“By the way, thanks for carrying my suitcase up the stairs.”
“Well, don’t read too much into that.” He pulled the cushions off the couch in order to open the bed inside. “I was just trying to keep up appearances. I would hate for you to think I was a considerate person.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Derek
The shrill beeping of my phone’s alarm forced me out of bed—or should I say, off the couch—but I’d been awake for a while. The pullout mattress was just as uncomfortable as I’d expected, but luckily, I was so exhausted from traveling and dealing with Jasmine Morgan that it hadn’t taken me long to fall asleep.
Jasmine Morgan.
The little girl who used to follow me around on family vacations had grown into a duplicitous vixen with a knack for scheming. She was clearly determined to steal my job, starting with the bedroom of the suite we were forced to share. And if yesterday was any indication, she had her sights set on my dog, too. I heaved a deep sigh before stretching, deciding to hit the bathroom before Tora started his daily early-morning harassment campaign and give myself a few more precious moments of silence.
I’d taken exactly three steps toward the bathroom when I realized something was off. The suite was very silent. Too silent.
I didn’t know if Jasmine was an early riser, but my dog definitely was. And he was also a professional escape artist. My heart pounded as I did a quick lap around the empty apartment. When my search came up empty, I headed to Jasmine’s door, ready to knock. I’d just raised my knuckle to tap when I heard the jingle of keys and a burst of laughter.
“Oh! Tora!” Jasmine’s voice rang out, clear and bright. My dog practically dragged her through the door, his leash taut as she struggled to balance herself. “Let me get the key out of the door! You’re gonna make me drop the coffees!”
Tora, as expected, ignored her plea for cooperation and continued pulling her forward. “Fine, you win,” she relented, dropping the leash with a dramatic sigh. Tora sprinted toward me, his nails clicking on the floor. I dropped to my knees, wrapping my arms around him in relief.
“Hey, buddy. Did you have fun with your new best friend?” I scratched behind his ears while detaching his leash, glancing up at Jasmine as she finally freed her keys from the lock and set a tray of coffees on the counter.
“I’m not sure where your food is”—she opened cabinets with the ease of someone who had already claimed the space as her own—“but I can give you some water…” Her voice trailed off as she grabbed a bowl and filled it for Tora.
It was only then that I registered what she was wearing. Pale pink leggings and a matching tank top hugged every curve, and I’d never hated pastel colors more. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, but a few stray curls framed her face, and she looked effortlessly… perfect. Of course she did.
“… until Derek wakes up,” she continued, turning toward me. Her words ended in a startled yelp when she saw me standing there. The bowl in her hand clattered to the floor, water splashing everywhere.
“Derek!” she exclaimed, slapping her thigh and stomping her foot in frustration. The gesture was so familiar, so reminiscent of the Jasmine I used to know, that I couldn’t help but smile.
“Well, good morning to you, too, Butterfingers.” I laughed as I approached her. Tora followed close behind, his tail wagging happily. Jasmine rolled her eyes but didn’t miss the chance to sneak a glance at my bare chest before grabbing a dish towel.
“Let me help you,” I offered, holding out a hand for the towel.
She threw it at my chest instead. “Knock yourself out,” she muttered, picking up the bowl and refilling it at the sink.
I made quick work of the puddle on the floor and stood to face her as she set the bowl down for Tora. “You nearly gave me a heart attack,” she said, grabbing a coffee from the tray and handing it to me.
Our fingers brushed as I took the cup, and for a moment, our eyes locked. My heart did a funny little flip, and I caught myself glancing at her lips before snapping back to reality.
“Well, you nearly gave me a heart attack, too,” I countered, raising an eyebrow. “I woke up, and my dog was missing. A more considerate person would have left a note.”
“I didn’t plan to take your dog.” She sipped her coffee with infuriating nonchalance. “When I was leaving for my morning run, the poor thing was sitting out here listening to you snore.”
My jaw dropped. “I do not snore.”
She smirked. “You do, and it’s loud. Anyway, I took him with me because I’m a nice person, and you seem to have mispronounced the words ‘thank you.’”
I stared at her, dumbfounded. Tora had gone with her? Willingly? Five years ago, when I was on a business trip to Tokyo, I’d met Tora as a puppy. From the moment he’d chewed through my Ferragamo loafers, we’d been inseparable. He was loyal to a fault and protective, and he had scared off more than one date with his territorial antics. And yet, here he was, wagging his tail like Jasmine was the one he’d been living with for the last five years.
“Well,” I stammered, desperate to regain some footing in the conversation. “You should ask me next time.”
She pursed her lips, clearly unimpressed. “And you should brush your teeth,” she quipped over her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen.
“Thank you for the coffee,” I called after her sarcastically.
“Don’t read too much into it,” she shot back. “The woman at the coffee shop insisted I bring one back for my husband. I was just trying to keep up appearances. Wouldn’t want you thinking I was considerate or anything.”
