“I believe that.” I tell her and she shrugs, then takes my hand once more leading me through the maze of boxes, piles of wood, paint cans and building supplies to the back of the building where the elevator is. When we reach it, Clay touches his cell phone to the panel on the front which causes the door to open up and once we’re all inside, Winter presses the button for the fifth floor. When the doors open again, we enter a familiar hallway and take a right to the only doors on the floor and Clay uses his phone again to let us inside his place.
The moment we step through the door, Skye is there to greet us, first going to Winter to get a hug that makes my heart melt, then coming over to me.
“Hey girl.” I squat down to rub my fingers through her thick fur, and she makes a chuffing sound as she nuzzles my neck. Once I’ve given her a proper greeting, I stand and look around. Without the hangover I had the last time I was here I’m able to truly appreciate just how beautiful the vast space is. And I imagine that his entire home must be the size of the area downstairs that is currently being worked on which makes me curious about what is behind some of the doors that are closed.
“Kick off your shoes and get comfortable, babe,” Clay orders me as he walks to the kitchen with the shopping bags.
Winter drops her backpack, takes off her hat and leaves it next to the door along with her coat.
Since I still have on the heels I wore to work that might not be killing my feet but aren’t exactly comfortable, I slip them off, then pad across the warm concrete floors in my stockings. I then take off my coat and lay it over the back of the couch along with the fitted suit jacket I wore over the silky button-down top I tucked into my pencil skirt.
“Willow, do you want to see my doll house?” Winter asks from across the room grabbing my attention.
I start to tell her “yes”, but before I can get my mouth open, Clay cuts me off.
“Reading first. You know your dad will have my ass if you don’t get your homework done.”
“Aww come on, I just want to show her it.”
“Sorry kid.” He shakes his head.
She lets out a groan, but still goes to her backpack and digs through it, taking out a book before going to the couch.
As she plants herself on one of the overstuffed cushions, I walk to the kitchen where Clay is unpacking the shopping bags. When his eyes come to me, a very inconvenient tingle slips down my spine.
“Come here, babe,” he says quietly.
I keep my feet firmly planted where I’m standing. “Do you want to show me where everything is? I should get the lasagna started since it will take some time.”
“No, what I want is for you to come here.”
I let out a breath of frustration, not with him but with myself, because lord, I want to listen to him and that is so not like me. “Clay.”
“All right I’ll come to you.” He stops what he’s doing and walks toward me.
I tense, not sure that I’ll be able to handle it if he kisses me again. Putting my hand up to stop him when he’s close, he drops his eyes to my hand and smiles then lifts his hands toward my face, and I hold my breath not sure what he’s up to. Then a weight is lifted off my head and I feel all kinds of idiotic as he places the hardhat I was still wearing on the counter next to me.
“So nervous, Mouse,” he says softly, then leans in, his lips brushing against my ear where he whispers. “I won’t attack you with Winter here, you’re safe for a bit.”
He leans back and I wonder if it’s obvious that my heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might jump out of my chest.
“Come on.” His hand grasps mine and he leads me to the bags on the counter. “Just tell me what you need and what you want me to do.”
Clearing my throat, I look at the stuff on the counter, then with a deep breath, I get started on making dinner, not even bothering to ask how I got myself into this situation. It’s obvious that I’ve fallen into some strange alternate reality like that movie where the guy had all his ex-girlfriends show up to show him where he went wrong in life.
“Have you spoken to your friend from work, the one you went out with?” Clay asks while going over to the oven and turning it on to preheat.