Page 51 of All Bets Are Off

“I get that you have issues with your father.” I meant it. “I can’t live my life for you, though, because in a year, I have to be able to take care of myself. More importantly I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror.”

“Just find something else to do with your time,” he begged.

“No.”

“You’re just being difficult to be difficult!”

“Funny. I was just about to say the same thing to you.” With that, I shut the door in his face, leaving him sputtering.

I practically came out of my skin when I looked down and reminded myself I was naked. “I can’t believe I did that,” I muttered.

“Me either,” Zach bellowed from the other side of the door, telling me he was still out there.

I smirked. Well, at least nobody was going to call me boring today. That was at least a step in the right direction. Now I just had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

That was easier said than done.

12

TWELVE

Ifelt like crap when I woke up the next morning. That was probably because my dreams were plagued by visions of Olivia running around naked. Not that I was interested or anything. I’d just been surprised … and scarred for life.

Sure, she looked good naked—like really, really good—but she was still my best friend’s sister. That meant she was my defacto baby sister. You’re not supposed to see your baby sister naked.

She’s not your sister.

The little voice inside my head was persistent when reminding me of that. Over and over again.

She’s not your sister.

She’s not your sister.

She’s your wife.

You’re allowed to see your wife naked.

She wasn’t that sort of wife, though. She was the sort of wife I could sit on the couch with—a respectful empty cushion between us—and binge watchStranger Things. I could tease her about her romance books. I could have dinner with her and talk about the various people who had irritated me throughout the day. Icould not, however, see her naked. The first time had been an accident, a fluke really.

The second time, though, that had been something else entirely. The way she’d held my gaze when she stripped out of her clothes. The way her chest had heaved. Her breasts weren’t big by any stretch of the imagination, but my hands itched to touch them because I believed they would be the perfect fit for my palms. Actually, everything about her had been perfect. Just absolutely perfect.

She was still off limits.

She’s not your sister.

I made a growling noise and rolled out of bed, my eyes flicking to the clock on the nightstand. I was one of the few people who still used a regular clock. It was one of the standard issue ones we kept in the hotel. It said five o’clock on it. That was a full hour and a half before I had to get up to ensure I could make it to work on time.

Apparently, it was going to be a long day.

I headed toward the shower first. I spent a long time in there reminding myself that Olivia was off limits—even though she really wasn’t my sister—and by the time I emerged in the main part of the penthouse, it was a little after six o’clock. Yeah, I’d spent a lot of time in the shower trying to relax. Not that I would ever admit it to anybody or anything.

To my utter surprise, Olivia was up and drinking coffee at one of the counter stools when I emerged. “What are you doing up?” I complained. I hadn’t talked to her since the day before, when she’d stormed into her room—yes, naked—and slammed the door. It had been radio silence since. Sure, I’d heard her shuffling around in her bedroom—had she still been naked on the other side of that door? I had no idea—but I hadn’t seen her in almost fourteen hours.

It was maddening that I suddenly realized I’d missed seeing her in that time.

“Oh, there he is,” Olivia drawled in her driest tone. “The love of my life. My husband. My Snookums.”

“Stop calling me that,” I hissed as I crossed to the refrigerator. I wasn’t hungry and yet if I left without talking to her, I knew I would regret it. That meant faking breakfast. “Why are you up so early? Are you going to be proactive today?” I put emphasis on the word even though I knew it was likely to set her off.

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