Page 16 of Bullied Pregnant Mate

"That's what?"

"That's…I can't intrude in your space."

I crossed my arms. "Weren't you just saying we needed to act the part? Pretty sure a married couple stays in the same house."

"They also kiss and make love, which we will not be doing," she added.

I rolled my eyes. "Gina, just use my room. I don't use it. You need a space, and I'm not letting you stay at your house until it's cleared."

She chewed on her cheek and sighed. "You're sure it's fine?"

I nodded. Besides, if Chris was coming, he would be looking for signs of a happy couple. Her stuff being at my place was a good idea, and we had a lot of other things to figure out and not a lot of time to do it.

Chapter 7 - Gina

I woke up to my alarm and groaned. I rolled over, reached for the alarm, and quickly turned it off. I lay still for a moment, tempted to just go back to bed until I heard footsteps and quickly remembered I wasn't in my own place.

I sat up and surveyed my room, the spare room in Lucas's apartment. The room was blue, the ceiling all the way to the brown wicker floors. The room's aesthetic was clean and crisp—a simple bed with white bedding. A gold lamp is to the left of the bed, and a white dresser is on the opposite side of the room. The room was simple, and I wondered if Lucas had ever used it.

I shook the thought off and pulled myself up, needing coffee. I wasn't a morning person, but I had things that I needed to get done.

I pulled my suitcase open and scanned everything I brought. It wasn't a lot so I was going to need to go shopping. I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a shirt and threw them on. I quickly pulled my hair into a messy bun before leaving my room.

I headed down a long hallway with two doors—one to the right and one to the left. Lucas had given me a quick rundown. The bathroom was to the left, and his room was to the right. I found both doors were open.

The bathroom was spacious, with a large walk-in shower and a two-sink vanity. As I stood there, I smelled something I couldn't put my finger on. But my eyes quickly went to Lucas's room. Much like mine, his room was simple. Instead of blue, it was a deep green with brown bedding. There was a dresser on the opposite wall of the bed and a large palm tree in the corner.

I continued down the hallway until it opened to a large living room. The living room had a wall of windows showing the beautiful sunrise. I stood still for a moment, just soaking it in.

I heard movement and turned my attention toward where the kitchen was. I stiffened as I realized that Lucas stood in it naked.

Well, not entirely. As he moved, I could see the band of boxers on his hips. I didn't mean to stare, but I found I couldn't help myself. Lucas had always been fit, but this was another level. He was built. He wasn't bulky and shredded like a bodybuilder, but as he moved, I could see his muscles flex, and I couldn't deny it was something.

I walked closer, and Lucas looked up from his coffee and frowned. "Shit." He looked down and then back up at me. "Sorry, I was working overnight and just got out of the shower. I didn't think you'd be up for a while."

That explained the smell. It was pine mixed with cedar.

He rubbed at his face. "Do you need any coffee? I just put a pot on."

I nodded, slinking into a chair on the island. I looked around the kitchen. It was simple. It had no cabinets, just floating shelves where Lucas had plates, bowls, and cups lined up neatly. There was a double sink, and even the countertops were pretty bare. There was just the coffee maker and a microwave. Nothing else.

It was clear Lucas liked things clean and organized.

I almost smirked, wondering what he would think of my apartment if he saw it. Since I spent so much time inside, I brought everything I missed indoors. My living room was filledwith plants and artwork. Books covered every spot I could, and things were everywhere.

After a moment of silence, Lucas gave me a cup of coffee, and I instantly took a deep sip of it. To my surprise, it was good.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, and my eyes flickered to the band strap on his hips. I wished to say that I had spoken with men in underwear before, but I hadn't. Since no one in town would even speak with me, much less try for a relationship, most of my relationships have been online.

I've never really had a good relationship. I'd tried, but when it got serious, I would start to panic. If they visited, they would see what my life was like and dump me. I'd made the mistake once and wasn't going to repeat it.

"I’d like to talk about Chris, but not until you put some clothes on."

Lucas took a sip from his coffee and sighed. "Gina, we're both adults and honestly, you'll probably see me like this a couple of times, so you should get used to it."

I glared. "So what? I can walk around in my underwear, and you will just have to accept it?"

"What? No, you can't."

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