I locked up the house behind her. “Bathroom is over there on the left. Your bedroom is on the right. Let me get you something to sleep in before I jump in the shower, if you want to make yourself comfortable.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” She pulled her lips into a tight line in an impersonation of a smile. Her arms wrapped around her midriff, same as they did at the bar, like she was protecting herself.
My chest felt too tight, having her in my space, seeing her look so uncomfortable. Lydia glanced around, taking in the leather couches and the large TV in my living room, the street-art-style paintings that hung on the walls. It was definitely a man’s space without a lot of feminine touches. I bet it would look better if I had a woman’s influence.
I grabbed her a T-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts from my room and left her to get situated. She barely said two words to me, but it wasn’t anger I was getting from her. She looked wary, and I fucking hated it.
By the time I got out of the shower, Lydia was in her room with her door closed. I raised my fist to knock, see if she needed anything, but her words from earlier floated throughmy head.
Knowing Lydia, she really would level me on my ass just for checking on her, and that thought tugged at my lips. She was a big girl; whatever she needed, I was sure she could figure it out.
Sleep was an elusive fucker all night, images of Lydia flashing behind my eyes every time I closed them. I woke up the next morning grumpy and on edge. I hated being grumpy. I was a happy dude most of the time. The good-time guy. It wasn’t just a persona that I put on for other people. I genuinely liked to be happy. Flirt with some pretty ladies, laugh with my buddies, talk to my neighbors. Life was better when I was happy. Which made me that much angrier when I was in a bad mood.
I threw on a pair of sweatpants before leaving my room.
Apparently, I was the only one of the two of us who thought pants were mandatory, because Lydia, standing in my kitchen with nothing but one of my T-shirts on, sure as shit didn’t.
“Morning,” she grumbled sleepily as she rummaged through my cabinets, stretching herself over the counter in the most torturous way.
“What are you wearing?” I grumbled.
She looked down at herself as if to check and then back to me.
“The shorts didn’t fit.” She shrugged.
My dick twitched at the sight of her strong, toned legs. My T-shirt barely covered her ass.
“They didn’t fit? They have a drawstring,” I gritted out.
“And they were still too big. They didn’t fit. Any other stupid questions?” She arched her pretty little brow at me.
My blood heated, equal parts anger and lust. Lydia Wilderknew how to stir shit up in me that had my head spinning. At least she was back to her sassy self though. I would take that over the frightened mouse she looked like last night.
I stalked over to her, talking quietly in my low morning voice. “Careful, Lydia. You don’t want to test me this early in the morning.”
She sidestepped away from me, panic flashing across her face so fast I wasn’t sure if I was seeing things. “Just tell me you have caffeine, and I promise to be nice.”
I raised my brow.
“Nicer,” she conceded with a smirk.
“That sounds more accurate,” I grumbled. “Mugs are behind you on the side of the sink. Coffee is in the canister labeled ‘coffee,’ and the filters are over there,” I told her, pointing out where everything was.
“You don’t have a single-serving coffee maker?”
“Does it look like I have a single-serving coffee maker?” I smirked, answering her obvious question with an equally obvious answer.
She struggled to get the filters apart for a solid sixty seconds before finally separating just one. She measured the coffee beans like the wrong portion would set off a bomb. I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled the scoop out of her grasp and gripped her shoulders, spinning her around. “Watching you make coffee is literally paining me. I’ve got it. You just go put some pants on.”
“I don’t have to look any certain way for you, Seb.”
The minx was testing my patience this morning. I would shut that pretty little mouth of hers with a kiss if I wasn’t absolutely fucking positive she would knee me in the balls.
“My house. My rules. Pants are mandatory from now on,”I said just as my cell started ringing, Luke’s name lighting up the screen.
“What’s up?” I answered.
“Is Lydia with you? I tried to call her, but she didn’t answer.”
