Kanton.
I GLANCED AT MY phone screen, seeing Jordan’s name, and I strongly considered not answering. The only reason I did was because I didn’t want my not answering to become an excuse for why she hadn’t vacated my space once I returned home in a week.
“Hello.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I was hoping you would answer,” she rushed out, causing me to regret the decision. I sank deeper into the sofa, allowing my head to fall back while I closed my eyes to prepare for whatever headache she was about to lay on me.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re already irritated, and you don’t have a clue why I’m calling.” Whereas I sounded irritated, she sounded amused, so I made an excuse.
“I’m tired. It’s been a very long day.” My eyes involuntarily moved to the corner of the apartment where Noel was tucked away in her bedroom.
“Oh, that’s right. You’re traveling for business. Where are you again? I still can’t believe your mother agreed to let you skip Christmas.”
Jordan didn’t know my mother, and my mother had no clue Jordan existed. That would have been a disaster in the making on both ends. Jordan was accomplished in her own right but would never meet my mother’s approval.
She didn’t have a college degree because the day after she graduated high school, she moved to New York and tried her hand at modeling. That didn’t work out, but she did find a way to make a career out of her looks, which also created issues with us.
Her life was a little less structured, and although I supported her entrepreneurial spirit, she had no plans to settle down anytime soon. Her life was centered around late nights at clubs and celebrity events. I had no interest in either, which meant we often disagreed about the structure of our relationship. She was a fantastic woman, just not one who would fit into my world, nor did I fit into hers.
“She didn’t have much of a choice. This deal was important.”
“All of your deals are important, Kanton,” she stated bluntly.
“Did you call to argue, because if so—”
“No, I didn’t call to argue. Where business is concerned, we both know that’s an argument I won’t win. I called to ask for a huge favor. I know that I said I’d be out before you returned—”
“Jordan—” I pinched the bridge of my nose, and she quickly added.
“I’m not trying to prolong this. I get it. We’re in two different spaces with our expectations. As much as I hate it, you and I don’t fit, and for the record, I do hate it. You’re an amazing guy, and the sex is irreplaceable.” I smirked, shaking my head. It was. I would miss that the most. “But I’ll survive . . . maybe.”
“Is there a point?”
“There is. I’ve just received the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s last minute, which means I need to leave right away. I promised to make this separation seamless and be out by the time you returned home, and I’m keeping my promise, technically, because I won’t be there, but my things will. If you can give me an extra week, I’ll be completely out when I return from the UK.”
“The UK?”
“Yes, I’m going to be there for six weeks. I’ve exclusively been signed on to a tour with a very exclusive client, so it doesn’t make sense to get a new place. I have a break the week of New Year’s, so I’ll fly in to grab my things, but it would be amazing, and I’ll forever be in your debt if you hang onto them until then.”
She wasn’t asking much, and it wasn’t too much of an imposition, so I agreed.
“I can do that.”
“Oh, thank God.”
Her persistence had me asking, “You already left, haven’t you?”
“On the jet as we speak.”
“And if I had said no . . .”
“I would have figured something out.” She sounded chipper, which made me shake my head again.
“But you knew I wouldn’t say no.”
“I hoped you wouldn’t. Like I said, you’re an amazing guy, Just not my guy. I get that now, and as much as I would have loved for this to work, clearly, it doesn’t.”
“It doesn’t,” I confirmed before adding, “but you’re pretty amazing yourself, Jordan.”
“You’re being nice.”
I grinned. “I’m being honest. We just don’t fit, and that’s okay. I am going to miss you—”
“Me or the sex . . .” she teased.
“Both.”
My dick jolted in agreement, but no matter how great the sex was, if the emotional connection wasn’t there, sex was all we would be, and I wanted more.
Once again, my eyes involuntarily drifted to the corner of the apartment that shouldn’t have held my interest. But it did.
“At least I wasn’t alone in this.”
“You weren’t, and Jordan . . .”
“Yeah?”
“Congratulations. That’s huge, and I’m very proud of you. I wish you the best with your career.”
“Thanks, Coming from you, that means a lot. I’ll text you the dates when I’ll be in town. It should only take me a day or two to get the rest of my things. I’ll be in and out. Don’t want Shelby coming for me.”
I laughed hard. “You’re safe. She knows to stay away from this one.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll still do my best to fly under her radar. The woman is lethal on her own, but she’s deadly when it comes to you. If I hadn’t seen her actual boyfriend, I’d swear there was something there—”
I frowned and clarified. “I assure you there is not. Our relationship is entirely professional.”
“I know. You’re not that guy. You have apparent and defined lines about certain things, but I did consider the possibility a few times. Take care, and wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck. You’ve got this.”
“I do. Talk soon.”
After I ended the call, a weight lifted. When I first had the talk with Jordan, explaining how I felt things weren’t working and that she and I weren’t a good fit, she opposed ending things. She seemed convinced that we could find a middle ground.
I, on the other hand, did not. As much as I liked her, she and I didn’t have that thing . Not that I’ve ever had that thing with anyone before to identify it, but I was sure of what it was not, and Jordan wasn’t the person I could see myself with long-term.
When I thought about the two of us, I couldn’t see beyond where we were at that present time. Now that she had made peace with ending things, whether because of her new career opportunity or if she realized we didn’t work, I was grateful and relieved.
However, the fact that I was slightly relieved because of the woman whose apartment I was in added a new conflict to my life. One that I didn’t want to consider because she and I surely didn’t fit. Mostly because she loathed my existence. Sure, she found me attractive. Her roaming eyes were proof, but she didn’t like me very much.
She also didn’t know me. If she did, then maybe she would.
What the hell?
Why was I considering the possibility? Why did I care? I was here for one reason only. To convince Brighton to take on my firm. Exhaling a sigh, I stood up from the sofa and tossed my phone where I’d been seated so I could retrieve some lounge clothes.
The longer I sat there, the more I realized I was truly exhausted and ready to relax for the evening, do a little more research on Brighton, and then call it a night. I wasn’t thrilled about sleeping on a sofa for the next few days, but at least it was pretty comfy. She had good taste, quirky and eccentric, but still good taste, nonetheless.
I collected what I would wear after my shower along with my toiletry kit and headed down the hall to the bathroom, immediately frowning once I flipped the light switch. Toilet, sink, no shower.
One bedroom, one-and-a-half baths.
Damn it.
The reminder of the apartment amenities flashed in my head. That meant . . .
My eyes traveled further to my left, where Noel’s bedroom was located. The only full bath in the apartment was in her bedroom. Interesting. Unfortunately, she’d have to share because I refused to endure my stay here without washing my ass, and she’d appreciate that consideration as well.
I flipped the switch to kill the light in the hall bathroom and planted myself outside her door, where I knocked and waited.
Nothing.
I knocked again, and a few minutes later, I heard shuffling behind the door before it cracked open.
“Yes?”
This woman.
Hair a mess. Eyes narrowed. Cute little facial expression of hers anything but welcoming to the idea of me being at her door.
“We have to amend our agreement.”
Her brows pinched, and she pulled the door protectively close to her body. It took all my willpower not to look down and, instead, keep my eyes trained on her face. It likely wouldn’t work in my favor if she caught me checking her out while asking for an amendment to our agreement that gave me access to her bedroom.
She probably assumed I had changed my mind about her keeping rights to the bedroom, although that thought wasn’t awful.
“The only full bathroom is in here . . . with you .”
“And?” Her brows pinched more.
“We’re going to have to share.”
I noticed the moment when she realized the predicament, and she mumbled, “We have to share?”
“We do, which means you’ll have to let me in.”
“This is my room.”
I grinned. “It is, and I promise not to touch anything in it, but I need access to your bathroom.”
A million and one thoughts traveled through her mind. Most of them likely had the word “no” attached, but she decided to do the right thing and stepped out of the way, bringing the door with her. “Fine. Bathroom’s right there. Don’t use my things, and please, don’t make a mess.”
“You’re really not great with this hosting thing.”
“I’m not your host,” she shot back and stepped into her room, pausing where she stood. She tensed when I leaned in close to her ear, and I smiled internally. I made her nervous, but not in a way that she felt I’d do her any harm. She was nervous because she didn’t trust herself around me.
“Is that because you don’t want to be mine or just because you don’t like the host label?” She sucked in a sharp breath, and I pulled back, allowing my eyes to meet hers. They briefly lingered before I walked away so she could release the breath lodged in her throat in peace. As soon as I was inside the bathroom with the door securely separating us, I closed my eyes, growling as I shook my head.
“What the fuck was that?” I mumbled.
Why was I saying things about being mine to this woman?
Because she was incredibly sexy, and I wanted her to be my host. My personal host. The swell of my dick was a clear sign of how much I wanted her, period.
I was bombarded with her essence when I opened my eyes and looked around. The light scent of the same notes of fruit that clung to her skin. Her things covered the counter in organized chaos. The bright colors that she used to decorate. The space was clean, and the bathroom was spotless but slightly cluttered with her things.
Skincare products, lotions, perfumes, hair ties, and clips . . . None of these bothered me when I loathed how Jordan kept the same things in my bathroom.
Needing to make this as quick as possible, I pulled the glass door aside, adjusted the water, removed my body wash from my toiletry kit, and placed it on the shelf. I should have adjusted the temperature to ice cold to temper whatever the hell I was currently dealing with, but I allowed the steamy hot spray to flow while I stripped out of my clothes then eased into the stall.
The size was decent, which is another perk for this property. I was impressed with Noel’s decision to invest in this specific apartment. Another random thought that once again had me shaking my head.
Why the hell was I keeping score with Noel?
Because you and your dick are very intrigued by her. The thought had me growling internally before my eyes shifted to the tiny shelf with a plastic bottle with bright pink letters and a picture of a grapefruit plastered. Instead of reaching for my own, I lifted hers and held it to my nose after flipping the top and regretted the decision when thoughts of her in here with me and grapefruit-scented suds careening down her body being chased by my hands took over.
“Fuck.”
I quickly flipped the lid back, replaced her body wash with mine, and hurried through showering so that I could get out of her space and reset my brain, which had somehow confused the reason why I was here. Me being in Atlanta in her apartment had nothing to do with the very erotic thoughts I was having about Noel.