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sp; He wrapped her wet, clean hair around his hand and deepened the kiss, pressing further inside, not allowing her brain to kick in. Her tongue brushed against his, then rubbed more aggressively. Then she sucked his tongue as though she was going down on him, and his cock hardened until it pressed against his trousers achingly.
Before he lost his mind and took her right there on the floor, he pulled away, his breathing rough and fast. “Get dressed and pack. I’ll help you move in.”
“I can do that later,” she said, her gaze on his mouth.
He swore at the surge of desire he felt in response to her blatantly wanton look. No matter how much she tempted him, he couldn’t relax until she was securely ensconced in the penthouse. She was a wily one. He wouldn’t put it past her to change her mind if he didn’t push now. It’d be much harder for her to back out after having moved in. “I wouldn’t want you to carry all your stuff alone.”
“I can have it delivered,” she said.
“I don’t care.”
“But what about the BMW?”
“I’ll make arrangements.”
She nodded and rose, then disappeared into the bedroom.
He exhaled, long and shuddery. A step closer to his goal. He knew exactly what she was thinking. She’d bolt the second she felt vulnerable or threatened. That was why she kept sneaking out, or refusing to talk about anything private about herself, including her family. They’d spent two nights together, and he still knew nothing about her.
He had no intention of letting her find another man she’d rather be with. It wasn’t going to be a simple temporary situation that ended whenever she wanted. No, it’d be far more than she expected.
Chapter Six
KERRI FROWNED AS Ethan pulled into the familiar complex and led her to his penthouse. Two of her suitcases were in the trunk, with the rest scheduled to be brought up later by the concierge. “Why are we here? What’s going on?”
“This is your new place.”
“What?” She stopped short in front of the door. “Wait a minute. You said I got to live in a corporate penthouse owned by The Lloyds Development.”
“Good memory.”
“So why are we at your penthouse?”
“It’s not mine. It’s owned by TLD. Global Strategies leased it so I could use it while I’m in northern Virginia. I was in London until a few months ago, and when I was brought back to the States, we all thought I’d be here temporarily, so there was no reason to get anything more permanent.”
“I can’t stay here,” she said.
“Don’t be silly. Of course you can.”
“But you live here.”
“Yes, there is that. But the contract didn’t specify you get the entire corporate condo to yourself. I’m pretty certain I never gave that impression either.”
She narrowed her eyes. Rat bastard…although she did appreciate a man who was on the ball enough to outmaneuver her. “I’ll get an apartment.”
“What’s the matter, Kerri?” His voice was calm, too damn reasonable. “It’s a big penthouse. There’s no reason not to share. We’re both adults.”
She fumed, but he had a point. Why should she balk at the arrangements? The fact that it wasn’t his place, just a temporary shelter—albeit a ridiculously swanky one—did kind of change things. Not to mention, she didn’t want to spend the money on rent if she didn’t have to. It was her family that was loaded, not her, and she liked to save every penny she could. Having her own financial resources was the only way to be free of Barron’s clutches. His power and control over everyone in the family came from the fact that he was in charge of the Sterling purse strings. She wasn’t going to play that game.
“You’re right,” she said finally. “We’re both adults.”
“Precisely.” He opened the door and gestured inside. “After you.”
It was one thing to visit Ethan’s—no, scratch that—the corporate penthouse, thinking she would be there one night for dinner, but something else to step inside, knowing she lived there now.
He gave her a detailed tour of the place, which was easily five times the size of the small apartment she’d had in Hong Kong. The master bedroom suite seemed larger in daylight, the now-familiar giant bed sitting against the teak-colored wall. Her face flushed at the memory of what she’d done with Ethan the night before, and her breasts tingled. They walked into the adjoining bathroom, which housed a Jacuzzi tub big enough for two. A decent-size TV was embedded into the wall, so you could watch shows or movies while soaking. Ethan pointed out the modern double sink with invisible drain and said, “The right one’s yours.”