Page 146 of Wicked Empire (Knight's Ridge Empire 3)

“Not true. I’d have gone under by now.”

He leans in, brushing his lips against mine, but before he can deepen it, the elevator dings, announcing our arrival.

Taking my hand, Seb pulls me from the elevator and drags me out into an empty hallway. The scent of fresh paint hits my nose as my feet sink into the plush carpet. There are four black doors set in the fresh cream wall, from what I can see.

“Where are we?” I ask, and we pass one door and head toward another a little farther down.

“Press your hand to that pad,” he says, pointing to a familiar square black box on the wall.

Some of the houses Dad and I have lived in have had this fancy tech shit, so it isn’t new to me.

“Seb,” I warn, my heart fluttering while my head gets carried away with what could be behind this door.

“If you want to finish what we started then—”

I press my hand to the pad, effectively shutting him up.

There’s a click, and when I push the handle down, the door opens for me.

There’s a soft glow from side lamps as I step inside.

The apartment is fully furnished. The walls are a soft cream, the furniture is all wood. The whole place is so warm and homely, the complete opposite of all the places I’ve lived with Dad. There’s a huge cream sectional with an array of cushions and floor-to-ceiling windows behind which showcase the twinkling lights of the city in the distance.

“Wow, this place is gorgeous,” I say, walking farther inside and finding a huge, fully kitted-out kitchen complete with an island and giant breakfast bar.

It’s incredible, and the exact kind of thing I’d choose for myself.

“Y-yeah?” Seb asks from somewhere behind me.

The slight hesitation in his voice makes me turn around and look at him.

He’s got his arm up, his fingers twisted in his hair, and there’s a slight frown marring his brow. Yet still, he looks insanely hot in his suit. Butterflies continue to flutter from what we started earlier.

“Thought we should give Theo some peace for the night, huh?” I ask, assuming he’s rented or borrowed it. I lock down any other options, because I refuse to get carried away with myself.

His hand drops to the back of his neck.

“Yeah, the night… forever.” His eyes hold mine as he takes a step forward.

Something explodes in my belly… the excitement that I was trying to keep a lid on at thinking this could be something beyond serious.

“Seb, what have you done?”

His hand slips around the back of my neck, dragging me forward until our heads touch.

“Welcome home, baby,” he whispers.

My heart pounds so hard in my chest I can feel it in the tips of my fingers as his eyes hold mine, waiting for my reaction.

“Seb,” I breathe.

“It wasn’t meant to be ready for a few weeks. It’s not entirely ready. But Damien pulled some strings last night and there have been people here all day and night trying to get it sorted. Maybe… don’t touch the paint,” he chuckles.

“This is crazy,” I tell him, my head starting to spin.

“Suits us, huh?”

“I… I don’t know what—”