Chapter 41 Right on time

Chapter 41 Right on time
Tom’s POV

The address Jane gave me wasn’t what I expected. I thought she’d booked a hotel room or something quiet and predictable. Instead, the security at the gate checked my name, nodded like they had been expecting me, and waved me through.
A second guard walked me across the courtyard and into a tall building that looked nothing like a hotel. The lobby alone was enough to make my eyebrows rise—bright floors, silent air conditioning, furniture that probably cost more than my rent. He led me to the elevator, then stepped back as the doors closed.
When it opened, two maids were waiting. Not confused, not surprised—waiting. One gestured for me to follow, so I did. The hallway smelled like fresh linen and whatever expensive candles rich people buy to smell like they aren’t even trying.
By the time we reached the apartment, I was sure this wasn’t rented. This was owned.
The maid opened the door, stepped aside, and guided me into a living room that looked like a small penthouse. Wide windows. Clean lines. Everything in calm, expensive colors.
And all I could think was—
Why the hell is Jane working under Dante when she could afford a place like this?
The maid stopped walking and gave a small bow before she slipped out of the room, leaving me alone in the quiet space.
That’s when I saw her.
Jane stood with her back to me, phone to her ear, her voice low. She wasn’t pacing or fidgeting. She always knew how to take up space without trying. Her hair curled over one shoulder, the light catching the sharp angle of her jaw.
I cleared my throat to announce myself.
She paused mid-sentence. Turned.
Her eyes landed on me first. Then the smile came, slow and deliberate, like she had been waiting for this exact moment. She ended the call without saying goodbye and set her phone down.
“Tom,” she said, her voice warm in a way that had nothing to do with work. “Right on time.”
I chuckled as I walked closer.
“Right on time for what exactly?”
She didn’t answer right away. She stepped into my space, slid a hand behind my neck, and pressed a slow kiss to my cheek. When she leaned back, her eyes held mine, then drifted to my mouth. That was all the invitation I needed. I closed the distance and kissed her.
It deepened fast. She tasted warm and sweet, and she leaned into me with a focus that made the room feel distant. Her fingers curled in my shirt. My hands settled on her waist. For a moment it felt like nothing else existed.
Then I pulled back, breathing a little harder than I wanted her to hear.
“Shouldn’t we take this to the room?” I looked past her at the quiet maids moving in and out. I had expected a hotel. A private hookup. Not an apartment with staff everywhere.
She smiled like she already knew the thought running through my head.
“Not yet.”
“Not yet,” I repeated. “Are we waiting for something?”
“My dinner is ready,” she said. “You can join me. Unless you have somewhere to be.”
I hesitated. I did have somewhere to be. I needed to buy a new phone for Trisha and get her food. But I figured she must have fallen asleep by now. She had been drunk before I left.
“No,” I said. “I don’t have anywhere to be.”
Jane’s smile sharpened a little when I told her I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Good,” she said.
She turned and walked ahead, and I followed her through the wide hallway toward the dining area. The place didn’t look like an apartment anymore. It felt closer to a private penthouse. High ceilings. Soft lights. A table already set with silverware I was sure cost more than my rent.
Two maids were finishing up at the table. They stepped back as we approached.
“Sit,” Jane said, taking the chair at the head of the table. I sat beside her instead of across. I didn’t want distance, and I wanted her to notice that.
She did. Her eyes flicked to me, amused.
The maids served us quietly. Some kind of steak, mashed potatoes, vegetables arranged too neatly. I wasn’t used to food being placed in front of me like that. I waited for her to pick up her fork first before I touched mine.
“I didn’t know you lived like this,” I said.
She tilted her head. “Like what?”
“With staff. A place this big. It looks like something out of a magazine.”
“I like comfort,” she said. “And privacy. People assume I work under Dante because I need to. I do not.”
“So why do you?”
Her smile stayed calm, but there was something sharper under it.
“I like being close to him. It keeps things interesting.”
I didn’t know what to do with that answer, so I just nodded and cut into my steak.
She watched me take a bite.
“Good?”
“Yeah. Really good.”
She ate slowly, like she had all the time in the world and no one waiting on her. I tried not to think about Trisha. Or the phone I was supposed to buy. Or the food I promised her.
Jane wiped her mouth gently with her napkin and leaned back in her seat.
“You look distracted,” she said.
I met her eyes. “I’m not.”
She reached over and rested her fingers on my knee. Light touch. Warm. Direct.
“Good. I want your attention on me tonight.”
The pressure of her hand traveled straight up my body.
“You have it,” I said.
She smiled in a way that made my chest feel tight.
“Finish eating,” she said. “Then I’ll show you the room.”
I swallowed hard, not sure if it was the food or the promise in her voice.
I didn’t have much of an appetite, so I barely touched my food. Jane, on the other hand, finished everything on her plate like it hadn’t even been a meal—like it was just an appetizer before the main event.
When she was done, she held my hand. Her grip was firm, confident, and impossibly warm. She started leading me toward her room.
I exhaled, a mix of relief and anticipation. Finally, we were getting straight to the point—finally, I was about to do what I had come here for. My chest tightened with excitement, a pulse that had been lingering since I stepped into the apartment now thumping stronger.
As I followed her down the hallway, that initial discomfort melted into a sharp, thrilling anticipation. Every step closer to her room made my heart race faster. I felt it again—the same excitement that had gripped me back at the office.
She stopped at the door to her room and I couldn’t help but let a small, almost uncontrollable grin creep onto my face as she opened the door.