of her worries. She couldn’t think, couldn’t dread the night and the inevitable events. All she could do was follow his lead and enjoy the thrilling shivers that raced through her body as his hand stroked her side.
He lifted his head and looked down at her. “You were about to change your mind, weren’t you?” he said, his voice husky as his dark blue eyes looked down at her.
She wanted to deny it but couldn’t lie when his intense gaze was boring into her mind. “Yes,” she finally admitted.
Something fierce burned in his eyes and she shivered slightly. Then it was gone and he was in control again. “Come along,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her out the door.
Lana quickly slipped her shoes on her feet, then grabbed her coat before following him out of her apartment. “What about the flowers?” she asked, suddenly terrified now that he was here and larger than she remembered him from the day before.
He took her hands, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about the flowers,” he said calmly and gently led her out the door, shutting it firmly behind them. “I’ll buy you more if those wilt. I want you where I can convince you that everything is going to be perfect.”
Twenty minutes later, Victor was ushering her into the most beautiful penthouse apartment she’d ever seen in her life. It was enormous and looked down onto Central Park and out onto the New York City skyline beyond. She saw all the buildings lit up in the distance and gasped with awe. “This is amazing,” she whispered, unaware that he was pulling her coat off of her shoulders and handing it to the butler who had magically appeared at their side.
She looked around and shivered. This was not an apartment, she realized, seeing the stairs off to one side of the enormous living room. Out one of the doors was a courtyard filled with trees and grass and an area larger than most people’s yards. Good grief, was that a swimming pool out there?
“Do you swim during the summer?” she asked, blinking at all the luxury around her, unable to take it all in.
“I swim all year round.”
That was definitely out of her realm of experience. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to swim whenever one wanted to. Swimming in the city for ordinary folks meant heading to one of the recreational centers or YMCAs that were scattered about the city. Private pools were reserved for houses that were located out in the suburbs and even then, they were prohibitively expensive. And swimming in the winter? She shivered, looking at the corner of the pool visible from her current vantage point. It didn’t look very warm right now. “Doesn’t it get cold in the winter?” she asked, curious and fascinated at the same time.
He smiled at her horrified expression. “The water is heated during the spring and fall so its pretty comfortable right now. But when it gets too cold to get in and out of during the winter, there are walls that go up and it becomes and indoor pool. Want to go swimming?”
That kind of news was definitely something she didn’t want to hear about. What did he do that he could afford this kind of luxury? She took an involuntary step backwards, shaking her head. “I didn’t bring a suit.”
He chuckled a moment before his hands came to rest on her shoulders. “I don’t think you’ll need a suit if you go swimming with me.”
Lana shivered and turned to look up at him, her eyes wide with fascination and embarrassment. She couldn’t respond and he seemed to sense her discomfiture and took pity on her. Chuckling, he let his hands slide down her arms. “Don’t be afraid, Lana. I promise, you’ll enjoy everything we do together. And we’ll take things as slowly as you need.” He stepped away from her and walked into the huge living room. “How about a glass of wine?” he asked, standing beside an elaborate bar.
“Um…that would be nice,” she said, biting her lower lip as fear started to increase. Now that she was here, she wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. Perhaps Victor was too sexual for her? Maybe he would become impatient with her fears and would get irritated with her.
“Tell me about your day,” he said, handing her a glass of red wine, indicating that she should take a seat on the sofa. He went back behind the