Page 42 of The Deal Breaker
He laughed. “I promise it’s me.”
“But you need things to be the same. Like to an OCD level, no offense.”
“None taken.”
“What’s going on?” she asked, curious.
He shrugged.
“Come on,” she pressed.
“I’m serious about us being best friends again. That can’t happen if we don’t spend time together.”
His words touched her, but she was having a difficult time wrapping her mind around this. “It’s Monday. Your busiest day. Won’t you start the week off behind? Something you hate happening.”
“I’ll delegate because I’d rather make up for lost time with you.”
Her heart bumped. Something it hadn’t done around Dash in a long time, but it didn’t mean anything. They were trying to find their footing again. “That’s sweet.”
His smile lit up his eyes. “What should we do?”
“Well, Janice, Leo, and Tony will be here in an hour.” She tapped her chin. “You could help me decide on which bedroom to stay in.”
“The one across from mine is the biggest.”
“No, no, no.” She shook her head for added emphasis. “I know how loud you listen to music and the TV. You talk to your gaming friends at all hours. Not to mention conference calls with Asia and Europe at strange times.”
“Sounds like you’ve picked one.”
She laughed. “Maybe I have. The farthest from yours.”
“That’s the smallest.”
“I won’t be there long, and I don’t have many things.”
He blew out a breath. The corners of his mouth curved downward.
“If that’s what you want.” He sounded…dejected. “Tell me when you want to move your stuff.”
“I will.” Iris didn’t know what he was thinking, but she missed his smile. Maybe she could bring it back. “So, do we need any roommate rules? Such as swimsuits required in the hot tub.”
“Spoilsport.” A smile tugged on his lips.
That was better. “Hey, it’s been a few years since we lived together.”
“You’re in my house all the time.”
“Not twenty-four seven.”
“Fine.” He ate another bite. “I have no idea what you do in the cottage when you’re alone, but because of you and the maintenance crew, I never walk around the house in my underwear.”
An image of him in his boxer briefs formed in her mind. She knew what he wore since she washed and folded his laundry. Her mouth went dry. Heat rushed up her neck. “That’s a good rule for both of us. We both will have attached bathrooms, so we won’t need to walk around in a towel, either.”
“I forgot about towels.” He smirked as if wanting to embarrass her more. “But we can’t make that a rule.”
“Why not?” The question catapulted out because she preferred to see him fully dressed. She didn’t usually picture her friends in underwear or a towel and looking so…hot. Even now she was noticing the top buttons undone on his shirt. Her cheeks burned.
“What if the new staff forgets to bring up my clean clothes from the laundry?”
