His to Claim by Opal Carew Page B

huge floral arrangements. The ceilings were off-white
     with crossed beams, and a section of the wall was covered in stacked slate, contrasting
     nicely with the shiny marble.
    As his secretary, Melanie had arranged for the care of Rafe’s apartment when he was
     gone, everything from having the place cleaned regularly to someone watering the plants,
     but she’d never been here. They stepped into the elevator, and Storm pushed the top
     button, then entered a code on a keypad beside it.
    “Your apartment building is beautiful.”
    He shrugged. “I like it.”
    He slid his arm around her and she smiled as the floor numbers flickered by. The elevator
     doors opened onto a bright, spacious penthouse apartment. The dark hardwood floors
     of the entryway gleamed in the light from the setting sun cascading in from the huge
     windows. In the living room, bright accent cushions in red, orange, and yellow added
     a nice contrast to the beige leather and dark wood furniture. The bright colors were
     carried through the artwork and flowering plants, adding a warmth and flair to the
     space.
    “I didn’t realize it would be this huge.” She pulled off her shoes, then walked across
     the decadently plush carpet to stare out the window at the stunning view of the city
     cascaded in the golden light of the sunset.
    He gestured to the couch facing a big fireplace. “Sit down and I’ll get you a drink.
     Champagne?”
    Her gaze flicked to his. “Really? Are we celebrating something?”
    He smiled. “Just being with you.”
    He took a bottle from an ice bucket on a stand and popped the cork without waiting
     for her response, then he poured the bubbly liquid into a delicate flute and handed
     it to her.
    She sipped, the tingly bubbles tickling her nose.
    Her eyes widened. So this is what nirvana tastes like.
    Clearly, she’d never had really good quality champagne before. As wonderful as this was, drinking fantastic champagne
     while sitting in this luxurious penthouse, having ridden here in a chauffeur-driven
     limo, it left her feeling unsettled. Rafe was totally used to this lifestyle. He’d
     never had to worry about money, and even though he’d spent a year living out of a
     backpack, he knew he had money if he ever needed it. Not like her. She had to worry
     about bringing in enough money to make the next month’s rent.
    As fun as it was being with Rafe, it was startlingly clear that they came from entirely
     different worlds.
    “What are you thinking about?” Storm asked.
    She smiled. “Oh, nothing important.”
    Her phone buzzed and she pulled it from her pocket to check the incoming text.
    “It’s from my mom. She wants to know if I can make it home for Dad’s birthday next
     month.”
    “That’s nice. Are you going?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I don’t know if I can justify the cost of the trip.”
    “You’re really on a tighter budget with the new job I take it.”
    She shrugged. “A little.” Actually, a lot, but then freedom had its cost.
    “What does your mother think of you working as a barista?”
    “Are you kidding? She’d freak out if she knew I’d quit my job at your firm. She was
     so proud of me for being an executive assistant at a big company, with a stable job,
     regular hours, and with benefits.”
    He smiled. “With benefits?”
    She laughed at the sexy grin on his face.
    “Yes, well, not the kind of benefits you’re thinking of.”
    “It’s too bad we didn’t allow ourselves to explore a relationship back then,” he said.
    She grinned. “Really? You would have wanted that?” She sat forward, then swiveled
     around onto his lap, her knees hugging his thighs, then flattened her hand on his
     chest. “Me coming into your office and you knowing you couldn’t touch me.” Her hand
     slid slowly down his solid chest. She could feel the ridges of his hard muscles beneath
     the cotton of his shirt.
    “Wait, that sounds like what we did have.”
    “You wouldn’t