“By all means.” If he was going to go all caveman on me, I was at least going to enjoy watching him work. And work he did, checking behind the curtains, out on the small balcony, under the heavy wooden bed, in the closets, and in the bathroom.
“Okay. You’re clear,” he said at last, straightening from running a finger across one of the baseboards. “I’ll leave you to get dressed. But I’m not in a hurry, so take a shower if that’ll help settle you.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of his consideration. “Are you saying I’m high-strung?”
“No. You’ve had a stressful morning, that’s all.” He might be lying, but at least he was kind about it. “Anyone would be wound tight after that.”
Not everyone. Not Cash, who seemed almost energized by the events of the morning. But I’d take the reassurance from him. “Yeah.”
“Go shower.” He pointed to the bathroom, a command now, not a suggestion, and somehow, I liked that better.
“I can do that.” Suggestions were meant to be dithered over and countered and analyzed, but a direct order was easy. Shower. Make Cash happy by following instructions. Win.
“Good.” He softened his tone. “You’ll feel better afterward.”
“You’ll be here?” And now we were back to me sounding like a needy kid. I really needed to work on that whole filter thing before Cash found a way to pawn me off on one of Duncan’s other friends who owed him a favor. I still wasn’t entirely convinced that Cash truly wanted anything to do with me or my security issues.
But he nodded, eyes solemn. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I liked that far more than I should have. I didn’t want to need his help, and I knew better than to rely on anyone else, but knowing he’d be waiting felt warm and fluffy, like wrapping myself in a huge towel. Cash was a luxury. That much was for certain.
Chapter Five
Cash
“What’s the deal with this place anyway?” I asked Daniel as he exited his room. I’d taken the opportunity while he’d been showering to put the produce in the kitchen, but I’d returned upstairs because I wasn’t crazy about him wandering around on his own until I had a better lay of the land.
“What do you mean?” He'd emerged barefoot with damp hair but was fully dressed in jeans and a cartoon T-shirt, looking more college kid than movie star.
“It’s a nice place, but it hardly seems the style of most single twenty-five-year-olds. I would have figured you for more chrome and modern decor.”
“I’m not most twenty-five-year-olds. Maybe this is my style.” He didn’t sound entirely certain as he looked around the upstairs hall like he was also seeing it for the first time. “I’m done with the penthouse lifestyle. I wanted a home with character. Not a party house. A home.”
“Smart.” I nodded like I understood, but I’d spent twenty years in base housing without ever getting a domestic urge for a place of my own. But Daniel seemed in need of some extra reassurance. “You chose well then. It’s got that old house character for sure.”
“You think so?” It was cute how pleased he seemed by my assessment, all bouncy in his steps as he bounded down the hallway. “I’ll show you around so you can do your security check. You can see more of the house’s features that way too. It’s special.”
I was beginning to think it was him, not the house, who was special. But I merely nodded as I followed him around the upstairs rooms, which, other than Danny’s suite, were largely empty. “So you bought the place? The empty rooms made me think maybe you were renting.”
“I own it. I just didn’t do the whole decorator thing this time.” Daniel’s smile was so earnest I had to restrain myself from patting his head again. “I figured I’d do it myself, but I keep running into indecision. Paint colors. Design styles. Furniture. Decor. It’s a lot.”
“It is,” I agreed as we entered another empty bedroom that shared a large bathroom with an adjacent room. “Heck, I can’t seem to pick a city, let alone an apartment.”
I hadn’t voiced that thought aloud before because it was stupid to get daunted by real estate, but Daniel nodded sympathetically. “It’s hard to pick a direction. Too many choices.”
“Yup. Harley sent me to an apartment hunting website, but it was like they were speaking some sort of secret lingo.” Admitting this stuff to Daniel came rather easy. Duncan and Harley would have just laughed, but the way Daniel radiated understanding made me keep going. “And I’m not sold on LA entirely either.”
“You don’t like LA? I thought about moving away, but this is all I’ve ever known. How would I know if I liked snow or small towns?” He paused in front of a big wall mirror like it might have answers for him.