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“Um…” Brian looked over Rae’s head, then back down at her.
“My showerhead broke. Maintenance is here to fix it.”
“How’d you break it?” he asked as he stepped inside—stepping to the side as he did since it wasn’t like she’d moved out of the way to invite him in. Exasperated, Rae glared at him.
“I didn’t do anything! The head just popped off, then it wouldn’t… Where are you going?” She didn’t know why she bothered asking the question because she already knew the answer. He was going to see what was going on for himself because he was a bossy Dom who couldn’t help himself.
Dammit. She should’ve shut the door in his face as soon as she saw who was standing there.
Rather than answering her, Brian strode back and into her room. Rae made another exasperated sound of frustration as she trotted in behind him, which he also ignored.
“Oh, wow,” he said, coming to a halt in Rae’s bedroom as he took in the scene. Layne was in the bathroom, soaking wet, with her coveralls clinging to her curves. Somehow, she’d gotten the water turned off at least, but that didn’t solve the problem of what now looked like two inches of water on the bathroom floor that was slowly seeping through the towel barrier.
“I think we’re going to have to turn off the water to this villa in order for me to fix this,” Layne said apologetically, looking between Rae and Brian. “And I’m not sure I’m going to be able to fix it today, though I can try.”
“We’re also going to need someone to come clean up the water,” Brian murmured, turning his head slightly back and forth as he looked everything over.
“Not my department, but yes. I’ll let them know.” Layne glanced between Rae and Brian. “Are you two both staying in here or…”
“No, I’m next door. She can stay with me until this is fixed.”
“Hey, who says I want to stay with you?” Rae put her hands on her hips. It was just like Brian to come barging into her villa and bossing her around. At the same time, the moment he suggested she do so, her brain started pinging around her head with all the reasons why it was a good idea.
Everyone else was paired up, so she’d be a complete third wheel staying with them. She also didn’t want to bother Mitch and Domi or make them feel like they needed to do anything for her—and Brian would keep his mouth shut about it. Plus… okay, as anti-feminist as it was, there was a part of her that swooned over a man who led with problem-solving. Even if she didn’t actually need him to solve her problem, it was still kinda hot.
Brian
“Okay, well, I’m going to go turn off the water from the outside, and you two can figure out what you’re doing in private,” said the woman in Rae’s bathroom, sloshing through the water to get to the door.
Her exit gave him the opportunity to take a deep breath and get himself under control.
Dammit, he should know better than to go into Daddy mode with Rae. She might like it, but she hated admitting how much she liked it. Seeing the golf cart pull up in front of her villa and the woman with a toolbox get out, he hadn’t been able to resist the impulse to come over and find out what was going on. Nor had he been able to resist going into Rae’s villa and offering up his own place for her to sleep.
Except it hadn’t really been an offer. More like a demand. He’d seen a need and responded to it, the way he always did. And with Rae, he always forgot to have a gentler hand.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to face her.
“Rae, would you like to spend tonight in my villa, so you have a place to sleep near everyone else?” If she went elsewhere, that would stress out Domi, which would upset Mitch. He didn’t think Rae wanted to go to a different villa on a different street, away from the rest of the group. She just also didn’t like him making decisions for her.
Which, since she wasn’t his, was fair.
Rae lifted her stubborn chin in the air, and for a moment, he thought she was going to say no just to spite him.
“Fine. Since you asked,” she said haughtily.
It wasn’t what she said so much as the way she said it that made his palm itch to spank her, even though she had good reason for it.
“Great.” A night on the couch wouldn’t hurt him. It was a comfortable couch. But he was already regretting the necessity because the more time he spent with Rae, the more he struggled with his desire for her. “Do you want to pack up a few things to bring over?”
To his surprise, she turned around and walked over to where her suitcase was lying on the floor, crouching down to zip up the case.
“Done,” she announced, standing back up and pulling it up on its end with her. The way she handled it made it clear that it was heavy and full of her things.
Brian blinked.
“Seriously?” he asked. It wasn’t like they’d been go-go-go since arriving, especially yesterday, and she hadn’t unpacked at all?
“Oh, right, toiletries.” Rae looked at the open doorway of her bathroom, as did Brian. It was clear the towels were getting soaked. “I’ll get those later.”
