“So, uh… Is the little lady movin’ or what?” the man asked. “We’re on the clock, man.”
“I don’t know yet,” Charlie said, then turned his gaze back on me. “Well, little lady? What do ya say?”
I didn’t want to say yes, but my hands were tied; I either had to move in with Charlie or call my mom and dad and beg them to let me come back with my dogs. I knew Mom would not allow my pets, no matter how hard I begged. I couldn’t get rid of my babies, especially not Max. So, with a defeated groan, I let my head fall forward onto his shoulder and nodded. “Just let me get the dogs leashed up, and I have to pack my stuff.”
“We can do that for ya, ma’am,” the mover said, pointing over his shoulder. “The boys have the boxes ready to go, and there’s plenty of bubble wrap if you need it. Don’t worry. All your things will be moved safely. It’ll show up at the new place good as new.”
After I rounded up the dogs and led them outside, I tied them to a bench so they could bask in the warmth of the November sun. I sat down beside them and leaned back to watch the movers as they worked.
Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets, stalked my way, and plopped down beside me.
“Let me guess,” I said quietly, not looking at him, “you’re going to deduct this from my cut of the million, right?”
“Nope,” he said, shaking his head so his hair came loose from its ponytail holder.
“What then? You’re gonna hold this over my head forever? Spread it around town how much of a failure I am? Wait. I know. You’ll start a #Jaimesaloser all over Twitter, huh?”
“You’re not a failure or a loser,” he said, reaching out to take hold of my hand.
I didn’t want to let him touch me, but I couldn’t seem to find the strength to fight back, not right then.
“Why didn’t you say something if you were in trouble?”
I laughed. “Right, Charlie. I was just gonna say, ‘Hey, guys, how was your day? Oh, by the way, I got laid off, am overdue on all my bills, and I’m getting evicted because my landlord is a bastard!’” I yelled the last in the general direction of the leasing office, my chest heaving as my anger grew. “‘But, hey, let me just ask my best friend, who’s been harassing the hell outta me to marry his untamable and unreliable ass, if I can pretty please move in with him.’”
Charlie whistled. “Gee. Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?” he mocked with a grin. “Go on and let it all out, girl.”
“Oh, I will. Don’t you worry about that,” I said, shoving my hair behind my ears.
The movers came out carrying more boxes, and I caught the label on the side of one, which caused my face to burn even hotter than before. It read: Delicates.
“Shit! They went through my underwear drawer!”
“They pack everything,” he said with a chuckle.
“It’s embarrassing.”
“What’s the big deal? I’m sure they’ve seen worse. What was in it anyway? Please tell me it was sexy, lacy, frilly, skin-baring lingerie from Victoria’s secrets.”
I shoved him hard enough to knock him over on the bench before I burst out laughing.
“What? Men are genetically programmed to love women in black, satin underwear. And red too. Definitely red.”
I laughed, then went inside to pack up the remainder of my belongings myself, not keen on strangers digging through any more of my personals.
“Skimpy and lacy thongs, I bet!” he yelled from behind me just before I slammed the door.
About an hour later, I walked back out to the bench, sat down, and let out an exhausted sigh. “Thanks for everything.”
“Not a problem,” he retorted, wearing that smile that made me want to smack him and devour him all at the same time. “I knew you’d never let the movers pack all your stuff. You’re too much of a control freak.”
I laughed for just a second, then rolled my eyes and leaned against his side. We sat there for a long few minutes, until the movers waved to let us know everything was cleared out.
That’s it then, I thought. Just like that, my whole life reduced to a bunch of boxes in the back of a big-ass truck and a quartet of hyper fur-balls on their leashes.
“You ready?”
“Let me take one more walkthrough. Then I’ll meet you at your place,” I said and pushed to my feet.
“Our place,” he corrected with a smile.
I blushed. “Right. But’s that only if I officially say I do.”
“You will.”
“I love your sense of confidence.”
Charlie helped me untie the dogs from the bench, but when I tried to take them all with me, Oreo planted his butt right on Charlie’s foot, as did Max. “Uh… Do they normally do this?”
“No,” I said, confused and tugging on their leashes. “Come on, boys.”
Oreo and Max, who were usually rather obedient, simply stared out over the lawn, refusing to budge an inch. In fact, the only movement Max made was to snuggle closer to Charlie’s leg. A piece of my heart fluttered to Charlie that way, because the people at the shelter told me he usually shied away from men. Even at the pool the other day, Max didn’t seem to mind Charlie being around. I had no idea why Oreo was doing it though.
“Do you mind if they ride with you?” I asked, handing over their leashes.
Instantly, the dogs were on their feet and wagging their tails, their tongues excitedly lolling out of their mouths.
“No, um… I guess it’s fine. Can Max walk that far, all the way to the truck?”
I glanced to where he parked and nibbled my lip. “Do you mind carrying him?”
“Not at all.” He smiled and bent down. “All right, Max,” he said as he tucked the dog carefully under his left armpit and let the front part of him rest on his muscled forearm. “You’re coming with me. You too, Oreo, my man.”
Oreo barked in agreement and ran right toward the truck.
I shook my head and laughed.
“I think I just found my new best friends,” he said.
“Guess so.” I narrowed my eyes at Oreo and smiled. “You traitor.”
He barked at me and just continued prancing along, right on Charlie’s heels, as if Charlie was the one who had rescued him from a cruel fate five years ago.
I laughed at how cute they looked.
Chapter 13
I headed toward my old, beat-up hatchback and piled Tank and Billy in the back; they were glad to have the run of the whole car to themselves instead of having to share with their two brothers again. I started the rickety thing up after a couple tries and followed the moving truck and Charlie to his mansion, to that huge, ridiculously nice mansion I was going to now live in.
“Tammy’s never going to shut up about this one,” I muttered under my breath and pulled into the driveway fifteen minutes later. “Well, boys,” I said, peering at my furry fellows in the rearview mirror, “let’s see how much we can drive Charlie nuts, okay? Do your worst!” I let out a long chuckle. If we drive him too crazy, maybe he’ll develop cold feet about this psycho plan to marry me. Not so easy to put a ring on it when you’re all tied up in a straightjacket!
Ahead of me in the driveway, Charlie hopped out of his truck and leaned back in. When he reappeared, Max was tucked under his arm again, happy as a clam, almost smirking as he rested his head on the big man’s shoulder.
“You’re all traitors,” I grumbled as I let Billy and Tank out. Before I could catch their leashes, they barked and rushed after Charlie, following him inside as if he was the king of the dogs. Wait. Maybe that’s a good title for him, I thought with a giggle, considering his reputation. Still feeling a bit awkward about the situation, I lingered by my car as the movers started to unload my things.
What the hell is wrong with me, moving in with Charlie, of all people? What have I gotten myself into? Did I jump into some sort of alternate universe? Am I still sleeping? Is this just a dream, a bad case of the Mandela Effect? I pinched myself and winced from the pain. Nope. I’m afra
id it’s very, very real.
I bit my lip hard, hoping I wouldn’t regret my decision to move into Charlie’s own version of the Playboy Mansion.
Playboy? Ha! I chuckled at my own joke. It wasn’t technically Hugh Hefner’s iconic, famous, 200 million-dollar whorehouse, and Charlie certainly wasn’t a 90-year-old, wrinkled, dirty old prune, but I was definitely moving into a playboy’s mansion. The good news was that the ball was now in my court. Basically, I was playing the playboy, because I refused to be seduced by him like all those other silly girls who fell for his nonsense and his killer good looks. I was aware of his charms, but I knew I could force myself to become immune to them, just like I did in high school. Sure, it would be hard to keep my hands off, because everything about Charlie oozed seduction, but I was stronger than that—or at least I hoped I was.
I tugged my purse up my shoulder, locked my car, and listened to the barks echoing around the huge house. I smirked, wondering just how long Charlie would actually be able to handle the noise. I was sure he’d never lived with anyone else, which was part of the reason I was still uncertain about his motives for inviting me to share an address with him. One voice in my head told me to shut up and just go with it, but the other knew he was up to something. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I knew for sure. Charlie knew me well enough to catch any sign of suspicion, though, so there was no point in trying to hide it.
I sauntered into the house and dumped my purse on the table. The sound of clattering paws on the hardwood floor drifted farther into the house and eventually stopped. I heard Charlie calling Oreo from outside, and when I walked through the back door, I saw him standing there with Max sitting on his feet, while the other three ran across the lawn. I was glad to see his huge yard was fenced, or we would have had a whole other set of problems to deal with.
“I think they’re going to like it here,” he said as I came to a stop beside him.
I took the leashes from him and laughed as I watched Oreo tackle Tank. When Billy charged in to break them up, the trio took off again. “I’ve always wanted to give them a yard to play in,” I said. “I hated that I couldn’t afford a bigger place.”
Charlie nudged me with his shoulder. “Well, you’ve got one now, for as long as you want.”
“Really? Just like that?”
He sighed.
Was he frustrated I was questioning his intensions? “What? Surely you don’t expect me to think you don’t want anything out of this.”
“Just the pleasure of your company, milady,” he assured me.
I smirked.
“I see I’m slowly chipping away at you,” he said.
“You’re not going to stop asking me to marry you, are you?” I asked on a sigh of my own.
He laughed and crouched to scratch Max behind the ears. The dog’s tongue lolled out the side of his mouth, and he leaned into it. “My time is running short. One of these days, I’ll manage to convince you it won’t be as bad as you assume it will be.”
Beep!
Charlie stood at the sound of the loud truck horn and gently moved his feet from beneath Max’s rump. “I’ll have them put all your stuff in the guestroom.”
“Sounds good. What about all my furniture?”
“We’ll store all that stuff in the basement for now.”
“Great. Thanks so much.”
He squeezed my hand and planted a small peck on my cheek as he passed. Heat shot through my body, and I sucked in a breath, hating how his lips quirked in a grin at the sight of it.
“Later,” he promised then walked away inside.
I offered to help the movers carry boxes but they refused to let me help and told me they had it all taken care of. I shook my head and sat down in the grass next to Max, who stumbled a few steps before he fell into my lap. He wagged his tail as we watched the other dogs romp around and play. “Don’t worry,” I told him. “One of these days, you’ll be out there too.”
Max barked.
I grinned and scratched him behind his ears until the poor little guy fell asleep on my lap.
Oreo trotted over, panting hard, and sat sentinel beside me.
“So you really like him that much, huh?” I said and reached over to rest my arm around his shoulders.
Oreo let out a loud bark.
“Fine. We’ll see how it goes, but if it’s too much, we’ll have to leave.”
Oreo licked my cheek.
I laughed, hugging him close and burying my face in his fur. “I know he’s a great guy, Oreo. I’m just… Well, I’m just scared I’ll lose our friendship in the process if I say yes.”
Oreo whined and lay down beside me, placing his head carefully next to Max’s much smaller one.
I petted him for a little while until Tank and Billy came over. Soon, all four were sprawled out in the sun, fast asleep. I pulled myself free and headed back inside to see how the movers were coming along with my things. They did an excellent job, and I was impressed with how much care they took in handling my stuff.
“You want pizza or Chinese takeout for dinner? It’s on me, of course.”
“No, let me,” I argued and followed him into the kitchen. “You paid for the truck.”
Just as I pulled my wallet out of my purse, he reached over and snatched it out of my hands, then held it above my head, like he was playing a childish game of keep-away. I glowered at him, but he didn’t give it back; instead, he just placed it on top of the fridge where I couldn’t easily reach it.
“Freakin’ asshole,” I muttered.
“I’m sorry? What was that? Your freakin’ knight in shining armor? Your freakin’ procurer of a big ass moving truck? Your freakin’ harvester of dinner?”
I smiled and turned away, but his hand caught mine, warm and comforting in ways I’d only dreamt about when we were younger. My feet came to a stop, and I waited for him to pull me around and kiss me.
Instead, he let me go. “I don’t want you to think kissing me is a requirement to live here.”
“I didn’t,” I said. “It’s not like we have a written lease or anything.”
“Uh, putting that in a lease would make it a whole other kind of contract,” he said with a wink. “Look, Jaime, you’re my friend. Yes, I’m madly attracted to you, but if you just want to remain friends, I get it. There are no strings attached here. You need a place to stay. That’s all this has to be.”
“You’re going to lose your inheritance if you don’t find somebody quick.”
“That’s my problem, not yours.”
“But me living here could ruin your chances.”
“Why? You’re a childhood friend I’d do anything for. If a woman doesn’t understand that, I don’t want to marry her. Also, she’s gotta like dogs.”
“Hmm. Well, I hope you find your fake Miss Right.”
He smiled. “The movers will finish up soon, and then I can show you to your room.”
He moved away from me, and a minute later, I heard him on his cell, ordering Chinese. I stood there in the middle of his huge house, staring at the swords on the far wall, and I thought back to that first night when I broke into his house. I remembered the heat that filled my body at his touch, the deep hunger in his eyes when he realized who I was. I swallowed hard.
Damn, this isn’t gonna end well, I thought. One way or another, I’m going to lose the only man that ever really got me. And in the end, it will be all my fault.
Chapter 14
Oreo nudged Charlie’s arm again, and the rice spilled from his chopsticks and landed all over the floor.
“Oreo!” I scolded as Charlie laughed and the dog scarfed down the rice greedily, without even looking at me, then sat back waiting for more. “I told you we were asking for trouble eating on the floor,” I told my stubborn host.
Charlie laughed and patted Oreo on the head. “Eh, he just wants what his daddy has.”
He reached out and hand-fed the other three, including Max, who had not left his side since we sat down to eat. The l
ittle guy leaned into Charlie’s side as he munched happily, and all four of them loved every damn second of it.
“Dogs seem to like you,” I said. “Why don’t you have one of your own?”
“I’m too much of a globe trotter,” he said as Oreo leaned over and licked his face. “I’ve always wanted a pet, but I guess it wasn’t really convenient, with all that traveling. I guess there’s just never been time in my life.”
“Ah. Not the settling-down type, huh?”
“Not before, but now… Well, I think I’m ready. I mean, a man can only be a wanderer for so long, you know. At some point, he wants to find a place to set down roots.”
“And you’ve chosen to set down roots here?”
“It wasn’t really my plan, but…”
“But what? Now you’re kind of forced to come back to your old hometown, huh?”
“It’s not so bad. I’m kinda having a change of heart. My martial arts and fencing studio is doing way better than I ever imagined, and all my friends and family are here.” He gazed deeply into my eyes. “I never realized how much I missed this place until I came back home.”
“So you’re done sowing your wild oats?”
“I guess. I wanted to enjoy an adventurous lifestyle, and I’ve done that.” He paused, looked around, and decided to change the subject. “How do you like your room?”
“It’s wonderful,” I said, because it was. I was really looking forward to soaking in the spectacular tub later, so I could unwind and stop being consumed by my worries. At least for a day or two, I wasn’t going to think about the uncertainty of my future.
“I’m glad you’re happy here,” he said. “Mi casa es tu casa.”
“Thank you for everything.”
“Not a problem.”
I set my box of fried rice down and sipped my beer. “I’m not used to this.”
“What? Chinese on the floor?” he joked.
“No. People doing nice things for me, at least not on such a grand scale.”
“What!?” he asked, as if offended. “I used to do nice stuff for you all the time,” he argued and shifted Max over a little so he could scoot around the coffee table and lean against me.
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