Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TEDDIE
I didn't go back to the pool house slash gym until a few days later, when no one was in there.
If there was a door down to the basement in there, I couldn't find it.
I thought about asking Hel straight out, but I had the feeling there was a reason the entrance wasn't easy to find.
He didn't want anyone down there. The place was probably a health hazard anyway. That didn't stop me from being curious.
I thought about breaking the egress window and getting in that way, but the cost of the window was another thing I didn't want added onto my debt to these men. I tried to put it out of my mind, but it lingered in the background. The unanswered question that begged for a solution.
"I told Hel we should have put a tracking chip on you," Fade said in his usual drawl.
I realized I was staring out at the moonlit ocean without seeing it, lost in thought. Maybe hoping a bird with a red breast would help me find the lost door to the secret basement. Of course, the birds had gone to bed hours ago. And this wasn't The Secret Garden,
"Why would you do that?" I turned to him and tried not to let my gaze wander down his toned body. He was in only a tank top and a pair of cargo shorts. I definitely didn't stare at the muscles in his thighs. Or imagine them on either side of mine.
Fade shrugged. "It'd be easier to find you."
"You could always send me a text asking where I am," I suggested.
"Now, where would be the fun in that?" He smiled slowly. "Hunting you down is much more entertaining." He took a step forward as if he was about to suggest I start running. Would he wear a mask if I asked him nicely?
"I'm not sure if it counts as hunting," I said, trying to deflect from the fact my heart was racing a little faster.
With his long legs, he'd catch me in moments.
An idea I didn't hate, in spite of myself.
"I'm standing right outside the house. All you had to do was look out a window.
" I waved a hand toward it. “The moonlight is bright enough. "
He probably did exactly that, which was how he found me. Not by hunting around the grounds, as his words seemed to imply.
"It's a start. We can build on it later. I know a nice forest not far from here." He pushed his hands into his pockets and rolled his shoulders.
"In that case, a tracking chip would give you an unfair advantage," I said without missing a beat.
"Strangely, I can't bring myself to give a shit." He pulled a hand out of his pocket and rubbed his fingers across his jaw. "If I'm hunting you through the forest, I'm using every tool available to catch you."
"Since we're not running through the forest, did you want something?
" I cocked my head at him. I got the impression he'd come out here for a reason.
One that didn't involve staring out at the waves crashing onto the beach, or the fresh salt air.
Or the breeze on his face, or even the taste of salt on his plush lips.
"I wanted to invite you to watch something with me," he said. "I figured you deserve a night off.” He raised a finger and pointed it at me. "Yeah, I know it's Sunday, but we both know you've taken a break from studying. That's why you're out here."
I couldn't argue with him. He was right. I spent the day working on my thesis, and came out here to escape from it.
"I still have a ton to do," I said with a sigh. Unfortunately, hoping my thesis would write itself wasn't working as well as I might have hoped.
"I don't care. Come and watch something with me." He turned and started back toward the house.
Was he really so arrogant that he thought I'd just trot along behind him like a faithful puppy?
Yes. Yes, he was.
"Is that a rule?" I called out to his back.
"Don't tempt me," he said in reply. He didn't stop or slow down. He was probably thinking which day that rule should go on, and which one it should replace.
Today's rule was something about eating two servings of fruit and three of vegetables.
I assumed that came from Oak. It was nice of him to look out for me, but the idea of him trying to control my diet rubbed me the wrong way.
I was an adult. If I wanted to eat hamburgers all day, I could.
I hadn't, of course. I'd eaten two apples, a potato, and a serving of corn and beans.
The latter over dinner, while Oak watched every mouthful.
It was easier to humor him than it was to break the rules. Fade was a whole other story.
I had two choices. I could return to my thesis, knowing I was too tired to add anything meaningful, or I could follow him. Getting to know him better might not be the worst way to spend an hour or two.
The smug expression on his face when I sat on the couch a foot away from him almost made me reconsider.
He picked up a bowl of popcorn from the table in front of him and offered me some.
"Salted caramel popcorn. It's delicious, and has the added bonus that if Oak saw us eating it, he'd lose his shit."
I snorted a laugh. That sounded good, and the popcorn smelled even better.
"He's really into his health and fitness thing, isn't he?" I grabbed up a handful and started to eat. Fade was right, it was delicious.
He grabbed up a handful himself. "Yeah, it's pretty much his obsession. I might go as far as to say it's his addiction. Between you and me, I think he lies awake at night thinking of ways to be healthier. Only…" He leaned in and whispered, "I know where he keeps his stash of donuts."
I laughed again. "He has a stash of donuts?"
"Not that I know of," Fade admitted. "But if he doesn't, then there's something seriously wrong with the dude. I mean, I like to be fit and healthy as much as the next guy, but a sugar hit once in a while keeps us sane. Wouldn't you say, sweetheart?"
"I like a sugar hit," I agreed. "So, what are we watching?"
"I figured you could choose first. Then I'll choose," Fade said.
I didn't bother to hide my suspicion as I picked up the remote and scrolled through the streaming services, looking for something I was sure he'd dislike. I couldn't help it, I wanted to see his reaction.
I settled on a romantic comedy and pressed play, watching Fade out of the corner of my eye. He took more popcorn and sat back, his knees crossed, one arm over the back of the couch, his hand almost close enough to touch my hair.
"You're all right with this?" I asked.
"It's one of my favorites," he said easily.
"You like romantic comedies?" I turned to stare at him.
"Are you forgetting the book I was reading when you almost bumped into me?" He toyed with his lip ring with his tongue and quirked an eyebrow.
"You mean the one you were reading when you almost bumped into me?" I said. "I remember."
"And?" he asked. "Do you have a problem with guys who like romance?"
"Not at all," I said quickly. "You just don't seem… "
"I don't seem what?" His other eyebrow rose to match the first. He was baiting me, and we both knew it.
"You don't seem like the kind of guy who'd like romance novels or movies," I said.
"What do I look like I watch?" he asked.
"I don't know, action movies, I guess," I said. "The kind with car chases and explosions."
"I like those too." He uncrossed his legs and propped them on the coffee table in front of him. "My taste is varied."
"I can see that," I said.
He leaned towards me. "Let me guess, you've never met a man who liked romance before?"
"Not ones who'd admit it," I said.
My fathers preferred comedies that didn't have romance in them. And no guy I'd ever dated liked the kind of movies or books I did. Honestly, most of them preferred to watch sports than movies. That was totally valid, of course, but it wasn’t my preference.
"Let's get this straight. You assumed I was a Neanderthal. Now you've discovered I'm not."
"Oh, I still think you're a Neanderthal," I told him. "You're just a Neanderthal who enjoys romance."
For some reason, that made him grin. "I'm starting to think you're less annoying than I thought you were." After a moment, he added, "Only a bit," and held his finger and thumb slightly apart.
"I was going to say the same about you." I scooped up more popcorn. "You might be slightly tolerable."
"Sweetheart, I'm more than slightly tolerable," he said. "Wait until you get to know me, you'll be obsessed too."
"Oh?" I asked. "Who else is obsessed with you? Apart from yourself, that is." I smiled as I popped more popcorn into my mouth.
"The question is, who isn't obsessed with me?" He smirked and returned his eyes to the screen. "I love this part."
"Where she accidentally falls into the fountain." I'd seen this movie enough times before to remember the scenes, if not the specific details. "Let me guess, you like it when she steps out with water dripping off her."
At that point, her shirt was practically transparent, showing her cold, hard nipples.
"While I appreciate her form as much as the next man," Fade said slowly, "I appreciate the comedic timing. It's almost perfect, wouldn't you agree?"
"I suppose I would," I said. Once again, he'd surprised me. I assumed he'd be ogling her, not fanboying over acting and scriptwriting.
As if through different eyes, I watched as the actor stumbled, trying to avoid tripping over the dogs running loose through the city.
The back of her legs hit the fountain. She let out a shriek and fell backwards, landing with a splash.
A couple of the dogs jumped right over her before she pushed herself up and stepped out of the water.
"Classic." Fade chuckled.
We were silent as her love interest approached, offering her his coat and fresh coffee in a takeaway cup.
"He's so sweet," I said with a sigh.
Fade glanced over at me. "Yeah, but you can tell he wants to fuck her up against that cherub statue."
So much for enjoying the romance of the movie.
The couple walked away into the sunset and the credits started to roll.
"I guess it's your turn to choose what to watch."
I offered him the remote.
He offered me a sly smile in return.