Kira Samia gave Tesah Clover one last glare before she reluctantly stepped out of the elevator.
As she looked around, her thoughts were torn between comparing the place to a villain's lair or some kind of futuristic spy den.
Tesah noticed her amusement but responded only with a faint, mocking smile.
When she saw him stepping up to a sleek sensor beside the doorframe, her curiosity took over. A green light blinked on after a scan of his eye.
Then he placed his hand on a panel just below it, triggering another green light. Lastly, he entered a code on a keypad, shielding the numbers from view. A third green light flashed, followed by a musical beep, and the door clicked open.
He stepped aside and signaled for her to go in.
Kira walked past him, commenting to herself that the level of security seemed more than a little paranoid.
The inside was massive, luxurious, and clearly expensive. Huge glass panels stretched from floor to ceiling, offering stunning views of the mountains, the harbor, the yacht basin, and the wide-open ocean. There were polished gray-and-white marble floors, overly modern furniture that looked uncomfortable, and massive green plants that belonged more in a jungle than a living room.
With all that glass, the place felt like a mix between a greenhouse and a fish tank.
She stepped closer to the window, looking down at the people moving along the docks below. It occurred to her that Tesah probably didn't walk around in his home unclothed too often with such exposure. He replied, his voice deep and rough, saying that the windows were tinted.
The thought of doing anything inside without the outside world knowing sent an odd shiver down her spine.
She told herself that the way he said it felt more unsettling than flirtatious.
He mentioned how the view sometimes brought out hidden desires in people. She chose not to react and continued exploring the space.
She paused to inspect giant flower vases, the oversized TV, and a complicated-looking entertainment system.
Tesah said nothing.
He simply stood nearby and watched as she moved across the spacious room. Eventually, she stopped near a sliding glass door that led out to a wooden deck with a sleek rectangular infinity pool.
As she stepped outside, she felt the warmth of the sun filtering through the clouds after the rain.
The light touched her face, and she stood there silently, trying to steady her emotions for whatever was going to happen next.
Tesah's voice broke the quiet. He told her he was going to grill a couple of T-bone steaks. She was so deep in thought that the sound startled her.
She immediately snapped back into her usual guarded state and stepped under the shelter of the roof.
The shade was colder, and the chill helped keep her focused. When he asked how she liked her steak, she replied that she preferred it medium. She crossed her arms, trying to warm herself.
He invited her back inside. She followed, returning to the living room.
Tesah was in the kitchen, now looking a little less formal—his tie loosened, jacket gone, and sleeves rolled up. It was the most casual she had ever seen him.
His kitchen was modern, shiny with chrome and marble, but it felt just as cold and impersonal as the rest of the house.
Suddenly it clicked. That was what felt so wrong about this place—no one really lived here.
There were no signs of personal life. No family photos, no clothes tossed around, no work materials, not even a random book lying open. It was like a show home, not a real one.
Tesah offered to let her look upstairs. She turned to him, surprised. She hadn't even noticed there was another floor. He pointed to a staircase tucked discreetly in the far corner.
She wandered over and soon found herself gliding her hand along the polished banister, heading up. The upper level was just as grand, just as cold. She didn't like it. There were three large bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a king-sized bed, walk-in closet, and more giant windows. One room was a gym—filled with a treadmill, stationary bike, punching bags, and weights. Judging from Tesah's muscular build, she guessed he spent plenty of time in here.
Then there was his study—the smallest room in the house and the only one that had warmth. Rich oak furniture filled the space, and one wall was covered entirely in tall bookshelves.
This room had wooden floors, a fireplace, and thick, colorful rugs. A pair of comfy chairs and a loveseat sat near the fire. A large oak desk took up one corner, and it was here that she saw signs of real life: scattered papers, a laptop, what looked like the same iPad she had seen before… and a ficus plant sitting boldly on the desk. Kira winced at the sight of it and quickly looked away.
Several framed photographs on the shelves caught her attention. One picture showed a boy with dark hair, about nine or ten, hugging a scruffy dog. She could tell it was Tesah—his eyes were the same, and the facial features hinted at the man he had become. Another photo showed an older man who looked a lot like Tesah, standing beside a teenage version of him. The teenager's body was all angles and awkwardness, his shoulders hunched, but the fierce glare in his eyes was unmistakable. That glare was pure Tesah.
There was also a photo of Tesah and Lexington, both dressed in graduation robes, laughing and holding up their degrees. Kira remembered that Lexi had a similar photo in his own study. She had missed their graduation—too busy with something she had once thought was more important. She couldn't even remember what it was now.
The thought made her sigh as she turned away from the photo and continued exploring the room.
There were a few other photographs scattered around—a couple featuring the dog, some of the older man with different women, and one of a yacht—but none that included Tesah Clover himself. Altogether, there were fewer than ten pictures, and Kira Samia found that rather sad. Her grandparents may have been strict, even overbearing at times, but they'd cherished every moment of her upbringing. Report cards, photos, even baking competition flyers from her childhood had all been carefully preserved in scrapbooks. The love they'd had for her was evident in every keepsake.
Feeling like she was intruding on something private, Kira quietly stepped out of the study and returned to the living room. Tesah was still focused on whatever he was doing in the kitchen.
She leaned against the butcher block in the center of the kitchen and took in the inviting smell of the food he was preparing. He was chopping vegetables for a salad, and it looked like he knew what he was doing.
He admitted that he hoped it would taste as good as it smelled, though he seemed a little uneasy with the compliment. Kira was surprised to learn that he enjoyed cooking and even more surprised when he revealed that he had never really cooked for anyone before.
He rarely, if ever, brought women to his home.