Bent and Sarah took the elevator back up. But instead of getting out at the living room floor, Bent indicated Sarah exit with him on a different floor. The four dogs had already left earlier with Jay and Erna to get their daily baths. “The tour continues?” Sarah asked. She was still skipping. And so was her heart. But Bent had grown eerily quiet. He only talked now and then, much to Sarah’s surprise. And dismay. Bent touched a door down a very long hallway. The door automatically opened. “Guest room,” he murmured. Sarah poked her head in. The room was very grand. It had a mahogany four poster bed to one side. An extremely lavish green velvet quilt was thrown over the top of it. A beautiful antique Persian carpet covered the ground. There was a large tall-standing dresser on the other wall, and beside it were two very stiff, very business-like leather armchairs. A massive fireplace filled the other wall. Long velvet drapes framed a gorgeous ocean view that led out to a large balcony. “This is a guest room?” Sarah whispered to herself. Bent made his way farther down the hall. He touched several more doors. They opened automatically, too. All the rooms looked identical, except for different colored bedspreads and drapes. “How many rooms are there?” Sarah asked. Bent shrugged. “Actually, I don’t really know.”Sarah burst out laughing. But Bent barely smiled. What’s gotten into him? she thought, worriedly. “So um…” Sarah really didn’t want to force conversation. But she hated to walk in awkward silence. “If you have all of these extra rooms, why did you put me in that incredibly lavish, GOLD room?” She couldn’t help herself. The room she had stayed in after the bonfire pretty much put these other rooms to absolute shame. Not that these rooms weren’t already fit for the world’s elite. Bent shrugged again. “I put you in my room.” Sarah froze. Okay. WHAT??????Bent continued. “And sorry. Didn’t have time to change the sheets. I only slept in that bed a few times before you did. Warmed it up for you.” He winked.Sarah blushed. That was his room? She slept in his bed? Where he had slept? She sucked in a breath inadvertently. Whoa. It was actually kind of hot. She followed him silently down the hallway. It expanded to allow room for the mega-gigantic spiral staircase. Sarah let her eyes spin down the staircase’s elegant frame to the foyer that was several floors below. She noticed a long fire pole beside the stairs. Craning her neck upwards, she saw it extending from the highest floor to the foyer. Bent suddenly grabbed Sarah around the middle. She gave a cry of surprise as he cemented her flat to his body. Not missing a beat, he flipped her sideways so that he could carry her in his arms. Hugging her firmly against his chest, he leaped onto the fire pole and dropped down. “COWABUNGA!” Bent yelled. Sarah screamed. They were in a free fall. Bent wasn’t even holding onto the pole. His hands only held her. She was weightless and terrified. The stairs had become a blur beside them as they sped by. Down, down. Faster and faster they sped. Bent’s hand barely grazed the pole. He kept her waist firmly gripped in one hand. She could practically feel every single inch of Bent’s warm, solid body against hers. Not to mention her face was smashed up against his left cheek. Every breath she took, she inhaled his strong, musky cinnamon and clove scent, subtly mixed with traces of his recent plunge into the saltwater pool. That alone had caused her brain to go numb. Her screams were drowned out by the roar of rushing wind as they fell. At the last moment, Bent flipped them both off the fire pole, and landed on his feet with her quivering in his arms. “Fun, right?” he said, cracking up.Sarah couldn’t speak. Her throat was hoarse from screaming.”Can you stand?” he asked. His lips twitched in a smile. He ran his hand through her hair as he cradled her.”Um…yeah…I think so,” Sarah choked out, her legs still shaking.He dropped her onto the soft carpet, grinning at her.She was too stunned to stand and teetered nervously. She clutched his sleeve with one hand, struggling to stay on her feet. Sarah saw they were still a floor above the foyer. She glanced at him curiously. “Tour’s not over yet!” he snickered. “Hope you enjoyed the ride here!” He gave her a mischievous look, letting his eyes casually glide up and down her body.Sarah ducked her chin, embarrassed. But she was relieved to see his good side had returned. Bent slapped his hands and rubbed them together. He approached a set of double doors. As if on a sensor, the doors slid open.