Remy
“Mr. MacAlister? I have a Belle Garcia here to see you.”
I froze in place, my hand hovering over the mouse of my computer and my jaw practically on my lap. What the hell was Belle doing here? At my office. In the middle of the day.
After the way I’d left her last night, I hadn’t expected to ever see her again except for maybe at Ryder and Bailey’s wedding. It’d been shitty, but I was still salty about the way she’d left me and the assumptions she’d made about why I was moving.
She hadn’t been wrong, but that wasn’t the point.
“Mr. MacAlister?”
I jumped in my seat and hit the button to answer my secretary. “Thanks, Helen. You can send her in.”
Holy shit.
Belle Garcia was here. In my office. In the middle of the day.
As those thoughts continued to circle around my head, a question popped up and nudged them out of the way.
Why?
Why would she come here? Why would she seek me out? What could she possibly have to say to me?
It was then I realized she was probably here to bitch me out about last night. With a heavy sigh, I leaned back in my chair and accepted my fate. You don’t mess with a girl like Belle Garcia and not expect some kind of retribution. There was no escaping her now, and it seemed like all I could do was sit here and accept the consequences for my actions.
The door to my office opened and my heart shot into the back of my throat. Belle stepped through, looking about as nervous as I felt, but at the same time, so beautiful my hands began to sweat.
I stood from my seat and watched her silently as she crossed the room to my desk. Finally, I unglued my tongue from the roof of my mouth and spoke. “Belle. This is unexpected.”
It sounded stupid as hell, but it was all I could come up with. This woman scrambled my wits, making it hard to think let alone talk in her presence. Especially when I was as confused as I was at that moment.
Her honey-colored eyes darted around my office, looking anywhere but at me. Now that she was in my space, I felt this need to make her feel more comfortable. To do what I could to make her relax if that was at all possible. I walked around my desk, so the imposing cherry wood monstrosity wasn’t between us anymore. As I got closer, her eyes widened slightly before she looked away again. I perched on the edge right in front of her and spoke up again. “Do you want something to drink? I could have Helen bring in some coffee or something…”
Belle’s eyes met mine, and this time held them. “No, I’m good. I don’t plan on being here long.”
I watched as she spoke, trying to figure out what this was all about and, more importantly, what was expected of me. Belle constantly kept me on my toes. Kept me guessing what was coming next and how I was supposed to react. It was as frustrating as it was exhilarating.
“Okay, what’s up?”
“I’m sorry to barge in here without notice, but it’s not like I have your number or anything.”
“That’s probably something we should have rectified before we slept together, huh?”
She narrowed her eyes at me, and my balls shriveled a little in my pants.
“I’m not here to talk about… that.”
“Then what are you here to talk about?”
She looked away for a minute before meeting my gaze again which hadn’t left her once since she walked in here. “I want to talk about what happened last night.”
I sighed and reached up to rub the back of my neck. “Yeah, I guess I owe you an apology.”
She frowned. “For what?”
“For… you know. Getting in your space like that and working you up and then just leaving.”
She scoffed, but it sounded a little forced. “You didn’t work me up.”
I raised an incredulous brow. “You’re gonna tell me your nipples weren’t hard in that tiny ass tank top you had on?”
Her cheeks darkened as she looked away. “It was cold. It had nothing to do with you.”
Now it was my turn to scoff.
Her amber eyes snapped in my direction before narrowing again. “I’m not here to talk about… that either.”
I stood up and took a step closer. “Then what are you here to talk about?”
She lifted her chin higher, her gaze locked on mine. “I’m here to offer you my spare bedroom.”
Through sheer willpower, I remained standing still, but mentally, her words had shocked me enough to knock me back a step. Even if I’d had a week to think about it, there was no scenario that I would have come up with that would end with her saying what she just did.
The question why surfaced again, louder than ever. Why was she doing this? Why would she offer me that room? Why would she go out of her way to ask me to stay with her? Those questions couldn’t all be contained and finally one slipped out. “Why?”
She shrugged. “You need a place to stay until your apartment’s ready and I have a spare room. It’s really not a big deal.”
I almost laughed out loud because she was such a liar. This was a huge deal. You didn’t sleep with your neighbor/acquaintance, then sneak out of his apartment in the middle of the night only to turn around and offer him a room in your place. Something wasn’t adding up.
I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to study her, but it was as if she’d pulled down a steel curtain between us. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking or feeling in that moment and it left me on edge.
“So, what you’re telling me is, you want the guy you fucked once to move in with you. I thought you didn’t do relationships.”
Her head jerked backward. “This is not a relationship. And you’re not a guy I fucked once. You’re a friend of a friend and you need a place to stay. That’s it.”
I shook my head and took another step closer, until I could smell the vanilla scent that still haunted me, and I could feel the heat of her curvy body. “No. That’s not it. This is a lot more complicated than that and you know it.”
She shrugged, trying to look unaffected and falling short. “I don’t see how it’s complicated. According to Bailey you’re hardly ever home. We’ll probably never see each other.”
“Is that what you want? To not see me?”
She opened her mouth to speak and closed it with a snap. When she tried again, she said, “I don’t care one way or the other.”
My lips twitched with a smile because I knew she was lying again. I took another step closer and watched as her chest rose and fell with a deep breath. Her white teeth bit down into her plump bottom lip hard enough to make an indent. I knew she was just as affected by me as I was by her, she just didn’t want to admit it.
I couldn’t stop my hand from reaching up to tug on her chin, releasing her lip from the mercy of her teeth. “So, you’re telling me you’ll have no problem sleeping in the room next to me for months? No problem sharing a bathroom? A shower? No problem at all seeing me day in and day out with all this between us?”
She squeezed her eyes closed tightly for a moment before pulling out of my hold and spearing me with a severe look. “There’s nothing between us.”
I smirked. “Keep telling yourself that, beautiful.”
She took another shaky breath before backing up a step. Her hands were in tight fists at her sides and I was seriously wondering if I was about to get hit when she spoke up. “We need to set some ground rules, though.”
I smiled wider and crossed my arms over my chest again, reveling in the way her eyes raked over my biceps before she shook her head. “I’m listening.”
“First of all, you keep your hands to yourself.”
I held them both up in surrender. “I won’t touch you unless you ask me to.”
She scoffed. “Believe me, I won’t ask you to.”
“Fine, then we’ll have no problem.”
“And no more calling me beautiful.”
“But you are.”
She shook her head and shot a stern look my way. “No nicknames. No p
et names. No calling me beautiful.”
I shrugged. “Fine. If that’s what you want.”
“I do.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
I smiled again. She was so cute when she was trying to pretend like she wasn’t as turned on as I was. I had a feeling that if I crossed the couple of feet separating us and pulled her into my arms, there’d be no resistance. She’d give in to me just as easily as she had that night. But I’d promised not to touch her until she asked, and I intended to keep that oath.
I knew it wouldn’t be long before we were both breaking these rules. The electricity between us was too strong. Too real. Too undeniable.
“So, we’re good here?”
I shrugged again. “Are you sure you’re ready for a new roommate?”
Her eyes said no, but her lips said, “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Okay, then I’ll be by later tonight.”
She nodded and took a shaky step backward. “Okay. I’ll see you later and I’ll have a key made for you.”
With that, she spun around and hurried across my office, disappearing behind the door. I stood there watching the space she’d occupied for a long time after that as I tried to wrap my mind around what happened. One thought drowned out the others, louder and more insistent than the rest.
What the fuck did I just get myself into?
Chapter 10
Belle
What the fuck did I just get myself into?
That question among others swirled around my head for the rest of the day. If I’d thought going to talk to Remy would ease my mind and make it easier to do my job, I was sorely mistaken. If anything, it was much worse.
Now I had added unwanted thoughts in my head about the things Remy brought up. About knowing he was sleeping just feet away from me. About sharing a bathroom with him. About stepping into the shower after him, knowing he’d just been wet and naked in there.
I shook my head and tried to focus on the monitor in front of me. There were less than two weeks until the most important show of my career and I couldn’t afford to blow it.
The rest of the day was a struggle to keep my mind off Remy and my head in the game and I was thankful when it was time to go home for the night. Until I remembered Remy would be there too.
He’d said he’d be by later, but I didn’t know what time that meant which did little to alleviate my anxiety. I stopped by a hardware store on my way home to make a copy of my key for him as I’d promised. The little piece of metal felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket, but I tried to ignore that too.
This was all feeling way too real for me and I needed to take a step back. To remind myself I was just a friend helping out a friend and nothing more. That this didn’t mean I was in a relationship with Remy, despite his insinuation.
Just because I was going to live with a man for the next two months didn’t mean anything. And even though we’d slept together once, that wasn’t something I was going to be repeating. I didn’t do second dates or repeat hookups or anything of the sort. I was a one and done kinda girl and the situation with Remy wouldn’t change that.
I’d seen what happens when you let yourself get close to someone like that. When you let your guard down and let someone in. I’d watched my own mother almost waste away to nothing mourning the loss of my father and I swore that would never happen to me. That I’d be stronger than her. That I’d be smarter. That I’d never feel so much for someone that their absence had the power to wound me like that.
I’d kept that promise since I was ten years old and I wasn’t about to break it now.
I got home, and even though I knew there was no way Remy was there already, I made sure to check each room for him, anyway. It was official–I was losing my mind.
Once I’d confirmed I was alone, I walked into my room to change out of my confining work clothes. I stood there in the middle of the floor trying to decide what I was going to wear now that I knew I’d have someone else living with me. When it had just been Bailey, it hadn’t mattered. Now, there would be a man here–a man who’d already seen me naked–my clothing options needed to be evaluated.
My normal after-work ensemble included old sweatpants and a tank top, but was that still a good idea? Especially given Remy’s comment earlier. Usually, the first thing to go was my bra but now I was worried my nipples would give me a way again and he’d notice. With an exasperated sigh, I left the torture device on and threw a tank over it. That was the most I was willing to compromise.
Not a single part of this day had gone according to plan, and I was feeling the irritation down to my bones. Knowing there was only one solution for this problem, I yanked open the fridge and dug out a bottle of wine. Once I had a full glass, I pulled out my cell and solved the second problem.
“Meat lovers’ pizza, you never do me wrong,” I mumbled as I ordered my dinner.
Eyeing the door for a moment as if Remy could show up at any second, I sighed and walked into the living room to wait for my delivery. Charlotte wasted no time hopping up on the couch to snuggle and I took comfort in the fact that I had her no matter what. Too bad she wasn’t nearly big enough to shield me from the effects of Remy MacAlister.
My pizza came and Remy still wasn’t home and now I wished we’d exchanged numbers. I knew I had no right, but wasn’t it normal to want to know when your housemate would be home? Or was that crossing a line?
When Bailey lived with me, I always knew when she’d be home, but I couldn’t expect the same relationship with Remy, right? Not like I wanted the same relationship with him. Or any relationship at all for that matter.
Once I realized I was thinking in circles, I poured another glass of wine and tried to lose myself in the show I was watching. It didn’t work.
I felt as jumpy as my little Jack Russell Terrier. Every car that drove down the street had the possibility of being Remy’s. Every sound I heard outside could be him making his way inside.
It was nearing eleven, and I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. With the long hours I was pulling at the gallery, I would usually have been in bed by now but not only did I have to let Remy in, I wouldn’t have gone to bed without seeing him first, anyway. I didn’t think, despite how tired I was, that I’d get any sleep with the black cloud of unknowns hanging over my head.
Finally, I heard the exterior entrance open and there was a soft knock on my door. Charlotte raced to verbally abuse him while I took my time. For some reason, I was irritated that he was showing up this late. That thought was ridiculous though, so I stifled it. I had no right to have any expectations of him and I needed to remember that.
With a deep breath, I pulled the door open to reveal the man I hadn’t been able to get out of my head all day. If anything, he looked better than he had earlier. His hair was in disarray like he’d run his fingers through it too many times, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal those tattoos again. Questions about them were on the tip of my tongue but I swallowed them. Now wasn’t the time. I wasn’t sure there’d ever be a time.
“Hey, Belle. Sorry I’m so late.”
I shrugged and took a sip from my wine glass. “No worries.”
One corner of his lips curled into a smile directed right at me and I had to look away. “I’m just gonna run upstairs and grab my suitcases, okay?”
I shrugged again. “Sure. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
He nodded before disappearing up the stairs and I closed the door behind him, wishing I could do the same in my brain. I turned around and shut my eyes, taking deep calming breaths that were doing little to no good.
What the hell was I doing? If I couldn’t make it through five minutes of being in his presence, how was I going to survive two whole months? I needed to get myself under control and get my raging hormones in check before I did something stupid. Like drool on myself imagining those thick arms of his.
With a shake of my head, I walked back into the living room and tried to focus on the show
I’d been watching. I wanted to make it look like I wasn’t interested in him or what he was doing. Unfortunately, nothing could have been further from the truth.
A couple minutes later, my door opened, and I listened intently as Remy walked in, the sound of rolling suitcases following him. “Hey, which room is mine?”
“You’re in the one near the bathroom,” I called.
He didn’t respond, and I did my best to not focus on every little sound or movement he made, but it was hard. Remy MacAlister was in my space. Using up my oxygen. He’d be only feet away at any given moment. It was enough to drive me out of my mind.
After a few minutes, I heard his footsteps crossing the kitchen toward me and I sat up straighter, steeling my nerves against him.
“Hey, what’s with the air mattress?”
I turned to find him standing in the doorway of the living room. I did my best to look at him as little as possible, but that was so difficult with how damn handsome he was. His dark hair gleamed in the weak light of the living room and despite how tired he looked, his chocolate-colored eyes still twinkled as he looked at me.
Damn it. What kind of defense was I supposed to have against a man whose eyes twinkled?
I cleared my throat. “Well, you said you’d be by late. I figured you wouldn’t want to move your bed down tonight and you needed somewhere to sleep.”
His eyes softened, and I looked away. “I could have slept on the couch”
I shrugged. “It’s a small couch.”
He glanced at the furniture in question and sighed. “Thanks, Belle. I really appreciate it.” Then he surprised the hell out of me by walking further into the room and taking a seat right next to me.
It shouldn’t have been right next to me, but he was so big, he took up more than one cushion, forcing me to press myself against the arm and hope no stray body part touched him.
He sighed and reclined in the cushions like he did this every night. “What are we watching?”
My tongue was frozen in my mouth for a second, so I didn’t answer right away. When I got everything working again, I said, “Oh. Um, just some Law & Order reruns.”
Beyond Beautiful (Love in Providence Book 2) Page 8