Page 8 of Lovers in Lockdown

‘Fancy a pizza?’

There’s another beat of silence followed by a quiet shuffling inside the room. The door opens a crack and Honey pokes her head out.

‘Did you say something about pizza?’

‘I might have done.’

‘Thank God, I’m starving.’

Her hands are fidgety and she’s looking anywhere but at me. But I can’t afford for things to be uncomfortable between us if we’re looking at spending the next few months together in such close confinement, so I ignore her awkwardness and press on.

‘There’s something I need to talk to you about first.’

Her sparkling blue eyes finally snap to mine. ‘What?’

‘I just got off the phone with Reid.’

Her eyes narrow into slits. ‘Right, and what did he say?’

I need to tread carefully. I’ve already been the unwanted recipient of a karate-chop to the face today and I don’t really want to put myself at risk of experiencing another by pissing her off.

‘It appears that he’s offered us both the same deal,’ I say in the most casual this-isn’t-a-big-deal voice I can muster.

‘Say that again?’

‘He’s told us both that we can stay here.’

‘What?’ she shrieks.

Christ, I can’t cope with any more shrieking. My ears are still ringing from earlier.

‘He said neither of us have anywhere else to go.’

She frowns.

‘He said we have to suck it up.’

‘Suck it up?’

‘Basically, yeah. I’ll take the couch though, don’t worry. You can sleep in the bedroom, but I’d take that terrifying painting down if I were you, that thing gives me the heebie-jeebies. But, yeah, to sum up, it looks like we’re stuck together for a little while.’

And with that, she growls, stamps her foot and slams the door in my face.

Charming.

CHAPTER FIVE

Honey

Alright, I probably shouldn’t have slammed the door. I’ll hold my hands up. This isn’t his fault. I know that.

But,jeez,the idea of being locked up in this tiny apartment with a man I haven’t seen for seven years has me feeling claustrophobic. And the fact that he looks the way he does, all tall and toned and delicious, only adds to my frustration.

Because it’s not as if I can act on my temptation. He’s Reid’s best friend. And it doesn’t matter how many romance novels I’ve read, in real life, hooking up with your brother’s best friend is never a good idea.

Besides, he lives in China, so Reid tells me. He’ll be leaving as soon as the flights reopen and then I’ll probably never see him again. So, it’s safest for my heart if I don’t let my lady garden dictate the terms of mine and Noah’s relationship. And I wouldn’t want to make our living situation uncomfortable by trying to jump his bones when the likelihood is that he has a girlfriend anyway.

Because no man who looks like that is single.

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