Chapter Nine
Julia
Sitting in the back of Artimus’s town car, I couldn’t help but feel an unwarranted amount of excitement. He sat on the other seat across from me, and something about being in such a small, enclosed space made me think back to the way I’d felt that first day I’d met him. It was just business that had him taking me to his penthouse on 5th Avenue, I kept reminding myself.
I’d never even dared to dream about getting to see the inside of something like a New York City penthouse. I’d never thought something this exciting could happen to me.
I ran my hand over the soft tan leather seats. “Artimus, is everything you own this luxurious?”
A sly smile pulled his lips up to one side. “A lot of it. But I must confess that one of the things I cherish most is something that didn’t cost a dime.”
He pulled something out of his pocket. Whatever this thing was that he cherished so much was something he kept with him. I found that interesting. “You keep it with you?”
“Since the day it was given to me.” He held out his palm, showing me a small, ugly, clay figurine. Browns and purples had been mixed together in a ball, and in the middle of the ball there was what looked like a fingerprint. “Angela, my baby sister, made this for me when she was in kindergarten. It was the first Christmas present she gave to me. She was so proud of it and told me to keep it with me always because she made it with love and it was my good luck charm.” He ran his thumb over the fingerprint. “That’s her tiny thumbprint. She told me that if I ran my thumb over it, she’d lend me some of her luck when I needed it.”
My heart skipped a beat. “That’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard. What a wonderful big brother you are. And it’s obvious you love your younger sisters. That says a lot about a man.”
To me, it meant he knew a lot about females. He wouldn’t be the kind of man who put women on pedestals, expecting them to be beyond human, the way some men did. He would know that we got up looking like we’d been ravaged by lions as we slept. Our hair would be a mess, our makeup smeared if we dared to go to sleep without washing it off. Our breaths would be questionable, and our moods could be cranky. We were, after all, human. Just like men.
Just one more thing that made him perfect. For me, at least.
As much chemistry as I felt between us on occasion, I’d never caught him looking at me the way I sometimes looked at him. He wasn’t only business with me—he treated me like a friend more than an employee—but I knew he and I had a work relationship and that was all.
The car pulled to a stop, and Artimus pocketed his good luck charm as the driver came around to open the door. I slid out first, and Artimus came out right behind me. His hand touched the small of my back, sending sparks all through me. “I’ve got a surprise for you, Julia.”
“You do?” I shivered and hoped he hadn’t felt it. My stomach was tight and wet heat pooled between my legs.
If his hand on my back can make this happen, then how would I react to his hands all over my body?
Every day I spent with him made me more certain that I was meant to be with him. No one had ever brought out the things he brought out in me. But he was much older than me, and came from a different world. Plus, there was that nagging part of me that always reminded me that he could have any woman he wanted. He’d never want me. Not the way I’d want him to.
When we got up to his apartment, I pretty much lost any coolness I had in me. My mouth gaped as I looked at the lavish room we’d walked into. The foyer alone was remarkable, with paintings hanging on the three walls. “Is that a Monet?”
“It is.” His hand still on the small of my back, he steered me to the left, and we went through a living area. It looked very formal, with expensive furniture that looked beautiful but also looked like it’d never been used. “The dining room I’ve asked my chef to serve dinner in is this way.”
The next room had a bar in it. It was fully stocked, making me think he’d had many parties there. “Do you entertain much?”
“The boys and I play poker once a week. Other than that, no.” His hand left my body, and I felt compelled to grab his hand to keep the physical contact going.
I didn’t do that though. Holding my boss’s hand wouldn’t be appropriate at all.
He opened a door and there was the dining room. Once again, my mouth fell open as I looked around. A delicate chandelier hung over the table for two, and the round table had a white linen tablecloth draped over it. In the middle was a bouquet of white roses surrounded with green foliage, contrasting with all the white in the room.
Artimus pulled out a chair for me. “Have a seat, Julia.” He chuckled as I sat down. “You look a little stunned.”
“Well, this place looks like a five-star restaurant. I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s kind of blowing my mind.” The chairs were plush, with white fluffy seats that made it feel like I was sitting on a cloud.
He took the seat across from me, a delighted smile on his face. “Glad I could blow your mind.”
Oh, the ways he could blow my mind.
My thoughts were broken by the entrance of a tall, slender, blonde woman. She looked to be in her mid- to late thirties. Much closer to Artimus’s age than I was. And she was smiling at him as she pushed a cart into the room. “Hi there.”
Artimus introduced us, “Tara, this is my new assistant, Julia Bengal.”
“Nice to meet you, Julia,” Tara said with a smile.
“You too, Tara.” I felt odd all of a sudden, like he and she were old friends and I was an outsider.
I’d never felt that way at the station. I supposed it was because Artimus hadn’t known any of those people much longer than he’d known me. But here, in his house, I could see the much more relaxed version of the man I worked for. And he was completely at ease with this woman. And I didn’t like that much.
She placed a couple of wine glasses in front of us, then filled them with white wine. “I’ve made a three-course meal for you two this evening. We’ll start with the amuse bouche.” I must’ve looked lost, as she clarified what those words meant. “That’s a fancy French way of saying flavorful bites. And I’ve made vichyssoise, which is made up of creamy potatoes and fresh leeks to start you off.” She placed a small bowl in front of me, then put one in front of Artimus.
The portion size was so small, it boggled my mind. It was actually perfect for me, since I kept my carbs as low as I possibly could. Artimus took a bite with the equally tiny spoon it had been served with. “Delicious as always, Tara.”
She was pleased with his praise. Her hand went to rest on top of his broad shoulder. “The lobster is coming up, and that will be followed by a desert. Be back in a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Tara.” His words were spoken to her, but his eyes were on me. “What do you think of it, Julia?”
I hadn’t taken a bite yet. I hadn’t eaten potatoes in years. But I wasn’t about to be rude, so I dipped the spoon in and put the food in my mouth. Flavor virtually exploded in my mouth, and all I could do was moan with how good it was. “So good,” I gasped. I didn’t want to look like a glutton, but I wanted to devour that soup.
Artimus nodded. “Good. I like to see you enjoying your meals.”
“It’d be impossible not to enjoy this. It’s beyond compare to anything I’ve ever eaten.” I ate the rest without saying a word, and then I took a sip of the wine, which was also delicious. “Wow, this is the best wine I’ve ever had, Artimus.”
“Glad you like it. I’ve instructed Tara to open two bottles of the 2007 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet. I thought you might like it.” He sipped his and looked at me over the rim of the glass.
I wasn’t sure if I was simply seeing what I wanted to see, or if he was actually giving me fuck-me eyes. Tara came in with the main dish, the lobster in crab sauce, which was also so good that I ate every last bite. I couldn’t help myself. Lastly, she served us tiny raspberry sorbets that cleansed our palates.
Although everything was served in small proportions, I felt full. And that was something I hadn’t felt in a while. Artimus grabbed the bottle of wine and both of our glasses. “Shall we retreat to the den?”
With a nod, I got up and followed him through room after room until we arrived in one that smelled of leather and musk, and a whole lot of Artimus Wolfe.
A fire burned in a fireplace, and the setting couldn’t have been more romantic. The last thing I needed right then was for a romantic ambience to go along with the totally unprofessional, romantic feelings I was having for my boss. I looked around at all the deep chocolate furnishings that were partially obscured by the dim light. Tara came in behind us, the other bottle of wine in her hand, and she turned the lights up before going to place it on the coffee table. “Here you go, Artimus. I’ll be in the kitchen if you want me.”
“Thank you, Tara. You’re a doll.” He sat down and looked right at her, sitting in a big chair that seemed to be only his. “I’ll call you if I need you.”
She left us, leaving the door open behind her. I looked at him and felt I had to ask him a question, “Artimus, did you and Tara ever date?”
He shook his head before answering, “No. I’ve never dated anyone who works for me.”
My heart crashed.
Never?
I knew what that meant and wasn’t happy about it. But with so many good things happening in my life, I wasn’t about to tempt fate by asking for any more than what I’d been given. I already had a great job working under a great boss, with terrific coworkers, to boot. Who could ask for more than that?
After planning out the new format for the afternoon news, we found that time had gotten away from us. It was eleven o’clock already, and I’d consumed more alcohol than I probably ever had, since the wine was so delicious. “Oh, Artimus. Look at the time. I should go.”
I got up and he did too. But he didn’t walk me out. Instead, he took both of my hands in his, standing in front of me. “Stay the night. My driver will take you home early in the morning so you can get dressed for work, and then he’ll take you to work too. I’ll drive myself to work tomorrow. It’s late, and I’ve got plenty of bedrooms for you to choose from.”
My eyes were locked on our clasped hands. My lips were numb from the alcohol, and my body was tired. A nice hot bath before hitting a comfy bed sounded like heaven to me. “Thank you, Artimus. I am tired.”
He let go of one hand but still held the other as he led me to the hallway where the bedrooms were. He stopped at the first door. “This is my room. Would you like to stay in the one across the hallway?”
When he opened that door, I found a big bed that looked incredibly soft. “I didn’t bring anything to sleep in,” I said, trying not to blush.
“I’ll grab you one of my T-shirts. Go take a bath and I’ll leave it on your bed.” He leaned forward, leaving a kiss on the top of my head. “See you tomorrow, Julia.”
He closed the door and I just stood there. I was in my boss’s house. I was about to wear his shirt to sleep in. And I knew I was going to have very realistic wet dreams, in a bed that belonged to Artimus Wolfe.