Page 90 of The Last Goodbye

“I guess a bachelor can’t have a tiny bathroom if he wants to shower with his ladies.” I chuckled. It was meant as a joke, a reminder to myself about what this was.

Temporary.

“You’re the first woman I’ve showered with in here,” he said, his voice gruff.

“I thought you said that you had a longtime girlfriend?” It was easier asking these questions when I had my back to him.

He pumped some conditioner into his hands and started with the ends of my hair before rubbing it into my scalp.

Was this man a professional hairdresser in his past life?

“I did have a long-term girlfriend, but Celine wasn’t a fan of the houseboat. We always stayed at hotels when she visited. She had high-end taste. She hated my place.”

How could anyone hate a houseboat?

“She never took a shower in this magnificent bathroom?” I turned around to face him, looking up as the water sprayed down on my face.

“Not once.” He chuckled. “She saw it when the renovation was done, and she thought I’d chosen nice finishes, but she wasn’t a boat girl.”

“Sit,” I said, pointing to the bench behind him. “I’ll wash your hair. It’s only fair.”

“‘It’s only fair’?” he teased as he dropped to sit on the bench, and I moved to stand between his legs. I filled my palm with the coconut shampoo he’d just used on me and rubbed it into his hair. He ran his hands up and down my hips, and I tried hard to keep my composure. He added, “You know, it’s torture that we can’t finish what we started.”

“Maybe it’s meant to be? We don’t want to get in over our heads. And when you come by the restaurant, you need to act like a professional. I don’t want the subcontractors to think I’m sleeping with my client.” I exhaled, and he had that goofy look on his face again.

“Got it, Magpie.”

“And I’ll do the same. It’s business as usual,” I said. I grabbed the hand sprayer and rinsed his hair.

He stood up, turned off the water, and stepped out of the shower.

He handed me a towel before wrapping one around his waist and holding my gaze. “Maybe we won’t want to do it again, anyway.”

“That would certainly make life a lot easier for both of us.”

“I guess time will tell.” He winked before walking out of the bathroom.

Time was definitely not on our side.

So calling this done right now would be the best move I could make.

And I was a girl who liked to stick to a plan.

twenty-one

​. . .​

Bass

Cutler

Bass, your new restaurant might be the smoothest job I’ve done to date. Briar Sinclair is quite possibly the best project manager I’ve ever worked with.

It does appear that things are rolling along quickly.

Cannon

I knew Briar was special from the minute I laid eyes on her.