Page 7 of Hot Hearts
“I don’t want to—I think we should manage our business in a mutual place.”
Impatient, I shake my head. “But why? You’re moving in. You might as well see my place now.”
“I’m not moving in,” she replies with an incredulous laugh.
“Of course you are.”
“No. I’m not.”
I heave a sigh. “Look, I thought it might be inappropriate to bring this up, but you were a virgin, so you were obviously waiting for someone, and that was me. You gave yourself to me, so you’re mine now.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“No, that’s exactly how it works.”
Chapter Five
SLATER
The man has lost his freaking mind. “You think because you popped my cherry that I’m yours?”
“Yes.” He says it without hesitation and as if this is one hundred percent logical. I've heard that Brooks struggles with social skills, leading some to perceive him as cold and unapproachable. I’m wondering if there is more to that.
“That’s insane; with that logic, why aren’t you living with whoever took your virginity?” Brooks starts to speak, but I hold my hand out to stop him. “Let me guess: It’s different for men.” I roll my eyes. I guess I can add sexist to the list of cons for Brooks, which I'm happy about. The list is pretty short, and I need to start growing it to keep my resolve.
“That is what I am trying to do.”
“Huh?” I’m confused, and I am starting to feel overheated.
"You took my virginity." Brooks' expression remains the same.
"Right." I laugh, but he doesn't join me. "Brooks, seriously." His face still doesn’t budge.
"I amveryserious." Oh my God. The realization that he’s telling the truth that I was his first makes me a bit dizzy. I press my hands to my cheeks.
“I need to sit down.”
“Come inside. You're a bit pale. Are you eating enough red meat?”
“I eat whatever I can keep down.”
“So you are sick.” Brooks’ hand goes to the small of my back, leading me toward the building. When we enter, he guides me over to an elevator, inserting a key to be able to hit the button for the top floor. It’s not until the doors are closing that I realize I have no clue where we are going.
“I’m not sick, and where are we going? The Plate is on the bottom floor.”
“And I live on the top floor.”
“Of this building?” I thought it was all offices above.
“Yes. I had it converted to a condo. It makes it easier for work.”
I don’t want to think about what it costs to own or even rent a whole floor in this building to live in. I’m guessing based on the offer I saw in the folder that night in the hotel, it’s a drop in the bucket for Brooks.
“You must be freaking loaded.”
“I do well, and Graham gave me a deal.”
“Graham Dassault?” Everyone knows who Graham Dassault is. He and his family own half the buildings in the city. He has so much money that he once bought his one-year-old nephew a brand new luxury car for his birthday. He caught a lot of social media flack for that stunt.
