Haley flinches. “You’re right. It wasn’t comfortable. I just meant sleeping with you.” She presses her lips against my cheek. “Thanks for staying last night. Even with all this extra security stuff, I felt better with you here.”
″You’re welcome.”
″Thank you for taking me to meet your parents, too. I had a good night, Cal. Even if I picked a fight with you.”
Her arms wrap around my neck, and she beams as she kisses me. There’s a lighter air about her as if sharing her childhood has helped lighten her.
When she finally broke that barrier and allowed me into her most intimate secrets, I knew we’d reached the turning point. The spot where we keep moving forward instead of backing off and calling it quits.
Though her confession filled me with a rage that I fought to control, I’m delighted that we made progress.
″What are you thinking?” Her voice brings me to the present. I tilt my head down to get a better look at her, and she peers up at me, a smile plastered on her face. Her hazel eyes twinkle and my heart melts.
I will do anything to protect her. Anything necessary to keep her smiling forever.
″I’m thinking that you should probably go shower. You’re starting to smell like a sub shop,” I say drily.
Her mouth drops open, eyes wide as she pretends to be insulted. “Wow. And here I thought you were going to tell me I had good morning breath.”
″Sure, if I were in the mood for some onions.”
″Fine. No kisses for you.” She giggles, pulling away. “I do need a shower. Can you get some coffee going while I’m gone?”
″Sure.” I’d ask her about joining, except I don’t want to push her.
She disappears up her staircase while I head to her kitchen. I don’t think I’ve ever had to make coffee before. I always had a housekeeper, and if I wanted it on her day off, I’d just buy it at a coffee shop.
After fumbling with the buttons on her machine a bit, the bloody thing goes haywire, spitting water at me. After cleaning up the mess, I grab my phone to text Cillian and tell him to bring us coffee.
It doesn’t take him long to knock. Not bothering to put my dirty suit back on, I head for the door in just my boxers. When I open it, I’m instead met with a brunette woman, her brown eyes wide as she stares at me, suitcase in hand.
″Holy shit.” Her mouth gapes open as she eyes me. “You—” She pauses, stepping back, and glances at the house numbers on the outside of the door. “Where’s Haley?”
″And who are you, lass?” My brow furrows as she tugs the straps on her purse.
″I could ask you the same thing.”
Her nose scrunches with irritation. She presses her hand against my shoulder, shoving past me. It’s not much force, and I just let her by, curious who this woman is and why Cillian would let her pass.
″Haley?!” Her voice booms as she enters the house.
″She’s in the shower, lass.”
The woman whirls on me. “Are you having sex? Is she having sex with you?”
″Well, that’s a bit of a personal question when we haven’t even exchanged names.”
″I’m just trying to understand the purpose for you to be here…undressed.”
″Are you Haley’s keeper? Last I checked, she is a grown adult. She can make her own decisions about who she lets into her house.”
The woman circles me, like a shark getting a sense for its next meal. “You’re right. She can. I just never thought of her as being attracted to the asshole type.”
″Arsehole? I let you in, didn’t I? That makes me nice. I could have slammed the door in your face.”
″Andi!” Haley’s voice travels across the room as she comes into view from the top of the stairs. Her hair is wet and she’s changed into running gear. “I lost track of the days. I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow, for some reason.”
″Oh my God.” Andi hurries to Haley and hugs her. “You didn’t tell me you were having sex.”