Page 34 of Sinister Secrets

“Good morning,” a singsong voice says.

Jake and I both curse, our foreheads knocking painfully together as we each reach for the abandoned sheets to cover up.

“Oh crap. Don’t worry. I’m not looking,” Chelsea says, raising a hand to the side of her face as her steps quicken. “You should know that there’s something wrong with your other bathroom.”

As the door to the en suite closes behind her and the water turns on, I feel totally and completely mortified. I look at Jake as he rolls off of me, expecting to see the same. Instead, the red that stains his skin isn’t from embarrassment, but anger.

“What happened to showering at the gym?” he hisses.

“I guess the same thing that happened to knocking before entering someone’s bedroom uninvited.”

“If I go out and get everyone fed and watered real quick, do you think we’ll have time…?”

“I’m supposed to show her the ropes this morning.”

He groans in a way much different than I’d hoped to hear. Cringes as Chelsea starts singing in the shower. Reaches for his phone, checks the time, sighs resignedly, and says, “It doesn’t sound like she’s planning on getting out of there anytime soon. I better go do it now anyway or else we’ll both be late.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Or.”

“What?” I ask as we both slip from the bed, hurrying to dress.

“You can stay here and have a talk with her about boundaries?”

“Or I can do that, so it doesn’t happen again.”

“Thank you.” He casts an irritated look at the closed door. “Something tells me there’s not going to be much hot water left. I’ll get ready at the condo so you can have it all.”

He gives me a long, lingering kiss that’s a promise for later, and then he’s gone. It’s another fifteen minutes before the shower turns off. A cloud of steam and humidity releases as the door cracks open. Chelsea’s voice is high-pitched as she asks, “Cassie?”

My own is deep and irritated as I respond, “What?”

“Is it okay to come out now?”

I swallow down my anger, tempering my tone. “Yes.”

Her cheeks are bright red as she emerges from the bathroom, towel drying her hair, her eyes not meeting mine. “I’m so sorry, Cassie. I tried to kill some time, give you guys a chance to finish. You have to believe that if I had any idea you were… I never would have…” She raises her teary gaze to mine. “Are you going to kick me out now?”

Drawing a deep breath, I release it on a heavy sigh. Swallow down the lecture I had prepared about having given her the code to the door for emergencies only. “No.”

“Thank you.”

“But I need you to promise me that this won’t happen again.”

“Of course, I promise. You don’t have to worry, that was so embarrassing.”

“Imagine how we felt.”

Her lips twitch, and I think she’s going to start sobbing until she says, “I imagine pretty good until I barged in.”

I can’t help laughing.

“Seriously, though, I apologize. I should have knocked. This is what happens when I haven’t had my coffee yet. I just really want to do a good job for you. I was so excited about getting to work this morning and getting an early jump on things, but when I couldn’t get the water in the other bathroom to work… I just wasn’t thinking. Do you hate me now?”

“No, of course not.”

“What about Jake? Where is he? I should apologize to him as well.”