Her eyes met mine, narrowed, and then she grabbed the clothes from my hand and strutted past me only to let out an adorable little growl as she turned back on her heel and faced me. “I wasn’t going to say that, and you know I don’t, and it’s not funny to throw it in my face. I am a mature female adult, and I can make my own sexual choices . . .” She licked her lips. “At midnight. With a man who probably gets his dry cleaning delivered on a daily basis and doesn’t even own a washing machine.”
I smiled so hard my face hurt. “I like the top-load best.”
She scowled. “Do you even know how to separate clothes?”
“It’s not hard. Do you need me to show you a little domestication, princess? Because if you need a tutor . . .”
She held up her hand. “Never mind. I’m going to go change, and then we’re going to set boundaries for this.”
“This,” I repeated, as my heart picked up speed from a dead stop. “Us?”
Her shoulders stiffened. “Well, yes, but not like you mean. You said you’d help with the book, right? Well, this is me asking for help.”
My smile fell.
She hadn’t had sex with me so I would help her, right?
When had I ever even doubted or cared?
I’d never felt like a one-night stand more than in that moment, like she’d given me something she rarely gave anyone—and now needed me to do something that only I could do.
It sucked.
Made me want to lash out.
To make her feel bad.
To make her feel pain and rejection all at once.
But her expression was so innocent. Was I reading it wrong?
“Please?” She touched my arm. “I need you.”
I was an idiot.
An idiot who was going to die alone with memories of the way her skin tasted on my mouth. “Okay.”
She exhaled and then wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing my cheek. “Thank you.”
I waited until she was down the hall to breathe.
A door closed. She’d found the bathroom, good.
And I stood there, just listening to the silence, if that was even possible, and wondering how the hell I was going to keep my hands off her so we didn’t have sex again.
The first time was an accident brought on by a secluded cabin and too much grief.
This time was a pity fuck on my birthday.
Next time, if there was a next time, it wasn’t happening unless she gave me everything, unless I knew going in that there wouldn’t be a chance she could walk away.
Next time would be a battle.
And I would be sure to win that war.
I just had to help her.
And do something that I’d never been able to do in all of my years on this planet—make her fall in love with me.
And not fuck it up.
Make her fall in love with me.
And stay.
All I had to do was compete against a guy who was twice the man I’d ever be, one who’s going to be memorialized in a book that will most likely be made into a movie.
Compared to him for the rest of my life.
Huh, at least that wasn’t a new battle.
No, it was one I knew how to wage very well.
And this time, I was going to win.
“Do you have a driver on staff or—” Her voice echoed around the vast living room as she made her way over to me, not finishing her sentence but staring at me with narrowed eyes like she could read my mind. “You look creepy.”
“I was thinking.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t read into it, and yes, I actually do, but I have a better idea.”
“I’m not spending the night.”
I grinned. “I didn’t hear myself asking you.”
She jerked back.
Shit.
“Don’t look so offended. You know you would have said no anyways.” I licked my lips. “Right?”
She rocked back on her heels. “Right. Totally.”
“Uh-huh.” I reached for her hand. “So I’ve been on a forced vacation by the board of my own company. Seems like they’re afraid I’m going to have a nervous breakdown, and before you ask, no, I’m not going to have a breakdown, they’re just paranoid and think I need time, blah, blah, fuckity-blah—” I shrugged. “We need a space where we can work without being interrupted or seen, right?”
She nodded. “Social media can be . . . ruthless.”
“Great. So we work here, order takeout, put in long hours—something I’m very used to doing—and get the book done. Then you go back to your life, and I go back to mine.” I smiled, sealing the deal. “Easy.”
Her eyes narrowed. “There’s a catch here.”
“No catch. I want to help you. I at least owe you that since we aren’t going back to the cabin, though you should know it’s yours for whenever you want to continue your vacation, or I’ll just reimburse what you paid.”