Chapter 13 - THE PRIVATE DINNER AT THE PENTHOUSE
That evening,
instead of leaving the building at our usual late hour,
Alexander intercepted me as I was packing my briefcase.
“Cancel any plans you have for tonight,
” he instructed calmly.
“I don't have any plans,
” I replied honestly.
“Good.
Upstairs.
Penthouse level.
”
Before I could argue,
he turned and strode toward the private executive elevator reserved exclusively for the CEO.
I hesitated for a second,
then followed him.
The private elevator whisked us past the tenth floor,
climbing rapidly past the fifty stories of concrete and glass until it chimed softly at the top.
The doors slid open to reveal Alexander’s private penthouse residence.
It was a breathtaking sanctuary suspended in the clouds above Boston.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls offered a 360-degree view of the glittering city lights stretching out toward the dark Atlantic ocean.
Minimalist modern furniture,
minimalist art pieces,
and a roaring marble fireplace created an atmosphere of sophisticated solitude.
“Did you live here all alone?
” I asked softly,
walking over to the glass partition.
“Yes,
” Alexander answered,
walking behind the marble kitchen island and pouring two glasses of aged red wine.
“Most people who reach the top assume luxury equals happiness.
They forget that the higher you climb,
the colder the wind blows.
”
He walked over,
handing me a crystal glass of wine.
Our fingers brushed briefly,
sending a warm spark through my skin.
“Thank you,
” I whispered,
taking a sip.
It was smooth,
rich,
and warming.
“Why did you bring me here,
Alexander?
”
He leaned against the glass railing beside me,
looking out over the city.
“Because I wanted to talk to you somewhere that wasn't bound by spreadsheets,
board meetings,
or corporate espionage,
” he said quietly,
turning his head to look directly into my eyes.
“Ever since you grabbed my lapel at JFK and cried on my suit,
my life hasn't been the same,
Eve.
You disrupted my carefully controlled world in forty seconds.
”
“Is that a complaint?
” I asked,
holding my breath.
A slow,
tender smile touched his lips—the first genuine,
unguarded smile I had ever seen on him.
“No,
Eve,
” he murmured,
stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
May you like
“It is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
”
