Chapter Thirteen
In the back of the car, he curled an arm around her shoulders. They rode silently back to the building. Manny opened the door, and Eli helped her out.
“Thank you, Manny,” Kinley said.
“You’re very welcome, miss.”
Eli placed his hand on her back and steered her toward the elevator. “Would you like to go see Mrs. Bennet quickly?”
“Yes. I can also grab paper and a pen for writing things down.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead before the elevator doors slid open.
He could tell Mrs. Bennet was relieved to see her. The older woman stood and pulled Kinley into her arms. “How are you feeling?”
“Good. Eli took care of me.”
Mrs. Bennet glanced at him and then nodded. He felt like she’d just given him her one hundred percent acceptance, and it made him feel good.
“We’re going to inventory the condo. Do you need me for anything?”
The older woman patted Kinley’s cheek. “No, I’ll call if I need you. I think Mr. Turner needs you more right now.”
He smiled when Kinley glanced at him.
“Do you have paper and a pen?”
“Sure.” Mrs. Bennet walked behind her desk and then handed Kinley a pad of yellow paper and a pen.
“Thank you.”
Eli got them back on the elevator and up to the seventh floor, his new home, at least for a while.
This time, when the door opened, he scrutinized the place. It was bright with the three large windows across and to the left of the elevator. There was a fireplace on one wall with a large sofa, two large chairs, and a few tables. All in dark tan leather. He could see himself lying on the sofa with Kinley in front of him as he watched a game.
To the right was a dining table, and beyond that, the open kitchen with an island and stools on one side.
Everything was very high-end and classy. He approved.
“Let’s start in the kitchen.”
They went through the cabinets and made a list of what he’d need. They made a separate list for groceries.
Then they went into the library, where there were empty bookshelves, but also a few leather chairs and a desk. He planned to move that out when his got there. Until then, it would work fine.
A large TV was hung above another small fireplace, and there were two spare bedrooms that held beds, nightstands, and dressers. But there were no sheets, pillows, or blankets on them.
In the master bedroom, they found a king-size bed, two nightstands, and an armoire with a TV in it. There were curtains on the windows that matched the comforter. He didn’t really like the colors, but that was easy to change, and he’d pack the original ones away for the next tenant.
The bed had pillows and blankets, but he’d change those out. Until then, they would work fine. To the right were two doors. One was a huge closet, and the other the bathroom they’d seen before.
Besides his personal items, it had all the towels and bath mats he’d need. It even had leftover shampoos and soaps.
“How’s the list looking?”
She finished writing and then handed it to him.
“That’s not bad. We still have to go shopping for things but nothing major.”
“It’s a great place. I think you’ll be happy here.”
He looked around one more time. “I think I’ll do fine here.”
His gaze fell on her. He wondered if she would be happy here. At least for a while? But he was afraid of pushing her too much.
“Let’s head back to our office.”
He smiled at the look of joy on her face and took her hand.
As they waited for the elevator, he cupped her face and took her lips. It started soft and sweet but quickly turned scorching hot and wild.
The swish of the elevator door made him raise his head.
“Jesus, woman, you make me feel so much, it’s almost scary.”
She gripped his wrists. “I feel the same way.”
“Good.” He smiled. “I’m glad I’m not the only one.”
Back in the office, they both sat at their own desks. He couldn’t get over the feeling of elation as he looked up and saw her. He knew deep inside he would never get sick of it.
For the next few hours, he went over correspondence and started looking over a new project someone else was doing to get the gist of what they expected.
He had sandwiches sent up for them around noon, but they continued to work.