Page 9 of Rook

“Some of them aren’t bad. Others make you feel dirtier when you leave. Plus, there are all the guys hanging around, knowing you’re naked and vulnerable in there… I mean, the doors lock and everything. But there’s always that fear of public cameras and shit like that. If my bare ass is gonna end up on the internet somewhere, I want to be the one profiting, not some sleazy guy with a hidden camera.” At Rook’s troubled look, I winced. “Sorry. My mouth can run away with me sometimes.”

“Got nothing to apologize for. I promise there are no cameras here,” he said, pushing back the shower curtain. “And no creepy guys. The closet should be full of anything you might need. The dresser in my room will have some clothes you can borrow too.”

It sounded like heaven.

Or, at the very least, a vacation from hell.

“Don’t judge me too much,” Rook said as we crossed to his room. “I haven’t had a lot of time to work on it yet.”

With that, he threw open the door.

The laugh bubbled up and burst out before I could stop it.

“What?” Rook asked, head cocked to the side.

“Sorry. It’s just… I got a whole warning about a fully decorated room when I’ve known men who were proud of their mattresses on the floor with a single pillow with no case on it.”

The walls of Rook’s room were exposed brick, and the windows were those big ones with the black frames. The floors were cement, but there was a cozy distressed rug beneath the king-sized bed—with a frame. And, wonder of all wonders,fourpillows. With cases.

To each side of the bed were nightstands in the same stain color, but different styles. On each were lamps.

And, of course, there was one long dresser with a large TV set on top of it.

“Seriously, how is this not fully decorated?”

“Could use a couch, a work station… actually, I think Coach said he was working on a desk for me.”

“Working on?”

“Building. He made the nightstands and the dresser.”

“No way,” I said, looking at them with an even more admiring eye. “He’s really talented.”

“He’s doing a yoga and meditation session in the morning, if you’re interested.”

“I’m a bit more of a ‘punch a pillow’ kind of person than a yoga person,” I admitted. “But thanks for the offer. This is really nice of you.”

“Hey, it’s the least I can do for a woman who offered to marry me,” he said, shooting me a smirk as he stood in the doorway. “Help yourself to anything you need in here. And the kitchen, if you’re coming back down.”

“I’ve been sleeping in a car for weeks. I’m crashing as long as possible.”

“It’s gonna be loud.”

“I can sleep through anything.”

“Good. Then get some rest, babe.”

CHAPTER THREE

Rook

“Not partying?” Riff asked, coming down from his room to grab snacks for him and Vienna.

“Hm? Oh, no. Not really feeling it,” I said from where I was leaning against the kitchen counter, staring out at the living room but not really seeing anything until Riff started speaking.

Everything sharpened into focus at once. Raff was doing body shots off of three giggling girls who were laid out across the pool table. Colter had a girl on his lap, whispering in his ear as his hands rested on the ass her skirt was barely covering. Coach was trying to teach two tipsy girls a yoga pose, leading all of them to lose their balance and topple into a tangle of limbs.

“Nancy?” Riff asked.

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