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“I’m just upstairs in the pool at Harborside,” he says, leaving me surprised.
“Brian just told me about that. Why don’t I prepare something and come up and get you when it is ready? I want to check out the facilities anyway. I haven’t been up there yet,” I offer, opening the refrigerator again and mentally working out what I can cook.
“Sounds great. I’m famished and was really hoping to see you today. After last night, I wanted to check in. Make sure you are okay.” I sigh. He’s so thoughtful.
“Give me half an hour, and I will be up,” I tell him, offering him no other explanation for last night, preferring to think ahead to my future now, not the darkness that is my past.
“Great, see you then.” I cut the call so I can get to work, pulling out all the fresh ingredients to make a chicken stir-fry. I am craving fresh vegetables after weeks of not having any. Chopping and dicing everything and putting it all together takes me twenty minutes, and by the time it is ready, the apartment smells like a Thai restaurant, my mouth already watering. I leave it all warming as I run and take the elevator up.
I’m feeling nervous and catch myself in the reflection before I start to panic and brush my hair out with my fingers. Rolling my eyes at myself, I take another deep breath. This isn’t a date. It’s a thank-you. I just need to erase the images I have of kissing him and the feel of his hands on my body. The desire swirling in my tummy for him has become intense.
But… this is the new me, right? And if the opportunity opens up with Eddie, shouldn’t I take it?
CHAPTER TEN - EDDIE
After I got off the call, I had to swim laps to get out my nervous energy. Just the sound of her voice has my body humming. Shit, even seeing her name come up on my cell phone did weird things to my chest. Now as I sit and try to relax in the sauna, my body is coated in sweat, and I have no idea of the time.
I wasn’t sure what she would think coming home to all the food I bought. But I have a feeling she often puts herself last, and working like she does, she has no time to go out and shop for herself. Plus, she is in a new place and probably doesn’t know the best places in Baltimore yet. I simply asked my team to order exactly what they get me every week, and I had Brian place it in her apartment. It was easy for me, and by the sounds of it, it meant the world to her.
I crack my neck before sitting up, grabbing my towel and pushing open the door. The cool air hits me immediately, my brain refocusing before I nearly stumble when I come face-to-face with my pink delight.
“There you are,” she says quickly, taking half a step back, almost startled. Her eyes are wide as they trail my body. In nothing but black swim trunks, my body is on full display, and my lips curve as I watch her take me in. I clench my stomach a little, showing her what I am made of, and I can’t stop my hand as I reach out for her and instantly pull her to me.
“I'm right here,” I murmur as I lean toward her. I hear her small intake of breath as I lower my face to her cheek, brushing my cheek against hers before placing my lips on her skin, right near her mouth. My heart is thumping out of my chest. It isn’t enough, but I am trying to go slow.
“Hi…” Her voice is almost airy now, as I feel her body turn liquid in my arms.
“Hi,” I say, grinning like a loved-up fool, but I can’t help it.
“So, is this where you hide out?” she asks, her eyes leaving mine for a moment to take a look around the facilities.
“The best pool in Baltimore,” I say, stepping back, conscious of my wet body as I put her hand in mine. “Let me show you around.” Throwing the towel around my waist, I pull her along. There is no one here, so I can be myself. That is one of the reasons I swim here so often. The guests in the building are all older. The few who swim do so in the morning, not at dinnertime, so it is always empty.
“Swimming pool, relaxation area, sun deck, infrared sauna, Swedish sauna, female and male restrooms, and there is a heated spa through there, and a gym through that way.” I give her the tour quickly, knowing we don’t have a lot of time.
“Wow, this is amazing,” she says in awe, taking it all in.
“Mmmm, it is,” I murmur, staring right at her. She moves her head to look at me, her eyes reflecting the lights from the pool, the motion from the water dancing in her eyes. “Let me just have a quick shower. Why don’t you look around, then take a seat in a cabana. That one over there looks right up into the night sky. It is amazing.” I point out my favorite spot to her because I know she will love it, before I squeeze her hand and make a quick dash to shower. While I like her eyes on me, I prefer not to be a sweating mess around her.
As I step out from the restroom area after my shower, my cell rings. No sooner do I answer, my brother Tennyson is chewing my ear off.
“I haven’t seen you in a week. Where have you been?” he asks me accusingly. It is true, all my brothers and I share an office, but I have been hanging around Harborside so much that I haven’t seen much of them.
“I’ve been busy,” I say, my mind not on this conversation as I look around the room to find the pink hair that is usually so easy for me to find.
“Doing what?” my brother Ben barks. Clearly, they are together and I am on speakerphone. Great. I look at my watch. They are probably having a whiskey in the office and debriefing something.
“Just at Harborside. There is a bit going on,” I murmur, not really lying to them, but not being totally honest. But they can tell. They are my brothers; they always know when something is up.
“What’s going on over there?” Ben asks again. It is the lawyer in him. I can’t get anything past him, not one inch.
“Just a new tenant,” I say quickly, hoping they skip past this piece of information.
“New tenant? What, causing you trouble?” Tennyson asks, and I grin.
“Yeah, you could say that.” I smile down the phone.
“Shit, it’s a girl, isn’t it?” Ben asks immediately. I knew I couldn’t get this past him.
