Page 37 of Deeper

“Yeah, I live alone.”

Zander and I got out of the Cullinan and collected our stuff from the trunk. It was easy to forget Zander was a regular person knowing he was so famous and well-lived compared to most. Seeing him carrying his luggage and some of my bags to his front door where he let us in had me thinking it was all out of place. As if he needed a butler to do these things for him.

“I’ll give you a grand tour later. I’m starvin’ right now,” Zander said.

“You have a chef?”

Zander snorted. “No, most days I cook myself.”

“Youcook?”

Zander leaned close, so close I thought he’d kiss me and was bummed when he didn’t. “I bathe and dress myself too.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Whatever.”

The front foyer, along with the steps, held glossy white marble flooring. An impressive chrome light fixture hung high overhead as we entered the door. Oh to be a maid in this neck of the woods.

Zander showed me up to his bedroom, along the way, on the walls up the stairs, I took in framed photographs of his family. Pictures of younger Zander and Nazanin were enough to make me gush, and seeing his parents made me smile as well. Zander looked like his father, if only a shade lighter.

“What are your parents’ names?” I asked as we made it to the top of the steps and Zander cut a corner and headed straight towards a set of double doors.

“Chanda and Imran,” Zander answered as he opened one door to the master suite.

His bedroom was like a studio apartment. There was the king-sized bed with the cream-colored silk bedding, and there was even a private little sitting area complete with a love seat and a couple of chairs. Looking back at his huge bed, all I could think was how I couldn’t wait to fuck him there. I could see why he had to have me here, because I wanted to have him here too.

Zander took me to the master bathroom that was connected to his room and I was awestruck. From the dual sinks, the glass steam shower, to the beautiful stand-alone bathtub, the place was a work of art. White marble appeared to be the overall theme of the house and it was in the bathroom that it really shined against the glass and black lacquer cabinets. Right there on the spot, I made a plan to soak in that tub before I went home Monday.

The whole time I was taking in Zander’s private quarters,hewas staring at me, watching.

“What?” I asked as I kicked off my shoes back in his bedroom.

He shook his head, going and running a hand through those thick ebony locks. “I’m probably about to fuck this up, but I just like that I haven’t seen you once with your mobile out, recording me or snapping pictures. I didn’t have to ask you to respect my privacy.”

I wasn’t offended or surprised he’d have this guard up. There was always somebody in LA trying to make it, trying to find a come-up. Even if I weren’t trying to keep this low-key and away from Victoria, I still wouldn’t have blasted it to the world.

“Let’s go see what’s in the fridge to whip up,” Zander said. “Do you cook?”

“Not really.”

Zander blinked, disbelief clouding his features. “No?”

“I can’t cook, but I can feed you.”

Zander looked away, trying to hide his grin, but it was useless. “I love peaches.”

I giggled as we went down to the kitchen. “I do cook, just the same basic thing every time, though. Lots of baked chicken, and every once in a while I’ll switch it up and bake some salmon.”

“I love chicken,” Zander said. “We’ll have to take some out of the freezer so you can bake some tomorrow night.”

“You want me to cook for you?”

“I want to taste your chicken.”

I never cooked for Roderick because he treated himself like a king and went out to five-star restaurants instead.

Zander’s kitchen was magnificent. There was even a window seat between one of the counters with a cozy fleece folded up for snoozing. The white marble island housed a sink and plenty of breathing room to whip up a meal if two cooks were in the kitchen because the counter space behind the island stretched the length of the wall. The kitchen followed an open-floor plan as directly across from us was the entertainment area, and next to it was the patio leading out to the backyard where a pool could be seen.

Zander put on some music and began hunting around for something to put together.

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