“I’m glad that got sorted, but you must come and see me if you are worried in the future, okay?”
Cleo drags her bottom lip between her teeth, causing my cock to stir.Fuck.I blame that book. “Okay,” she whispers as I squirt some local honey on top of the stack of pancakes and slide the plate in front of her. She takes a mouthful and groans.Not helping, Cleo.
My gran grins. “So, princess treatment. What are you going to have him do? Peel and feed you grapes? Massage your feet? Run you a hot bubble bath?”
“I’m not following,” Cleo says between bites. “I need to review the plans for the master suite with Samuel, I have dinner to prepare, and the windows need cleaning according to the schedule.” I take great satisfaction in the fact she’s consumed more of my breakfast than any other meal I’ve seen her eat.
“Oh no, princess treatment is an Alderidge tradition,” my gran says. She levels me with another pointed look that saysone reserved for family.One I’ve never graced a woman other than my grandmother with. “Today is yours. No work. No chores. Fox will be at your beck and call, and will do the windows and manage Samuel on your behalf.”
Cleo freezes and her eyes meet mine as she puts her fork down. She’s eaten a quarter, which is a win. “Why would you do that?”
I shrug as I devour my pancakes while standing at the island across from her, ready to intervene if she tries to do something stupid like the dishes. “We got off on the wrong foot. It’s my way to make amends.”
Her eyes narrow. I also have a few theories to put to the test which involve her not working. “I guess I’ll take a walk with Duke, have a swim, and do a little reading. Maybe watch a movie.”
“Sounds perfect,” Gran says with a wink at me.No, Gran, you can’t possibly know how perfect that is.“Unlike your footwear, young lady. I thought we discussed Crocs and their appropriate placement.”
“Yeah, yeah, in the trash. It’s not happening, Helen. I am on my feet from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. I wear comfort, not fashion.”
Cleo pushes her plate away but stares longingly at the rest of the pancakes, making my chest tighten.What happened to you?Eating disorders aren’t something I’m familiar with, but PTSD is, and she shows subtle signs of it. Duke growls low in his throat just before someone knocks at the door.
“Samuel’s here,” my gran declares.
Cleo hops off her stool. I round the island, darting in front of her and walking backward to the door. “Sit and relax. Nowork for you today. You’ll be seeing enough of him on Saturday now that you aren’t running.”
Her face falls with that realization. Ah, so zero interest in my best friend and his charm. She turns on her heel and makes her escape out the back door as I open the front. Samuel smiles at me and looks over my shoulder.
“Morning, Fox. Is Cleo up yet?”
I wave him in. “You’ll be dealing with me today as it’s her day off.”
My gran presses her lips together to stifle a laugh. “I’ll be out all day,” she declares. She snatches her purse and leaves the house as Samuel’s team invade the house.
“What do you need?” I ask. Samuel runs a hand through his hair, and his gaze darts around the house.You won’t find her, buddy. She’s mine today, while I get to the bottom of what makes Cleo Williams tick.
“Erm, I think I have enough to get on with today. Decisions can wait until tomorrow.”
Yeah, that’s what I thought. He’s so transparent. “You got it bad,” I observe. “For a woman you’ve never spent any one on one time with, you are wrapped in knots.”
“Have you seen her?”
I fold my arms as the door closes behind the last of his team. They disappear up the stairs, leaving us alone. “Are you interested in her, or just the thrill of the chase because she didn’t whip her panties off and throw them at you when you first met?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Dude, she is like the most mysterious present I’ve ever seen. All I want to do is unwrap her to see what she’s hiding. She covers herself in baggy clothes, but I just know she’s hiding perfection underneath.”
You have no fucking clue, dude, but I do.“My gran likes her.”
He nods. “I got that.”
“Which means if you fuck with her, you’ll have Helen Alderidge on your ass.”
He chuckles. “Not planning on upsetting her.” His laughter dies and he narrows his eyes before mirroring my pose by crossing his arms. “You like her.”
“I like the fact my gran likes her. There’s a difference.”
“So you have no issue with us going on a date on Saturday?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to inform him that her acquiescence was a condition of her skipping out before the time for that date ever came to pass.
