I laugh at his look of determination. “You know, one of these days, you’re going to have to take me to your lair. I’m in so deep, I think I might be okay with you having a murder room.”
He releases his hold on the edge of my pants and tilts his head before nodding. “All right, let’s go.”
He bends, and before I know it, I’m being thrown over his shoulder. “Luke! Put me down. Where do you think we’re going in my bra?” I slap his solid back.
I’m stuck somewhere between amusement and dire concern for his mental well-being if he’s contemplating putting me in his truck half naked.
My door closes in front of my face, and he shuffles for a few steps, but for the most part stays put. “Luke, seriously, I was joking about a murder room. I’m sure it’s probably a little butterfly collection you’re a little shy about. Maybe a hundred collectible Beanie Babies? If so, you must be really loaded, because those must be worth a fortune now—”
We move, but not in the direction I was expecting. Another door closes in my face, and I realize that Luke has walked into the apartment across from mine. I must be getting lightheaded, because that can’t be right.
I’m suddenly seated on a kitchen island, Luke’s cautious smile on display. “Surprise?”
I shift so I can see around him and almost fall over when I see the duffel bag he uses for away games by the front door. Along with his boots and sneakers. I continue my exploration and spot a Polaroid picture of us on his refrigerator.
“Luke, how? What… When did you…?”
“I own the entire floor,” he says slowly.
It takes my brain a few seconds to make sense of his words, and then they hit me like a freight train. “You’re my landlord? You owned the listing?”
“No, I mean, yes. It was an old listing. I still had it in my email from when I purchased this apartment. I bought the place next door to ensure privacy. When I accepted a job with the Monarchs, I knew that meant I needed a new place to live. Andin this city, it was safe to assume I wouldn’t have the same kind of freedom I had grown accustomed to living up in the mountains. So I bought out the whole floor, never intending to do anything with the unit next door. Until you needed a place to live.”
My mind is sluggish. Unable to decide whether I should be upset he kept this from me or kiss him silly for providing a safe haven, a place I’ve been able to make my own.
I realize that I’m more surprised than anything. Doesn’t mean I’m going to let him off the hook so easily.
“So you already owned the entire floor when you reached out to your realtor. All you did was, what? Ask him to give me this unit with no fuss?” He hesitates, and I straighten. “Spit it out, Luke.”
“That was the plan. Initially.”
“Initially?”
He sighs. “Yes, but then he told me the floor below me went on the market, so…”
“Luke Weston. You did not—"
“I bought the entire floor below us.”
My jaw threatens to hit the ground. “What on earth would possess you to buy two floors of some of New York’s most expensive real estate?”
“Long answer? I loved hearing you talk about all your ideas for your new place, and I knew that a two-bedroom apartment wasn’t going to cut it. We can turn these four units into a two-story home.” My eyes widen, but he continues. “You wanted a kitchen with enough burners to cook up a Dominican feast, a dining room big enough to hold an entire baseball team, and a living area where you and your friends could hang out and talk shit about the men in your lives.” He smirks, then his smile turns gentle. “You can have your own office so you can work from home when the weather is unbearable. A library to hold allof your favorite romance novels and all the covers that Isabella designs. And now that you’ve connected with all these people from your mom’s life, I think it’s a good idea to have extra guest rooms. That way, we can host them here instead of sending them off to a hotel every time they’re in town.”
I sniff, hoping my watery eyes don’t betray me. “Could have warned me that the long answer was devastatingly sweet.”
His nose brushes mine. “Wanna hear the short answer then?”
I nod as I lean more into his touch. His soft beard grazes my cheek as he whispers in my ear. “Didn’t want the neighbors to hear how nicely I can make you come.”
fifty-seven
We’re all gathered atNick and Luisa’s home for a farewell party.
Today we’re saying goodbye to our guests who have come from the UK and Dominican Republic to visit Daisy and Nick.
It’s been a couple of days since Daisy and I went public, and the media attention has been intense, as expected, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.
Her ex, on the other hand, didn’t fare as well after our impromptu live stream made headlines.
