Page 60 of Impulse

“You drained all my energy,” he said.“Waking me at four in the morning, climbing on top of me at six.”

Pink tinged her cheeks.“I had nightmares, and you hog the bed.”

He frowned.The way she’d crawled on top of him, it was possible she’d seen him as a safe harbor, which in itself pleased him.“Nightmares about?”

“Bad guys out to get me.”

She sounded so much like his niece he almost laughed, but he recalled the three hundred and fifty grand burning holes in his briefcase.She could actually have bad guys after her.“I can take care of them for you.Just say the word.”

She laughed.“You’re a real estate developer, Lex, not a thug.”

“We all have a bit of thuggery in our system.”He studied her, wishing she would confide in him.“Any time you want to talk, I’m available.”

She wrapped her fingers around her mug as though warming her hands, but her eyes stayed on him.“So what’s happening in the Caribbean?Douglas was so vague about it I was convinced you were on a secret mission.He couldn’t even tell me which island you were visiting.”

The change in subject didn’t surprise him.She wasn’t ready to trust him yet.He would wait.No matter how long it took.“He was just being discrete.Real estate developing is a cutthroat business.A competitor can swoop in and outbid me, or in this case, use the fact that I’m about to develop a property to buy land around it and force me to buy it from them at an outrageous sum.Douglas knows the peril of insider trading.”

Her eyes sharpened.“So he’s never used the information he gets from you to invest in a deal?”

Lex chuckled.“Of course he has.I encourage my employees to invest in whatever project I’m working on.Douglas could have retired comfortably years ago if he wanted to, but he chooses to stay with me.”

Jillian grinned.“No wonder his daughter is at a private school.He told me.”

“He can afford it.”Lex stood, forgetting he was still naked, and chuckled when her eyes were drawn lower.He couldn’t help the way his body responded.“So, do you need a ride to the studio?”

Jillian looked her watch and nodded.“If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Trouble?Not when it comes to you.”He collected their plates and utensils, and carried them to the sink, fully aware she was watching him.He offered to get her more coffee, but she declined.He poured himself a second cup.“Where are you filming?”

“At the studio.”She gave him the address.

“That should be easy to find.Thanks for breakfast.”He tilted his head and studied her face.She hadn’t put on any makeup, yet she’d never looked sexier.“Next time, I’ll cook.”

She cocked her eyebrows.“Who said there was going to be a next time?”

Lex laughed.Did she really think she could walk away from his bed after last night?He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead.“You’re adorable, and I need to make a call.”

“I will need a separate bedroom when we get married,” she called after him.

And he’d make sure she didn’t sleep in it.“At the mansion, yes.At the penthouse, not possible.Douglas would know.”

“Then I’ll sleep on the floor in your bedroom.”

She was being difficult.Why?He paused and studied her mutinous expression.Had last night scared her?If she wanted to sleep on the floor, he’d join her.“Okay.”

She eyed him suspiciously, but he didn’t let her mistrust worry him.He had a year to chip at that wall.He went back to the bedroom, pulled on his pants, and made a call as he headed outside to the Rolls.He came back with the fruit basket.In the middle was a small jewelry box, which he plucked and placed in front of Jillian.

“I meant to give you this last night.”

She looked at the white box with gold trimming, then him, then back at the box.“You shouldn’t buy me gifts, Lex.”

“Showering you with gifts is part of our contract,” he said, mentioning one thing she couldn’t argue about.“Mathews should be here in thirty minutes to take you to the studio.”

She picked up the box and plucked at the bow.He was disappearing into the hallway when she looked and asked, “Mathews?”

He grinned.

“As in your pilot Mathews?”she asked, running after him.“Lex, I told you I can’t arrive at the studio in a helicopter or—”