Awfully presumptuous of him, but she refrained from commenting. She wanted to tour the entire place before deciding where she would sleep.
Between the master bedroom and a smaller bedroom suite, the fully furnished study didn’t appear to be much in use. There were some books on the shelves, but Kerri realized that most of them were about golf. “Do you like golf?”
“Lord, no. I tolerate it for business. The interior decorator knew Jacob liked the game, so she picked those books.”
“Good. I mean…it’s too bad she didn’t consider your preferences.” Secretly she was relieved the place really didn’t belong to Ethan and didn’t reflect his tastes. It seemed to make it more neutral.
“It didn’t matter that much. Jacob used the penthouse whenever he was in town to visit the family. TLD is headquartered in Houston, but none of the rest of the family live there.”
Ethan also showed her the kitchen and where he kept the basics, including a state-of-the-art coffeemaker that made everything from regular coffee to a killer latte.
“If you need anything, let me know.”
“Okay.” She gestured at the spare bedroom suite. “Do I take that one?”
“No. It’s for guests.”
“Guests?”
“Sometimes my family visits.”
Kerri paused. She hadn’t thought about his family. Or, for that matter, guests of any kind. “Do they visit often?”
“Not really.” He brushed a fingertip over her nose. “Don’t worry.”
But she did. Meeting members of his family seemed a bit too…permanent. People didn’t introduce temporary flings to their family.
“So I’m going to be sharing your bedroom,” Kerri said.
“No, we are going to be sharing a bedroom.”
“If you have guests so rarely, I don’t see why I shouldn’t use the empty room.”
“Kerri, what kind of fling would it be if we aren’t sleeping in the same bed?”
“The temporary kind.” She smiled the smile she always gave poorly performing analysts and associates who were about to be let go. “The contract doesn’t say I have to share a bedroom with you. Of course, you’re welcome to vacate the master bedroom suite for my use if you feel particularly gallant, but I’ll make do with the spare.”
He gave her a speculative look. She’d seen the same expression on her clients’ faces when they were presented with a challenging but lucrative deal.
“And don’t even think about sneaking into my room. I can do karate. Black belt. You never know what kind of damage I might inflict. Due to panic, of course.”
“Of course,” he said, entirely too agreeable. “Just out of curiosity, why did you take up karate?”
“Self-defense, why else? No guns allowed in Hong Kong.”
“Yes, but a woman who looks like you? Why dirty your own hands? Snap your fingers and get the men around you to defend your honor.”
“Thanks, but I grew up in an environment distinctly lacking in chivalry. I could’ve screamed like a banshee and no one would’ve bothered to glance my way.”
The sharpness in Ethan’s eyes softened just a tiny fraction.
Shit. She’d said too much. “So, my work?” She used her best no-nonsense tone that said the bedroom arrangements were resolved.
“Come on.” He led her back into the study and handed her a thick folder. “Here’s
all the information you’ll need to get started, including how to access the financial records and other data from TLD’s intranet.”
She scanned the first page, then looked up. “You aren’t worried that I might steal your secrets?”