“Then what is it?”
Pinto mentally cracked his knuckles before diving into the pitch he’d spent the last few days refining. “My lease expires the end of next month. If I renew, the rent’s going up fifty bucks. That’s a lot for a place this small.” He paused to down another mouthful of liquid courage. “But I talked with one of the leasing agents the other day, and she said there’s a two-bedroom opening up around that time. The rent’s two hundred a month more than what I’m paying now. It’s a big increase, but it’s actually a lot more affordable when two people are splitting the cost.”
Fiona paused, her beer bottle inches from her lips. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Probably.” Ignoring the jump in his pulse, he met her gaze and barreled on. “From a financial standpoint, it only makes sense. As it is, we’re at each other’s apartments so much we’re practically living together. The available unit’s on the other side of the pool, so you’d be even closer to Liz. And this way, Wanda wouldn’t be stuck all by herself when you spend the night with me.”
The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “So it’s all in Wanda’s best interests?”
“No, it’s because I love you, Fi. You’re smart, you’re strong, you’re sexy as hell, and every day I fall more in love with you than I was the day before. So come on; what do you say?”
Fiona set the bottle on the table. “Well, for starters, I love you too.”
No matter how many times he heard her say the words, it always sent his pulse straight into overdrive.
“Unfortunately, my lease doesn’t end for another four months,” she continued, and his hopes deflated like a balloon. She got up, crossed to the kitchen, and loaded her plate and silverware into the washer. “But I also talked with an agent about transferring my lease to a bigger apartment. You know, so I can get the litter box out of the bathroom. She said there was one that would be available next month, but I’d need to act quickly because someone else expressed interest in leasing it.”
God, he loved this woman. “You don’t say.”
She grinned. “It’s going to cost me an extra two hundred a month, which means I’ll need a roommate to help cover the costs.”
Pinto followed her into the kitchen and caged her between his body and the countertop. He leaned in close to nip her earlobe, and she made one of those soft, throaty sounds that never failed to drive him wild. “It’s going to be hard to find someone willing to share a room with a litter box.”
“Hmm, you’re right. I hadn’t thought about that.” She leaned back a little and met his gaze, and the searing heat in her gorgeous blue eyes made every muscle in his body tighten. “I suppose that means my new roommate will have to sleep in my room. And share my bed. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who’d be open to that sort of arrangement, would you?”
Right before he claimed her mouth in a kiss, he murmured, “I can think of one.”
