Page 5 of Falling for Them

I threw his shorts at his head since they were way too big; the shirt covered mostly everything anyway. “This is exactly why you shouldn’t be executive director.I didn’t know a teacher could afford a multi-million-dollar condo,” I mimicked in an annoying voice.

He gripped the shorts I’d thrown at him. “You’re mad because I was stating a fact? Teachers are underpaid and this condo costs millions.”

I didn’t want to have an argument with him about how pointing out the obvious was unnecessary. “I don’t know why you’re just standing there when you should be packing.” I picked up my bag, pushing past him to go down the hall to the laundry room.

He was hot on my heels. “I’m not leaving.You’rethe one intruding. Did you even tell Ryker you were staying here?”

“That’s beside the point.” I shoved my clothes in the dryer before turning around, only to run right into him holding the wet clothes I’d removed, including my bra right on top. I snatched them and threw them in.

“Do you want me to call my driver to take you to my hotel, then?” His driver?Hishotel? What different worlds we lived in. One where he owned massive buildings and an estate in the Hamptons.

“It’s almost one in the morning, Leonardo.” I pushed past him and went to the primary bedroom to see if he was joking about sharing a bed.

“Exactly. I suggest we go to bed. I’ll put a blanket sausage down the middle so we don’t touch.”

After confirming that he hadn’t been lying about the bed, I turned toward him. “A blanket sausage? Is that a euphemism for something?”

“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t even have to put one. It’s not like we’re strangers, and we’re both grown adults. Well, at least, I am.” He sure did sound like he was trying to convince himself of that. He turned and strode toward the guest bedroom, disappearing inside.

“Debatable,” I muttered, sighing in defeat as I followed him. “Do you snore?”

“I don’t.” He went into the closet and came out with a thick blanket. “Watch and learn.”

I set my bag on the floor next to the dresser and watched him in the mirror as he folded the gigantic blanket in half and rolled it before placing it in the middle. It was hardly a barrier. “One of us can just sleep under a sheet and the other on top of it. No need for sausages to be involved.”

He paused, looking up at me for a long moment before clearing his throat and sitting on the side of the bed closest to the door. The covers were turned back on the other side of the bed.

I would not overthink that action. Nope. My brain was too muddled by book boyfriends who did shit like sleeping closest to the door to protect their woman. I was not Leo’s woman, and I doubted he’d want to protect me.

Grabbing my toiletry bag and a pair of underwear that had been spared from moisture, I went into the attached bathroom and shut the door. I needed to get my shit together.

He was right. We were both grown adults and would be working closely together every day very soon. There was no reason for me to be confrontational or upset over him being here.

I put my hands on the cool countertop and shut my eyes. I didn’t do well with abrupt changes in my routine or plans. Too much had been unplanned tonight, and now that I felt safe, I could reassure myself that the world was still spinning in the same direction. My feet were still firmly on the ground. Nothing hurt besides my pride.

I took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and looked in the mirror. My face was flushed from our bickering and the thought of sleeping next to him, but I could handle this. I could handle one night of sharing a bed with a frustratingly gorgeous man.

Chapter 3

Future Wife?

Leo

I’d never met such an infuriating woman in my entire life. It wasn’t just that she called me out on my bullshit or was more stubborn than I was; it was how fucking attracted I was to her—all of her—and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

It didn’t help that despite her scaring the absolute shit out of me, I’d manage to catch a glimpse of her rosy nipples and the way her wet underwear clung to her. She was perfect, but she was off-limits and permanently on the do-not-touch list.

Well, I mean, Icouldtouch her, but my life was enough of a clusterfuck.

We’d known each other for years—although not that well—but I’d only recently noticed her as more than my friend’s little sister. She was quiet and she barely spared me a glance when we were in the same room.

My brother was best friends with her brother, and recently, I’d become good friends with him too. He’d even hired me to runhis foundation, which was another reason Libby was off-limits since she was going to officially be an employee in a few weeks.

Right then, she was nothing more than my acquaintance, though.

The first time I really started paying attention to her was a few months ago, when she gave me her very best teacher stare through her computer screen on a video call. Our temporary headquarters had been finished, and I’d claimed the corner office without consulting her. It was the most expressive I’d seen her, and she hadn’t needed to speak for me to hear her words.

Even now, she looked at me like she either wanted to hate fuck me or rip my dick off and shove it down my throat. I couldn’t really tell. It didn’t matter anyway since touching her would mean my untimely death at the hands of not only her brother but probably my own brother as well.

---