AllFreeNovel
Share Us
14
Beau
I’d never even come close to ever living or moving in with someone—or having someone move in with me. I worked hard for what I had and therefore I had no desire to commit to someone and then when it ended—which it would—have them take half of everything I’d worked so hard for.
In fact, I’d seen too many guys in my position taken to the cleaners and left not only with a bitter, broken heart—but also without the house they’d first invited their woman into.
Wasn’t going to happen to me.
So, this was my first adventure into the co-habitation zone. Except that there wouldn’t even be sex to fall back on when we fought—and we would fight. With Gigi’s fiery temper and strong-willed ways? We’d be fighting a lot.
Part of me actually looked forward to it in a sick way. I smiled, thinking about how wound up she got when she was mad and passionate about whatever it was she had her mind set on.
The way she dug in her heels and met me, head to head, even though I was who I was and even though she was so much younger than me.
That woman had no fear.
Or if she did, she knew how to deal with it and carry on like she was fearless.
I couldn’t erase the smile on my face as I knocked on Gigi’s door. “Come in,” she yelled. I opened the door and hefted in my suitcase. The puppies came to greet me, so I dropped my bag and scooped them up. “Hey, guys, are you going to let us sleep tonight?”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Gigi said from the kitchen. When I looked up at her, there were two candles lit on the counter and she was stirring something on the stove.
Her hair was up in a crazy bun of sorts on her head. Put up haphazardly, no doubt, but it looked like a pro had done it. She wore a white tank top with what looked like a bikini top underneath—pink strings tied behind her neck.
I couldn’t see from here what kind of shorts or pants she had on. If I had to guess, I’d say short jean shorts that showed off her long, tanned legs.
“They have to sleep through the night eventually,” I said, petting the tiny dogs in my arms.
Gigi laughed but it was not a happy laugh. “I’m not putting my money on it being tonight. Anyway, put the puppies down and come wash your hands. I need your help,” she ordered me over her shoulder.
Curious, I set the puppies down and wandered over to where she was. I washed my hands as I took the opportunity to notice Gigi was in fact wearing short, white, jean shorts. Those luscious legs of hers mere feet away.
Speaking of feet, she had bright pink nail polish on her toenails. For some reason that made me smile. “All right, hands washed,” I said, wiping them on a towel. “One thing I should mention is there are certain things I can’t eat—”
She spoke overtop of me, “Because of your allergy, yes. That’s what I need your help with,” she said, turning around to face me. “I cleaned out all the cupboards and sanitized them. Then I sanitized the counters. Everything that had nuts or had a ‘may contain’ on the ingredient list, I got rid of. I need you to double check what’s left in there and make sure I didn’t miss something.”
I was dumbfounded. She’d done all that today? For me? That was a hell of a lot of effort for one person to do. “You didn’t have to do that, Gigi. I can make my own food,” I said quietly. “You don’t have to get rid of foods that you like. Not for me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of all places, you want your home to be a safe place for you to eat. I did a bunch of googling, but this is all new to me, so I’ll need your help with ordering groceries, too.”
A large, dry, lump took up residence in my throat. Her words were beyond kind and her attention to detail astounded me. I looked in the cupboards that she pointed out to me and checked the boxes and cans for any offending ingredients.
Then I walked over to the fridge. When I opened it up, I was wow’d by not only the organization, but the contents as well. So many fruits and vegetables and labeled containers.
It was a Martha Stewart dream fridge.
I stood up and leaned my hip against the counter. “Everything looks great. But for real, you didn’t have to give up anything.”
She smiled at me, her face an open book, like always. “I sent out a group text to the girls and the bags I put on the porch were gone in minutes.” She giggled before going back to what was cooking on the stove.
“What are you making?” I asked, stepping behind her and placing my hands on her bare shoulders. I’d almost forgotten about the camera in her apartment. A real couple would have touched and likely kissed by now.
Her body stiffened, then relaxed under my hands. “Tacos,” she said, her voice suddenly lower than normal.
“G,” I said into her ear. I saw goose bumps cover her skin as I spoke. “Thanks for all the work you did in the kitchen. I really appreciate it.”
She turned her head slightly and gazed up at me with a sweet smile. I motioned toward the camera with my eyes as I raised my eyebrows and silently mouthed, “Kiss me.”
