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Since her mouth was dry and she wanted to occupy her hands, she said, “Mineral water would be nice.”
He took down a glass with a thick stem, filled it halfway, then squeezed some fresh lime into it. “Shall we go outside?”
She nodded as she accepted the drink. “The view is spectacular,” she said once they were on the patio. From here, there was a perfect vantage of the empty tennis courts and a young couple splashing each other in the swimming pool. Beyond, buildings glistened in the fading sunlight.
“Invites you to go and explore the city, doesn’t it?”
She turned and rested her back against the railing. “Is this complex owned by Sterling Worldwide?”
“No. We don’t do a lot of that kind of development, but it is something I’m interested in. It’s a departure from our core strength, so I would want to proceed with caution.”
“Cautious isn’t a word I associate with you.”
“Why not?” He frowned, puzzled, but not challenging, inviting her response.
“You seem…ambitious.”
“The two aren’t incompatible. I like to win. So while I move forward, I do so on situations that require very little risk.”
“Which is another reason to use a matchmaker.”
“Clever way to convince me not to ask for the return of my mother’s money.”
She tried to grin, but the reminder that she needed to find him a wife with whom he would share this view every day bothered her enough that she distracted herself by taking a sip of her mineral water.
“There’s more to see,” he told her.
The dining room table was oblong, glass topped, with seating for ten. “Do you entertain a lot?”
“No. The designer my mother hired suggested I needed something this size to fill the space, and I didn’t have the heart to turn it into the exercise room that I wanted.”
As part of the dining room, he had a fabulous bar area. Stemware of various sizes and shapes lined up on two rows of glass shelves. As if this were one of his hotels, several more mirror-lined shelves held gorgeous bottles of liquor, all premium brands. The patio could be accessed through a set of French doors. “You should consider hosting parties. This place was made for it.”
He shuddered, and she laughed. The shared experience softened her tension and demolished barriers. If she wasn’t careful, she might start to like him.
Rafe showed her the study, complete with a built-in desk and a wall of bookshelves, another fireplace, and a television. This room had a couple of comfortable-looking chairs, lamps, and a settee. Because of a smattering of magazines—back issues of Houstonia, Texas Monthly, Sterling Getaways—along with the TV remote control on the coffee table, she guessed this was where he spent a lot of his free time. As with the rest of the home, this room had no personal effects.
“There’s a private elevator over there.” He pointed to a door that looked as if it might be a pantry.
“A private elevator for your condo?”
He shrugged. “It’s helpful for moving furniture.”
“Which you do a lot?”
“Or as a timeout place for naughty subs.”
“Whew. Good thing I don’t know any of those.”
“Yeah.” His quick grin transformed him into a more approachable man. “Good thing. Would you like to see the upstairs?”
She paused, knowing what that meant. His private space. His bedroom. Her spanking. Dread and anticipation unfurled. “Ye—ees.” The word broke into two syllables as she stumbled over it. She was trying to sound sophisticated or at least submissive, yet she was as unnerved as a virgin.
“You delight me.” At the bottom of the marble staircase, he paused. “I’d like you to get undressed.”
As always, he shocked her. “Here?”
“It will change your mindset.”
“And make me cold.”
“Not for long. Your ass will be hot soon enough.”
Unable to maintain her composure while his expectation overwhelmed her, she lowered her gaze. He took the glass from her and set it down. Her voice cracking, she asked, “Are you staying dressed?”
“At least for the moment.”
