“But not on you.” He gave me a why don’t we compromise and be nice smile. “Look, I’m not a serial killer. You can ask the sheriff.”
My teeth clenched. Kingstree’s most unhelpful sheriff’s department. If they’d been more useful, I would’ve already been done with the sex scene and more. “Then borrow hot water from him. I’m not letting you use my shower. It’s a free country.”
“But it’s also a kind country. Neighbors let neighbors borrow water and stuff all the time.”
“Not this neighbor.” I gave him a fake smile, deriving petty enjoyment from saying no. “Why should I? Maybe if you can’t wash for two weeks, you’ll quit trying to make me deaf with your drumming. What was it you said? Drumming is sweaty work? Maybe you could take up something less sweaty. Like reading. Or meditation. Or going comatose.”
He threw up a hand in the air like he couldn’t believe my reaction. It made his abs stand out more. “I’m a professional musician. People pay to listen to me play. I really do have to practice.”
“Do you expect me to believe that? Delusions aren’t meant to be shared, you know.”
His face fell. He looked like an author discovering the first one-star review on his precious debut novel.
I felt slightly bad at how upset he seemed, even though I was annoyed that I felt bad, since he was the one who’d made it impossible for me to write. But he seemed sincere in his reaction. Maybe he really was a musician. I remembered how much I resented my dad and strangers putting my writing down because I wrote romance. The arts were hard, and maybe I shouldn’t have been so harsh.
On the other hand, he was the one sabotaging my effort to finish my work in progress. I had a deadline, not only on the manuscript but also on the bet with my dad.
“Look, why don’t we compromise?” I said, as a genius idea struck me. “Why don’t you refrain from making any noise for the entire month? You can at least do that, right?”
He looked at me like I was showing him an email from a Nigerian prince. “Oooo-kay… What do I get?”
“You can use my shower until your water heater’s fixed, assuming it doesn’t take more than a couple of weeks.” Killian was a man, which meant it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes for him to do his thing. Ten minutes max. And that was a small trade-off for a month of silence. Much as I liked the idea of room service, I would prefer to be home with access to my favorite ice cream and beer.
“Well.” He pulled his lips in and considered for a moment. “That seems unfair. I only get to use the shower for two weeks.”
Oh, so you want to play hardball? “Well, if you don’t like the terms, you’re welcome to man up and take a cold shower every day.” I made sure to ad
d my sweetest, brightest smile. If he didn’t care about cold showers, he wouldn’t have trekked all the way over here in nothing but a towel.
He stared at me, his eyes slightly glazed. Then he shook his head. “So…no noise at all?”
I nodded. “I need my peace and quiet.”
“That seems kind of impossible. I mean, can I watch TV?”
I frowned a little at the ridiculous question. “As long as the volume’s low.”
“How about cooking?”
I gave him a long-suffering look at his pathetic attempt to find loopholes. He was an amateur compared to my dad. “Of course you can cook. I mean annoying noises.”
“How about snoring? Can I snore? It isn’t annoying?”
I gritted my teeth. “You know what I mean! Obnoxious, loud noise I can hear from my home! I don’t care if you snore, belch or fart, as long as I don’t hear it!”
“Just wanted to make things clear. Keeping one’s word is important,” he said, his eyes innocently wide.
“Don’t even try,” I said.
“Try what?” This time he batted his ridiculously long eyelashes, which were gorgeous.
And the fact that I noticed their gorgeousness annoyed me to no end. I was above being stupid over a pretty face and a hard body. I had brain that didn’t reside in my loins.
I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll bet there isn’t an innocent bone in your body.”
He gave me an enigmatic smile. “So. The shower?”
“Fine. Upstairs.” I moved away from the door, permitting him into my home and praying I didn’t end up regretting it.