“The rent is how much for you?” Shouted Lena on the phone. “That’s three months’ worth of rent at our old place! Are you out of your mind?”
I had placed the phone on my new bed in the house on Queen Street and was opening boxes while talking to Lena, who had finally joined her boyfriend on the other side of the country.
“No. I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. The Olivia I know would never have gone on the upper side and lived like a snobby-rich girl. You’re down to earth and go with the flow. And you’re not frivolous. I bought you fucking new underwear because I was sick of seeing holes in yours every time I did the goddamn laundry. Where did that money come from?”
Stop trying to test me, Lena….
“I’ve always had it. And for the record, I never asked you to buy me those, and they are still in the package. I refuse to wear granny panties. You just bought them to have a good laugh and to make a point.”
“I still want to know why you made us live in a crappy apartment when we could have had something less ‘I’m on a budget.’ Whose money is it?”
Please don’t make me go there!
Lena refused to let go, and her questions started aggravating and rubbing me the wrong way. She probed and guilted me until I finally caved in.
“It’s money from my dead family! There. Are you happy now?” I blurted out angrily.
Lena knew this was a “no-go” zone. We didn’t talk about our past. Ever. We ignored it and tried to move on. That was the deal we made when we started living together. I could imagine my friend’s face twisting with remorse after I said those words.
“Liv, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Just forget about it.”
There was a pause, and I heard Chuck say something to Lena. I didn’t want to end our conversation that way, so I quickly dumped the remaining items in my box on the floor and grabbed my cell phone from the bed.
“Listen, Lena. Let’s pretend we never had this conversation, and we’ll talk soon. How does that sound?”
“Yeah. Let’s do that. Take care, Liv.”
“Uh huh, you too.”
As soon as I closed the phone, I fell face first on the bed and screamed into the mattress. I already felt terrible using my inheritance money and didn’t need Lena to remind me of it. I wanted to focus on my writing, and using it seemed like a good idea. I had enough money to last me a lifetime, but I had refused to use any of it until now. It weighed on me, making me feel horrible for being alive when none of my family was.
I heard the front door open, and Kat called my name shortly after. I quickly opened the door and welcomed the distraction. Anything would be better than wallowing in my self-guilt. I had done a great job of ignoring my past and pretending my family never existed. I was sure I could keep doing it onward.
“I thought you weren’t coming back for the rest of the day,” I told Kat when I saw her pull a pitcher of water from the fridge.
“I’m only passing. I’m giving piano lessons until late tonight, so don’t expect me back before nine, but I wanted to come to see how you were doing, with the moving and all.”
“That’s sweet of you, thanks. It’s going well. Slowly going through my boxes and unpacking. I can make you dinner tonight and leave a plate for you so you can eat once you’re back?”
“I would love that! I’m not much of a cook. I usually order out, but if you make food, think of me and make more!”
“Sounds like a plan.” I chuckled and grabbed a glass so I could pour myself some water as well.
“By the way, the bathroom there is yours, so you can do whatever you want. I have a personal one in my room, so I rarely use this one,” Kat mentioned as she got her coat and grabbed her bags. “You should enjoy it while I’m away.” She finished with a wink.
I smirked and brought the rim of the glass to my lips. I couldn’t stop thinking about it since I visited the house and had intended to soak in that dreamy tub for hours. Kat wouldn’t have to tell me twice.
I accompanied Kat to the door and wished her a great evening before locking the bolt and running to my room. I stripped out of my clothes and walked naked in the house, relishing the joy of being alone. Lena and Chuck had always been present in our apartment, and I didn’t really have any alone time. It was the first time in a long while that I could strut my stuff with no one seeing it.
I brought my shampoo and conditioning bottles, a bar of soap, and a few other things I would put in the vanity for my personal use. Then I blocked the bottom drain of the tub and filled that baby up, pouring enough lavender oil and salt to make the soak pleasant.
Once the water reached above my chest, I pushed the knob down and nestled in the oily hotness. I couldn’t remember the last time I took a bath or felt this calm.
I inhaled deeply, cleared my mind from everything that had happened during the day, and focused only on my breathing and beating heart.
Once the water was tepid, I pulled on the drain plug and got out of the tub. I craned my neck left to right, trying to spot a towel, but none were in the bathroom. Oh well. It didn’t matter. I had some in my bedroom. I’d simply get them, then clean up after myself.
I shook most of the excess water from my body and twisted my long dark-brown hair to wring out as much water as possible before opening the bathroom door and walking across the kitchen to get to my room.
I hadn’t counted on seeing a tall man, coffee mug in hand, devouring me with his eyes.
I squeaked in surprise and jumped, then tried to hide behind my hands, but it was no use. My breasts spilled on either side of my arm, and my hair hasn’t long enough to cover my backside.
When the initial shock subsided, I inspected the intruder and recognized Mr. Suit from the day before. What the hell was he doing here?
“What are you doing here? And naked, above all things.” Mr. Suit asked.
That was my question!
“Me? I should ask you why you’re inside my house. Jesus C! Are you a stalker?”
“Your house?” The man repeated.
“Yes.”
“Huh. You wouldn’t be Ms. Sheridan by chance?”
Hold the phone. He knew my name? What the fuck was happening?
I managed a smile—a furious and sarcastic one before dashing to my room and foraging for any clothes that would cover my body. I found my XL lounging T-shirt and quickly put it on, then I pulled my hair in a wet and messy bun and stomped to the kitchen where the taxi stealer was still leaning against the counter, an arrogant smirk plastered on his impossibly beautiful, God-like face.
Did he like what he saw? God, I shouldn't even be thinking about that right now, I scolded myself.
“Two questions. How did you get into this house, and what are you doing here?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips expectantly.
I locked the door when Kat left. I was sure of it.
“With my key. I wanted to meet my sister’s new flatmate. I’m glad I did, though. This was probably the highlight of my week. But now, I’m concerned. Do you always prance around naked for the entire world to see?”
Mr. Suit rolled his Rs and stretched the Ts the way most people did in this part of the world, making my knees weak. I still felt violated by him having seen me naked, though. So I tried to keep a stern face.
“Had I known Kat had a brother who entered other people’s houses without announcing their presence, I would have ensured not to forget my towels in my room.”
He found it funny, and I noticed him smile genuinely for the first time. It looked good on him, but the curve on his lips suggested he was still seeing my naked body, making me flush crimson.
Why does he keep looking at me like that?
“Fair enough. But for the record, I own this building, and I’m only doing my due diligence so my sister won’t be stuck with someone trying to rip her off. Katherine has an enormous heart, and people tend to exploit that to get things from her. I just want to protect her, that’s all.”
“As you should. Just announce yourself the next time, or call, or whatever.”
We stood in the kitchen, unmoving, simply taking each other in. I was still a little embarrassed he had seen me naked, so I tried to change the subject.
“So. Should I keep referring to you as Kat’s brother, or do you have a name?”
He laughed again. The gravelly sound of his voice vibrated inside me and made my lady parts drip. Why the hell was my body reacting so strongly to him? That bastard was too sexy for his own good.
“Now you want to exchange names?” The taxi stealer chuckled and looked at me with a mischievous grin. “Dominic Moore.” He added as he extended his hand playfully.
I inched closer and offered him mine tentatively. When we touched, my skin sizzled and popped. I had never believed in instant connections, but I couldn’t deny my immense attraction to him as soon as our skin met.
He was the gasoline on my fire, making me burn with great desire.
A spark of recognition ran over his face, and I wondered if he, too, felt the connection between us.
Dominic pulled me closer to him, and I had to crane my neck to look up at his angelic face. He was a tower of a man, and he was also intimidating.
“Olivia. But you can call me Liv.” I said as I boldly tightened my hand in his. I needed to pretend nothing had happened.
My action made his smile grow as though he had accepted the challenge, and how he looked at me at that moment almost made me lose balance. It wasn’t friendly curiosity in his eyes. No. It was something hot and wild….
“Now, why would I do such a thing? Olivia is so much sexier.”
Thursday arrived, and I got ready for my shift at the pub. I had seen little of Kat, and I certainly didn’t have time to tell her all about my encounter with her brother. I had to hand it to Dominic; I thought it was sweet to have his sister’s back the way he did, but it also insulted me he didn’t trust her more—or me, for that matter. It made me wonder if something had happened in the past to warrant such protectiveness toward Kat. I took a quick shower, then put on my Crowns uniform, which consisted of a green, low-cut T-shirt, an embroidered crown on my left breast, and tight black pants. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and put some mascara on. As much as I hated it, the more makeup I wore, the better my tips were. The same went for the amount of cleavage I showed, which meant I needed to buy good bras that showed the girls off—not that I needed any because I was naturally busty. But when in Rome, right? I went into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat and came face to face with a
I hadn’t seen Dominic since my shift at the pub, and I was thankful for it. Instead, I got to know his sister a little more. I had lived with Kat for over a week and spent only a few hours with her daily. She had a busy lifestyle, which suited me because it gave me time to think about what I wanted to write during the day. But we had a great time talking about nothing and everything when we were together in the evenings. It was late afternoon Monday, and I had prepared a surf and turf dish that I hoped Kat would like. She returned from work, and I called her from the kitchen to tell her I was there. Kat almost hovered off the ground, following the smell of our dinner, and I laughed when I saw how cheery she was. “Well, you look like you had a good day.” Kat sat on a bar stool and leaned over the kitchen island, grinning from ear to ear. “More like I had good news.” She said as she drummed her fingers over the marble countertop. “Is that so?” “Yes, but first… Wine!” Kat shouted w
The first snowflakes fell over the city and covered the ground with a light blanket of cold dust. The Christmas season would be upon us soon, and I loathed that time of year. Thanksgiving was only a few short weeks away, and I wondered what I would do. Had it been possible, I would have liked to fall asleep now and only wake up after the first of January. Missing that time of year would be less painful, as it brought so much anger, sadness, and regret. My life would be better if I could skip it entirely each year. There was a knock on my bedroom door. It opened, and Kat slipped her head in the crack. “Hey, Liv, do you have any plans for today?” Yes. Banging my head against my desk until words bleed out from me. “Not particularly. I’ve been sitting in front of my computer and waiting for words to appear magically on the screen.” I pouted. “Missing inspiration?” “I’m not sure if we can even call it that. I don’t understand. I have an idea, an outline, but it’s just not coming to me
I had successfully dodged Lena’s questions during the last few hours, but she was getting on my nerves. She kept calling and pestering me, even from the other side of the country. I groaned and closed my computer when I saw her caller ID on my phone. I had finally found some inspiration for my book, but the main male character I had initially drafted had changed from a blond-haired, green-eyed man to a tall, broad-shouldered man with brown locks and deep, piercing blue eyes. The more I wrote, the more I thought my character looked like Dominic, and I hated it. He was constantly in my mind. “Alright. I’ll tell you.” I instantly said to Lena when I swiped to answer. Might as well pull the band-aid immediately. Lena squealed. Then I heard her apologize to Chuck, who was probably working in the background. “The last two times you asked me to call and pretend something horrible happened was to get you out of a bad date—although ‘date’ is a big word since you don’t really date guys. So,
The girls from the pub usually went out for drinks and a late-night snack after work. I had never gone with them since I used to live on the other side of town, so they were ecstatic when I asked to tag along. We ended our shift and left to get a cup of coffee. Then I wondered if I could spend the night at Jody’s, and she was happy to lend me her couch when I mentioned it was a little too late for me to walk home alone. I texted Kat to let her know I was sleeping over at my friend’s house just so she wouldn’t worry. When morning came, I got up, had breakfast with Jody, and then walked home in dread. My legs were heavy coming up the few steps to the house, and I closed my eyes when I entered, thinking Dominic would come charging in. But it was silent, so I quickly closed the door and hurried through the hallway. Kat was on a sofa in the sitting room. She lifted her eyes from the book and frowned at me. “What happened last night?” She called, jumping from her seat. “Dominic came ove
I laughed nervously. “Strip,” Dominic ordered. His eyes followed my hands as I lifted my shirt and threw it on the ground. His blue orbs trailed them once more when I placed my fingers over the string that held my pants to my waist and dragged it until the knot was undone and the fabric slid against my legs. Thank God I had shaved in the shower this morning. My clothes fell into a pool at my feet. I only had underwear on and felt the urge to cover myself. This was embarrassing. When my arms hugged my body, Dominic walked over and lifted my head so I’d look into his mesmerizing gaze. “You never have to hide from me, and you clearly have no reasons to cover that gorgeous body of yours,” he whispered hoarsely. “I haven’t been able to remove the naked image of you out of my head.” My heart raced when Dominic dropped his hand and took my arm so I’d follow him. We went into my bedroom, where he made me stand before the bed and brushed his lips against mine. “I have been dreaming of fuc
I didn't wake up for the first time in a long while because of my nightmare. Immense heat was the culprit. It became unbearable, and I stuck my arms outside the covers and tried to turn over but couldn’t. A mysterious weight was pinning me in place. When I opened my eyes, I spotted a thick arm over my stomach and groaned, remembering what had happened the night before. I instinctively looked at my clock and saw it was 9 AM. Shit. Kat could be home any minute, and her brother was still here. His body was draped over my own, and his breathing was steady and slow, still deep in sleep. I shook Dominic vigorously, pleading with him to get up and leave. He groaned and rolled over, refusing to move. I rolled my eyes. “You’re getting too comfortable for my taste, Dominic. If Kat finds you here… I don’t know what I’m going to do….” Dominic threw himself over me and captured my wrists, raising them above my head so I couldn’t hit him. He also wedged his knees under my thighs and widened t
I hadn’t heard from Dominic in two days, so I flipped through my phone contacts and dialled Lena’s number. She was the only person I could talk to about this arrangement with my roommate’s brother since I couldn’t talk about it with Kat for obvious reasons. The ringtone resonated inside the speaker, and I waited until she picked up. I was about to end the call when Lena finally answered. “Why did it take you so long to answer my call?” “I was doing something,” Lena replied absentmindedly. That didn’t sound like her. Usually, Lena was more upbeat without being in Kat’s category. “Is everything okay?” “I’m not sure. Chuck has been acting strange lately, and I don’t know what to make of it.” “Stranger than usual?” “You know how Chuck is. I never know what he’s thinking in that funny head of his. But I love him to death. I just hope he’ll stop avoiding me—like… we live in the same apartment. There aren’t many places for him to go without me being there, and I keep feeling he’s tryi