I tried the chicken and rice, almost moaning at the flavor. It was simple but delicious, and I was starving. As I ate, I glanced out the window, wondering what Red was doing.
I shook my head.
Charly. She was Charly, and I had to think of her that way.
I had to admit, as I’d suspected, she was a feisty one. She hadn’t shrunk from me once today, no matter how much I snarled or sniped at her. In fact, she gave as good as she got, at times making me want to laugh. There were moments I had to look away in order not to do so. Her facial expressions were amusing—she would make a horrible poker player—she was far too expressive to keep her emotions hidden. In the store, she was efficient, loading the cart, muttering to herself. At times, it was as if she was checking off a recipe in her head, adding the ingredients. She used odd expressions. Gosh dang it. Easy peasy. Holy moly. Would ya look at that. Yowsers. Chap my ass. They dotted her mutterings and entered her conversation. If she didn’t annoy me so much, I might find them, and her, adorable.
But I didn’t.
I filled my plate again and opened the fridge to get the salad. I stopped and looked inside. It was clean, organized, and full. The counters were spotless. She had certainly been busy.
I sat back down and polished off another plateful. If this was how she cooked, I was okay with it. I glanced out the window again, feeling somewhat guilty. Would she be okay in the garage? I had expected her to throw a fit. Inform me she wouldn’t be sleeping in a room at the back of the garage. I had to admit, I had only taken her there to punish her. She’d told me to treat her the way I would the kid I had been expecting to show up, so I did. I fully anticipated giving in and carrying her broken suitcase into the house and giving her one of the other bedrooms, but she refused to rise to the bait. Instead, she was calm and surveyed the room, then asked to see the house.
It was for the best. It was hard enough, knowing she was across the yard. If she had been down the hall, I wasn’t sure I could resist her. That goddamn gorgeous hair, her expressive eyes, and her smart mouth.
What a mouth it was. Simply thinking about what it did to me last night made me hard.
Never mind what her scent did to me. As I followed in her wake at the grocery store, she was all I could smell. Citrusy, musky, light, and feminine. I wasn’t sure if it was entirely the fragrance she wore, or if that combined with the essence of her made it so irresistible. More than once, I wanted to take her down right there and bury my face in her neck while I fucked her. I had no idea how she had such a hold over me. I barely knew her. I didn’t want to know her.
I wasn’t in the market for a relationship. Especially with a smart-mouthed, redheaded, little snippet who liked to try to put me in my place. And she wasn’t the type for a sexual relationship without ties. I’d figured that out last night—it was a one-off for her. Her whispered little secrets and the way she wanted to be snuggled after. I refused to admit how good she had felt in my arms, or that I had succumbed to her whispers. I had nothing left emotionally to give anyone, so we would never work.
She was an employee. Simple as that.
I scrubbed my face, then rested my head in my hands, knowing my words were full of shit.
I wanted her. And I was pretty sure she wanted me.
Which one of us, I wondered, would break first?
The next while would, at least, prove to be interesting.
CHARLY
I slept surprisingly well considering I was in a new place. When I got to my room the night before, I had been shocked to discover a new lock on the door. It was a simple metal slider, but with the other lock on the door handle, it gave me a measure of safety. Obviously, Maxx had added it and simply not said anything. He must have remembered what I told him about Terry and installed it for me. Despite his gruffness, he cared.
Checking my new space, I decided, as far as rooms went, it was fine. I unpacked my clothes, used the few hooks in the wall to hang my skirts, and slid my suitcase under the bed. I texted Kelly to let her know I was okay, knowing if she didn’t hear from me, she’d get worried, then I took a shower, grimacing when I was done as I realized there were no towels. I used the shirt I’d worn that day and made a mental note to find some in the morning. The sheets were scratchy and old, but they would do until I discovered where all the linens were in the house.