“He needs help,” she whispered.
“He does,” Wulf agreed.
“He needs someone to help him realize that he's amazing just the way he is – he doesn't need to lie, or compete, or compare himself to anyone.”
“And I'm sure he'll find that person some day – but not today.”
“I worry about him,” she confessed. “He's been this way for so long, he may never change.”
“You'd be surprised, Tocci. People who seem to be set in stone can change in the blink of an eye. Just takes the right person to help them.”
“I wanted to help him,” she sighed.
“You can't anymore.”
“I know … but maybe, maybe I could help him find someone. There has to be someone out there, some girl for -”
“Just stop. You can be his friend, Katya, but you can't be his mother, or his matchmaker, or a replacement girlfriend. You have to let him figure shit out for himself. He's a grown man. Maybe screwing up with you will help him realize that, and if it didn't, then he's a lost cause.”
“You're just saying that because you don't like him.”
Wulf groaned and shifted around on top of her, turning his head away from the candlelight.
“That's not true,” he sighed. “I don't … Eden and I will never be friends, yes. But I don't dislike him. I even admire some things about him.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. He runs a good business, mainly because he's so good with his staff. He has zero fear of being disliked, because everyone who meets him adores him. Look at you, when you first met him. He's hard to resist. People gravitate towards him, he's fun, he's relaxed. He knows how to have fun, and I'm pretty sure he has no clue what stress feels like. I can't even remember the last time I didn't feel stressed. Those are all enviable qualities.”
“You have enviable qualities, too,” she assured him, brushing her hand over his hair.
“I know – like being secure enough in myself that I don't have to compete with everyone I meet. Wanting to be the best, and knowing you're the best, are two very different things.”
“Whoa. And modest, too. Don't forget that you're modest,” she teased.
“Of course I'm the best. I got the girl, after all.”
“God, the ego on you.”
“My ego is my most attractive feature.”
“Really? I would say it's your eyes.”
“You would.”
“Or your shoulders.”
“Shoulders?”
“Yup,” she nodded, then smiled when he chuckled and she could feel it all the way through her chest. “I just wish … I don't know, Wulf. I just wish I could help him.”
“Stop mothering and let him help himself. Besides, you're mine now. You need to worry about helping me.”
“Wulfric Stone, I don't think you've ever needed help with anything.”
“Then you're an idiot, Katya Tocci, because you have helped me so much, I'm beginning to wonder how I ever survived without you.”
“Really?” she asked, looking down at him again. He pulled away and propped himself up over her, causing the sheet to finally pull free and fall away from them. She glanced around and was shocked to see the large candle next to the bed had already burned half the way down. They'd been talking for hours.
“You helped me learn that it's okay to be unsure,” he told her. “You helped me learn that some things are worth fighting for. You helped me remember that smiling feels good, and laughing feels even better. You helped me become a better man, which is amazing, because before you, I was the worst. You helped me learn how to love.”
Katya smiled and pressed a hand over his heart. Tried to memorize his face in that moment, with the candlelight softening his features and making his eyes glow. He looked like warmth personified, which was kind of crazy, considering she'd compared him to a stone so many times.
“No,” she whispered, then she took a deep breath. “No, you learned that all on your own, because until you, I didn't even know what love was.”
“Well then, I guess that's one more thing I'm better at than you.”
She burst out laughing, which was a blessing because it hid the fact that she was crying again.
“Oh god,” she gasped for air, practically heaving with laughter as he fell down on top of her. “I don't know how I'm going to do this. There's barely enough room in here for your ego – how am I going to live with it?”
“You better figure it out because I'm having all your stuff delivered tomorrow,” he informed her as his mouth traveled across her left breast.
“Oh sure,” she snickered. “Between you and that fat head of yours, maybe there'll be room in the … wait, are you serious?”
“How often am I not?”
“Wulf, I can't -”
“Tocci, I already paid the moving company. It's done.”
“I'm not living with you.”
“It's been done. Vieve is moving in with that scary roommate of yours,” he informed her, and she hissed as he gave a sharp bite to the underside of her breast. “And Brie is moving into the apartment I left empty.”
“Both your sisters,” she was starting to pant. “Are going to be living at the Twin Estates?”
“Yes.”
“And Vieve is going to take my old room?”
“Has already taken it. It's time to be quiet now, Tocci.”
“No no no,” she murmured, pulling at his hair so he couldn't lower his head any farther. “This is such a bad idea, Wulf. We just got back together, nothing has ever been easy between us, we always do everything wrong.”
“I don't care,” he breathed, his tongue sliding against her hip bone. “You have a lease with me, remember? You broke it when you tried to move to Carmel.”
She gasped and glared down at him.
“You cannot be serious,” she said. “My dad almost died!”
“I know. And I'm very sorry, but a lease is a legally binding contract, Tocci. You owe me at least eleven more months of habitation. My hands are tied, my lawyers are very strict about this kind of stuff,” he informed her. She started laughing, but then choked on air when he bit down on her inner thigh.
“Well,” she swallowed thickly. “I guess it's the right thing to do. I mean, a contract is a contract.”
“Thank you. God, it's always an argument with you, and I'm always right,” he groaned, his tongue smoothing away the sting of the bite.
“That's what I'm talking about. This is going to be a lot of work, Wulf. It's not all going to be sexy under-the-sheets time,” she warned him.
“That's fine, because I have never been scared of a little hard work, Tocci.”
She pulled hard on his hair, dragging him back up the length of her body.
“Me, neither,” she whispered, kissing him deeply. He sighed when she pulled away, and she could feel him smiling against her lips. “Especially when that work creates something so beautiful.”
“Beautiful,” he agreed. “That's perfect.”
“It really is, isn't it? I'm sorry I almost screwed it all up.”
“Me, too. Now let's make it even more beautiful and see if I can make your eyes roll back again.”
“I don't think that's -” she started to argue, but then his head was back between her legs and he was accomplishing his goal.
Having a good neighbor is nice, but having one that loves you and takes care of you and makes every moment feel like it's catching on fire? Well, that's just the best neighbor ever ...
Epilogue
Katya narrowed her eyes and glanced around. Tori was standing at the bar, furiously wiping at a spot. She'd been doing that for ten minutes solid – a couple more minutes, and she was going to wear off the varnish.
Liam was standing in the hallway, a stern look on his face as he spoke rapidly, his finger pointing at the person standing across from him. Landon was on the receiving end of the finger, and he was wearing the exact same expression as his twin. They both spoke in
hushed tones, ensuring no one could hear them.
Brighton was sitting at the bar, her arms folded across her chest and a huge pair of sunglasses covering her face. She looked like someone had shoved a pole up her ass and she was plotting their slow death.
“Is it always this cheery in here?” Genevieve murmured, shifting around nervously at Katya's side.
“It's kinda glacial today, isn't it?” Katya commented. “I wonder how much longer Wulf will be.”
“Can't be too long – Liam came out a while ago, so that must mean they're done, right?”
“You would think so.”
How long can it take to sell off half a sex club!?
Liam was finally buying out Wulf's half of the business. It was something that should have happened a long time ago, really. Wulf had no real interest in the bar-slash-sex club industry, helping Liam had just been a way to make easy money. It was best to give Liam the full control he always should've had and finally leave him alone. Because frankly, it seemed like he needed some space.
After Katya had come home from Carmel, Wulf had made good on moving her into his penthouse – her stuff was delivered a day later.
It wasn't easy. The first week alone had been hell. Wulf had never had a roommate before, let alone lived with a woman. He wasn't used to having someone in his space, all the time, every day, all day. He wasn't used to another human being touching all his things and messing up his perfect arranged cabinets and moving his perfectly placed throw pillows. More than once, she'd turned around mid-sentence to find him gone. He would run away to the roof and swim away the stress.
Not that it was any easier on Katya. She'd never lived with a man, and her roommate of the past four years had been extremely laid back. She was used to having control over the kitchen and setting the thermostat as high as she wanted and not having to pick up her dirty laundry behind her – what she wasn't used to was dealing with a cranky, taciturn, spoiled brat of a man.
But for every moment Katya got on Wulf's nerves, and for every moment she wanted to punch him in the throat, there were three more of pure joy. She'd never imagined life could be as good as it was with Wulf. That someone could love her as much as he did, adore her and spoil her.
He had strange ways, for sure, and he would never change his overbearing ways, that was obvious, but she was glad. She loved those things about him, loved that she got to see all sides of him. Hoped he would never change. Hoped he never stopped thinking of her as a present, because still to that day, even after three months of living together, he was the best gift she'd ever been given.
“Angel cake!”
She snapped out of her private thoughts and turned away from Vieve. Landon was storming towards the stairs and Liam was smiling and walking across the floor, holding his arms open. She smiled back and walked into his hug, squeezing him tightly.
Liam had been ecstatic when she'd told him she was moving home, but he hadn't been as thrilled over the news that her and Wulf were together. He also didn't appreciate the long conversation that was had about his relationship with Katya and how he had to respect the fact that Wulf and her were dating, and that to have a friendship with her, Liam couldn't play any tricks or start any shit or behave inappropriately. This wasn't a game – this was her life, and she was in love with somebody. If he was her friend, he would be respectful, and he would be happy for her.
He'd argued, at first. Tried to convince her that she was making a mistake. But when it became apparent that she'd meant what she'd said and she would walk away from the friendship if he didn't get his shit together, he'd calmed down. Promised to keep his hands to himself and his plotting to other peoples' relationships.
So far, it seemed like he was making good on his word. For the first couple weeks, he'd pulled back, which had made her sad. Despite everything that had happened, Katya really did care about Liam, a lot. She'd thought maybe he hadn't been able to handle her being with another man. Turned out, though, he'd gone on a little bit a crazy sex spree. Misbehaving on his club floor, making an arrangement with the skanky blonde from Floor Two in Katya's old building, and some sort of secret sexy affair that no one had been able to figure out.
Then, finally, he'd called her and invited her and Wulf to tacos. It had been awkward and stiff and weird as shit, but eventually, they'd laughed again. They made plans to go to the movies with Tori, and then to help Vieve go shopping when she decided to update her look, and even once secretly went apartment hunting for Landon.
She was a little sad because nothing had changed in the girl department, though. No solid relationships. His sneaky affair was still happening – lots of late nights locked in his office, some mysterious woman coming and going from his building. Tori was somewhat obsessed with finding out who the chick was, but he was keeping it way on the down low, for whatever reason. Katya hoped it was something good, that maybe he was finally finding love, but she had a bad feeling it was nowhere near close to that, which was too bad. Liam Edenhoff was a man definitely deserving of love.
“Hey, how did it go?” she asked, scratching her hands fast up and down his back.
“You, my dear, are looking at the sole owner of The Garden, night club and pleasure nook,” he informed her. She pulled away and started clapping, then stopped.
“Wait … pleasure nook?”
“Well, what would you call it?”
“Nook is good,” she laughed. “I hope you got it at a good price – I told Wulf he had to be nice to you.”
“Wulf? Nice? I don't think that adjective has ever been said with his name before,” Liam snorted. “You'll have to talk about it with him.”
“Oh god. We talked about this. I told him not to be a jackass, he can be so -” she started to complain, but Liam started glaring over her head.
“Oh jesus,” he growled.
“What?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder. He was staring at the bar.
“I'm sorry, I gotta go,” he sighed, rubbing her arm affectionately. “Great seeing you – rooftop tomorrow?”
Wulf had expressly forbid Katya from having rooftop liaisons with Liam. He'd heard all the stories about what happened on roofs with Mr. Edenhoff. However, he had offered his own roof, which also had a heated pool, as well as lounge chairs and a covered cabana with a heater. It could be snowing, and they could still hang out up on the roof and eat tacos.
“I've already got the margaritas made,” she assured him. He smiled down at her.
“Have I told you how glad I am that you stuck around?”
“Only about once a day.”
“Good. Don't want you to forget it,” he said, then he leaned down and kissed the top of her head before striding away.
She watched as he pointed a very angry finger in Brie's face. She smirked and said something back, which was immediately followed by Liam grabbing her arm and yanking her off the stool. Katya grimaced. Brie shouldn't have been in the club, period, since she was underage, but Liam had given up trying to keep her out, and just requested that she not come after ten o'clock, not order any drinks, and not sit at the bars. Clearly, she was having trouble understanding the rules. His anger turned on Tori, pointing between her and Brie.
Katya frowned as her ex-roommate leaned back, holding up her hands and snapping back at her boss. Lucky for Tori, she and her boss were very close friends outside of work, so she could pretty much speak to Liam however she wanted and get away with it. Good for her, too, because she eventually threw her cleaning towel in his face and stomped away from the bar.
Though she wanted nothing more than everyone around her to be in loving, fulfilling relationships, Katya was happy about Tori's single status. The girl was doing better than ever – her promotion to night shift manager had been a huge step up for her, and had come with a very hefty raise. She was proud of herself, had made a name for herself in that small space, and clearly was very happy without any kind of man in her life. In fact, she was doing better than she'd ever done with any of her past boyfriend
s.
…. yeeaaahhh, but it would still be fun to see the kind of guy that will finally tame her.
“Your friend is a bitch,” Brie snarled as she came up alongside her sister. Katya raised an eyebrow.
“I'm sure the feeling is mutual,” she replied. She'd learned over the course of her “friendship” with Brie that it was best to return her attitude with more attitude.
“Whatever. She's just pissed because Eden wouldn't fuck her if she paid him to.”
“Brighton!” Vieve almost yelled. “Just because you're a miserable little girl doesn't mean you have to make everyone around you miserable.”
Katya was ready to go into save-a-ho-mode, too, but Vieve's chastisement shockingly seemed to be enough. Brie's face turned red and she hesitated for a second before hurrying up the stairs.
“I'm sorry, but has she seemed … bitchier to you?” Katya asked.
“You have no idea. I went up to her apartment the other day – disgusting. She's stopped cleaning, there's food containers all over the kitchen, and a six inch layer of dust on everything. It's impossible to get her on the phone, she keeps missing our lunch dates. I'm tired of chasing after her,” Vieve sighed, rubbing her hand across her forehead. Katya smiled and rubbed her back.
“Well, then … maybe you should stop chasing,” she suggested. Vieve snorted.
“I can't help it, it's what I do. Speaking of which, I'm gonna go chase her down right now. We're still on for dinner?” she checked as she turned away.
“Of course. Seven o'clock. Parking is a nightmare down there, so maybe leave -”
“Early, I know. Wulfy hates when people are late,” Vieve laughed. “I'll be there at six-thirty.”
“See you!”
Katya watched as Vieve dashed up the stairs, chasing after her sister. She was right – she was always chasing after somebody. She'd become den mother to them all. Making sure Wulf wasn't being too hard on Katya, making sure Katya wasn't overreacting to Wulf's attitude. She'd taken over cooking duties for Tori and despite being as opposite as two people could be, the two girls got along well as roommates. Vieve even checked in on the Edenhoff twins, moderating fights and even separating them when necessary, allowing Landon to crash in hers and Tori's apartment occasionally.
The Neighborhood (Twin Estates #2) Page 33