“Which is what?”
“Pleasure without apology.”
Amery found herself leaning into him again. “Are you taking me to bed, Ronin?”
“Soon, but not tonight.”
She knew he sensed her disappointment.
“While I want you twined around me in every possible config- uration, there’s no rush.” Ronin kissed her temple, then her forehead, and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. His hands fell away. “I promised you a drink.”
“You said you had a surprise for me.”
“I do. Let’s figure out what we’re drinking first.” Ronin threaded their fingers together and led her to the bar in the corner of the dining room.
She loved the mix of old and new in this cozy corner bar. It had such personality she didn’t know how she’d missed it the night he’d given her the penthouse tour. Exposed red clay brick walls, bright blue neon lighting beneath the teak bar top. Track lighting hanging from the rafters highlighted the glass shelves holding the liquor bottles on the bar-back and cast muted light over the entire area. She slid onto a sleek leather and chrome barstool.
“What’ll it be?”
Her eyes scanned the liquor bottles. “Do you have every kind of booze there is?”
“I like a variety.”
“What do you usually drink?”
“Depends on my mood. I’m leaning toward a gin and tonic.”
“I’ll have the same.”
Ronin smiled. “Coming right up.”
Amery bit back a girlie sigh at seeing his rare smile. With her, away from the dojo, he seemed to have a softer side. Ronin in action as eighth-degree black belt and hard-ass owner of Black Arts had a cool veneer as well as an aura of power. Everything about him screamed discipline.
With that cool veneer stripped away, the man oozed sex. From his unruly black hair, to his liquid brown eyes that changed from ice to fire in one quick blink, to the fullness of his sensual mouth. And don’t get her started on the strength in his body. The measured way he walked—a combination of purpose and grace. The deliberateness as his hands performed a task even as simple as making a drink—no wasted movement. The man was an erotic enigma.
So . . . why was he interested in her?
She’d been so lost in thoughts of him she jumped when he slid a drink across the bar.
“See if that tastes okay.”
Amery sucked in a mouthful and swallowed. Crisp, tangy, limey. She smacked her lips. “It’s perfect. Is there anything you don’t do well?”
Ronin thought about it a bit before he shook his head. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
“You’re intimidating as hell, Ronin Black.”
He offered a slight bow. “Thank you.”
Yeah, she was in way over her head with this man.
“Come on.”
Amery followed him inside the elevator.
He opened a small panel above the main controls and punched in a code.
The elevator moved up.
Wait. Up? Weren’t they on the top floor?
Before Amery could ask what was going on, the doors opened and a breeze blew in.
Ronin took her hand.
They stepped out of a small alcove onto the roof. As soon as they turned the corner, she gasped.
Ronin said, “Surprise.”
This wasn’t an ordinary roof in the city with vents sticking up and razor wire strung across the roof supports. This was an urban oasis with a view of the Rocky Mountains, the Denver skyline, and the Platte River Valley. And with the added height of brick walls around the entire perimeter, none of it was visible from street level. She said, “Heckuva surprise, Ronin,” and set her drink on the closest table.
The forward space had been transformed into a Japanese garden, complete with full-sized junipers shaped into bonsai trees and a rock garden with a trickling waterfall. Pots of blooming flowers were scattered everywhere. Long strips of green grass were interspersed with raised beds filled with sand and stones.
Amery looked to the right to where an eight-foot wall bisected the space. The pattern in the brick was eye-catching, as was the curved door in the center, crafted out of ornate metal. She glanced at Ronin over her shoulder. “What’s through there?”
“Take a peek.”
She crossed the decking, giving the thickly padded cushions on the chaise lounges a longing look. Somehow she tore her gaze from the relaxing garden and paused in front of the doorway.
That’s when she caught a whiff of chlorine. “No way.” She pushed through the gate and found herself in front of a big swimming pool with underwater lighting. This side had the same concealing brick walls. Tables and chairs lined the outside of the pool with seating for at least a dozen people. Torches were jammed in planters at various intervals. She squinted at the far back corner and noticed a structure with a grass-thatched roof. Tiki bar?
Amery closed her eyes and listened. She could barely hear the city noise up here. She felt him move in behind her, and her pulse quickened.
He didn’t touch her even when he spoke directly into her ear. “You’re quiet.”
“Stunned into silence. This whole rooftop thing you’ve got going on is beyond fabulous. I feel like I stumbled onto an episode of Cribs.”
“I’ll admit I indulged myself. Urban living has rewards, but I need that daily communal with nature in my life, so making the rooftop into usable outdoor space was the logical choice. Maybe not the cheapest or the most practical solution, but this garden is my haven.”
“How many people know about this place?”
“Not many. I guard my private space militantly. This is the tallest structure for several blocks. The only people who can see it are flying in the air above us. And even if they pinpoint the location, if they were standing on the street level they’d never find it.”
She tipped her head back, intending to look at the night sky, but Ronin was right there, gazing into her eyes, his face completely unreadable.
“Thank you for sharing this with me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Ronin pressed his lips to the pulse point at the base of her throat.
Amery wanted to curl herself into him. Beg him to strip her and take her right here on the sun-warmed cement. But the nice-girls-don’t-do-that voice popped up in her head and took control of her mouth, keeping it firmly closed.
“Would you prefer to sit on the garden side or the pool side?”