them might take the plunge and hire us.
Celina Morelli and Aaron Blackridge had been our only high profile customers so far. We were hoping for some more word-of-mouth business coming from them, but it wasn’t happening as fast as we would’ve liked, and in truth, we didn’t think Aaron would comfortably recommend us to anyone—no matter what he thought about our ethics. We had screwed up his life. Royally. And even if he didn’t think so, his friends probably would.
Being a glutton for punishment, I went to kick-boxing class and got my ass thoroughly exhausted. So at the end of the day, feeling as achy as if I’d been mugged and beaten, I keyed the lock to my condo and walked in. Rosalina had wanted me to go home with her since I still hadn’t moved any of my stuff over, but I was looking forward to a quiet night without expectations of any kind.
I walked into my bedroom and dropped my duffel bag on the floor. The mattress was still bare, but I had brought new sheets and a few other necessities for my first night at home.
After ordering some take-out, I made the bed and quickly realized I’d forgotten to bring a pillow. But I was so exhausted, I doubted I would even notice once I laid my head down. After that, I hung a shower curtain in the bathroom. Its vinyl smell impregnated the place, making my nose wrinkle.
That’s what you get for buying the cheapest liner available.
I put my one towel on the shelf, unwrapped a bar of soap, and set my toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter. It was all simple and basic, but I felt empowered all the same. Everything in the condo was mine, bought with my own money.
When the bell rang, I answered the door without looking. My stomach was growling at the thought of my juicy burger, but when I opened the door something much taller than the triple-decker I’d ordered was waiting for me.
“Jake,” I blinked in surprise, “what are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?”
“Rosalina told me.”
I’m going to kill her, I thought.
Don’t do that, Jake thought back.
Damn, I hadn’t meant to think that so loudly.
Jake shrugged. “Rosalina only told me because I twisted her arm.”
“You’d better not have laid a finger on her.”
“I meant that in the figurative sense, of course. May I come in?”
I put a hand on my hip. “Nope. You’re not welcome here.”
He opened his mouth to say something when steps sounded behind him. He abruptly turned, crouching low, ready to attack.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be stupid. It’s just my dinner.”
A pimply guy carrying a large paper bag stopped on a dime, staring wide-eyed at the threatening man standing in the way of his delivery.
I sighed in frustration. “Get in, Jake.”
He crossed the threshold but kept an eye on the guy, who stayed as far away as possible as he handed over the bag. I took it, and he whirled and left in a hurry. I closed the door and stared up at Jake. Tall and imposing, he stood in the little foyer.
So much for my quiet evening.
I took my dinner to the living room, set it up on the coffee table, and sat cross legged on the floor.
Jake glanced around. “I like the new place.”
I made a sound in the back of my throat as I took my first bite and pretty much ignored him. He walked around the armchair across from me and sat, watching me closely. He gave my burger and onion rings a hungry look. His stomach growled, and he licked his lips.
Picking up one of the crunchy rings, I took a bite, rolling my eyes into the back of my head and making a moan of pleasure. I followed that with a big slurp of my strawberry shake.
“Mm, that hits the spot,” I practically moaned, sounding like I’d just had an orgasm.
He pursed his lips and rubbed his chin, judging me hard. “I guess I should’ve grabbed dinner before I headed here. Didn’t think you’d be so inhospitable.”
“I’m not running a restaurant or a soup kitchen here. Hell, I don’t even have anything in my fridge, so if you’re hungry, make this quick and hit the road.”
“Maybe I made a mistake coming here.” He stood and started walking toward the door. “I just thought you might want to know that I found Blake.”
“Wait, what?!” I jumped to my feet, my dinner forgotten. “Where is