Chapter 46
After we fog up the entire bathroom with a long, hot shower, I’m toweling off in my bedroom when I see my phone light up.
What the flying fuck was that?
It’s the first text I’ve gotten from Rex since I got here, and since it’s following the noise Dom and I were making, it’s likely about what he’s just overheard. Well, isn’t that rich, considering what I’ve been putting up with through the wall. I angrily punch in my reply and hit Send before I lose my nerve.
That was me fucking someone, or did you forget what that sounds like already?
Three dots appear on his side almost immediately, then disappear. I stare at the phone until they reappear again, followed by a message.
I hope you’re happy.
I soften, just a smidge.
I’m very happy.
He responds instantly.
I miss you.
And now I’m mad all over again. Why did he have to go there?
Don’t. You have an incredible woman who actually wants you. Juju deserves your full attention. Don’t reach out to me again, no matter what you hear through these walls. Besides, you’re one to talk
I chuck my phone into the pile of pillows that covers the floor from when we cleared the bed earlier.
I’ve grown rather fond of Juju, against all odds, and now I just feel bad for her. I hate the fact that she’s probably not going to look at me ever again once she finds out the secret I’ve been harboring about her skeezy boyfriend. I should have blurted it out that very first day. Ripped off the Band-Aid. By this point I feel more like an accomplice than an ally, and I hate that.
Dom walks out of the bathroom with a towel draped loosely around his hips. He’s so built that it barely closes over the front of him.
I sit down on the edge of the comforter.
“That was fucking hot.” I grin. “But I’m pretty sure Rex heard everything through these walls.”
He hops onto the bed next to me and the towel dips even lower. I fight the urge to just take him again — right here, right now.
“I think I might get an abysmal review by your ex on my vacation rental.” He sounds amused.
I lean back against the headboard to face him, stretching my legs out in front of me. He kisses the tip of my pinky toe, then grabs my other foot to start rubbing it.
“I think you’ll be alright.” And now I don’t feel like I should wait another second to confess. “Abby Googled you. I think you’ll definitely survive one bad review.”
I give him a pointed look, hoping he catches on to what I’m saying.
“Ah, the Google search.” He sighs, shifting over to his side, propping himself up on one elbow while leaning his head against his hand. His feet hang a good two feet off the edge of the bed. He rubs his jaw and lifts an eyebrow, looking ready for a proper chat. “It’s inevitable these days, I guess. Go ahead, lay it on me. What dirt did she find out?”
“No dirt, actually, but a lot of surprises.”
He nods, like he knows what’s coming.
I squint up at him. “You’re not mad?”
“I’d probably be more mad to know you were gallivanting around with some new guy that you didn’t Google. It’s just a smart thing to do these days.”
I smile and lean down to peck him on the lips, happy to hear he’s not upset.
“When you have an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to you, it’s kind of inevitable that you’re going to get Googled. I’m surprised it took this long.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were so successful?” I ask quietly.
“Because none of that success is necessary to fall for someone.” He looks down at the bedsheets, a shade of crimson seeping into his face. I smile back at him, then kiss him on the corner of his lips, relieved he’s not upset. And I like hearing him say that.
“You’re listed as one of the top richest men in the world. Why would you be here, fixing my window shades yourself?”
“It was an excuse to come back.”
I smile at him. “You didn’t need an excuse.”
“When you called me out of the blue that day, at first I was annoyed that Phil’s new assistant had made that stupid mistake. But then it was so refreshing to have an ordinary conversation with someone who had no idea who I was. You were charming, and funny, not to mention you had no problem telling me exactly what you thought about me.” He wraps my hair back around my ear, his mouth twitching into a half-smile. “Once you gave me the address, and I knew it was you — the girl I’d already met half-naked on the porch that I couldn’t stop thinking about — I was a goner. I had to come back.”