Page 50 of Lucky in Love
“And yet, here I am—hungry, cold, exhausted, dying for a hot shower and a soft bed.”
Alex jumped up as if the mattress had caught fire. “Of course. I’m so sorry. I’ll get out of your way. Risk going to Tess’s or Juliet’s. So what if Blossom finds out?”
“I’m not saying you have to leave.” Brody sighed. “I can sleep on the couch.”
“No way. I’ll take the couch.”
His shoulders slumped with relief. Cramming himself onto that couch would only be one step above spending another night in a tent on the cold, hard ground.
“Any way we can finish this conversation in the morning?” Brody felt dead on his feet. “Right now, I just want to take a shower and go to sleep.”
“Of course. Again, so sorry.” She saluted and left the room, head hung and looking like someone had killed her pet duck.
She was unbelievable. She’d snuck into his place, rifled through his drawers, and lied about their relationship. Still, he couldn’t help but smile at her predicament. And the fact that she’d called him handsome.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
On Sunday morning, Alex woke to a knock at the door. Disoriented at first—why was she sleeping on the couch?—she snapped awake in a panic as the horrors of last night came rushing back. The lie to her mom, the confrontation with Brody, and the overwhelming embarrassment of the whole situation.
“Housekeeping,” someone called from outside.
No! She couldnothave her employees catching her at a client’s cabin. What a scandal that would be.
She jumped up, gathered the blanket she’d slept in, and burst into Brody’s bedroom.
“Get up!” she hissed. “Housekeeping’s at the door. You have to tell them to go away. They can’t find me here.”
“What? Who? Why are you…?” He rubbed his eyes. “Ugh. I forgot you were here. What’s happening?”
Alex quickly reexplained that the cleaning crew was on the porch and that he had to get rid of them before they found her here.
“Won’t they just leave if I ignore them?”
“No. They think you’re out of town. They’ll knock three times, and if you don’t answer, they’ll let themselves in.” Another knock. “Hurry!”
When he sat, the covers fell from his naked torso, and her jaw dropped. A light dusting of blond hair covered a broad, muscly chest. Um…yum!
He planted two bare feet on the floor, stood, and ran a hand through his unruly hair. Alex stared a second longer before snapping her mouth shut. Ogling him wouldn’t help her situation. She’d take a mental picture and revisit allthatlater. The third knock. “Go!”
“All right. All right,” he said, tugging at the drawstrings of the sweatpants he wore. “I’m going.”
She stayed behind the door in the bedroom, but left it open a crack so she could hear.
Brody opened the door, and Alex heard a familiar gasp.
“No. No, no, no,” Alex mumbled, blood going cold. It couldn’t be. But of course it was. Her worst nightmare about to come true.
Brody was attempting to explain that he didn’t need cleaning service.
“I amnotthe cleaning lady,” Blossom said, her voice laced with indignation at the mere suggestion. “I’m Alex’s mother. I’m sure she’s told you all about me?”
“Um, not really.”
“Humph. Well, regardless, I stopped by to invite her to brunch. Is she here?”
Alex saw right through Blossom’s game. She was here for one reason only—to try and catch Alex in a lie. To see if Brody was a real person and, if so, whether he was really dating Alex.
“She’s in the bedroom,” Brody said.
