“My designer styled the house in black and white, but each room has an element of grey, too. Nothing is ever straightforward, right? Everything worth having is in the grey.”
Shannon thought his decor complimented Jamie exactly. Powerful yet tender, assertive but quietly introspective.
Everything about him was bold, even in his master suite. The soft, dove-coloured carpet contrasted with the slate grey walls, white cornices, and accents of deep black.
Dark, sleek furnishings framed the centrepiece, a solid four-poster bed with bolster cushions and a masculine wooden headboard, giving the room an undeniable presence.
As she wandered into the room, moving past the bed, she rounded a corner where a white couch faced a bay window with far-reaching views.
The guy had a sitting area in his bedroom that doubled the floor plan of her loft.
Jamie walked beside her, his fingers still tangled with hers, his gaze fixed on her with an unwavering intensity.
“Think you’ll be okay sleeping in here with me?” he asked.
She angled herself around to face him.
“This room is like a hotel. I’m guessing you don’t do the cleaning yourself. What exactly do you do for aliving, other than owning The Fitz Hotel with your brother? I mean…this is?—”
He looked away for a beat, a shadow passing behind his eyes as he considered an answer.
“I buy and sell.” He shrugged.
“What? Human organs?” she scoffed. “Jamie, this house must be worth a fortune.”
His back straightened at the comment.
“Surely the fact you like it outweighs the cost?” His tone was a little sharper now, as if he was trying to protect something about himself.
“I just didn’t expect it.” She backed up and let go of his hand to trace the couch’s buttery leather. “Your home is off the charts awesome, Jamie, but then again, so are you.”
“Holy fuck, you actually think I’m awesome?”
She padded her lips, stifling a smirk. “Well…maybe that’s a bit over the top. Wouldn’t want to feed that enormous ego of yours.”
When Jamie lunged forward to grab her, Shannon darted sideways, her laughter ringing out as she dodged him.
She sprinted toward the perfectly made bed, throwing herself onto the duvet to scramble to the other side.
In an instant, he was on her, his hands around her waist, and his body caging hers. The weight of him pressed her into the softness of the bed, his chest a solid wall of muscle against her spine as he pinned her there.
“You’re one unpredictable woman,” he said, chuckling. “That’s what makes you awesome, too.”
Before she could even catch her breath, he shifted his weight and manhandled on to her back, still trapped beneath him. He loomed over her, his gaze drilling into her face, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Wow, you think I’m awesome?” she teased, her laugh playful and dripping with mockery.
Jamie’s eyes darkened, and he leaned in, his lips brushing the tip of her nose in a quick, possessive kiss. His voice dropped to a rumble as he spoke. “Baby, you know you are.”
He hovered close, his breath warm against her skin. “You’re more than awesome.”
His lips parted again, as if to continue. But then he just sighed, the corner of his mouth curling up, his cheek dimpling in that irresistible way.
The warmth of his body disappeared when he pulled her up from the bed, his hands cuffing her wrists, tugging her to a stand.
In one smooth motion, he spun her around to face away from him, her back to his chest, her breath catching at the speed of it.
With his hands at the zipper of her dress, he slid it down, the gentleness of his fingertips skimming her spine, sending a shiver everywhere.
