“Can I take your bag for you?” Leo asked with a big smile.
“Sure, that’d be great. Thank you Leo.” He took my bag and put his arm over my shoulder.
Vance took a step back and just stared at me in shock. He looked at Leo, then back to me, and back to Leo one more time. “Karli wait, you don’t know what you’re doing. Please, just stay here.” He pleaded.
“Hey buddy, you brought this on yourself.” I snapped.
Turning to Leo I said, “Ready?”
Still smiling he replied, “Of course. After you, beautiful.”
I stepped out the door and looked back at Vance. I may have felt a pang of guilt when I saw the look on his face. Oh well, too late to turn back now. I continued down the hall to the stairs that would lead us out of the building.
We got to the parking lot and Leo stopped in front of a brand new, silver Porsche 911 Turbo. Of course this would be his car! This car was my wet dream! There’s nothing sexier than a vehicle that can handle its power effortlessly with composure. At 500 horsepower, this baby can get you from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds flat! I could only dream of getting behind the wheel of one of these!
He opened the door for me and I sank into the buttery soft red leather seats. I almost lost it when I traced my finger over the six-speed gear shifter, impatiently anticipating the vibrations from the powerful engine. The plush two toned interior had every gadget imaginable, perfectly complimenting the exterior. Yeah, vampires definitely had a taste for the finer things in life and right now I was incredibly grateful for that.
“Wow,” my cheeks flushed. “Nice ride you have here.”
“Buckle up.” He said with a wink.
As soon as my seatbelt was fastened, he shifted the car into gear and took off. I was glued to the seat from the second we left. We were driving at a speed well over the legal limit. I don’t know how he did it with Vegas traffic but we were at the hotel in half the time it would normally take me to get there. He pulled into the garage and drove up to the valet. The attendant opened my door and offered his hand, helping me out. Leo grabbed my bag and tossed him the keys.
“You ready to go upstairs love?” He asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chapter 11
*****************
We rode the elevator up
to the penthouse and stepped inside. Leo walked into the bedroom as I followed. The master suite was decorated using the same color scheme as the main living area, eggplant and gold. The large windows continued into the bedroom. Off to the left were two huge marble bathrooms. His and Hers. One had a walk in shower for two and the other had a large jetted tub. A girl could get used to living like this, that’s for sure.
Leo set my bag on the king sized bed.“Please, make yourself at home. Order anything from room service that you’d like.”
Still feeling a little guilty about Vance, I felt the need to set the record straight. “Um, look Leo. I really appreciate you helping me out. I just didn’t want you to get the wrong impression so I thought it’d be best if we cleared the air right now.”
He walked up to me and kissed the top of my head. “Relax dear one,” he said. “I have no expectations. I will be down at the bar until closing and upon my return I shall sleep on the couch if I feel the need. I meant what I said earlier. Make yourself at home. Order a nice dinner, take a long bath, do whatever you need to do to relax.”
“Thank you, again. I really don’t feel right about taking your bed though.”
“There’s nothing to feel guilty about. I only require a few hours of sleep per night and I usually do not retire until after sunrise. It’s not going to kill me to spend a few hours on the couch.” He kissed my hand and turned to walk out the door.
Starving, I perused the room service menu and decided to order a burger and fries. I also added some strawberries and champagne on a whim. I figured, why the hell not? How often would I have this opportunity? I wandered around for a bit before settling in on the couch. I flipped through the channels on TV but didn’t find anything worth watching. Before too long, there was a knock on the door.
The server wheeled the food cart over to the table and began setting a place for my meal. He then popped the cork to my champagne and placed it in a bucket of ice. I signed the receipt, adding a generous tip, and then handed the book back to him as he was leaving.
I devoured my burger and most of my fries while I was watching the fountains below. The water danced in a hypnotic symphony of lights. I know that they are a tourist attraction, but I don’t think I could ever tire of watching them. They were always so comforting whenever something was troubling me.
After dinner, I decided to take a bath. I turned on the faucet while I set the strawberries and champagne next to the tub. I looked around the room and found some bubble bath under the sink. I poured it in and inhaled the peaches and cream aroma. When the water was full, I undressed and carefully stepped in.
I sank back into the tub and enjoyed the way the jets felt pulsating against my body. I ate a strawberry and took a sip from my glass of bubbly. Wow, this is really good champagne! I closed my eyes and thought about everything that has happened over the past few days, tracing my steps to this very place. I’m in the freaking penthouse master bathroom currently waiting for its registered guest, someone who both terrifies me and fascinates me. And all because I had to get away from someone who drives me to the brink of insanity every time I see him. Ironically, I found myself wanting so desperately to be back in my apartment with said man because for some reason, I feel drawn to him like gravity. Despite my inability to turn off my thoughts, I got out of the bath about an hour later feeling much more relaxed, and possibly a little tipsy. I picked up the bottle to pour another glass and realized it was empty. Did I really drink that whole thing?
I wrapped a giant bath towel around my body and went through my bag to find my nightgown. Okay, so it was more of a short, red satin and lace chemise instead of an actual gown. I was obviously still angry with Vance when I packed it. I pulled it over my head and combed my hair.
I still felt a little restless so I checked my phone. No missed calls. Hmmm. I would’ve thought for sure Vance would call by now. Feeling curious, I started looking through the walk in closet. Leo had at least two dozen outfits in here, all designer labels. There were several pairs of black slacks with matching blazers, some jeans, light sweaters, button up shirts, and t-shirts. Funny, I can’t really imagine him as being a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy. I looked down to find a pair of lace up boots, Italian loafers, and running shoes lining the shelf below.