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“To what?”
A grin flickered on his lips, surprising her. She realized he hadn’t smiled much last night. At all? “To this.”
Her heart thumped. She looked around again. “Are you saying you moved here so I’d sleep with you?”
He lifted one shoulder. “I’ve been looking for a place in Manhattan.”
She shook her head. “You mean you bought this?” She gestured to the luxury sky home behind him, jaw dropping. “When?”
“Right after you left.” His eyes glittered when they locked to hers. Her stomach tightened. “I didn’t particularly want to be in the hotel anyway, so do not take this as anything other than what it is: a convenient investment. The place was empty, owners wanted an immediate change of hands. No pressure.”
“No pressure,” she repeated, looking around.
“Come,” he gestured inside. “Have a drink with me.”
“A drink.” She was parroting; she couldn’t help it.
“A drink,” he confirmed.
“I—,” she what? Didn’t feel like a drink? Didn’t she? The thought of something to take the edge off her nerves was suddenly immensely appealing. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed, fidgeting her fingers a little. She was overly conscious of her handbag and how tatty it was—canvas and with stains from where one of Harper’s food pouches had leaked a year or so ago. It most definitely didn’t belong in a place like this, and nor, Skye thought, did she.
If she’d been overawed by the view from the foyer, then stepping into the living area was something else entirely. Not only was it grand and luxurious, but she couldn’t get over how well designed it was. Every window had been framed in some way to capitalize the view. One had a morning bench against it, for sitting and having coffee and bagels, another two armchairs angled to enjoy the outlook of the park. Then there were the French doors that opened out onto a terrace. She shook her head, completely over-whelmed.
“You just…bought this?”
He concentrated on opening a bottle of champagne. Even that was expensive—she knew from the hotel wine list. Not that she’d ever had any herself. He poured two glasses and brought one to her.
“We can think of tonight as a housewarming,” he said with something approaching a wink. Only his voice was graveled and husky, laced with intent.
“I don’t understand,” she said, honestly. “You’re a really hot guy, and obviously very, very rich and sophisticated and you could have literally any woman you want. Why the heck would you go to all this trouble for me?”
“It was no trouble.”
“That’s not really an answer.”
“Okay,” he stopped right in front of her, handing the glass over. She took it, but didn’t sip. “I could tell you it’s because we started something last night and I want to finish it. Or I could tell you it’s because you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I just want to look at you a while longer. Both are true. But even more so, Skye, I want to be distracted right now. I want to lose myself in you, the way I started to last night. I want you to help me not think about things I’d prefer to ignore. Of all the women I’ve known, I think you might be best at that.”
“At making you forget?”
His eyes hooked to hers and though he didn’t speak, she felt the answer pulsing from him.
“What are you trying to forget?”
“Talking about it won’t help.”
She bit into her lower lip. He stared at her mouth and her body felt quivery.
“I am only in the States for a little over a week.”
She sipped her champagne, mainly because her mouth was as dry as the desert and she needed some relief.
“After that, I’ll go back to Rome.”
She nodded slowly.
“I don’t come here often. My business is mainly in Europe.”
“And yet you’ve just bought this place.”
