Hardwired (The Hardwired Series 1)(15)

Blake offered his arm to me and motioned for our retreat. I hooked mine in his, and he led us down the hall.

“You kids have fun!” Alli called after us.

“I’ll have her home by morning,” Blake said, winking back at her.

I rolled my eyes at the idea.

Once in the elevator, Blake hit the number forty-five, the highest number on the grid, and we began our ascent.

Confused, I asked, “Where are we going?”

“The top floor.”

“What’s up there?”

“Uh, my room, actually.”

My excitement wilted. “Subtle, Blake.” I yanked away and crossed my arms. Perfect gentleman, my foot. God, I’m so na?ve.

Blake laughed. “It’s not what you think. Trust me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve given me no reason to trust you.”

“I’ve heard that takes time, so maybe there’s hope yet.”

The elevator doors opened and led me to the end of the long hallway where he slid his key to gain entrance to the room. I followed him in, awestruck by the sprawling suite that could only be described as a modest palace.

We walked through an ornate entryway, and before us, a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows showcased the Las Vegas skyline. The sun had set moments earlier behind the silhouette of the barren mountains, imbuing the sky with gradients of gold and amber, while every major landmark on the manmade strip before us mimicked nature’s brilliance. A million little lights brought the night to life in this wild, addictive city.

“I thought this might be a better view than the restaurant,” he said quietly.

“It’s breathtaking.” My eyes scanned the horizon, thrilled by his choice. For the second time today, a giddy excitement bubbled inside me thanks to Blake. Still, I tempered my outward display, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of wowing me so easily.

“I’m glad you think so.” He guided me toward our table for two by the windows.

The two-story suite was draped in luxury and elegance. The motif featured warm washed out tones among a variety of textures, from upholstered mohair walls to cool cream marble surfaces that contrasted with the sleek and tastefully integrated modern electronics.

I coolly catalogued the suite’s amenities until a server delivered a champagne bucket from one of the adjoining rooms.

“Madam?” The server offered up a chilled bottle of Cristal Rosé.

“Please,” I replied.

He expertly filled our flutes to the brim.

“I took the liberty of ordering for us.” Blake tipped his glass to meet mine. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“I’ll let it slide.” In truth, I was relieved. I couldn’t think straight around Blake let alone figure out what kind of food I could eat gracefully in his presence.

“So, tell me more about Erica Hathaway.”

I sighed. Here we go. “What do you want to know?”

“What do you do for fun?” He licked his lips.

My body clenched from my fingertips gripping the chair’s edge to the heated center between my legs. My defenses were wearing dangerously thin around Blake. Why had I ever agreed to this? Well, I hadn’t, but I hadn’t exactly refused either. Regardless, here we were, and thus far everyone was on their best behavior except my libido.

“To be honest, not much, at least lately.”

“So you’re a workaholic?”

“You could say that.”

“Well, we have that in common.” He leaned back into his chair and gazed out into the horizon.

“Oh? It seems like you do well enough these days to take a more relaxed approach to life.”

“My life is hardly a vacation, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“I see no reason why it shouldn’t be.”

“Then I suppose you don’t know me very well.”

“Enlighten me,” I said. “A little bird told me you used to be a hacker.”

Over the rim of my nearly empty champagne flute, a grimace flashed across his face, then disappeared.

“You shouldn’t believe everything you read online.”

“No?”

The server brought our meals, two perfectly cooked rib eye steaks atop a bed of asparagus and sautéed mushrooms. My heart sang for a moment and I thanked the server, who disappeared as quickly as he’d arrived, leaving us alone once more.

Famished from the intense day, I ate, enjoying each divine bite. “You aren’t interested in sharing your life story, I take it?”

He paused before answering, intently focused on his meal and avoiding eye contact. “You’ve read the cliff notes already. What more is there to tell?”

“How else will I know how to become insanely successful unless you tell me all your secrets?” I searched his eyes, wishing he would tell me more, something I couldn’t find online.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I developed banking software, sold it, and now I invest in other, mostly successful, ventures to kill time. Satisfied?”

“Not really,” I said truthfully.

“So how involved is Alli in your business?”

I wanted to know more about Blake’s infamous history, but I decided to circle back to it later since it seemed to be a touchy subject, and he hadn’t really started grinding my gears yet.