in unannounced often.”
He breathed in the smell of the tea and the woodstove and some kind of earthy spices that were probably a permanent part of her house. “Thank you. I’ll leave you for tonight, and find myself a room in town, but I’d love to get together tomorrow. I don’t know. I’ll work around your schedule. Anything. And I’ll pay you. Whatever you want.”
“I know you’ll be fair with the money, though I have no idea how to even begin charging for this…” She shook her head as she held in her smile. “I’m ill equipped here, but town is even worse. It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Besides, it’s a bit of a drive, and it’s late.”
His heart jumped at the thought of staying in this small haven because the longer he was there the more it felt like just that. He’d grown up in a house not too dissimilar in Oregon, and everything about the place reminded him of home—except the small size.
“I sleep in the loft, but the loft has a closet I sometimes use as a bedroom. It’s tight quarters, but I spent a lot of time on a sailboat growing up, so tight quarters don’t bother me.”
“Another piece,” he said quietly.
She cocked her head to the side. “Another what?”
“Oh.” He shifted his mug. “Another piece of Corinne. That’s all. I always…”
Just like that her face closed off. “Learn about people. I remember.”
He breathed in the warm smell of her home again and half-heartedly said, “You don’t need to put me up.”
“You can stay here as long as you keep paying me well,” she countered with a smile. “I don’t work many hours, I want to spend time with Jonah, and we both know you can afford it.”
Something about the way she offered, all business and money, told him that he should stay. That even though part of her minded, part of her didn’t. And he immediately clung to the idea that maybe him being there was okay.
It was strange. He barely knew her. The songwriting was amazing, almost as amazing as the sex, but he had no idea how to get to know a woman who had zero interest in getting to know him. “Thanks. I’d love that. Maybe you’ll be rid of me sooner. Or maybe I’ll go broke before I’m able to write again.”
Corinne chuckled and then took another sip of her tea—her smooth lips lining up with the rim of the cup. Holy hell being in close quarters with her was going to be rough.
“It’s actually fine,” Corinne said with a small smile. “You’re okay to be here.”
And in that moment, he chose to believe her.
SIX
Corinne’s head swam as Christian followed her up the narrow stairs to the open loft. Why had she allowed him to stay? Why hadn’t she sent him back into town to stay in that crap motel on the highway? More than that. Why had she let him through the front door?
It would be so convenient to say she needed the money , but even though she couldn’t put her finger on why she’d said yes, she knew money wasn’t the whole reason.
She wasn’t used to facing someone she’d slept with. Not unless she was dating them, and she had zero intention of being with Christian Meyer again, no matter how her body reacted to his presence. Like how it buzzed knowing he was two steps behind her. How she wanted to rake her hands over his hard body and feel the strength of him wrapped around her.
They stopped in the loft. Her bed rested against the far wall—her massive closet on one side that served as an extra bedroom and her bathroom on the other side. He’d walk past her every time he went to the bathroom…
“So…” She paused in the tiny space, trying not to feel ashamed of how incredibly modest it all was. At least her embarrassment had tempered her memories. “The room I have isn’t much. More like a closet with a door.”
“Corinne. Really. It’s all fine. This is way more than you need to do.”
She spun to face him suddenly suspicious. “You’re not after more of…”
His brows knitted in
He breathed in the smell of the tea and the woodstove and some kind of earthy spices that were probably a permanent part of her house. “Thank you. I’ll leave you for tonight, and find myself a room in town, but I’d love to get together tomorrow. I don’t know. I’ll work around your schedule. Anything. And I’ll pay you. Whatever you want.”
“I know you’ll be fair with the money, though I have no idea how to even begin charging for this…” She shook her head as she held in her smile. “I’m ill equipped here, but town is even worse. It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Besides, it’s a bit of a drive, and it’s late.”
His heart jumped at the thought of staying in this small haven because the longer he was there the more it felt like just that. He’d grown up in a house not too dissimilar in Oregon, and everything about the place reminded him of home—except the small size.
“I sleep in the loft, but the loft has a closet I sometimes use as a bedroom. It’s tight quarters, but I spent a lot of time on a sailboat growing up, so tight quarters don’t bother me.”
“Another piece,” he said quietly.
She cocked her head to the side. “Another what?”
“Oh.” He shifted his mug. “Another piece of Corinne. That’s all. I always…”
Just like that her face closed off. “Learn about people. I remember.”
He breathed in the warm smell of her home again and half-heartedly said, “You don’t need to put me up.”
“You can stay here as long as you keep paying me well,” she countered with a smile. “I don’t work many hours, I want to spend time with Jonah, and we both know you can afford it.”
Something about the way she offered, all business and money, told him that he should stay. That even though part of her minded, part of her didn’t. And he immediately clung to the idea that maybe him being there was okay.
It was strange. He barely knew her. The songwriting was amazing, almost as amazing as the sex, but he had no idea how to get to know a woman who had zero interest in getting to know him. “Thanks. I’d love that. Maybe you’ll be rid of me sooner. Or maybe I’ll go broke before I’m able to write again.”
Corinne chuckled and then took another sip of her tea—her smooth lips lining up with the rim of the cup. Holy hell being in close quarters with her was going to be rough.
“It’s actually fine,” Corinne said with a small smile. “You’re okay to be here.”
And in that moment, he chose to believe her.
SIX
Corinne’s head swam as Christian followed her up the narrow stairs to the open loft. Why had she allowed him to stay? Why hadn’t she sent him back into town to stay in that crap motel on the highway? More than that. Why had she let him through the front door?
It would be so convenient to say she needed the money , but even though she couldn’t put her finger on why she’d said yes, she knew money wasn’t the whole reason.
She wasn’t used to facing someone she’d slept with. Not unless she was dating them, and she had zero intention of being with Christian Meyer again, no matter how her body reacted to his presence. Like how it buzzed knowing he was two steps behind her. How she wanted to rake her hands over his hard body and feel the strength of him wrapped around her.
They stopped in the loft. Her bed rested against the far wall—her massive closet on one side that served as an extra bedroom and her bathroom on the other side. He’d walk past her every time he went to the bathroom…
“So…” She paused in the tiny space, trying not to feel ashamed of how incredibly modest it all was. At least her embarrassment had tempered her memories. “The room I have isn’t much. More like a closet with a door.”
“Corinne. Really. It’s all fine. This is way more than you need to do.”
She spun to face him suddenly suspicious. “You’re not after more of…”
His brows knitted in
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