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Baker shrugged, like he still held reservations about what I’d planned, but grabbed a couple of pieces of luggage and quickly joined me at the elevator. Once he was there, I punched in the penthouse code, the side that belonged to Eli, and waited.
“Well, at least I feel better that he gave you the code to the parking garage and to his penthouse,” Baker said. “I know you guys obviously got off on the wrong foot and I don’t want to be a part of anything that might add to that messy sludge.” He laughed. “It hasn’t been that long since Seth and I nearly parted ways because of a stupid misunderstanding. Communication is important…and obviously you guys are much better at it than Seth and I.”
Uh oh. Baker’s words made me cringe. Shit…was I screwing up? Surely not. Eli had asked me to move in with him. I knew he wanted me. Eli was the honesty star while I was the watch-me-lie star. As I stepped onto the elevator, I assured myself that this was the right decision—that Eli wanted me with him as badly I was wanted to be with him. What could go wrong?
As the elevator doors slid closed, I admitted, “Well…he didn’t exactly give me the code to the parking garage or to his suite. I hacked them on the computer—that’s what I’m good at, right?” Misgivings kept bombarding me as Baker studied me quietly…and the floors clicked by. Eli’s penthouse was on the fifteenth floor. From what I could hack in to, I knew that Eli’s apartment was on the west side and Sam’s was on the east side. The top of the building held a huge pool and entertainment area that they both shared. It was enclosed to keep them warm since Colorado rarely had many sunny days meant for swimming and sunbathing. I wasn’t good at swimming, but I wouldn’t drown if tossed into a pool. Maybe Eli could teach me?
“Shit, Ari, that’s not cool. This is a huge step…one you guys both need to discuss and agree upon. I know the one thing that pissed me off most about Seth was that he assumed he knew exactly what I wanted and needed instead of asking me. I’m getting a bad feeling about this. When you asked how tight my leash was, I assumed you meant that I would be getting into something that might earn me a few love pats from my man—not a full-on punishment for misbehavior. When I break his rules, I like it to be something fun and playful—not something dangerous.”
“Calm down, Baker. When have I ever led you down the wrong path?”
Plenty times, but I knew Baker wouldn’t mention any of them. He was too sweet to throw anything back into my face.
“Many times. More times than I can count.”
Well, so much for him being too sweet.
He pulled out his cell and frowned. “Seth is pissed. He demands to know where we are and what we’re doing.”
He started texting straight away, answering the man he loved—his husband. Unfortunately, his honesty was going to ruin my surprise. Before he could stop me, I snagged his cell away and tucked it into my pants pocket. “Trust me on this, Baker. I’m not making a mistake. Eli loves me, and I love him. All our misunderstandings in the past have been based on my dishonesty. That shit is behind me now. I’m going to give Eli the same respect he’s always given me.” I grinned as the elevator doors slid open. “Me loves him, Baker! True love. I know I talked trash about him, but I didn’t mean it. It’s always been about Eli…nobody else. Ever.”
After snagging a couple pieces of my luggage, Baker slipped into the elevator with me—a worried look still on his face. “I don’t like this, Ari. It doesn’t feel right.” He turned and glared at me. “Give me my cell so I can at least let Seth know that I’m okay. I don’t want him worried about me.”
Baker’s words didn’t bother me as much as the look on his face. I felt some of my bravado slip. Handing him his cell, I asked, “Do you think Eli doesn’t really love me?”
“No, Ari, I know that Eli loves you. The poor fool has been lovesick since he arrived in our part of the world, sniffing after you like a tomcat while you turned your fluffy tail up at him and pranced away, pulling one disappearing act after another. I’ve felt his pain. I know he’s madly in love with you. I…I just don’t feel good about making such a huge life decision without both of you discussing it together.”
Floors clicked away as the elevator climbed…along with my anxiety. Doubts and insecurities started tugging at my heart. Inside her carrier, Havoc started to meow loudly, as if she sensed my stress. Was I making a mistake? Had I misread every signal Eli sent me?
