by Layla Hagen
“Wow, this room is even bigger than I remember,” Josie said in wonder.
“I sleep on the left side of the bed... not sure if you’ll ever need that detail, but there it is. So the right side would be yours.”
She met my gaze, then quickly looked away. Damn, she was blushing, and she looked gorgeous. This was intimate information, and as a friend, she wouldn’t know.
“You only sleep on one side? That’s a waste of a big bed.” Tilting her head, she gave me a sly smile. “Besides, I sleep on the left side too, even though I kind of roll around everywhere. So you’d have to switch to the right.”
“Or... I could convince you to switch sides.”
She waved her hand. “No chance.”
“I can be very convincing.”
“So you keep saying.”
“You want proof?”
I knew I shouldn’t go any nearer, and still I did. I stepped so close that I could smell the faint strawberry scent of her shower gel. Her breath caught. She licked her lower lip, then laughed nervously, turning to peek inside the bathroom.
I couldn’t wait to see her reaction. She’d showered in the guest bathroom today.
“Wow. Wow. You have a Jacuzzi. This wasn’t here before.”
“Leonie had it installed.”
“I think I’m in love with her. I call dibs on it on Friday evening.”
I laughed. “Whaaaat?”
“You heard me.”
“We’ll negotiate.”
She spun around, zeroing in on me. “Negotiate what? I want one evening, you have six others to choose from.”
I tilted my head, feeling the overwhelming urge to make her blush again.
“Maybe I only want to be in it when you are.”
For a few seconds, she didn’t say anything. She was so close that I had to clasp my hands behind my back to resist the urge to touch her.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Friday’s mine. I don’t want you cramping my style, Hunter.”
“I’m not making any promises.”
She let out a shaky breath, averting her gaze.
Did I know what I was doing? Not a fucking clue, but I didn’t seem to know how to stop either.
“Leonie put all your clothes in my dressing room. Let’s just take everything to the guest room,” I suggested.
She looked at me in surprise. “Hunter, it would look suspicious if my stuff was there.”
“You think anyone’s going to check the bedrooms?”
“You never know when Tess or Skye will say they want to borrow something. Or what about the cleaning lady? What if someone from the immigration services questions her? We can’t ask her to lie. It wouldn’t be fair, and we’re not even sure she’d do it. It’s too risky.”
“Wait, so what are you suggesting?”
“I think I have to keep all my stuff in your bedroom and bathroom. I’ll just sleep in the guest room but do everything else in yours. I can’t use the guest bathroom, like I did today. It would be a dead giveaway if all my cosmetics were there.”
I wasn’t used to sharing my personal space. As stupid as it sounded, this hadn’t occurred to me. And I couldn’t process the implications beyond the fact that Josie would be in my bedroom every day. In my bathroom. She’d shower there.
Fuck. Me.
“Okay,” I said calmly. “Okay. So, then... let’s start with the bathroom. Leonie just put everything in a corner, but I want to rearrange a few things.”
“What’s your morning routine?” she asked while we were making space for her stuff in the bathroom. It was easy. Besides cologne, aftershave, shaving cream, shower gel, and shampoo, I didn’t have anything else.
Josie filled the space with a dozen bottles and jars.
“I get up, take a shower, shave, put on a suit, drink coffee, and eat whatever’s in my fridge. You?”
She laughed. “Wow. Mine’s a bit more elaborate. I get up at five, do thirty minutes of yoga, then eat yogurt with granola before hopping into the shower. I need about an hour in the bathroom, all in all.”
I blinked. “An hour? What can you possibly do that takes one hour?”
She tilted her head playfully. “Have you ever lived with a woman before? Oh wait, I already know you haven’t. Shaving takes some time, and then smearing on the body cream, massaging my skin until it sinks in.”
Fuck, no. I didn’t want those images about my best friend in my head.
“And my hair needs a wet conditioner, a hair mask, and a mousse once I’ve towel dried it. Then I blow dry it.”
“You do this every morning?”
That was just not possible.
She grinned. “You thought I rolled out of bed looking the way I usually do?”
“I’ve known you since you were fifteen. I always thought you were beautiful.”
She gave me a shy smile. “Looking all lawyer-y takes a considerable amount of effort. It’s exhausting, to tell you the truth.”
I leaned in, grinning. “I can help you apply that cream. If it helps ease the load.”
Even I knew I’d pushed things too far. She frowned, as if she was wondering if the flirty comments were a joke. I could also tell the exact moment she realized they weren’t, because her breath caught. When she glanced down at my lips, I nearly leaned in to kiss her.
She swallowed, shook her head.
“Aren’t you a charmer? Keep all that testosterone bottled up for the next three years. You’ll need it afterward to get back in the game.”
Afterward? That seemed so far away, so unimportant right now.
“Let’s set some ground rules for our morning routine,” Josie continued. “I should probably start showering first, since I need longer, but that means I’ll wake you up.”
“I sleep like the dead in the morning. Trust me, I sometimes miss all three alarms.”
“Good. One advantage of having me as a roommate: I’ll make sure you wake up.”
“Okay. That’s settled. Just take care when you come into the bedroom.”
“Why?”
“I sleep naked.”
“Are you serious?”
“No. But it was worth it just to see you blush.”
“I’m not blushing.”
“I think you are. And you know what else I think?” I was so close to kissing her. So damn close. “I think you were just hoping to see me naked every morning.”
Chapter Eleven
Josie
The following week was a doozy. Since Amelia and Tess had taken it upon themselves to organize the wedding, Hunter and I only had to decide between the various options they laid out for us. I loved every moment of it: choosing the flowers, the theme, the band, making seating arrangements, you name it.
Living with Hunter was... hard. I tried to pretend we were simply roommates, but there was no getting past the intimacy of it all.
I felt self-conscious about hopping in his shower every morning. I kept my ears perked to pick up any sound—what if in a sleepy haze he came inside without knocking?
Some things could not be undone or unseen. But he’d been right—he did sleep like a rock in the morning. Even so, I’d taken to tiptoeing with the blow dryer to the living room and closing all doors.
On Wednesday, he caught up with me in the kitchen while I ate my yogurt. He was already dressed to the nines. I typically only dressed after finishing breakfast, to avoid the risk of dropping yogurt on my suits.
“I have a proposition for you,” Hunter said, grabbing coffee.
“Shoot.”
“You take the master bedroom. I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
“Why?”
“It makes more sense. I only need fifteen minutes in the morning. I can just come in after you’re done.”
Well, hell. I’d have that enormous room all to myself?
“What’s that?” he asked.
I caught myself smiling from ear to ear. “I might be imagining myself in that king-sized bed of yours.”
&nbs
p; “So, we have a deal?”
“Yes. Can I buy a vanity table? So I don’t have to do my makeup in the bathroom? There’s no natural light.”
“Sure.” He blinked. “I know you wanted Leonie to take care of everything, but... obviously if you want to redecorate any part of the house, you’re welcome to do it. I want you to feel at home.”
The dangerous part? I was already feeling as if I was at home. And yet, I couldn’t help hanging on to that feeling of wanting more.
“I don’t want to redecorate per se, but I was thinking that I can make a reading nook under the window next to the fireplace. There is enough space for a window seat and a shelf.”
“You gave this a lot of thought already.”
I blushed. “I’ve just looked around on Pinterest. I’m not very design savvy.”
“I’ll ask an interior designer to come help us.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Oh, and those two weeks I told you to take off? We’re going on a honeymoon.”
“Wow. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“You would have said two weeks is too long.”
“It is.”
“It’s just enough to relax.”
“You’ve already arranged it? What if I I’m changing my mind about taking time off?”
He tilted his head playfully, placing one hand on the counter, right next to my hip. “I’d change your mind right back.”
I exhaled sharply. “Where are we going?”
He dug a hand in the inside breast pocket of his jacket, taking out a folded sheet of paper and handing it to me. I set my bowl on the counter and carefully unfolded the paper.
He’d printed out the flight itinerary. We were flying via Dubai to... I scanned the rest of the page, zeroing in on the destination. We were flying to the Maldives.
I blinked repeatedly. My eyes were burning as I looked back up at him.
“Shit, you’re crying. Did I do something wrong? You’ve been wanting to go there since high school.”
I chuckled through the tears. By way of answering, I wrapped my arms around his neck, rising on my tiptoes and burying my face in the crook of his neck. I warmed all over when he brought his arms around my waist.
“When have you gotten so good at surprises? Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I had always wanted to go, but one thing or the other had always gotten in the way. Law school, then getting a job, then working long hours to make senior, now working toward becoming a partner, always worrying that it would count against me if I took so much time off, always wondering if I wasn’t better off saving more instead of spending money on extravagant vacations.
“Why didn’t you tell me until now, though?” I asked, pulling back.
“You would’ve tried to convince me to go somewhere nearer, cheaper.”
I grinned. I definitely would have.
“How much—” I began, but Hunter shook his head.
“Everything’s already taken care of, and you’re not allowed to give me shit about it.”
“Not allowed? We’ll see about that.”
On Friday, I went to work with one thought in mind: that Jacuzzi was going to be all mine this afternoon. All mine.
My family was arriving tomorrow morning. They were supposed to arrive yesterday, but their flight got canceled because of a technical problem. They’d been rebooked for tomorrow.
I’d planned to take Mom, my sister, and my brother’s girlfriend to a spa this afternoon, but that had fallen through.
I wanted to do something nice for them, and tomorrow we’d all go, but it wasn’t the same thing. I’d wanted to spend some quality time with them today—my last full day as a single woman.
I got strange looks from my coworkers, but I didn’t put two and two together until someone straight up asked, “We weren’t expecting you here the day before your wedding. Brides usually take the day off.”
“Oh.” Shit. Shit. Shit. That hadn’t even occurred to me. I tried to sound casual. “Everything is already taken care of. I just wanted to finalize a few things. Besides, my fiancé is taking me to the Maldives for two weeks. Need to sort out a few things.”
There, that sounded like a solid reason. Katherine didn’t look like she was buying it. Cold sweat broke out on my neck as I wondered if the immigration services would question my work colleagues. I hoped not, because this would be a red flag. Besides, if my boss found out I was being investigated by the USCIS, I could kiss that promotion goodbye.
“And I’m only here for a few hours anyway,” I added.
Katherine smiled at last. “Excited about the honeymoon?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Ironically, I didn’t get much done, because I was too busy obsessing over whether my colleagues were suspicious or not. I ended up leaving right before lunch.
I began unbuttoning my shirt as I stepped into the house. That Jacuzzi would be so welcome right now. I had two hours before I went to get my pedicure. I didn’t have time for it tomorrow, when I also had a manicure, hair, and makeup scheduled.
When the tub was full, I slid in the hot water with a sigh. I propped my head on the edge of the bathtub, plugging in wireless earphones. My phone was safely on the cabinet next to the towel rack.
I hummed the lyrics, closing my eyes as the Jacuzzi’s jets of water massaged my tense body. This was the best relaxation money could buy. When I moved back into a place of my own, I’d definitely get my own Jacuzzi.
I shuddered thinking how much it would cost to have one installed, but honestly, I could invest in myself.
I couldn’t wait to see my family tomorrow. I saw them so rarely. We were all spread out, and seeing everyone at the same time was a perk.
As a little girl, I’d dreamed Dad would walk me to the altar, that Mom would fuss over my dress and makeup... I wondered what they would think if they knew tomorrow was just a sham.
I was helping out my best friend. Surely they wouldn’t be disappointed. Yet I was lying to them. There was no other way to phrase it. Could I tell them the truth? At least tell Mom and Dad? The chances of any immigration officer interrogating them was slim. Still, they’d have to keep it a secret too, and that increased the risk. What if they slipped and told someone?
No, I couldn’t tell them, as much as I wanted to.
I focused on the music and my breathing, clearing my mind, as I did during my daily yoga sessions. Yoga had been one of the things that had kept me from going crazy since starting law school. Before that, I’d laughed it off, thinking it was just a fad.
I was so relaxed, I almost dozed off. I had no idea how much time had passed before I heard a faint groan over the music in my headphones. I blinked my eyes open and froze.
Hunter was standing in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his lower body. My breath caught as I willed myself not to look below his face, but that wasn’t helping much.
His eyes were wide and full of lust. His hands were clenching either side of the doorframe so hard, I was surprised the wood didn’t splinter. I took my earbuds out, dropping them on the floor, then rose to my feet before realizing that made matters worse, because now Hunter had a full-frontal view.
And then I couldn’t help myself, I looked down, and even through the towel, it was obvious he was hard. I’d never gotten aroused so fast in my life. It was all I could do not to clench my thighs. I didn’t hear what he grumbled under his breath as he grabbed a towel, handing it to me. Our fingers touched briefly, and energy zapped through me. And when his gaze perused me unabashedly, resting on my breasts before moving downward, I felt on fire, as if he was trailing his mouth across my skin.
He snapped his gaze away as I wrapped the towel around me, then turned his back completely, as if he didn’t trust himself not to look if he was facing me. I shared his conundrum.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” I hurried to explain. “I was listening to music.”
“I didn’t know you were home,” he said.
<
br /> “Left the office early. Everyone was wondering why I didn’t take the day off.”
“Shit. I didn’t think about that.”
“Neither did I, but I told them I just wanted to wrap up a few things before the honeymoon. You can turn around now. Towel’s on. All safe.”
Hunter stayed put for a few seconds, and when he turned, my knees nearly buckled from the sheer intensity in his eyes.
I knew right then and there that we’d crossed yet another boundary. I lifted one foot, intending to swing my leg over the edge of the tub, but lost my balance.
Hunter caught my wrist. Shit, could he tell my pulse was out of control? I avoided looking at him as I stepped out. I wasn’t sure what to say, how to manage this tension.
As gracefully as possible, I grabbed my phone and skidded past him, going straight inside my room. Except, it wasn’t my space, was it? He’d have to walk through it when he came out.
Glancing at the clock, I realized it was already time to leave for the spa. I dressed quickly, then simply shouted, “I’m leaving for my pedicure appointment” while he was still in the bathroom.
Chapter Twelve
Josie
While at the spa, I tried to occupy my brain with an upcoming case. It didn’t really work. My thoughts kept drifting to Hunter. We’d been living together barely a week, and everything was already awkward. I could feel our friendship changing, metamorphosing into something I couldn’t define. I could only see this tension escalating.
We were adults, we both had needs, and a three-year dry spell wasn’t exactly plausible, was it? And still, I didn’t want to go back on that. We could be careful, of course. We wouldn’t have to be seen in public at all with other people and the immigration services would be none the wiser. But the truth was, I couldn’t bear the thought of smelling another woman’s perfume on Hunter. Of hearing him come home in the morning and knowing he’d been with someone else. This already felt more real than it was supposed to.
I felt more confused when I arrived home than when I’d left. I lingered a little outside, not quite ready to go in. This place was just beautiful, with the mix of colors and explosion of smells: a gardening company had brought pots with anemones and freesias, laying them on the steps in front of the house. In the hot summer night, the smell felt more intense, somehow, perhaps because of the humidity.
