Chapter 3
LIAM
L ondon and I both came from money, but as we pulled up to the house we’d be staying in, we were both completely quiet and awed.
We’d been on the road for two days and the sun was already sitting low behind us, so both of our sunglasses were on our heads.
It allowed me to see her eyes widening as the same thing happened to mine.
The place was stunning, a massive, white mansion right on the beach. It had a modern, sleek design with expansive glass walls, open terraces, and clean, minimalist lines. Warm, ambient lighting illuminated the exterior of the multi-level structure and it cast a golden glow against the twilight sky.
Palm trees swayed gently in the breeze where the lush, tropical garden met the beach, and London’s jaw dropped as she took it all in. “Wow.”
I looked up at the house and honestly, despite how nice the places were where we’d grown up and had vacationed in, this was really something. “I expected nothing less from Nathan Walker, but wow is not incorrect.”
She chuckled. “Dad always does go above and beyond, doesn’t he? I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”
“I feel like someone is going to jump out and remind us not to touch anything,” I admitted before I reached for the door handle. “Do you want to call your dad and double check the address, or should we just accept that we’re going to be living in paradise for the next few months?”
As I watched, her entire face lit up and she suddenly swung her door open and jumped out. Her bright blonde hair danced in the breeze as she called to me over her shoulder. “We’re living in paradise, Liam! Come on. Let’s explore.”
For a moment, my ass was glued to my seat. She looked like one of those gorgeous girls in the pictures holding their hands out to the photographers behind them, and I was the guy she was reaching for. Shit . I know something I want to explore and it’s not the beach house.
Scrambling to follow her out, I forgot about my seat belt and got yanked back to the chair with a soft thump.
I groaned, exceptionally relieved she hadn’t seen that.
After I freed myself, I climbed out and fought to keep my composure, even grabbing a couple of her thousand suitcases and bringing them in with me.
London had already opened the front door with the code her dad had given us, her hands pressed to her chest as she looked around. I left her bags by the door, my jaw slackening again as I got a load of the inside.
The ceilings were high and the entire front of the house was made of glass, offering breathtaking, one-hundred-and-eighty-degree sea views that I swore I would never get tired of.
There was a grand, outdoor lounging area out there with well-lit steps right onto the beach and even a little infinity splash pool.
London squealed and clapped her hands together, spinning to face me, her wide eyes brimming with excitement. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing? It’s official. I’m moving to Miami permanently and I’m never leaving this house.”
“Good,” I said, inclining my head toward the driveway. “You still have about nine hundred and ninety-eight suitcases to help me unload.”
She laughed. “Fine, but I’m still never leaving the property.”
Taking off with all that loose, golden hair sailing behind her again, she disappeared through the foyer and I took the moment alone for reality to set in. I was going to be living here with London Walker for the next few months.
This wasn’t a quick business trip, but my actual life for a while. Despite all her stuff and the million suitcases, I wasn’t sure I was upset about this arrangement. As she came back in, neatly wheeling only two of her cases behind her, I smirked.
“Dibs on the master,” I called out.
She made a face at me, stopping on the spot and shaking her head. “No way, troll. The master is mine.”
“You can have the other two bedrooms,” I offered. “One to sleep in and one as your closet.”
“That’s not playing fair.” She sighed. “You knew letting me use the other one as my closet was going to get to me. Fine. Let’s do that, then.”
I winked and grabbed her suitcases that I’d brought in earlier. “Leave those. I’ll come get them once these are up there.”
Ascending the glass staircase on the left of the main room carefully so as not the break the house with all her luggage, I couldn’t get over the fact that I had a view of the ocean even from here.
After dropping her stuff off in one of the bedrooms, I kept walking to the end of the hall where I was guessing I would find the master—and I did.
It did not disappoint.
There was ambient lighting in there too, and it’d been left on presumably in preparation for our arrival. As with the rest of the house, the front wall was floor-to-ceiling windows with yet another breathtaking view.
I also had my very own large balcony with an outdoor patio set on it, padded cushions on the seats and a view of the entertainment area below.
An en-suite bathroom took up the space behind a low wall designed to designate the area, and a king-sized mattress sat on top of a base built in front of the wall.
The bed faced the beach, which meant I’d be waking to spectacular sunrises every morning.
The bedding was a crisp white layered with navy blue.
It reminded me of London’s mood board, actually.
I smiled and slid my hands into my pockets, satisfied with my decision to let her have the other two bedrooms if I could have just this one.
“I’m going to grab the rest of our stuff,” I called to her. “Come help me anytime you like!”
“Be right there,” she yelled out of the room directly next to mine. “You should see my bathroom, Liam! It’s gorgeous. I’ve got a view of the beach right out of the tub. How awesome is that? I can’t wait to have a soak.”
Fucking fantastic. Now I’m thinking about her naked, surrounded by bubbles, right next door. A soft groan rumbled through me and I kept right on walking before I went and did something stupid, like ask if I could join her.
The hallway was as spacious as every other area in the house, tiled and with only a thin navy rug running from one end to the other down the center. There was some art and a few round mirrors decorating the walls, potted plants here and there that mimicked the tropical greenery outside.
Deliberately focusing on the house instead of the girl, I descended the staircase, marveling at the fact that there were no actual floors separating the top from the bottom of this place.
I could see a large part of the living and dining areas right from the top of the stairs, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop wondering if London was naked yet.
There was no denying that the girl drove me crazy, but in more ways than one. She was definitely hot, and although we had to keep things platonic, those dirty dreams were coming back to haunt me right around now.
Bringing my fist to my mouth, I bit my knuckles, groaned again, and shook my head. Stop. Picturing. London. Naked. Stop it.
My brain didn’t quite listen, but the sight of the pile of luggage still waiting for me on the back of the truck made it slightly easier.
Once I’d hauled all of her stuff to her closet-bedroom, I went back for my one bag and one suitcase, then I shut my bedroom door behind me so I wouldn’t hear her gushing about the tub again.
God forbid I actually hear the water running. I’d definitely do something stupid then.
While I’d known that this arrangement was going to be challenging, I hadn’t expected my resolve to falter so quickly.
We’d only just gotten here and already my engines were revving into overdrive.
We really would be living in paradise, together, with no one we knew anywhere close by and working together too.
It would be me and London. All day. Every day. Just us.
Fine, eventually, some of our people would be here and we’d be joined during the day by the people we would be hiring, but until then…
Keep it in your pants, Jones. Besides, if you try anything, she’ll chop it off.
After I’d unpacked most of my stuff and was arranging the toiletries in my bathroom, I heard my door creak open without even a knock. “Hey, do you want to run to Target with me? We need toilet paper and stuff, and we can grab some dinner on the way home.”
I laughed. “Sure, I wouldn’t want you getting lost in our new city and then having the house to myself for a few hours. You know, on second thought…”
Her eyes were rolling when I walked out of the bathroom. “Yeah, right. You’d be so lonely without me. One night alone here and you’ll think the place is haunted.”
“Whatever. A ghost would be a less annoying roommate than you.”
We both knew I didn’t mean it. I didn’t always like the woman, but I loved her. I honestly considered her one of my closest friends—and definitely the most beautiful. Even after two days in a truck, she was stunning.
Without a shred of makeup on her gorgeous face and with her hair now pulled up into a messy ponytail, she was freaking gorgeous.
It didn’t help that she still had on those ridiculous heels that made her legs look five miles long with the cut-off denim shorts she was wearing.
She’d paired all that with a white crop top and her usual loads of delicate gold jewelry, and I had to force myself to keep my eyes on hers instead of running them over the length of her body.
“Well, I suppose I might get lonely if you’re lost for too long, so I’ll go get lost with you.”
She grinned at me. “And that’s why I love-hate you.”
My heart thrashed in my chest just like it did every time she said those words. The love part always made it skip while the hate word sent it into a full-blown rebellion. Waving a hand for her to lead the way, I frowned when we got to the foyer and I looked at the table.
“Where are my keys?” I asked, scratching the side of my neck as I tried to think if I’d taken them upstairs with me.
London winked and sashayed right past me. “I’m driving. You’ve been doing it for the last two days. It’s about time I get a turn.”
I raced after her. “No way. It’s my truck. I’m driving.”
“Aww, didn’t you ever learn to share your toys?” she teased playfully.
Part of me had such a thing for her when she was all light and playful like this, but that part wasn’t going to win today. “It’s not a toy. It’s a top of the line?—”
“Don’t care. Still driving.”
She hip-checked me hard enough to knock me into the side of the truck. It caught me by surprise and I burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
A rare flush appeared on her cheeks. “Sorry. I got a bit too intense there, didn’t I?”
“You did.” But she was also holding my keys in a loose grip now and I seized the opportunity, lurching forward to snag them from her, and I grinned triumphantly as I got in behind the wheel. “Since I need to see a chiropractor now because I’m suddenly out of alignment, I get to drive.”
She sighed but climbed into the passenger seat. “You’re such a baby, Liam Jones.”
“Yeah, sometimes I am, and you are completely stuck with me anyway.” I grinned. “The worst thing is that I know you really wouldn’t have it any other way.”