Page 2 of Level With Me

“There’s no shower here for you.” Because I am one hundred percent not sharing my sacred space with this douche canoe.

“I’ll make do.”

“For several weeks? Maybe months?”

“Why don’t you let me figure that part out, Koty?” I do not like that he refers to me by that nickname. It’s reserved for people I like. And who like me. Neither of those attributes can be ascribed to him.

“You’re not using my bathroom when I’m not home.”

He scoffs. “I’d never.”

Not sure if I believe him, but he looks genuinely—albeit mildly—offended. “Fine.” I let my eyes leave his steely grey eyes for the first time. With relief. “And there’s no bed for you.”

“What? You’re not sharing yours?”

I’m aiming for a scoff to mimic his from earlier, but a rather awkward choking sound comes out instead. “No. Definitely not.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve slept on worse,” he says, eyeing the ground.

“Y-you’re staying here?”

“Ya.” He cants his head toward the bills still in my hand. “Hence the rent money, doll.”

And before I can splutter out a Don’t call me doll because ugh, who calls someone doll, he plows on.

“Right. Now that that’s settled. You wanna tell me your plans for the space?”

No. No, I do not. I do not want him here. Not anywhere near me. Never mind living, working, and breathing in my space for the next few months.

He’s the bad boy of the Briggs family. Always has been. And he has always gotten away with it. From the way he goes through women, it’s obvious he doesn’t want to settle down. And after what he did to me? I’ll never forgive him.

So no, I do not want him here.

But hell, he’s the only one willing, and dammit I do need him.

Chapter 2

Dakota

“I like your plan. It looks good.”

“You do?” If you had told me that Cam Briggs would ever be sitting in my kitchen tapping his fingers on the table while humming his approval of my basement development plans, I’d have thought you were crazier than the last idiot to make the Johnny Board in Lit Creek. And he’s on there for accidentally sexting his cousin. For three days. (She didn’t reply.) Thank God I’ve never made it on the Johnny Board, despite all the embarrassing situations I find myself in.

“Yup.” He stands up, indicating that our little tête-à-tête has concluded. “I’ll head over to the shop to check on your orders, and I’ll work on getting the permits this week.”

“Um…” I should say thanks. I really should. But I’m too nosey for my own good. “Are you going to tell me why you’re really doing this now?”

He grabs the back of his neck, making his bicep pop under his sleeve. “Ya, that’s a no.”

“Come on. It’s only fair.”

He eyes me up and down for some reason, and ridiculously I can feel a blush creeping up the side of my neck.

“I’ve got my reasons.”

“So you said. Oh! That means there’s more than one. Just tell me one for every week that you get some work done.”

“Ya, maybe.”