Page 28 of Rush

His wince was minute, but she detected it and knew she’d struck a nerve. It was childish to throw his words back at him. Doubly so to feel any form of satisfaction from doing it. But even realizing that didn’t stop her from goading, “That is what you wanted, right?”

His jaw clenched. “Yes.”

“Good.” She stood to leave. “Then it’s settled.”

“One more thing,” Linc said as she started to walk away.

She stopped and turned, pasting on a smile. “Yes?”

“It would probably look better if you moved in here.”

That erased the smile from her face. She hadn’t thought of that but for the sake of appearances, she supposed living with him was a smart idea even if being in such close proximity to Linc for several weeks would be hard on her mending heart. She mentally shrugged. If she kept her walls up, she should be okay.

Or so she hoped.

Nodding, she tried to sound blasé and not as tightly wound as she felt when she agreed, “That makes sense.” She picked up the coffee cups to take into the kitchen. When she reached the exit, she couldn’t help one last parting remark, throwing over her shoulder, “But you get to be the one who tells Oz.”

She didn’t look to see his reaction, but she could picture it and her smile was back in place—a real one this time—as she stepped into the kitchen.

****

“What do you think of this one?” Linc pointed to an industrial bedroom set that looked made from items only found at an auto part store.

“It’s your house.” She glanced at Linc and then quickly turned away. Still getting used to his disguise of fake, stuck-on mustache and nerdy, black-rim eyeglasses, she could barely look at him without laughing.

“I get that, but itisgoing to be your room.”

“Only temporarily.”

They were in a big box store buying furniture for the spare bedroom she would occupy—which Linc had never gotten around to furnishing. It had been a stressful afternoon all around. First with the lawyer, then with Oz when they went to pick up her things from his apartment—explaining about her moving in with Linc and him arguing with them about it. Thankfully, when all the dust cleared, he conceded to the situation and even graciously volunteered to watch Sophie so she wouldn’t be bored while they went shopping. And now they stood in the middle of the furniture store, where they were supposed to look happily engaged but instead were acting like a bickering, old married couple.

“I’d still like your opinion,” Linc calmly said.

She’d known him long enough to know that tone. His patience was running thin. For the sake of appearances, she didn’t want things to escalate into a full-blown fight so gave him the answer he wanted. “Honestly, I’m not a fan. It’s very…” she tried to think of the right word. “Post-apocalyptic.”

He seemed to take her dislike of designer hardware in stride, but he didn’t make another suggestion. Instead, he turned the tables on her. “Which set do you like?”

There was one that she liked. She scanned the large warehouse and the small, decorated vignettes, trying to remember where she’d seen it. Bingo. She turned the cart and steered it in the direction they’d already been, stopping in front of a honey-brown, wooden sleigh bed that had a decorative headboard and came with matching nightstands and a mirrored dresser. “This one.”

Then she moved in closer and saw the price tag lying flush on one of the side tables.

Or not.

That sucker cost more than her first car. She read the fine print at the bottom. And the price didn’t include the mattress.

Next!

“On second thought, maybe something a little plainer would be better.”

“Plainer?” He sounded incredulous. And who could blame him? She was talking completely out her ass.

“All the embellishment may be a little too feminine for a guest room. You know, because of the flowers etched into the headboard.”

A line appeared between his eyes, visible even with the thick rim of his glasses marring the view. “I don’t think those are flowers. It’s just a swirly design. With neutral colors, it will be fine.”

“But—”

“No, it’s settled.” He grabbed the ticket with the item number off the nightstand, not even bothering to look at the price, and started for the back of the store. “Now, bedding.”

---