Page 26 of Wild Love

"Then they're not someone who's meant to be in your life."

His words settled deep in my chest. I wasn't sure what they meant. But I wanted to turn them over later when I was alone in my bed. Eli Wilde saw more than other people. Was that what made him a good businessman, or did he only see me?

"You want to play a game? My brothers and I always played to pass the time."

"We do the same while we're waiting at the theater to practice or for the show to start."

Eli grinned. "I always keep a deck of cards in the kitchen." He went through the drawers until he found one. He easily shuffled the cards. My eyes were fixated on the commanding way he handled them.

His fingers were strong even though he probably didn't do much with his hands. He spent most of his time walking the grounds, talking to employees and guests, and working at his computer.

He also frequented the gym he'd mentioned on this floor. Maybe I should take up exercise so I could get a better look at his body?

"Let's sit at the table." Eli led the way to the large table in the living room near the windows. Outside, it was dark. The lights that lined the slopes weren’t on yet.

It felt like we were the only two people in the world.

"What's your poison? Rummy?"

I smiled, amused that he played card games. "Sure."

He reminded me of the rules and dealt the cards. He was confident and sure of his movements. It made me think he'd work my body over good in the bedroom and maybe even the kitchen. I wish I wasn't the only one thinking about that.

When the timer for the chicken dinged a second time, Eli deemed it to be done.

He plated the chicken and the rice, and we sat at the table with the lights in the condo dimmed so we could see outside more easily.

"This is delicious," I said, pleased I was able to make something edible.

"I'm available any time you need help in the kitchen."

"I'd like to say that I could have done this myself. But I was worried I'd forget an ingredient." I was easily distracted by things, and Eli was the ultimate diversion.

"I'm sure you could."

Something about his declaration felt right. He wasn't just saying something to be nice. He actually believed in me.

The only time I was confident was when I was acting or singing. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"Since you cooked, I'll clean up." Eli stood and made a move to clear the dishes.

"We both cooked," I corrected him.

After the dishes had been cleared and the table wiped clean, Eli said, "Let's go up to the roof. I haven't been able to share it with anyone in a long time."

He showed me again to the door to the outside, and we stepped onto the huge deck. He turned on a gas fireplace and sat in one of the chairs. "When we built this, only family lived up here, and we wanted a place we could congregate."

"This place is pure decadence. If you're not careful, I'll never leave."

Eli winked at me. "That's the idea."

I laughed, unable to stay serious around Eli.

"Just wait until you take a bath in the master bath." When I tipped my head to the side, he added, "I made sure each unit had similar amenities."

I stretched out my legs. "I'll have to try it out later tonight." I had visions of a steamy bath and climbing into my bed to read. I wasn't lying to him. This place was so amazing and relaxing; I might never leave.

The only problem was that there was nothing for me to do here. Telluride was nestled in the mountains. There might have been a theater at one point, but it had closed years ago. And I couldn't stay in one place. It went against my nature.

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