appreciate it.”
Appearing entertained, Quan nodded and headed back the way they’d come.
And then she and Gabriel were alone.
She glanced up to see a small smile playing on his lips. Would he still be amused when he found out how inexperienced she was in the bedroom? she wondered, swallowing hard.
With his hand on the small of her back, he ushered her to the end of the corridor where he placed his thumb on a pad to unlock the oversize door of the corner suite. He waved her into a spacious foyer that was all marble and low-placed lighting. She moved forward and stopped in the opening to an enormous room that was nothing but elegance and luxury. From the huge, razor-thin TV mounted above the fireplace to the posh furniture to the gorgeous dining table surrounded by twelve chairs, all Eva saw was wealth.
What the hell was she doing here with this man who was so far out of her league? No one could accuse her of aiming low, she supposed.
Time to lose your virginity!
O-kay! Show me a bazillionaire and I’ll give it up!
Telling herself to shut up, she bit her lip and looked around for anything of a personal nature that would humanize the man closing the door behind her.
There was nothing. Just tasteful sculptures and bowls, and vases filled with fresh flowers. Her gaze settled on what looked to be an exact replica of Constantin Brancusi’s Bird in Space. She narrowed her eyes. It had better be a replica, because she remembered reading somewhere that the authentic sculpture had sold for more than twenty-seven million dollars at a Christie’s auction some years ago.
“That’s fake, right?” she blurted like a moron, pointing at it carefully in case the breeze from her finger toppled it.
He chuckled. “No.”
That deep, smooth voice, even when uttering only one word, rippled hotly down her exposed spine. She exhaled sharply and stared at the gold piece, contemplating what to do next. Should she wait for him to make the first move?
Or was he waiting for her?
Did he expect some conversation first?
Or would he rather get right down and dirty?
Maybe she should just leave. Dammit. She was out of her element. Didn’t have a fucking clue what to do.
She took a breath and turned slowly to see Gabriel was propped against the door, his arms casually folded across that wide chest she so badly wanted to explore. His chunky platinum watch glinted in the light.
God, he was beautiful. And he made her ache. Everywhere. Her breasts tightened, her nipples pressing against the fabric of her dress.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked around the flutters in her stomach. The bland question likely crossed some invisible we’re-here-to-have-sex-not-get-to-know-one-another line, but it was either that or talk about the weather.
“About three years. I moved in after the renos were completed.”
Her eyes widened before she could stop them. “Three years? But…it looks like any other hotel room. I mean…” She faltered and bit her lip. “Not any room, because obviously this is more impressive than the average hotel.” She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and took another breath. And finally went with honesty because that usually worked for her. “Your wealth is freaking me out. I’ve never been with anyone so…” She waved her hand to encompass the room behind her. “I don’t know what to call it without sounding ignorant. Your home looks like something from a magazine.” Impersonal and grandiose, she finished silently.
He inclined his head, looking stiff all of a sudden. “The men you’ve been with have been blue-collar?”
She cringed. “No. God, no. Not that there’s anything wrong with blue-collar. Or no collar for that matter. That wasn’t what I meant. I was referring to my friends at Columbia. Even the rich ones weren’t in your bracket.”
He nodded, and then he didn’t look as though he was thinking about it anymore as his gaze traveled the length of her body, making her skin tingle. “As cliché as it sounds, it’s only money, Eva. My office, where I spend most of my time, is more personal than this place. Anything with any real meaning is at my house on Long Island. I didn’t see the sense in carting it across the country when I knew I’d eventually cave and return home.”
“Last night you said you grew up in Queens. Do you have family there?” There was something about his mouth that drew her, and she watched, liking the way his lips moved as he