The Business Proposal

Chapter Thirteen

Ethan and Ivy were silent as they rode the elevator to his penthouse apartment.

Ivy had been speechless when he'd pulled up to one of the more exclusive apartment buildings in London. He'd thrown his keys towards the waiting valet, exchanging a few pleasantries before ushering her inside the building.

If she'd thought the outside was grand, then the reception area practically blew her mind. Her eyes had been glued to the twisted glass structure that substituted for a chandelier, but she knew no chandelier could have ever compared to it. It was too stunning.

She must have looked like a fool the way her head had swivelled around trying to see everything before the elevator doors shut behind them.

Ethan continued to hold her hand as they rose through the building. Her stomach churning uncomfortably the entire ride.

She wasn't sure why she'd allowed Ethan to take her back to his apartment. But looking into his vivid green eyes, she'd found it impossible to say no. Against her better judgement, she'd trusted him.

The sliding doors in front of her jarred her from her thoughts as Ethan led her into the spacious atrium.

Of course the elevator only accessed his apartment and in order to operate it, it required a special code. He'd surprised her when he'd called out the numbers to her and asked her to repeat them back to him. Almost as if he was giving her the metaphoric keys to his home. The gesture had touched her, but she tried not to think about the other women he'd already brought there.

Stepping into his apartment, she couldn't help but let her mouth drop open.

"Like it?" He kept hold of her hand, tugging her forward. She didn't even realise she'd stopped until her feet wobbled.

"It's...just... wow." Her mind went blank trying to find the words to describe it.

The first floor was open plan, with a large grey kitchen taking up the space closest to them. She ran her free hand across the cold countertop as they walked on. An enormous glass staircase was in the centre of the room, leading to the second floor, with a large sitting area opposite it. The dining area was down a few steps on the other side.

But all these details paled compared to the view. Large glass windows ran along the end of the room, perfectly framing a view of London gleaming in the afternoon sun.

She was now the one pulling Ethan forward as she wandered towards the view, trying to take it all in.

He chuckled at her reaction, but she couldn't do anything about it. It really was a stunning apartment.

"Come on." He pulled away from her and shifted a high back loved seat so it was now facing the window. He gently pushed her down and removed her sandals. "There's a blanket along the back if you need that. Now, how about a drink since we didn't have one at my parents'?"

She wondered whether it was wise to drink but decided that for tonight she'd put her trust in him. He'd told her he would take care of her and she would let him.

"A glass of red wouldn't go amiss." She smiled at him, snuggling back into the cushions.

"Of course la mia principessa." He bowed to her with a smirk before he strutted out of sight.

She watched the view for a few more moments before deciding that the blanket would be a wonderful idea. When she pulled it out, she couldn't help but rub her face in the soft fleece before spreading it out until it covered her completely. It was times like these when she was grateful for her short stature. Her feet didn't even reach the end of the seat.