Chapter 16
IVY
Seven nights in the same room with H.A.M.?
Uh, no. Not. Happening.
Hands on hips, I stand, serving my best narrow-eyed glare. “Part of our arrangement is sleeping in separate rooms.” My eyes scan the nine-hundred-square-foot space, with its king-sized bed, couch, bathroom, and a kitchenette. “This…is not separate rooms, Chase Hunter.”
He wheels our suitcases in, nose all wrinkled up. “You do know you don’t have to speak British when it’s just the two of us, right?”
Arms folded, I say, “I’m serious,” and realize I’ve even said that in my fake accent.
“Look, I know this isn’t what you were expecting, but we can totally make this work.” He struts over to me, then casts those green eyes down on mine as he rubs my shoulders, the warmth of his hands, even through my heavy coat, making my legs feel like mush. “I’ll take the couch; you and BB can have the bed.”
Blinking up at him, I pout. “Fine, but if you snore, it’ll be the bathtub for you.”
“And if you snore—”
I hit him in his gut, feel those tight abs contract.Help. Me. “I don’t snore.”
Pulling off my coat, I toss it onto the bed and plunge down beside it. The beautiful home, an elegant Brownstone, with three massive stories, is located in Park Slope, one of New York’s most desirable neighborhoods. Best of all, it’s not too far from my parents’ home in Brooklyn Heights. Being this close to home makes me want so badly to stop by, at least for a quick hello. I missed a call from Ma last night and need to make it a point to call her back soon.
“C’mon, Ivy. I’ll give you a tour, then we should head back downstairs for a bite to eat.”
I grimace. “Shouldn’t you just call meEvelynso you don’t get confused?”
“Good point.”
Chase leads me back down a flight of stairs, the hardwood planks creaking beneath us. “This house was originally designed to be a two-family residence, ideal for renting out the top or the bottom floor,” he explains, stopping at the landing. “Being the investors they were, Mom and Dad purchased it with the plan to rent out the upper floor to supplement their income.” He leads me through the hallway and into a small kitchen. “That’s why this house is equipped with two main living spaces and two full kitchens. The area of the house we’ll be staying in was where my nanny used to stay.”
I nod, my eyes canvassing the quaint kitchen. “Oh, you had a nanny?”
“Only when they had to take business trips overseas.” He opens the fridge and takes out two bottles of water. He hands me one, and I twist the top off, sip, then follow behind him as he walks us back through the hallway toward some bedrooms.
“And did they ever rent out the upper or lower half of the house?”
“No. Once Mom found out she was pregnant with me, she didn’t want any other families living under this roof. They did some renovations and called it Hunter Castle for fun. When I was a little boy, I truly thought it was a castle. Until I began visiting friends’ homes and quickly realized most Brownstones were built like mine.”
He shows me three bedrooms, one belonging to Maddie and the other two for guests, before we come to a stop at a room at the end of the hall.
“This used to be my room, but as you heard Mom say earlier, they’ve apparently converted it into a study.”
He swings the door open, as if he can’t wait to see what they did to his once-sacred space. Inside, there’s a large mahogany desk, an oversized lounge chair, a big-screen television above the fireplace, and a wall cabinet filled with trophies and awards. Chase approaches the cabinet, me only steps behind him.
He clears his emotion-riddled throat. “These are my football trophies, starting from my days in Pop Warner.”
I move in for an up-close view and our fingers graze, the connection between us like electricity, sending chills through my veins. I pull my hand back, tuck my hair behind my ear, and try to focus on the trophies, instead of my out-of-control heartbeat. “There’s so many of them, Chase.”
He scoffs. “Yeah, so long ago. But it’s a nice reflection of my dedication to the sport. I’ll have to thank Mom and Dad for displaying them in this cabinet.”
Famished, we find our way to the kitchen where Chase’s mom, Zia, is playing with BB. “Oh hey, you two, does that room work for you?”
“Sure,” Chase answers for both of us and I just stand in silence, sipping on my bottle of water.
“Wonderful. Like I mentioned, you two shouldn’t be separated. An attractive couple like yourselves, well, I’m sure you’re already sleeping together anyway.”
Water flies out of my mouth and I instantly begin to choke up a cough.
