It’s the guys from the moving company, and they’ve brought up three dollies packed with my boxes and things. Luka stands back as they wheel everything in. A man in blue coveralls holds out a clipboard to me and asks me to sign off on the items.
“Where should we put everything?”
For a moment I’m thrown. I hadn’t given it much thought up until now. The boxes holding my belongings aren’t that big, and the sum of them would easily fit into Luka’s room without displacing anything, but I can’t bring myself to invade his personal space when we barely know each other…and besides, we never talked about whether or not I would sleep in the same room. A shiver goes through me at the thought.
Before Luka can direct the men to the master suite, I point down the hallway and lead them toward the guest room, flinging open the door.
“This room is fine,” I tell them. I glance behind me at Luka and see his brow lift.
“Sure,” he says, shrugging. “Whatever you think is best.”
It’s better this way, I tell myself. Living in the same apartment as Luka is going to be challenging enough. He sidles up to me after I show the movers where to stack everything.
“There’s plenty of space for you in my room,” he says. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
The look in his eyes tells me it’s definitely not what he wants. He probably thinks if we cozy up in bed together, sex will become a natural routine. Which it very well might.
Exactly why I’m putting my foot down.
“Yes.” I keep my voice low. “There’s nothing in the contract that says I have to sleep in the same room as you. And I think having some boundaries right up front is a good idea.”
He cocks his head and looks as if he’s about to argue. But the moving men flit around the doorway and there’s no way to keep talking without them overhearing us.
“Just know my door’s always open,” he says, a devilish gleam in his eye.
I raise my chin. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
The movers finish up, and after I thank them and show them out, Luka and I stand there like neither of us knows what to do next. Though I know what my body wants to do next.
“I should unpack,” I say, taking a few steps back before my animal urges can override the “boundaries” I just made such a big deal about setting.
“Sure,” he says. “I have some errands to run, so I’ll leave you to it.”
“Right. Great. See you later.”
This all feels so strange that I don’t know what else to say. It’s going to take a while for both of us to acclimate, I’m sure. He gives a little nod and turns, and I let myself watch his ass as he walks away from me.
My throat goes tight as I hear the door click. I’m alone in this big penthouse. It’s quieter than I expected, big and lofty. And empty. For some reason, I get the sudden sting of tears. Going into my new room, I shut the door behind me, sinking down onto the plush settee. It’s a good-sized room with a luxurious, impressive bathroom, a walk-in closet, and comfortable furnishings, all neutral tones and dark wood. The view isn’t as pretty as the one from the living room, but it’s better than the view of a parking lot filled with cars that I had back in LA.
Needing to distract myself, I grab the box of my toiletries and take it into the bathroom. I start putting things away, changing my mind, rearranging and trying again. After half an hour, I’m still working on the same row of skincare products in the huge mirrored cabinet. In between feeling overwhelmed and surprisingly lonely, I can’t stop wondering what Luka is doing.
Reaching for my phone, I wipe at my eyes and dial Mateo.
Thankfully, he answers on the second ring. “This was a mistake,” I wail.
He scoffs. “Don’t tell me you’re tired of all the banging already?”
I roll my eyes and let out a giggle. “Shut up. You know there’s no banging going on. We’ve barely even touched.”
He clucks his tongue, chastising me. “I’m sure you’ll be singing a different tune tomorrow. There’s no way a person can sleep next to you and not want to fool around. Trust me, I’d know.”
“Very funny.” I look to the ceiling, once again fighting off tears. I feel like I should say more, but I don’t trust myself not to start crying. Hearing Mateo’s voice is making me more and more homesick by the second.
“Ugh. I’ll never understand you. So if you’re not calling to tell me how many orgasms you had today, whyareyou calling me?”
I travel across the room and sit on the edge of the bed. It’s big enough to hold five people. “Maybe because I miss you.” I sigh. “Look, the truth is…I took the guest room. When it came right down to it, I couldn’t move into Luka’s room with him. It’s too weird.”
“Double ugh. Go get a pen and paper. I want you to write this down.”
