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“This is Mahuika Stone,” Orson says.
“Everyone calls me Scarlett,” I add, flushing at the sound of him using my full name.
“Kia ora Scarlett.” Rawiri smiles. “Anything I can do for you, Mr. Cavendish?”
“No thanks, all good.”
“Have a great evening.”
Orson nods and leads me over to the elevators. He pushes the button, the doors open, and we go into the carriage.
He takes a key card out of his pocket and touches it to the pad. There are fifty-seven floors, and he presses the button for fifty-four.
“Not the top floor?” I tease. “Thought you’d have the biggest and the best.”
“The top three levels are for services,” he says as the doors close and the elevator starts to rise.
“Oh.”
He chuckles.
“I didn’t realize you could speak Maori,” I say.
“Everyone learned Maori at my school. Kingi always says I have terrible pronunciation.”
I lean back against the wall of the carriage. “You speak it just fine. Was it a posh school?”
“Somerset College.”
“Private, I’m guessing.” I can’t keep a sarcastic tone out of my voice.
“Yes.” His lips curve up. “You disapprove.”
“Of course I disapprove. Decent education and medical care should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford it.”
He tips his head to the side, his eyelids lowering to half mast, looking so sexy that it makes my mouth water.
“You’re so privileged and elitist,” I say breathlessly. “So confident and arrogant.”
“Yep. I always get what I want.”
“And what do you want right now?”
He laughs, walks toward me, and takes my face in his hands. “I fucking adore you.”
“Oh! I—”
I have no chance to say anything else, because he crushes his lips to mine, presses me up hard against the wall, and kisses the living daylights out of me.
Oh my God, I’ve never been kissed like it, not even remotely. There’s enough heat in his lips to brand me, and when I gasp, my mouth opening, he plunges his tongue inside and deepens the kiss until I’m breathless and aching with longing.
Only when the lift pings and the doors open does he move back. His blue eyes blaze as they search mine, and then he takes my hand and leads me out and along a quiet corridor. It’s thickly carpeted so our feet make no sound. There are four doors, two to the left and two to the right, and he walks to the furthest door on the left.
He stops before it, then to my surprise turns to me. He takes my face in his hands again.
“Are you sure about this?” he asks gently.
I nod.