by Nicole Hall
Wetness soaked into her bra, and Keely scowled at the box. She set it on the tiled floor and traced the delicate swirls of grey in the white countertop. Not laminate. Cold stone, probably marble. Grey and white décor with navy blue accents pulled the room together. The effect looked neutral and beautiful, and Keely’s reflection stared back at her with wide eyes and a mystery stain on her shirt.
Keely lifted the material over her chest and sniffed it. Coffee, maybe? The stain appeared darkish and felt like a liquid, which didn’t narrow it down all that much. Dru had helped her pack a few of the boxes after she’d gotten back from dinner, and Keely dimly remembered a comment about coffee.
None of the boxes had contained clothes yet, but the liquid grossed her out where it touched her skin. Keely glanced at the closed door to her room. Seth wasn’t back yet, but his whereabouts shouldn’t matter anyway. She shrugged and pulled the top and bra over her head, tossing them over the edge of the tub.
If Seth wandered in without knocking, he’d get a show and a tongue-lashing. Her inner hussy insisted there were better things to do to Seth with her tongue, and Keely couldn’t help but agree.
Box number three held a collection of pajamas and two sport bras. Keely pulled a lime green number over her head and sat down on the queen-size bed. The room looked as if Dru had come through in a rush. Clothes and books were scattered everywhere, and Keely had barely made a dent in the pile.
She sighed and bounced a little on the bed. The expanse of blankets and pillows had become one of her favorite new things, though the tub moved it down the list a little. Her surreal living arrangement made her silently freak out and second-guess every decision she’d made. The entire situation was insane. She was living like a princess with a guy she barely knew, who two days ago had been a llama. An invisible llama.
Her head ached with the effort of trying to apply order to the chaos of her life. Keely closed her eyes and flopped back against pillows that matched the bathroom. Or maybe the bathroom matched the bed. Had Seth picked it out himself or was he the delegating sort? Did he have a designer?
Keely shook her head. Insane. Utterly insane.
Cool air touched her bare skin, and exhaustion weighed heavily on her. All she wanted to do at the moment was sleep. The hamster wheel masquerading as her brain needed a rest. It couldn’t be much past lunchtime, but who cared? Seth was gone, and she had nowhere to be. A mid-afternoon nap sounded lovely. At the very least, she’d be able to stop thinking for a while.
Keely wiggled around until she’d pulled the sheets and comforter over her shorts and sport bra. For the first time since meeting with her former boss yesterday, her body fully relaxed. The squishy bed and the blessed silence of the room enveloped her.
Nothing could make the moment better except maybe Seth lying next to her.
Her shoulders tensed at the thought, but who was she kidding? Seth was hot, and she really wanted to see him naked. Not only her, either. Dru wanted to see him naked too. Keely used that excuse to assure herself the urge was totally normal and not at all lecherous.
Behind her closed lids, an image of Seth whisking Dru into his arms made her frown. They looked good together, and the pit of Keely’s stomach churned. Not okay, brain. What was wrong with her? Couldn’t she even fantasize correctly? Keely should have been the one in Seth’s embrace.
She banished the image, and her shoulders relaxed as her breathing evened out.
Keely sat up in bed with a gasp. Something had woken her up mid-dream. She’d been running from tiny llamas with golden eyes, and the unfamiliar surroundings didn’t help alleviate the tension.
She blinked a few times, and the room came into focus. Her new room. In Seth’s apartment. Right, she’d done something impulsive and crazy. At least her regular nightmare had changed it up for something new. Her eyes were gritty, and her whole body yearned to lie back down. Instead, she yawned and threw her legs over the side of the bed.
Keely heard a shuffling noise in the hall and squinted at the bedroom door. It had to be Seth, and she fleetingly remembered her earlier question of whether he’d knock or barge right in. A second later, she cocked her head at the quiet knock. Not what she’d expected.
Groggy and desperately wishing for some form of caffeine, Keely shuffled to the door. She tugged it open and leaned her shoulder against the frame.
“Yes?”
Seth’s eyebrows flew up over wide golden eyes. “I see you’ve made yourself at home.”
Keely glanced down at herself, bright green bra and shorts, the outfit of champions. Well, champion nappers, at least. “Yeah, I made a mess and then I took a nap. I may be in shock from all my bad decisions lately. Shock-y people sleep a lot, right?” She raised her eyes, and Seth’s gaze flew back up to her face.
He grinned, not at all sorry. “I think the outfit was a great decision.”
“You would,” she muttered.
“It’s almost dinner time, do you want to grab something to eat?”
Keely’s stomach rumbled at the thought of food, but the fatigue won. “Thanks, but I think I might sleep for a while longer.” She ran her hand through her hair, pulling it off her face, and Seth followed the movement with sharp eyes. “Can we start the whole fake relationship thing tomorrow?”
“Sure.” His gruff voice danced across her nerve endings, and Keely’s body responded as if he’d run a hand across her skin. Goosebumps popped out, and she considered her earlier wish that Seth join her in bed. The idea had more merit now that her common sense had abdicated in favor of baser desires. Sleep, food, sex. Those were the big three, weren’t they?
Her tired brain insisted that Seth could provide all three in short order.
Fire ignited in his eyes and his grin turned wicked. He seemed to be having a similar train of thought, or he’d noticed her hard nipples.
Before he could say something persuasive, Keely held up a finger. “You’re not allowed to be sexy while I’m half-awake. I can’t take responsibility for my actions.”
“You’re putting a lot of trust in my willpower right about now.”
Keely shrugged one shoulder. “You promised not to hurt me.”
Seth sobered, and a part of Keely was sad to see that teasing smile go. “I did, and I meant it.” He took a step away from the door. “Get some sleep. There’s plenty of food in the kitchen if you get hungry in the middle of the night. We’ll talk in the morning.”
Seth didn’t wait for a response, just turned and went back the way he’d come. Keely watched him for a second, thankful for men with broad shoulders and strong willpower. She clicked her door closed, then leaned her forehead against it. Less than a day and she was already on the verge of propositioning him. Mornings were going to be dangerous.
Keely peered at her watch until it came into focus. Five-thirty. The sun would be up for hours yet, but her body had hit its limit. Sleep was sleep. She took a quick detour to the bathroom, then crawled into bed again.
Compared to the twin leaning against the closet doors, this bed was massive, but she’d bet Seth’s dwarfed it. He’d want space for his long legs and truly impressive shoulder to waist ratio. This time when she closed her eyes, dream Seth focused entirely on her.
Keely woke up to bright light streaming through her windows. Plural. She rubbed her eyes and blinked. Right. New room. New windows. One of these times, she hoped to wake up without the jolt of panic at a strange room.
Unlike the day before, the prospect of unpacking her stuff filled her with excitement. Keely stretched and smiled at the ceiling. This huge, gorgeous space belonged to her, and she didn’t have to share the bathroom. As long as she kept herself from screwing it all up. No problem.
The scent of bacon wafted to her, and she prayed there was coffee to go with it. Keely threw the covers off and stood. She wore the sport bra and shorts from yesterday, and a quick sniff test confirmed that the stale sweat smell came from her.
Bacon or a shower? Keely groaned and headed for the
bathroom. Hopefully, Seth would save her some bacon.
A hot shower went a long way toward waking her up, and this time, Keely was able to find the rest of her clothes in the first two boxes she opened. She upended both of them on the bed and started sorting. The next time she moved, she’d be sure to actually label all the damn boxes.
What did one wear to practice being a fake mate? Keely eyed the clothes spread on the unmade bed. Yoga pants and a tank top, obviously. The outfit was a classic for a reason.
Clean, clothed, and comfortable, Keely took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway, looking around at her new place for the first time.
The short hallway led to a living space that quietly whispered money. Shiny, dark hardwood floors, muted grey walls, and some kind of architectural molding that Samantha would lose her mind over. Keely wasn’t overly impressed.
She stepped closer to one of the art pieces on the wall and cocked her head. At first glance, it looked like an abstract painting in blues and greens with a splotch of red, but the shape of the lines tripped a memory.
It reminded her of Rosie’s, the pizza place in Mulligan, if Rosie’s were seen through a shower curtain with the water running. Keely shrugged and moved on. Her brother loved that place, but she’d always thought it was over-rated. Pizza tasted delicious no matter where it came from.
The living room consisted of a big-ass sectional and an understated entertainment center topped with a bigger-ass TV. The space flowed into a kitchen that matched the style of her bathroom separated from the rest of the space by an island. Padded chairs tucked under the living room side of the island counter made up for the lack of a dining table.
On the kitchen side of the island, Seth dried his hands and watched her with a smile.
“Have a good nap?”
“Delightful.” Keely slid into one of the chairs and pointed to a covered plate on the marble counter. “This for me?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t sure how long you’d sleep, but it should still be warm.”
She lifted the plastic lid and nearly drooled at bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns. “Did you make all this?”
Seth laughed. “Oh no. I don’t cook. I order. This is from the diner down the street.”
Keely took a heaping bite of hashbrowns and couldn’t stop the low moan. Salt and butter and potato blended together in perfect harmony. When she glanced up, Seth looked like he’d about swallowed his tongue. “You okay?” Her mouth was full, but she didn’t care. He could deal with her poor manners.
He reached across the island to swipe the edge of her mouth with his thumb, and it was Keely’s turn to swallow hard. “I like a woman who knows how to eat.”
She raised a brow, doing her best to ignore the heat from his touch. “Every woman knows how to eat. It’s sort of required for survival. Thanks for breakfast, by the way.”
Seth shrugged. “My pleasure.”
“Got any caffeine?”
“Coffee.” He gestured at the counter behind him. “Help yourself.”
“What, no wait service? I’m taking a star off my rating for that.” Keely shoved another forkful of food into her mouth and skirted around the island to search for a cup while she chewed.
“Someone’s sassy this morning.”
With her mouth full, Keely deigned not to answer him. It was safer that way. She wasn’t used to having coherent conversations before coffee, so anything that came out of her mouth was probably better left unsaid. Especially with him taking up so much space.
Seth leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. He wasn’t exactly in the way, but he wasn’t making any effort to move either. The kitchen offered more than enough room for both of them, but her sense of him narrowed into a laser focus. She could feel his gaze on her as she opened and shut cabinet doors.
After three tries and no cups, she turned to face him. “You could help, you know.”
“I know.”
Keely rested her hands on her hips as annoyance skyrocketed. “I didn’t think you stooped to this passive-aggressive crap to prove your dominance.”
His grin widened. “Dominance isn’t really my style. I prefer active engagement by both parties. I’m also a firm believer in asking for help when you need it.”
Keely gritted her teeth, then forced her jaw to relax. “Where might I find your cups?”
“Bottom cabinet under the coffee maker.”
Of all the stupid places to keep cups. Keely found a mug that proclaimed ‘I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right’ and filled it halfway with coffee. The other half of the cup was reserved for milk and sugar. She didn’t like her coffee to taste like coffee.
The shot of caffeine and sugar helped Keely wake up the rest of the way. She wolfed down her breakfast, ignoring Seth’s amused expression. All in all, the morning had started off pretty good.
Seth waited until she’d pushed away her empty plate to bring up her new job. “We need to practice looking like we’re in love.”
Keely leaned both her elbows on the counter and gave him a once over. Jeans rode low on his hips, and a generic white tee shirt stretched just right over his broad shoulders. With his arms crossed, his biceps strained against the fabric. It wouldn’t be hard to look like she was in lust. All she had to do was have a face and working eyes. Love might be a little trickier.
She tore her gaze away from his intriguing muscles and met scorching golden eyes. “How would you describe that exactly?”
“Just look at me the way you looked at your coffee a minute ago and we’ll be fine.”
“The coffee was sweet and delicious. I wouldn’t describe you as either of those things.”
“How do you know if you haven’t tasted me yet?”
Keely’s thighs clenched involuntarily at his silky question. She wanted to taste him, but even at her wildest, she hadn’t jumped into bed with a guy whose last name she didn’t know. Move in with him, yes, but her body was sacred.
Her inner hussy snorted. Yeah, so sacred she’d let Jeremy Winters get to third base because he’d whispered one of Shakespeare’s sonnets in her ear at a kegger.
Keely raised her chin. “Maybe if I knew more about you.”
“Ah, an acquired taste then.”
She blew out an irritated breath. “You were the one who insisted we had to get to know each other. Unless your people will believe that we’re one-night stand mates?” Keely raised an eyebrow, but he shook his head. “Then work with me here. Turn off the sexy eyes and tell me something a mate would know.”
Seth scrubbed his face with his hands then came around the island to sit next to her. “Right. First, a mate would know that you can’t just turn off the sexy eyes.” He gave her a pointed look. “For you, they’re always sexy. Second, my last name is Morgan. Third, I can hear every thought that goes through your head.”
A montage of all the naughty things she’d thought in the last twenty-four hours started playing on repeat through her mind at top volume, spurred on by panic and mortification. Seth winced, and Keely wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
“Every thought?”
He considered it for a moment. “I’d guess most of them. You have loud thoughts and no shields.”
She’d heard Charlotte talk about shields before. Something her imp had taught her. Keely hadn’t been entirely listening at the time though, so all she remembered was that it was a form of magical protection. Either way, Seth sounded like he had them and knew how to use them.
“Can you do that with everyone?”
Seth shifted to face her. “If I’m trying and they’re not protected, yes. Sometimes even if they are. Yours come through clearer than most people’s, even when I’m not trying.”
“Okay, but what about your shields then? It wouldn’t have killed you to stop listening…Every thought?” Keely’s face burned with embarrassment as she stared down at her hands. She couldn’t meet his eyes. He’d have that smirky look, and she’d have to stab him. She didn�
�t even have any good stabbing utensils nearby.
“Keely.” His calm voice wasn’t enough to get her to lift her head, but he took her hand and held it in both of his. The gentle touch did what her name hadn’t. She looked up. “I can teach you how to create shields. It’s probably a good idea anyway before we meet any more of my clan.”
Her face flamed, but some of the mortification receded. “What’s in my head is for me. I don’t mind having a conversation, but I draw the line at spying.”
He sighed. “I wasn’t spying. The connection was unintentional, and I didn’t want you to think I was taking advantage of you. That’s why I told you, but I can make more of an effort to block you out in the future.”
Strangely enough, Keely wasn’t angry at him, and the thought of him putting more distance between them made her sad. They were supposed to be mates. Wouldn’t mates be as close as possible to each other? Even in their minds?
Except they weren’t really mates, and the depth of their connection was only important to people who couldn’t see it. Wasn’t it?
The real question was now that she knew, did she trust him with her mind?
Keely steeled herself. “Teach me how to shield. Then teach me how to let you, and only you, through them.”
His hands squeezed hers, and he smiled. “Good choice. You and me against the world.”
Shielding lessons were easy. The actual act of creating a shield for her mind was a bit trickier. Seth’s limited instructions didn’t offer a lot of guidance. Imagine a shield that represents you, and wrap it around your mind. You’ll feel it when it’s right. He’d tossed that useless bit of help at her and promptly left for an appointment. So much for the two of them against the world. They hadn’t even started talking about what she’d need to know as his mate.
Keely stared sullenly out the window from the corner of the couch. Blaming Seth for her lack of progress wasn’t really fair. She’d been so convinced she could do it herself that she’d told him no problem and waved him on his way. He’d given her a knowing look and left.
