Page 110 of Catching Sparks

“I’m going to punch you.”

“I prefer scratching.”

“You’re a psycho.”

“Yet you still love me. Does that make you a psycho by association?”

“I suppose it does,” she answers without missing a beat. “How romantic. A pair of psychos. Maybe someone will make a movie about us one day.”

“Maybe. Plan on doing something movie-worthy? Murder, perhaps?”

Her eyes twinkle with such a blinding happiness that I feel my heart physically skip. “Depends. Know anyone deserving?”

“Do you?”

She lifts a shoulder and drags her towel down her front, between her tits and over her belly. I bite my tongue to keep from groaning again.

“I’ve already warned my mother that I may steal a weapon from Dad’s tool box to whack my landlord on the head a couple too many times.”

I wrap my towel around my waist and then grow still, giving her my full attention. “What did he do?”

“He’s just an old bastard.”

“Poppy,” I scold. “Explain.”

She huffs. “He’s just being a stubborn ass. My hot water is out in the studio, meaning my showers are all but a waste of space until he calls someone to fix it. I tried enlisting my brother’s help, but he’s as useless with plumbing as I am.”

“How long has it been out for?”

“I dunno. A month or so.”

“A month? That’s unacceptable.”

She nods in agreement. “Totally. But for now, it is what it is. There isn’t really another space for me to rent in Cherry Peak that would work for the studio. I got lucky with my current space already. I’m a bit short on other options,” she says, sounding resigned.

That pisses me off. “I’ll speak with him when we get back. Get it taken care of. You’re paying this man for the studio space, so he’s legally required to fix what’s broken at any time. I’ll bring my lawyer into it if I need to.”

Her giggle surprises me. I do a double take.

“You’re sweet, Garrison. If you want to talk to him, then by all means, go for it. Just don’t get me kicked out, or I’ll definitely not be moving in with you for the next three weeks.”

“You’re not going to try telling me not to get involved? And did you just finally agree to staying with me?”

“I will stay with you only if you manage not to get me evicted from my studio space. And no, I’m not. I know I don’t need you to take care of my problems for me just as well as you know I don’t. I’ve tried to deal with it on my own, and clearly, it hasn’t gotten me anywhere.” She pulls all of her hair into one hand and twirls it around her finger before draping it over her shoulder. “Wanna help me take my bathing suit off now, or do you want to talk about this more?”

I blink at her, collecting my thoughts as my cock twitches in my swim trunks. She arches a trimmed brow and nods to the hallway leading to our room.

“Well?” she asks.

“The conversation is done just like that?”

She lowers her brow. “Did you have something else to add first?”

“No.”

“Then yes, I’d prefer spending our time doing something that doesn’t include talking about my asshole landlord. Like getting this plug out of me, maybe?”

I scratch at my hairy jaw and prowl closer to her, legs eating the distance between us. She starts taking a step back with every one I take forward, leading me to the bedroom.

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