Page 26 of Good Girls Beg

Would they? I wasn't so sure. Living with three total strangers for money? Four, if Shannon lived here too. Some people might suggest I was out of my mind.

"I see you're having second thoughts, but don't," he said. "The decision you made was the right one. The community wouldn't be the same without Loams." There was more, but he left it unsaid for now.

"It really wouldn't," I sighed. "Can you tell that to the asshole that owns the building? He's the one who keeps putting up the rent. How much money does one person need?” The words came out in a rush, ending as I ran out of breath. I sucked in an inhale and forced myself to calm. This wasn't his problem. He was the one here with a solution. I had to remember that.

Hel rubbed his chin. "I have no idea. I'm sure they have their reasons for doing it."

"I suppose so." No doubt he had a mortgage and debts of his own to pay down. Bills that kept rolling in. "Still, I'm grateful. They would have been fucked without your proposal."

Was this where he told me I could show my gratitude with my mouth or my pussy? Maybe with my hand?

He made no move towards me. Not yet. He simply sat and regarded me. His intense expression, curious, like he was trying to learn everything about me with one look.

"Are all of these books yours?" I asked, gesturing around. A change of subject might be a good idea right now.

He blinked as if he'd forgotten there were books in the room with us. "Some of them are," he said. "A lot of them belong to Fade and Oak."

"Those are the other two masked men?" I asked. They might be his children for all I knew. Or his parents.

"That's them," Hel, said. "Oak is the one you were…acquainted with the other night." He spoke carefully, but it was obvious who he was referring to. The guy I would have fucked against a car in the parking lot. The man whose cock went hard under my hand with only the fabric of his jeans between his skin and mine.

"Fade…" Hel frowned, trying to put his thoughts into words.

"He's the one with the attitude problem," I suggested.

Hel laughed softly. "That would be accurate, yes." He didn't say anything in his defense, but I decided not to pursue the issue. I'd find out soon enough.

"Let me give you a tour of the house," he said. He rose and stepped over to a table at the side of the room, picked up a bookmark, and offered it to me.

I nodded my thanks and placed it between the pages before putting the book down. Hopefully, I’d get a chance to come back and finish it later.

His hand brushed against mine as we stepped out of the library, but he made no move to take it or hook his arm through mine. Instead, he walked beside me, gesturing toward a couple of closed doors as we walked past.

"Those are Oak and Fade's rooms," he said. "You're allowed to go anywhere you want in the house, but I recommend getting Oak's permission before you enter his room."

"He likes his privacy," I guessed.

Hel looked surprised before he gave a brief laugh. "Because it's usually a mess. The last time I was in there, I couldn't see the floor for all the crap he had spread everywhere. It's probably a health hazard. It's definitely a tripping hazard."

I couldn't help laughing at that.

"I'll bear that in mind," I said. I suspected if I was waiting for a written invitation from Oak, I'd be waiting until the year was up and then some. Fade too.

Hel led me down to a massive kitchen with picture windows that overlooked the ocean. From here, the waves looked so close I could almost reach my hand out and touch them. The kitchen itself had a country cottage vibe, if said country cottage was enormous. Everything was white, blue or wood. The ruffled, floral curtains on the window over the sink didn't look like Hel's taste, but what did I know? I'd just met the guy.

"It needs a full renovation," Hel said, his gaze scanning the room. "Imagine this with a lot more black."

I tried, but I liked the place as it was. It was cosy. In the middle of winter with the fireplace burning, it would be the true heart of the home.

Figuratively speaking, because this place was not my home. It was the place I was living until the year was up. That was all.

"There's a pantry in here." He gestured. "The mudroom and laundry over there. You don't need to worry about washing your clothes." He looked like he wanted to suggest I don't wear any. Instead, he said, "Shannon will do your washing for you. There's a hamper in your bedroom. She also does the cooking and the cleaning."

"Except for Oak's room?" I asked.

His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "She refuses to step foot inside the place," he said. "She's convinced she'll get tetanus." He didn't seem to be joking.

"I don't mind keeping my own space tidy," I said. After all, my living here was supposed to be repayment for their generosity. Or was it Hel's generosity? I had the impression this was his house. His rules. Either way, I didn't expect to be waited on hand and foot.