Would a man wealthy enough to own a large estate find comfort within this smaller space?
One wall was covered with slender long blinds.
After a moment of discovery, I found a switch that caused them to pivot and move. Hidden behind the sleek coverings was a wall of glass. It opened in an accordion fashion until all the panes of glass disappeared behind the exterior wall, opening the room to a balcony. I started to open the door when I remembered the security upgrade.
If I moved the latch, would I set off alarms or sirens or whatever extreme measure Van had authorized? Pressing my eyes close to the glass, I made out a hot tub upon the balcony.
My mind quickly went to ideas involving the two of us, a hot bubbling spa, and soft snowflakes. It wasn’t until I’d given that some thought that I recalled Van’s wish, or more accurately, his order. “Bed. Naked. Waiting.”
My thought wasn’t verbatim, but the idea was the same.
So far, I hadn’t even found the bed.
Grabbing the bottle of wine and glasses, I stepped down the hallway. In my suite, this led to the bathroom and the bedroom. This hallway was longer with other doorways. With my hands full, I continued straight ahead until the hardwood transitioned to plush carpeting.
Twice as large as the bedroom in my suite, this bedroom was spacious with a large bed as the centerpiece, the tall headboard flush against the far wall. In reality, his furnishings were regular bedroom furnishings, yet they all seemed oversized. Or maybe I was a character from the novelAlice in Wonderland,and I’d shrunk upon entering Van’s private space.
As in the front room, the windows were also covered by sleek blinds operated by a switch. The fireplace in this room was smaller than the one in the front room. After setting the wine and glasses down, I began opening doors.
My first discovery was a large walk-in closet.
A smile came to my lips as I perused his meticulous organization. Unlike his bookshelf, everything was arranged by style and color. I ran my hands over his expensive suits and over his flannel shirts. Even his ties were folded and separated in small compartments within built-in drawers. “You’re a very organized man, Van,” I mused to myself.
My next discovery was a small workout room with a treadmill and weights. His en-suite bath was in proportion to the rest of his suite, including a spacious glass shower and a sunken tub that could double as a lap pool for someone my size.
With one door left unchecked, I heard the opening of the main door. My pulse clicked faster at the realization I hadn’t done as he’d asked. Kicking my boots to the side of the room, I hurried up onto the large bed and pulled my sweater from my frame.
When I turned, Van was standing in the doorway, his one arm on the doorjamb with an almost sinister grin and twinkle to his eyes.
“I…I was looking around.” I shrugged. “I told you I’d never been in here.”
“Hmm.”
The dryness was back, making swallowing difficult. “Did you bring the food?”
Van nodded.
With each passing second the silence grew until the absence of sound roared within my ears accompanied by the swish-swish of my own circulation and the pounding of my heart against my breastbone. Tugging my upper lip with my teeth, I reached for the hem of my silk camisole.
“No.”
My hands froze in place. “Van…”
Letting go of the doorjamb, he gestured with his curled finger, bidding me closer.
“I thought you wanted…”
The shake of his head could have been missed, and yet my senses were suddenly on high alert. I hadn’t intended to not comply with his demand. I’d meant to do as he’d wished. My intended compliance wasn’t only to get my three answers but also because I wanted whatever he had planned.
Now things felt different—heightened.
The deed was done. I’d failed.
And yet as Van’s green stare consumed me, my skin tingled, my nipples beaded, and my twisted core dampened.
The air within the room crackled with anticipation as I made my way off the bed. My stocking feet contacted the soft carpet only a millisecond before Van was beside me. With one finger, he lifted my chin until our gazes met.
“Were my directions difficult to follow?”