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Sammie was shaking her head before I got to the end of that. “No, I’m not saying that. This just doesn’t sound like a real job. What’s the point in having someone stay in a place that’s up for sale? Doesn’t that cause more problems than it solves?”
I shrugged. “He said it’s a new business he wants to start.”
Sammie took a deep breath and looked down at her chocolate martini. “I think it’s an excuse to keep you in his life. You’re here when he comes to town, but he doesn’t have to stay faithful to you, right?”
Part of this was my fault. I’d opened up to Sammie that he hadn’t called or texted since leaving town two weeks ago. She was just voicing all my fears.
There was definitely a game here. So why couldn’t I toughen myself up and walk away like I always did? Nothing was stopping me from packing my bags and going back to my tiny apartment with rent I could no longer afford.
“The thing is, it’s a good gig,” I said. “I’ve already met with the staging expert twice. She has a list of instructions she’s sending over, and they’re pretty…involved.”
“Wait,” Sammie said. “So, your millionaire guy is selling his condo?”
I nodded. “It seems so.”
“Where’s he going to live when he’s in the city?”
“I’m not sure. I guess maybe he’s not here often enough to justify owning a place.”
Sammie’s eyes narrowed as she continued to stare at me. I probably didn’t want to know where her mind was going right now. I just continued to shrug as though none of this was a big deal. In truth, it was a huge,hugedeal.
Finally, Sammie nodded. “Do the job. Take the paycheck. Tell him you can’t sleep with him anymore. Unless, of course, you want to continue to sleep with him.”
That was the thing. I did. But I knew the more time I spent with him, the deeper I’d sink into it. And then, when I found out it was nothing more than a casual fling, it would rip me to pieces.
Sammie’s phone buzzed, and she snatched it up and looked at the screen. “I have to go.”
I stared at her. Something was up with her. Something she wasn’t telling me. I’d ask, but she’d dismiss it and rush to turn the conversation around to me.
She had her coat on before I could even form words. “I want to see this place,” she said. “Maybe tomorrow? Tomorrow is your day off, right?”
Tomorrow was Saturday, so that stood to reason, but one of the requirements of this job was that I remain on call around the clock. The condo wasn’t officially listed yet, though, but I felt like I had to prove that I could do what was required of me.
“I’ll text you tomorrow morning and let you know what’s going on,” I said. “Tonight, I’m just going to chill and maybe order a pizza.”
“That sounds heavenly,” Sammie said. “If you ever need any help staging that hot tub, let me know.”
The truth was, I hadn’t even gone near the hot tub since the night I’d shared it with Cruz. All I could think about when I looked at the balcony was how he’d looked at me as he touched me. The way he’d put my pleasure ahead of his own. I’d never expected my first time to be anything like that.
If it ended today, at least I’d have that. Nobody could take those memories away from me.
As I punched my code into the keypad next to Cruz’s door, I felt the afternoon stretching out in front of me. Hours of waiting for my cell phone to chime, letting me know someone needed meto do something. I knew no real estate agent would be bringing a client by just yet. No, what I’d really be doing was waiting for a text from Cruz—a text that would never come.
Something was off. I sensed it as soon as I entered the condo. A smell. It wasn’t the new home smell that came from the spray we used. No, this was something much more delicious. Something sweet—something baking. Cookies? Brownies? Had someone broken into Cruz’s home to bake?
The absurdity of that thought hit me as the door slammed closed behind me. Straight ahead, in the kitchen, was a very familiar head of dark hair. He stood at the stove, his back to me.
“Cruz?” I asked.
He turned so abruptly, for a second I wondered if he remembered I was still staying here. Maybe he forgot all about me as soon as he was out of town.
That would explain a lot.
But his mouth slowly spread into a smile, instantly chipping away at the ice that had formed around my heart over the past couple of weeks. I cursed my lack of discipline where he was concerned.
I’d always carefully controlled my emotions. I could shut someone out immediately after being hurt. Why couldn’t I do that now?
“You’re back,” I said, shoving my phone into my back pocket and crossing my arms over my chest as I walked toward him.
