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But it had made it easier to call a halt to their time together.
“I noticed.”
“And I noticed you noticing.” He licked his lips, seeming nervous. No, not nervous…wary. “My past, at least within the club, isn’t something I talk about.”
“‘At least within the club’? That sounds a bit ominous.”
He looked around, at the bar that was getting louder by the minute as it approached 9p.m. and more people poured in.
“Too loud in here?” she asked.
“No, it will be fine.”
“Because I live upstairs.” She pointed at the ceiling.
He arched a brow. “Are you inviting me up?”
“Yes.”
Chapter 16
Twenty minutes later, Daniel watched as she used her thumbprint to unlock her front door. They were in the heart of downtown L.A., so he should have figured that any residence in the high rise would be state of the art. The building was mixed use, and according to the signage, housed two floors of retail and commercial establishments, including the bar, several law offices, as well as design and accounting firms.
An entirely separate bank of elevators serviced the residences, and in the elevator a live security screen showed a guard, who greeted Autumn by name—Ms. Herrera—and then asked for her guest’s name.
He’d given it, watched as the guard typed it in. Daniel was pretty damned sure that a still of his face was being catalogued for security records.
When they left the elevator, Daniel cleared his throat. “You know, I’ve been in high security government buildings that probably had worse security than your elevator.”
“It’s a bit over the top, but it’s nice to know that if I’m ever hideously murdered, they’ll have plenty of leads.”
She opened the door and lights clicked on automatically. She took off her wrist clutch, placing it on an all glass table by the door.
“Should I be worried that it’s the second time tonight someone has taken my picture for a potential Dateline special?”
“If you say ‘not all men’…”
“I would never.” He followed her from the foyer with its honey wood flooring, white walls, glass table with a green glass key bowl, into a massive open-concept living space. A floor to ceiling glass wall showed a panoramic view of downtown, the buildings creating great steel and glass valleys. Beyond those the city spread, glittering gold and white at night.
Daniel whistled. He was highly successful, and had more money than he’d ever dreamed of, but he could still be impressed. This condo was probably worth as much as his house on the canals in Venice.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” Autumn walked behind the massive kitchen island, which had to be twenty feet long. “Or something stronger?”
“Not yet, I’d like to talk first.”
She braced her hands on the counter. “That sounds a little ominous.”
He took his suit jacket off, draping it over the back of one of the half dozen chairs that lined the living room side of the island. “I didn’t mean it to, but you have the right to hear about my past, and…” He steeled himself. “My secret, before this progresses.”
“This.” She pressed her lips together, then pushed off the counter. She tapped one of the narrow white panels that covered the wall at the end of the kitchen. It went from opaque to transparent, revealing a massive wine fridge. She pushed on it and the door popped open, allowing her to select a bottle. Reaching into a drawer in the island, she took out a small wood box. He went around the end of the island, and without a word she handed him the box while she went for a glass. As he’d expected, the box held a wine set. He opened her bottle of Riesling. When she set a delicate long-stemmed white wine glass on the counter, he poured her a generous glass, then capped the wine with the stopper from the box.
She led the way to a set of curved chaise lounges positioned to take advantage of the view. Autumn placed her glass on the floor with a click before taking a seat and reaching for the zip on the inside of her gray boots.
Daniel took a knee and unzipped them for her, easing first her boot, and then the thin black socks she wore, off of her feet. He’d seen her barefoot. He’d seen her naked. But there was something very intimate and vulnerable about removing her shoes here in her own home.
Impulsively, he cupped her heel, then leaned down to kiss the top of her foot.
“I thought you wanted to tell me your secrets before this progressed?” Her question was soft, not accusatory.
