“This is for you.”
The breeze cools my cheeks as I crane my head, reading the words on the side. Cars rumble past in the street. “It’s a microwave.”
“So it is.”
A brand new, heavy microwave in a bulky box, balanced on the palm of his hand, no less. I reach for it, ready to carry it up the stairs since he’s already laden with bags, but Lincoln holds it over my head as if it weighs nothing. Damn.
I gnaw on my lip, watching his bicep bulge, and god, what is wrong with me? It’s like I’ve never seen a grown man before.
“Nope, I got it. Lead the way, Jenny.”
Right. I spin on my heel, cheeks flushing, and jog up the steps to my—to our building. The front door is open, and Lincoln’s steps are deceptively quiet as he follows me across the empty lobby. Like he’s in stealth mode. Feeling his eyes on my back, I kinda wish I dressed in something nicer than jeans and a thin cream sweater today.
“The elevator doesn’t work.” I throw the words over my shoulder, eyes skating over my new roommate then away. He’s too much to look at. Talk about overwhelm. “Sorry. But I can help with your bags—”
“I’ve got it.”
Our shoes smack against the stairs, and my breaths come embarrassingly fast. Am I unfit, or am I just panting over my gorgeous new roommate?
Hard to tell.
But he’s so much. His presence fills the narrow stairway; even without looking back at him, I’m hyper aware of his every movement. The rustle of his clothes and the deep, steady pull of his breaths; the masculine scent that fills my nose with each inhale.
Lincoln’snot gasping for air. He might as well be strolling empty-handed down a sidewalk.
“This is us.” I fumble with the key, my grip sweaty and numb, but he says nothing. Just waits behind me, piled high with bags. “I, um. The apartment isn’t much.” The door swings open, and I lead my new roommate inside, nerves gnawing at my ribs. “You’ll see now why it’s so cheap.”
Lincoln’s rough chuckle makes my belly tighten as he trails me through the cramped living room. “Relax, Jenny. It’s just a place to crash.”
No it’s not. Not to me.
See, out there everything is too loud and brash and bright and overwhelming. Danger lurks on every corner, and people are so freaking mean. The world outside that apartment door is a gauntlet to be run, but in here…
It’s quiet. Safe. Mine.
Mine, and now Lincoln’s. Part of me wants to double check that he read all the requirements on my listing—that he won’t throw parties or smoke or whatever—but I know that’s crazy. What am I gonna do, throw him out when he’s already here? And besides, he brought the microwave. He clearly read the ad.
“I won’t be here for long.”
My feet catch on the threadbare rug and I stumble, catching my balance at the last second. Is it really that bad? I peer around us with panicked eyes. Will I need to put out another freaking listing?
The sofa is lumpy, yeah, and the cushions are sagging. There’s an old coffee stain on one arm from before I moved in. The coffee table is scuffed, and there’s barely room to walk around the furniture before you’re bumping into walls, and the sounds of the street are always loud, even in the middle of the night.
The other rooms are no better, either. But what happened to this only being a place to crash?
I hug my waist, turning to Lincoln. He’s unhooking the bags from his shoulders, lowering them to the rug with a grimace and a sigh. Guess they were heavy, after all. “Um. I cleaned earlier, but I could go over the apartment again…”
“That’s not it.” My new roommate taps the camera bag still slung around his neck. “I never stay in one place, Jenny. Not for long.”
“Oh.”
Why is my stomach sinking like that? It’s a pain to find another roommate, sure, but it’s not that big of a deal. But from the way my insides are squirming, you’d think I desperately want this man to stay.
Two seconds, he’s been here, and it’s like I’m gonna sit on the floor, hug his strong thigh, and beg him not to go. I really need to get more sleep.
“I’ll give you plenty of notice, though.” Lincoln’s frowning at me, visibly concerned as he tugs off the camera bag and sets it on the coffee table. “And I’ll help you find another roommate. Relax, sweetheart.”
Relax?