Page 37 of Her Every Fantasy

Halfway into the living room, I turned in surprise. ‘You know about my perfume range?’

He kicked the front door shut and grinned. ‘You asked me yesterday whether I kept tabs on you too. Answer’s yes. Besides, a giant kick-ass billboard in Times Square with you on it is kinda hard to miss.’

I wasn’t sure whether to be upset that he’d been in New York the same time as me and never bothered to get in touch or elated that he’d followed my career. I didn’t want to start today on a sour note so I chose the latter.

‘As milestones go, that was pretty special.’

He approached, reached up and curled a strand of my hair around his fingers. ‘I bet it was. I’m proud of you.’

For some absurd reason, a lump grew in my throat, the way it seemed to whenever Bryce complimented me.

For several seconds, he stared at me, then abruptly dropped his hand. ‘Would you like brunch? My chef left a few dishes if you’re hungry.’

I’d been too nervous to eat more than an energy bar after I was done with yoga. The butterflies going crazy in my belly didn’t bode well for my digestive system. ‘No, I already ate, thanks.’

He nodded. ‘Then let me show you around. We didn’t get around to it last time,’ he said a little dryly, before tugging my clutch out of my hands and tossing it on the nearest sofa.

I followed him through to the kitchen that boasted every state-of-the-art appliance suited to his lifestyle.

A large study with two huge bookcases filled with psychological thrillers revealed that he hadn’t stopped devouring his favourite genre. I slotted that information away for possible future reference.

The three guest bedrooms were lavishly decorated in neutral smoky greys and warm taupe. I didn’t need to ask why a bachelor needed four bedrooms because Bryce had once told me that the Mortimer family dynamic was such that any member of the extended family could drop in on another family member and expect to be hosted.

Why that continued to be honoured considering they could barely tolerate each other was a mystery to me. But who was I to question how any family functioned?

My thoughts veered from the turbulent subject of family when Bryce’s hand landed on my waist. Through the thin layer of my flowery knee-length chiffon dress, the heat from his touch seared me.

After a brief tour of his personal gym, we arrived at a set of double doors.

‘And this...is my bedroom,’ he rasped hotly in my ear as his free hand turned the handle and threw the door open. Twice as large as the others, the theme was grey and dark gold, with hints of platinum trimming the furniture and art pieces hanging on the wall.

But what caught and held my attention was the bed. For starters, the headboard was a breathtaking work of art comprised of vine-like intertwined wood and metal that soared all the way to the vaulted ceiling. The mattress was thick and high, the comforter invitingly luxurious.

Beneath my feet, dark gold carpeting muffled my footsteps and, opposite the bed, a large oil painting drew the eye to the jaw-dropping depiction.

‘Is that a Wu Cheong?’

He smiled. ‘You know his work?’

I nodded, bittenby a touch of envy. ‘My investors and I begged him to design something for the launch. He declined.’

‘Ah. Poor you,’ Bryce teased. ‘You should be nicer to people with artistic connections.’

‘Like you, you mean?’

‘Absolutely!’

I turned to berate him but the words dried in my throat when I spotted a familiar stack of black and purple boxes just inside what I assumed to be his dressing room.

‘The stuff arrived?’

‘They did,’ he replied, his gaze intent on my face.

‘And?’

‘And we’ll get to that in a minute. How did your dinner go with the investors?’

‘Better than I’d hoped. I’ve been eager to add a brand of cosmetics to the perfume range. As of last night they were officially at the amber-light stage. If the launch and the season go well, they’ll green-light my proposal for next season.’

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