Shelby stared at the empty doorway for a second, then chased him down the hall to the master bedroom. He’d done a bit more decorating—if it could be called that—in this space, adding a large dresser and some nightstands on either side of the king-size bed. But it was still all very austere. “Hold up. You can’t have a pet by default.”
“Yes, you can.” He disappeared into a closet the size of her bedroom at the house she shared with Eva. And now Cam. Which reminded her she still had to find a new place to live because once this thing with Reece was over, she didn’t want to be the proverbial third wheel, stuck in a house with the newlyweds.
She shook her head to dislodge the depressing thought and walked over to the closet. Suits lined the bars in tidy rows, all pressed and neat. So different from her closet, which spewed a rainbow onto her bedroom floor. What would Reece do if she pulled one of his ties off those anal-retentive hangers and tossed it on the floor? Her fingers tingled with the urge, and she crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself from doing it.
Reece was shirtless and halfway through pulling off the slacks he’d traveled in. “Jesus, Shelby. A little privacy?”
She leaned a shoulder against the jamb and admired the view. He looked damn fine in a suit, but it was a shame he had to cover up all that lean muscle. “It’s nothing I haven’t already seen. I’m not understanding this whole pet-by-default thing.”
He heaved out a sigh and finished pulling off his pants. She’d always been a boxers kind of girl, but the formfitting briefs he was wearing made her belly jitter.
“Jude fell in love with the cat and brought him home from Key West,” Reece said and chose a fresh dress shirt. “Except he and Libby can’t have animals in their apartment. Cam and Vaughn took the cat for a while, but turns out, the twins are both allergic. And Greer’s not home enough to take care of an animal, so that left me until Jude and Libby’s lease is up.”
“You took in a cat for your brother?”
He stepped into a pair of slacks and looped a tie over his shoulders. “Wouldn’t you, for your sister?”
“Well, yeah. But—” He looked over at her and she closed her mouth without finishing the thought. She hadn’t expected that kind of commitment from a workaholic like him. Instead, she asked, “Where are you going?”
“I need to check in at DMW, then go to the Wilde Security office.”
“You know, most people take the evening off when they’ve been traveling all day.”
“Most people don’t have a blackmailer to find.”
“Touché.” She sketched a point in the air. “Reece, one. Shelby, zero.”
He scowled and buttoned his shirt. “This isn’t a game.”
“Sure it is. Life’s one big game. Everyone’s playing, but few realize that it’s rigged. None of us ever win—we all end up in the same place—so why not have fun with it?”
“You sound like Jude,” he muttered.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Jude’s got his shit together.”
“Are we talking about the same Jude? Captain Annoying: the First Fuckup, champion of loudmouth little brothers everywhere?”
She gaped at him. “Did you just make a comic book joke?”
His face went blank. “No.”
“You did so!”
He turned to the door. “There’s a dinner party tomorrow night, and I plan to use it as our official debut as husband and wife. It should take the heat off the blackmail threat, and then we can work on clearing up your money issues. A stylist will be here at eight a.m. to fix your hair.”
“Uh, whoa.” She held up her hands. “I can do my own hair.”
He glanced back, his gaze assessing, almost cold. “It needs to be a normal color.”
Self-conscious, she tugged on a purple strand. “I know that.”
“We’ll keep the stylist appointment, then Libby will take you shopping tomorrow afternoon. She has a good eye for fashion and will help you find something appropriate.”
Shelby resisted the urge to tug on the hem of her skirt. The fact she even wanted to pissed her off. She’d never before been uncomfortable with herself, and she wasn’t about to let him make her feel that way. “If you think you get to order me around just because we’re temporarily married, you have another think coming. I’ll do my own hair and choose my own clothes, fuck you very much.”
His eyes flashed, but not in anger. Something darker, hotter, and her panties dampened. She caught her breath at the unexpected throb of lust and reached for him, but he abruptly turned on his heel and stalked out.
A moment later, she heard the front door click shut.
She blew out a breath and staggered backward a step until the bed touched the back of her thighs. She sank to the mattress and told her libido to calm down. But when he got all commanding like that… Whew. And the heat between the two of them? Holy hell. It put a volcano to shame, and she’d never experienced anything like it before, with anyone. How could she want to throttle the man and at the same time, want to jump his bones and ride him until they were both screaming?
Shelby groaned and dropped her head into her hands. She was used to getting herself in and out of trouble, but this time, she just might have stepped in over her head.