disturbing our moment. Nick let out a low groan.
“Give me a minute. I’ll call in sick.”
“But you’re not ill.”
He stood and walked towards the door, and I got a view of him from the back, minus the towel. His ass surpassed even my wildest dreams. Then he paused in the doorway and looked over his shoulder.
“I’m fuckin’ lovesick, baby.”
Oh. My. Gosh. Inside, I wanted to get up and dance around the room, but there was no way my legs would have cooperated. Could I have a future with Nick? For a moment, I dared to hope.
Then I remembered what he’d said the night before.
I don’t want you to be my housekeeper anymore.
By the time he slipped back into the bedroom minutes later, little beads of sweat had popped out on the back of my neck. I needed to work, and despite my recent misgivings, I wanted this job. The view of oh-so-perfect abs and slick, golden skin distracted me for a moment, but I gave my head a shake to make myself focus on the important things. I’d never tire of looking at Nick—never—but I needed to clarify where I stood.
“Last night, you said you didn’t want me to be your housekeeper anymore. Are you firing me?”
“Whatever.” He laid back down on the bed and arranged my leg over his hip so I rolled into him. “I want you to be my girlfriend instead. We can hire another housekeeper.”
“Oh. Wow.”
“Is that your word for today? Wow?”
“I guess so, yes. I can’t really think of another one.”
“You can say it as many times as you want. In the shower, to start with. We need to get clean. Well, first we need to get dirty, then we need to get clean. What do you say?”
“Wait. Wait! I need a job. The money…”
“I make plenty of money for the two of us. I’ll give you a credit card.”
Become a kept woman again? The idea made me nervous, but Nick was already halfway out of bed.
“I’m not sure—”
“If you want to work, then work, but don’t feel as if you have to pick up after another asshole like me because you’re worried about not pulling your weight. I enjoy my job, and it makes me a stack of cash, but money’s just a facilitator to get me more of what I want. And right now, that’s you.”
“Wow.”
“I’ll have Nadia arrange the credit card.”
Nick’s bathroom had the best shower, and he carried me into it, bridal-style. Jets hit us from all sides and took what little breath I had left away.
“Maybe not,” he muttered and pressed a few buttons on the console at the side. The jets eased, and water rained from the top showerhead instead. “Better.”
I expected him to pick up the bottle of shower gel, but no. He dropped to his knees and parted my legs, and I didn’t know where to look or what to think as he tasted me. No man had ever ventured down there before. What if it was icky?
I tried to pull Nick up, but he clasped my hands in his and kept going.
“I need this, baby.”
What could I do but surrender?
“Best,” I whispered.
Nick carried me out of the shower half an hour later, which was a good thing because I couldn’t walk. I lay on his bed in a crumpled heap while he sat beside me and stroked my hair.
“You look tired.”
I stifled a yawn. “You’ve worn me out.”
“I’d apologise, but I’m not sorry.”
“Neither am I, but I am hungry. I didn’t eat dinner yesterday.”
He reached for the phone on his nightstand. “I’ll get food delivered.”
“I can make something.”
“Not today. I want to spoil you.”
I took his hand and peeled the phone out of his fingers. “You already have, and now it’s time for me to repay the favour. I love cooking for you. What do you want to eat?”
Wrong question. His eyes roved down my naked body with the hunger of a rabid wolf.
“From the kitchen, Nick. From the kitchen.”
“Anything. I don’t care as long as I’m sitting next to you when I eat it.”
CHAPTER 42
TODAY, I GOT a different Nick to the one I used to know. This Nick didn’t bother to hide his desire as he sat at the breakfast bar, watching my every move. He didn’t bother to put a shirt on either, and I had to remake the pancake batter after I got distracted and added too many eggs.
“You want bacon?”
He nodded, and I felt his eyes on my behind as I