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“I didn’t bring you here to judge me,” I reply. “And if I don’t care about their opinion, what makes you think I care about yours?”
Perhaps it makes me sound like a bastard, but I didnotbecome a CEO by worrying about other people’s opinions. That way lies a path to poor decisions.
Thishasto go smoothly. I need Marc to come back to the company and ensure this deal goes through. If he does that, then the media should finally quieten down. As for the mess that is our relationship... Well, that’s a whole other story.
One I’m not sure will have a happy ending.
“An evening with the family whose opinions you don’t care about,” Ava says, looking as though she’s trying to muster something. “That should be fun. Not.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ava
DANIEL’SPENTHOUSEAPARTMENTisnotat all what I expect. I mean, I’m pretty sure his coffee machine cost more than my teaching degree, sothat’son brand. But I’m expecting a place full of white and silver and glass, sleekly modern and cold. Impersonal. Like a showroom.
What I get is something else entirely.
The old building was once a factory, so the penthouse apartment isn’t actually that high up. But due to the fact that we’re facing the Yarra River, the view is uninterrupted. One side of the apartment is exposed brick, which contrasts with lighter wood flooring and white walls. The kitchen has stark black countertops. There’s a giant metal staircase leading upstairs, and windows so big they run the full length of both floors.
The furniture—a large cognac leather couch, a table and chairs to seat eight, and a coffee table that looks vintage—has personality. On top of the coffee table sits a well-loved classic science-fiction novel next to an empty espresso cup, and a matching saucer sprinkled with crumbs.
“Wow, it actually looks like you live here.” I blurt the words out before I have a chance to think about how silly they sound. “I mean...”
“You expected me to take you to a fake apartment?” Daniel looks confused.
“No, what I mean is I expected something different.” I turn around to face him and fiddle with the handle of my suitcase. He’d insisted on wheeling it for me, but I already feel that I’m accepting more from him than I would under normal circumstances.
But these are not normal circumstances. These are very,veryunusual circumstances.
“Like what?” He cocks his head, his eyes tracking my face.
“Something sleeker.” I cringe. Now it sounds like I’m insulting his taste. “I mean, this has more personality than I expected.”
Oh wow, that’s even worse.
“That’s a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one.” His mouth does that half smile, half smirk thing and my stomach automatically flips.
“Well, it’s just that you seem so...modern.” Dig up, stupid. “And all your recent projects have been very modern, too, right? The Cielo, that tower down in the Docklands. Oh, and the hotel your company designed near Southern Cross Station.”
Daniel raises an eyebrow. “Youhavedone your homework.”
“Well, maybe I’m not TSTL after all.” I nod. “This place is really nice. It’s warm.”
“Warm and old,” he replies affectionately. “I like old things. They have character and a story behind them. I like thinking about their history when I’m shopping for a new piece.”
“You decorated yourself? I thought rich people use interior designers.”
Daniel motions for me to follow him. “Rich people who don’t have control issues use interior designers.”
Something about the way he says “control issues” makes my mouth run dry. I try to swallow but find my heart is beating harder in my chest and it’s difficult to walk and breathe and swallow at the same time.
You’re acting like a complete giddy fool.
“I’ve set you up in here.” Daniel leads me to a room on the bottom floor that’s tucked away behind the kitchen.
It’s so gorgeous I almost gasp. The window runs from the floor all the way up, flooding the space with natural light. There’s a large bed with a wrought iron bedhead and soft cream linen, and a blanket thrown over the foot in a pale dusty blue. There’s even a bookshelf filled to the brim, a mix of architecture and art books and spine-cracked novels.
“You’ve got your own bathroom through there.” Daniel points to where an open arch shows a small room with a spa-like showeranda claw-foot tub. “It’s stocked with shampoos and soaps. My assistant put some other girlie things in there for uh...makeup and stuff.”
