She quickly rinsed off in the shower that had walls lined with oversized heated marble tiles surrounded by frameless glass. It was so tempting to luxuriate beneath the hot water pelting on her body. The cabin’s water took ages to warm up, and the pressure was abysmal. With much more self-discipline than it should take to get out of a shower, she stepped out and grabbed the plush towel hanging on the heated rack, which was thick enough to wrap around herself twice and still warm from whatever heating element ran through the chrome bars. She quickly and efficiently pulled her hair up into two space buns and threw on several layers of clothing so that she could shed them like a snake as her body temperature adjusted after her walk.
Once she was dressed, she pulled out her gloves, scarf, and jacket. A quick double check of her tote revealed she hadn’t forgotten anything that she’d need for the day, and she made her way out of the room. She crept down the hallway as quietlyas humanly possible so as not to disturb Niko. She had no clue which room he was in, but all the doors were open.
A voice in the back of her head was telling her to sneak a peek as she passed by each to see what Niko Costas slept in. She had to admit to herself she hoped it was nothing. She almost made it to the front room, showing the restraint of a saint, but curiosity got the better of her, and she turned only to find an empty bed. Disappointment and relief flooded through her in equal measures. She was disappointed she hadn’t seen him but relieved she hadn’t been caught looking.
“Morning.” A deep voice sounded behind her.
“Ahh!” Tiana screeched as her feet jet propelled off that floor like she was wearing Hydra Flight boots.
When she landed, she’d done a one-eighty and was facing Niko, who was standing in front of her looking even sexier than he had the night before. He’d clearly been up for a while, it was obvious he was showered and dressed for the day and was holding a travel to-go mug that he was offering her.
Tiana lifted her hand as she shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m sorry. I don’t drink coffee.”
“It’s not coffee, it’s a spiced chai latte.”
“What? How did you…Where did you…?”
Niko leaned down and whispered against her. “You’re my girlfriend, of course I’m going to know your go-to drink of choice.”
Tiana barely heard or comprehended what Niko had just said to her. All she’d been able to concentrate on was the heat of his breath fanning down her neck and the feeling of his five o’clock shadow that grazed the cusp of her ear, it had been the same sensation in her dreams against her inner thighs.
When he straightened back up, he handed her the to-go Stanley.
“Thanks.” She blinked up at him for several beats before whatever voodoo magic spell he’d cast on her finally broke. “Sorry, I…I have to go, I’m, um, I’m gonna be late,” she stuttered.
She started to move around him, but he turned and walked with her. At first she thought he was following her to the door to lock it behind her, but when he stepped out onto the porch with her, she was confused.
“Where are you going?” she asked bluntly. As soon as she had, she realized it was none of her business. “Sorry, that sounded rude. I didn’t mean to?—”
“I’m taking you to the studio,” he explained matter-of-factly as he locked the front door.
“No,” she protested. “No. That’s too much. Just go back to bed.”
“No girlfriend of mine is going to walk to work in the dark in freezing temperatures.”
“I’m not—” She caught herself again before she’d blurted out that she wasn’t his girlfriend. Although both times, she’d honestly wanted to say it not despite the consequences, butbecauseof them.
Knowing that would only make the situation a thousand times worse for herself, she bit her tongue. This man was making it nearly impossible for her to stay immune to him. Any more kisses, and she feared she’d be in serious danger of her heart not coming out of this in one piece.
She wanted to argue with him, to refuse the ride, but she had a feeling that would get her exactly nowhere. So instead she said, “Thank you.”
The next five minutes, as he opened the passenger side door and helped her in, sang songs along with the radio on the short drive to the studio, waited for her until she got inside and then texted her saying she needed to lock the door until her classstarted, she realized no man had ever treated her as well as this man had in the three days he’d been her ‘fake’ boyfriend.
Niko Costas was setting unrealistic expectations for other men when the bar had been set so low it would be impossible to limbo under, and yet men still couldn’t even meet it. It made her wonder, if he was treating her like this and the relationship wasn’t real, and he didn’t actually have feelings for her, what would he be like if it was real, if he loved her… She didn’t know, but for someone who told herself she was done with men, she was really starting to wish she could find out.
Niko had never been the guy that picked women he was seeing up at the airport or made them mixtapes or sent them huge bouquets of flowers just because it was a Tuesday. In fairness, he would have absolutely done the airport pickup if not for who he was, but him arriving to pick up a woman would mean by the next week he’d be getting married, having an affair, broken up and gotten back together at least twice. So that one was purely tabloid-based avoidance. The others were just because he’d never been motivated to do those things for G.
When he woke up to take Tiana to work, he’d looked on her social media to find out how she took her coffee, and when he saw that she’d only ever gotten spiced chai from Brewed Awakenings, he’d quickly educated himself on how to make one. Thankfully, AJ kept his cupboards stocked.
But with Tiana, everything was different. He wanted to be different. Hewasdifferent.
After pulling away from the curb, he drove down Main Street, which was fairly deserted at this time of the morning, besides Sweet Tooth Bakery and Brewed Awakenings Coffee Shop, bothof which had patrons inside. One of the patrons he noticed was someone he’d been wanting to speak to.
When he saw the person in question exiting the bakery, he pulled into a spot a few yards down from her and got out.
He started walking towards Lauren Harrison, thinking any second now she would lift her head and see him, but he nearly collided with her before that happened.
“Lauren,” he said her name to draw her attention, so he didn’t startle her.
