Chapter Fifteen
Ethan stared down into Piper’s beautiful face, hating the anxiety he saw reflecting in her eyes.
He’d thought about what he would say when she asked him about the money. And he knew she would ask. “I’m a prepper of sorts.”
“A prepper?” Her pale green eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Ethan glanced behind him at his car parked along the curb. “I’d be happy to explain over dinner. That is, if you’re inclined to listen.”
“You’re not going to ask me how I know about the contents of your closet?”
Ethan shrugged. “The truth is, I already suspected you knew. You left the drawer to my nightstand ajar.”
Her face turned pink. “I’m not going to apologize for snooping. I needed answers.”
“I’m not asking you to apologize. But you could have simply asked me. I would have told you anything you wanted to know.”
Doubt flickered in her gaze. “Fair enough. Let’s go. We can finish this conversation over dinner.”
Ethan waited for her to lock up and then followed her to his car. He opened the passenger side door for her and then rounded the front to climb in behind the wheel. “Before we discuss the closet’s contents, I’d like for you to reconsider my business proposal.”
Piper shook her head. “I think it’s best that we keep the two separate. What if this—” she waved a hand between the two of them— “doesn’t work out? What if something happens and we end on bad terms? Then what? Then we’re stuck doing business together. I just don’t think it’s wise.”
Ethan ground his teeth. He wanted to pull the car over on the side of the road, grab her by the back of the head, and kiss her until she accepted that she belonged to him. She was his mate, damn it.
Instead, he said. “We’ll revisit that at a later time.”
The rest of the drive was spent in silence, with Ethan breathing in Piper’s intoxicating scent. He wanted her so bad, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could ride in the tight, enclosure with her and not go mad.
Pulling up in front of his building, Ethan got out, handed his keys to the valet, and circled the car to open Piper’s door.
She was so beautiful, it pained him to look at her. “I have a surprise for you.”
Her pale green eyes twinkled. “You’re going to tell me that you’re a vampire and I’ll be your dinner for the night?”
Ethan’s heart stuttered. She had no idea how close her assumption truly was. “Do you believe in vampires?”
“Of course not.” She laughed, accepting his outstretched hand. “Everyone knows that vampires are a myth. Just like Bigfoot.”
If she had any clue that Bigfoot did in fact exist, she would probably faint on the spot. “My surprise has nothing to do with vampires or Bigfoot. You have my word.”
Holding on to her hand, Ethan strolled into the lobby and made his way to the elevators.
Once inside, he met her gaze in the tinted mirrors of the elevator walls while inserting his keycard and pressing the appropriate number. “God, you’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She boldly stared back. “You’re pretty beautiful yourself.”
Damn, he loved her self-assurance.
The elevator stopped at his penthouse and the doors slid silently open.
Ethan waved a hand toward the foyer. “After you.”
The second she stepped into his penthouse, soft music began to play, and the lights dimmed on cue. “Make yourself comfortable.”
He watched her trail off toward the front room and take a seat on the sofa.
Alfonso, the housekeeper’s son, stepped forward with a bow. “May I pour you a glass of wine, miss?”
Piper gave him a warm smile. “That would be great, thank you.”
“I’ll be back momentarily,” Ethan announced, strolling off toward the stairs. He entered his room, grabbed the envelope from his nightstand, and hurried back downstairs.
Piper’s eyes lit up as he returned.
He moved to sit next to her on the sofa. “I hope you like it.”
“What is it?” She accepted the large envelope, a small indention between her eyes.
Ethan touched her on the arm. “Open it.”
Watching intently as she broke the seal and pulled the papers free, Ethan sat forward on the couch to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes scanned the lines of the papers before slowly lifting to meet his expectant gaze. “Is this a joke?”
Ethan’s shook his head. “It’s no joke, Piper. I want you to have it.”
“But,” she began to try again. “But you’re offering to waive your thirty percent fees from my designs.”
It was obvious she’d grown uncomfortable. “Is there a problem with that?”
Piper returned the papers to the envelope with jerky movements and handed it back to him. “You can keep your money, Ethan.”
She grabbed her bag and stood before storming off toward the foyer.
Ethan surged to his feet also, catching up to her as she reached the elevator. “What are you so angry about?”
She pressed the button and spun to face him. “Just because you’re richer than God doesn’t mean you can buy me. We’ve only been on a handful of dates, and you’re offering me money? Just get out of my way.”
The elevator door opened with a ding, and Piper stepped on before Ethan had time to process her words. “I wasn’t trying to buy you, Piper.”
“What do you call it, then? Because it damn sure looks that way to me.” The door slid shut between them.