open to expose his personal space. It was so much more than I ever could have imagined. It was modern and warm at the same time. I had no idea how his designer had accomplished this feeling, but whoever it was, deserved a handsome pay raise.
There was a long corridor of black marble floor that stretched into the living space. It overlooked an enormous window that covered what appeared to be the entire far wall of the condo. The living room housed a sleek, black, leather couch set and decorative chairs, accents of cerulean added pops of color to the space. It was a beautiful color that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be blue or green. A silver-gray shag rug was positioned artfully against the marble floor, making the flecks I now decided were silver, pop from the depths of the black.
A large fireplace assembled with smooth, gray tile, stood between the living room and the dining room. The kitchen stood on the other side of the large dining area. The fireplace allowed the space to feel open, while at the same time, giving a distinct feel to each separate room. I ambled toward the kitchen, as though in a trance, and marveled at the grand beauty. The cupboards were all a white gloss and the counters were black granite with flecks of cerulean dispersed intricately within the rock.
Three beautiful, white vases, stood on the island with fresh white lilies. The chairs that sat at the island were a contemporary style of black leather.
I looked back at Jace who was leaning against the tile of the fireplace with a look of heavy curiosity in his eyes. I had the sudden urge to run my fingers through his messy black hair, but I resisted, for humiliations sake. I was not on my territory and I would not be the one to initiate anything intimate. Jeez, I didn't really even know how to initiate anything romantic. In situations that called for romance, I had always been too busy stressing over my need to keep it platonic. I had missed the steps.
"Do you like it?" Jace asked heavily. His voice was deep, and even though I must have been mistaking, I thought maybe I'd heard worry stress the fringes.
"I do." I breathed. "There are no words."
"I'm glad you like it." He smiled genuinely. "This space reflects me entirely."
My throat fought to close. "It's a beautiful space, Jace."
He shifted against the fireplace, holding his hand out to mine. "Come with me."
I narrowed my eyes. "I'll show you the rest of my space, Olivia."
My heart rushed with equal portions of
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