The elevator doors closed after Elijah pressed his thumb to a scanner. Naomi leaned against the back of the elevator, hating the nervousness that arose within her.
Javan was a killer. She shouldn’t be attracted to him. She certainly shouldn’t have been thinking about his kind offer. Or dreaming of him kissing her.
They both knew that if she wanted the photograph back, all she had to do was tell him she didn’t like it in his office.
And she was prepared to do just that.
She had wanted to get close to him, and when she angrily went to him demanding he return her piece, she hadn’t been thinking of her revenge. All she had been thinking about was a picture that was easily one of her best, and also her favorite. How could she have even thought to sell it?
Somehow, Naomi had known Javan would like it. Perhaps that’s why she included it.
It wasn’t until after he agreed to give it back that she realized how she had just hurt herself. She needed to get close, not push him away. Thankfully, he had given her a way to fix things.
“How are your feet?” Elijah asked.
Naomi looked down at the pair of black-heeled booties. “They hurt like hell.”
“I’m a sucker for a woman in heels.” He shot her a wink. “Remember that there are men you can bring to their knees, looking the way you do. That should help with the pain.”
“What kind of men? Men like your boss?”
Elijah’s black gaze narrowed a fraction. “It’s no secret he keeps to himself, and as you told him last night, you know he can be ruthless. He’s not unfair, however. If he wants something, he’ll stop at nothing to have it.”
“Including women?” Naomi hoped Elijah thought she referred to herself.
“I’ve not seen him look at a woman as he did you in a very long time. Give him a chance. You might find that your first impression of him from the media doesn’t compare to who he really is.”
The elevator doors opened then. Naomi expected grand opulence. What she found was an office with an amazing panorama of Sydney harbor. The office was huge with glass taking up an entire wall with the view.
She stepped out of the elevator and looked around at the office. It was decorated in shades of gray that she found soothing and comforting.
A large desk sat off to the left with bookshelves behind it holding pictures, statues, and books. On the opposite side was a black leather couch with a white and gray shag rug. Two black chairs and a coffee table made it feel more like a living room than an office area.
She turned back to the desk and walked toward it, wanting to see the people in the pictures. It was easy to pick out Javan, and with the other men looking similar to him, they had to be his brothers. There were several with Elijah as well.
Her head turned to the left and she froze. There was her picture. It hung over a long wooden table stained a rustic gray. She paid no attention to what was on the table. All she saw was her photo.
The light pouring in from the glass behind her showered the photograph in natural light that showcased all of the fractures of light she used when taking the picture of her sister.
“I think it looks rather perfect there.”
She shivered at the dark, sexy voice behind her. Javan Drohas. Naomi was almost afraid to turn and confront him. Almost.
Slowly, she turned. The sunlight was blinding as she faced the glass. He stood with his back to the sun, causing his face to be in shadow.
Was he smiling? Were his lips, soft and alluring, tilted up at the corners? He stood with his hands at his sides, easy and confident.
He walked toward her and the shadows fell away to reveal his navy suit and the cream dress shirt beneath. He didn’t wear a tie, but that seemed to only make him sexier. His chocolate gaze was focused on her intently—and curiously. As if he couldn’t figure her out. He was smiling, though it was a half-smile. It made her feel as if he knew a secret that she didn’t.
Naomi wanted to see him as a villain after discovering he was linked to her sister, but ever since last night, she couldn’t seem to do it.
“Naomi?”
There was a pucker of a frown on his forehead. She mentally shook herself and offered him a smile. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Oh, you are, and I thank you for that. There are only so many meetings a man can handle in one day.”
His laughter went all the way through her, centering at her sex and making it throb. Good God! What was wrong with her?
“I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind about me keeping the picture, have you?” he asked hopefully.
Naomi looked behind her. With her sister’s arms open wide, she seemed to be taunting Naomi that everything was right within reach.
“I see,” he said, disappointment filling his voice. “I’ll be happy to return the picture to you if you’ll tell me why you really wanted in the exhibit.”
Her head whipped around, her heart kicking up a notch. She wouldn’t retreat. Not yet. “I don’t know what you mean.”