the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows caught her eye. She held her breath as she stopped at the window, gazing out the glass at the sight of the river glistening in the sunlight below. And the park along its banks.
“It’s … beautiful.”
He stepped to her side and gazed out with her. “I like it.” He took her elbow. “Come on, I’ll show you the place.”
It became a blur as he took her from lavish room to lavish room. The kitchen gleamed with shiny granite counters, glossy hardwood floors, and rich, dark cabinets. The living room was all light-colored leather and the same dark wood as the kitchen.
“There are three bedrooms, but one is my den.”
Her back stiffened. Was he going to put her in the second bedroom? It made sense. She was here to satisfy his sexual needs, but that didn’t mean they needed to sleep together. He might want his own space.
And that was fine with her. Better, in fact.
But he pushed open the double doors at the end of the hall and rolled her suitcase into it. When she glanced inside, and realized this was clearly the master bedroom, she relaxed a little. She’d been lying to herself. It might be better for her sanity to have her own room, but being in his room with him made her feel more … wanted.
“Can we go to my place and pick up some of my things?” she asked.
“No need.” He led her to a door and opened it. On the other side was a huge walk-in closet filled with dark-stained, solid wood furniture with brass fittings. There were drawers, shelves, closed cupboards, and lots of space to hang clothes.
Then she saw her clothes hanging alongside his.
“I had someone move your things in this morning.”
“People went through my stuff? And packed it up and brought it here?”
“You can’t tell me you really wanted to do that yourself.”
No, she hated moving. “But … my stuff is private.”
He shrugged. “It’s not like the people doing it would care. They do this all the time. You don’t have anything that would surprise them.”
“That’s not the point,” she flared. “It’s my stuff. I don’t like the idea of anyone going through my stuff.”
“I’m sorry. I’m used to people handling that kind of thing for me. I never even thought of it being an issue.”
He took her hand. “You aren’t going to hold this against me, are you? After we’ve gotten off to such a good start?” He squeezed her fingers. “I just wanted you to feel at home right away.”
His smile—designed to charm—succeeded.
She nodded. “Okay. Thank you. It was very thoughtful.”
“Good.” He kissed her, a gentle kiss on the lips. “Now, in addition to this space”—he gestured to where her clothes were hanging—“you’ve also got that dresser. And if you need more space, we’ll accommodate that.”
She stared at the dresser he indicated, which had six big drawers.
“I’m sure my stuff only takes up half of that thing.”
“But you’ll be getting more clothes. Things better suited to your new life.”
“My new life?” she echoed.
“Well, let’s face it. You had to live on a budget. And you did a great job. But now you can get some quality items. I’m setting up an appointment for you with my personal shopper and she can help you pick out some things.”
She frowned. “I think what I have is fine.”
But she glanced at her dresses, pants, skirts, and blouses hanging up beside his finely tailored suits. His clothes were clearly custom made and of the highest quality whereas she shopped at the Goodwill store. She loved doing that—she got some amazing finds and it allowed her creativity to shine. But when she looked at her clothes hanging side by side with his, it was like one of those puzzles: what doesn’t fit here?
He smiled. “You can’t honestly be turning down the offer of new clothes.”
She didn’t care about fancy clothes. She honestly loved her wardrobe. Every piece meant something to her. But she had agreed to be his wife and that meant making some concessions.
“You already bought me that nice dress for drinks last night, but if you don’t think that’s enough for going out to special places, I could get a few more things. But I can pick out my own clothes.”
“Of course you’ll have a say, but it’ll be easier if you go with her. She’ll take you around to the right stores, ensure everything fits just right, and I’ll ask her to arrange a whole makeover