"This is your apartment?"
Astounded by the size of the place, I stretched my neck taking in large open dining, living room and kitchen. Two doors at the far end, near a staircase, could’ve been extra rooms, a bathroom or closets. I didn’t know what lay behind them or the multiple doors on the landing the staircase climbed up to reach.
"Well, technically it’s now our apartment."
Turning around, I was met by Aidan’s large grin.
"Jerk," I muttered. "You live here by yourself?" Further into the apartment, overstuffed leather couches, chairs. and dark wood tables filled the open living space. Bar stools lined the dark wooden island separating the kitchen and a pool table sat in place of a dining room table. Definitely a bachelor pad.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, why the hell do you need so much if it’s just you?" Pointing at him, I raised my eyebrow. "Hmm?"
"I don’t know, I just liked it." He sat onto the large leather couch.
"You mean it fits your ego?" I giggled.
"Ha ha," he made a face. "You’re such a smartass, you know that?"
"Why yes, yes I did know that." I stuck out my tongue.
"Your room is this way," he got up from the couch and walked up some stairs.
I followed.
"The door at the end of the hall is mine," he motioned to a large dark wooden door.
I nodded.
That door is a guest room, this door is an extra room, and this," he opened the door and motioned me in, "is your room now."
"Thanks," I muttered looking around at my things in this strange unfamiliar room.
"You can put the stuff where you want."
I jumped, having forgotten that he was behind me.
"I just didn’t want you to have to unload a bunch of boxes."
"Thanks."
"Well, I’ll uh…leave you to uh…get settled," he smiled small and shut the door behind him.
Walking around the room I realized this wasn’t my bed. This one was nicer and larger. My clothes were hung in the walk-in closet and my laptop sat on a small but very expensive desk. A second door opened into a large bathroom. My toiletries were placed on the sink and in the shower. This bathtub had Jacuzzi jets. I moaned thinking about sinking into that bathtub. The thought itself almost made me orgasm.
Lost in thought, my cell phone’s ring startled me. I pulled my phone out and looked to the screen—Demitri. I wasn’t married, yet…right? I kicked that thought out of my head, but it crept back in. Biting my lip, I answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hey you," his voice a deep, rich Spanish seduction.
"Hey yourself," I was trying to use my teasingly seductive voice.
"Are you up for a ‘Deli night’?"
"Hmm…may—"
The knock of the door stopped my words and Aidan leaned in.
"Lilli?"
"Who’s that?" Demitri asked. "Do you have company?" He laughed.
"Hold on a sec," I covered my cell phone.
"What’s up?"
"I just wondered if you wanted to get something to eat?"
"Umm…I may be stepping out for something to eat with a friend."
Aidan’s face fell slightly. "Oh," he said.
I went back to my call. "What time?"
"Want me to pick you up now?" he asked, eagerly.
"No, umm...I’ll meet you at the Deli, okay?"
"In about twenty minutes?"
"Sure." We said our goodbyes and hung up.
With a smile on my face, I spun around. The smile disappeared. Aidan was still in the doorway.
"Who was that?" he asked with a little too much acid in his voice.
"A friend," I answered curtly, grabbing my purse.
"The same friend you spent the night with before?" He raised his brow and crossed his arm over his chest.
"It’s none of your business. We aren’t—"
"Lilli, you’re engaged to me. You can’t just go off with some guy in the middle of the night." He lectured.
"So, you’re telling me we have to start this fake relationship now?" Venom seeped into my words.
"Yes," he snapped.
"And when some girl is all over you, before the fake marriage, you’re going to push her away and do nothing?"
He squirmed under my intense gaze.
"That’s what I thought." I started to walk passed him.
"It’s four years, Lilli," he argued.
"Exactly…four years…I say we get it while we can and before anyone finds out we are engaged, married or whatever," I argued back and headed down the stairs toward the door. "If you can do it, so can I!" The front door of his apartment clicked shut behind me.
About to step onto the elevator, I was pulled back and spun around. Before I could process what was happening, Aidan’s lips were on mine.
Chapter Twelve
Rules and Guidelines
Aidan
When she called me out on the fact that I would take up a hot girls offer, I was stunned into silence. She took that opportunity to get past me and out the door.
"Oh, hell no!" My words fell on an empty apartment.