Page 19 of Too Fast To Fall
“You’re up?” Emilio’s voice dripped with astonishment.
“I thought I could go on your run. With you and Gus.”
He hesitated for a moment, as if he couldn’t begin to understand her simple statement. “No. You won’t be able to keep up.If I have to leave you in an unfamiliar place, how will you find your way home?”
She dropped her head to one side. Resistance was expected, but did he really dislike her that much? “My phone. I can findmy way back from anywhere.”
“I prefer to run by myself.” He stepped closer, into the soft light from the transom window above the back door. How was heso handsome two minutes after rolling out of bed? There was a pillow crease across his cheek, and his hair was pure chaos.For that matter, how was he so appealing when he was being such a dick?
“I picked up my entire life to fly across the Atlantic to care for Gus, and although he has a sparkling personality and Igenerally prefer to hang out with dogs, he’s not able to tell me about the better parts of living in London. So I’d love itif you could humor me and take me foronerun and show me around a little. We can talk about Gus. And leaving for Italy tomorrow.” Now that she’d started, she hadone more thing to get off her chest. “At the very least, I’d like you to show me where to find a decent cup of coffee. BecauseGoogle lies. The Roast Office does not deserve a 4.7 rating. Their coffee stinks.”
He stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “The Brits aren’t the best arbiters of coffee. That’s not a secret.”
“True.”
“But I can show you a place.”
Well, damn. She could’ve solved this problem six days ago by simply getting her ass out of bed. “I can come on your run withyou?”
He marched toward the back door, and she was the only thing standing in his way. Her brain sputtered at the sight of his approach.“Is this your way of saying yes?”
“Yes.” He slipped past her, leaving her with a lasting reminder of what it was like to be that close to him, then grabbedGus’s leash and clipped it on. He flipped the latch and started down the steps into the garden. She spilled out into the backyardbehind them.
Piper knew her time with Emilio was limited, so she started with one of her many questions. “Can I help you unpack? The movingboxes make the house seem cold,” Piper said. “And you’re paying me a semiridiculous amount of money, but I’m not anywhereclose to being busy.”
“No. You cannot help me unpack.”
“Oh. Okay.” She wondered how long it would take him to notice that shehadunpacked the things in his kitchen. And reorganized it some. And recycled the boxes. What could she say? She was bored.
He opened the small gate in front of his house and let Piper past. Gus hilariously followed her rather than staying with Emilio.“Don’t say I’m paying you too much. It’s not about what you do. It’s about the things that I don’t need to worry about.” Justlike that, he took off down the sidewalk, and Gus followed.
“Oh. Okay. I guess we’re starting now?” She hustled to catch up. “That’s fair. I’m just not used to being paid so handsomely.”
“How do you have a job that doesn’t pay well?”
She was shocked he’d asked her a question. Was this turning into an actual conversation? “It’s a labor of love. I mean, Ican pay my rent and buy groceries, but there’s not much left over after that.” She declined to tell him about her crappy caror the fact that she’d had to move back in with her parents.
“Hopefully, the fee I’m paying you will make a difference in your life.”
“It will. Even after the percentage to the service I work for.”
“I’ll pay the percentage, too. As a bonus, if everything goes well.”
Piper wondered if he was trying to buy her cooperation with the rules he’d set in place. No more early-morning hallway ambushesand inviting herself on his run. “I wasn’t trying to fish for more money.”
“Gus is important to me. Plus, you picked up your whole life to be here. As you pointed out five minutes ago.”
“Thank you. That’s sweet.”
“No. It’s business.”
She let out an exasperated breath. It really was one step forward, two steps back with Emilio. “Hand me Gus’s leash.”
“I can take it.”
“You’re paying me to take care of him.” If he was going to make things all business, so would she.
“Fine.”
