“I’ve wanted to do that since I left your place,” he says, dropping his forehead against mine.
“Me too,” I murmur with a smile.
Suddenly, a sharp beeping sound goes off and Cyrus pulls away with a wry smile. “That’s the oven. I’ll be right back.”
He kisses me quickly again, and then strides towards the kitchen on the other side of the enormous living room. Meanwhile, I take a moment to look around. I’m pretty sure the apartment that Alyssa and I share would fit into the corner of this living room alone. It’s huge, with floor to ceiling windows that allow natural sunlight in, and an eclectic collection of cream and gray contemporary furniture. There’s a large fireplace off to one side, and of course, I’m sure it’s the kind that works. This is a fancy building, so they don’t have fake fireplaces like most apartments in New York.
I sigh. This is such a gorgeous room but where’s the man himself? After a smile, I follow him into the kitchen, just in time to see Cyrus putting a pan of rolls into the oven before stirring something on the stove.
“You cook?” I ask with a giggle.
He laughs. “Yeah, I cook. Did you think I eat out for all my meals?”
I shrug playfully. “Not necessarily, but I may have imagined a live-in chef or something like that.”
He chuckles.
“Well, you’re right. Work keeps me pretty busy, so I do have a chef who prepares a lot of my meals, but I like to do it myself for special occasions when I have beautiful guests.”
I smile, flushing, because it makes me feel special that he pulled out the stops for me.
“So, is this a special occasion?” I tease.
The billionaire flashes me a smile that nearly makes me melt. “This is a very special occasion, honey. You’re here and being with you is a treat.”
Heat floods my body and I know if I keep standing here with Cyrus looking at me like that, we aren’t going to be eating the food he’s preparing. As a result, I smile flirtatiously before wandering around a bit while he continues working in the kitchen. The billionaire has some photos of Alyssa and him scattered about, but what really catches my attention is the artwork decorating his enormous living space. A large painting hanging above his couch draws me in especially. It’s an abstract piece made of several neon colors put together in a crazy pattern that creates a portrait of a man. Off in the distance he appears to be staring at something, but when I narrow my eyes and squint, I’m not even sure it’s a man anymore.
“You like it?” Cyrus growls, walking up behind me while resting his hands on my waist. I lean back against his broad chest.
“It’s beautiful, and a little sad for reasons I don’t understand.”
Cyrus looks at me with a small smile. “Most people don’t see tragedy in this piece. I think it’s all the bright colors, but you have a good eye, honey. There’s a longing in the man, like he’s missing something in his life that always seems just out of reach.”
I twist around to look into Cyrus’s eyes and there’s something there that makes my heart pound. I sense that he relates to the man in the painting somehow, but exactly how is a good question. Before I can ask however, his expression clears and he presses a kiss to my cheek.
“Dinner’s ready. Are you hungry?”
I open my mouth to reply, but before I can, my stomach growls and I swear it must echo off the walls, it’s so loud. We both laugh.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Cyrus says with a mischievous grin.
I giggle in return.
“Yeah, I guess I am.”
With that, the handsome man seizes my hand and leads me into the dining room, which is set elegantly. The table is poised in front of a floor to ceiling window draped with beautiful silk curtains in a sheer, shimmery gray. The mahogany wood gleams elegantly, and the tabletop is draped in a silver-white damask that I’m terrified to get stains on. Meanwhile, Cyrus has our food set out at one end, and the aroma is heavenly. Two plates of chicken marsala loaded with mushrooms and potatoes steam, and there’s a small assortment of rolls in a bread basket. Cyrus pulls a chair out for me and I swear my stomach growls again, making him laugh.
“I can’t help it!” I protest.
He just grins.
“Wait until you taste the food. Your tummy will be thanking you.”
Clearly, confidence is something this man has in spades, and it’s very attractive. The alpha male watches me like he’s waiting to see me take a bite, so I cut a small portion of chicken and chew thoughtfully. Then I close my eyes, wanting to savor the flavors without any distraction before popping my eyes back open.