Page 23 of The Attraction
“Did you explain why you were standing in his kitchen with a chopping board above your head?” She is still laughing at me.
“Nope. And I hope it is confusing the hell out of him today, because that would give me great pleasure.” Looking at my computer screen, I see that Felisha has an online meeting in five minutes.
“Anyway, enough about my stupid life, you have Mr. Tan calling in five minutes, so you need to go do some work.” I shoo her away with my hands.
“Ugh, work is overrated some days,” she says, standing to leave.
“Who the hell are you and what have you done with my best friend Felisha, the workaholic?” I hold my hand on my heart in mock shock.
“It’s all Flynn’s doing, blame him. You too will be like this one day, I promise you.” Walking to the door, she stops and turns. “And maybe sooner than you think.”
“Get lost, you, and take your blasphemous words with you. No man will ever pin me down.”
She is laughing as she closes the door behind her.
“Unless it’s naked and on a bed, and it won’t be for longer than a night,” I mumble to myself. “Nowthatpinning down, I could take a dose of right now.”
The words bring a smile to my face as I get back to work, but the reality is I know that won’t be happening for as long as I’m under the watchful eye of the big growly bodyguard I’m stuck living with for a while.
Unless it’s him, and I’m totally open to that option.
ChapterSix
HARPER
After spending time with Sandon today and him mapping out the plan for my security detail with me, I must admit, I feel a little safer moving around on my own.
We have always had security, but they were in the background and not so noticeable, but whenever I leave the office now, I will have a guard walking just behind me.
I can still hear Sandon’s voice in my head, saying,“Just pretend they’re not even there,”which is a bit hard to do when there is a guy dressed in a black suit not more than ten steps behind me. If I stop, he stops, if I go left, he goes left, so in a weird way, I guess this is what it would feel like being stalked, when I am in fact just being protected from a stalker. What a juxtaposition my life is right now.
Once I get into my car, I try to forget about the day and prepare for dinner tonight with Forrest.
What are we going to talk about? I wonder what he will cook for me, and is he an expert like his brother? Will it be all formal where we sit at the dining room table, cutlery set out for the different courses and the correct glassware? Oh, drinking, what will he serve with the meal? Can I get changed into more comfortable clothes where I have elastic-waist pants, so I can eat as much as I like and my skirt won’t cut into my stomach?
Seriously, Harper, why are overthinking this? It’s not like it’s a date or anything. It’s just a dinner with a roommate. Sort of, kind of, well, in some way… okay, not at all.
It’s dinner with Forrest, and that explains what it is. A business-meeting style where we lay out our conditions and then get on with cohabitating in an apartment but not really spending any time together.
Yep, got it. I can deal with that. My mind starts putting together points I need to discuss.
Pulling into my parking spot, I see the car behind me park to the side in the visitor spot and wait for me to enter the lift. It’s one of our security guys, and I know the license plates off by heart, so that doesn’t alarm me at all.
Sandon told me that he and Forrest will be in contact each day about Forrest’s movements and the times when he can’t be home with me due to his work commitments or things like, I don’t know, having his own life, I expect. Then they will work out someone else to cover me.
I hate every single part of this, but when he left my office after we chatted, it did give me a different perspective of how much I am imposing on Forrest. I didn’t think about it at first because I was too busy worrying about how pissed off I was that my life was being invaded. I really need to try to be nicer to him, even when he annoys the hell out of me, because I doubt that will change no matter how patient I try to be.
Opening the door with the key that Sandon gave me today feels weird.
Apparently, Forrest arranged for Remington to hand over a set for me and one for the Kentwall security team, just in case. It made me feel a bit apprehensive that it needed to happen, but also, I appreciate how much he is investing in this. It’s his home and sanctuary, and yet he is prepared to let people have keys to that. Not sure I’d be comfortable doing that with strangers.
But the moment the door opens and the smell of food hits me, my stomach is growling, and I forget about the dramas that exist outside this apartment.
“Hello,” I call out, but no reply comes. Assuming he is in his office, I tentatively walk that way, knowing that’s one of the things I need to talk to him about. I never want to encroach on his privacy.
His office is empty, so I continue down the hall. The door to his gym is open, and I can hear the sound of water running in what must be a shower in the attached bathroom. The gym smells of man sweat, and my mind starts running on overload at the visions of him working out in here, and then of him standing naked behind that door with water running down his body.
Spinning on my heel. I’m almost running to my bedroom to calm my lady bits down while I think of anything else other than those mental images that are heating me up.
