I wasn’t in the best frame of mind after hearing about him going at it with his girlfriend in a closet at the hospital. I couldn’t get the man to make out on the beach when we’d been alone, and now he was having sex in public places?
I drove the short distance to his house, and when I walked up the walkway, I glanced over at the plants that he and I had put in together when he’d bought the house.
The home I’d planned to live in, as well.
I reached for the doorbell, but the door flew open before I pressed it.
“Hey, thanks for coming.” He stepped aside so I could walk in. He wore a navy sweater and a pair of dark jeans. Even casual, the man looked polished and put together.
“Of course. Thanks for hiring me,” I said, sounding overly peppy, which was not how I felt.
“You okay?” He paused and gave me a hug, holding me there a little longer than he should.
“Yeah, of course,” I said, pulling back. I searched his gaze, wondering if I even knew this man. The things Maggie had said, outside of his wild sex life with his girlfriend, were running through my mind.
Did he ever celebrate me?
“I’m so proud of you, Reese. You found a space, and you’re making it happen. I think it’s amazing.”
“Yeah? Thank you. It means a lot to me.” I followed him to the office. Maybe he was going to prove everyone wrong. Maybe things would be different between us after spending so much time apart.
When he pushed the doors open, I smiled, because it was a clean slate. The walls were white. The floors were covered in a gorgeous natural wood that ran through the whole house. There wasn’t a stitch of furniture or anything hanging on the walls.
“I’m giving you free rein. Work your magic,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets as his eyes locked with mine.
“Really? You’re not going to give me any direction?” My voice was all tease because Carl was a control freak. He had strong opinions, and he’d never been able to hide them.
“Nope. You just spent a year in London working under a famous designer. I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”
Maybe he really was changing.
“What about Christy? She doesn’t want to have any input?” I asked, raising a brow as I waited for an answer.
“Christy doesn’t live here. I’m sure she’d like to have input, but the only one I’m trusting is you.”
My heart squeezed at his words. Maybe he was finally seeing me. Really seeing me. Hell, I was capable of doing a lot more than I’d realized.
“Well, thank you for that. I’m going to have a lot of fun designing this room. So, let’s just talk about budget, and I’ll show you a few inspiration photos I have and get an idea of things you like and don’t like, and then I’ll work my magic.”
“Sounds like a plan.” We moved to the dining room and sat in the chairs beside one another as I pulled up the photos on my iPad.
Carl moved his chair closer so we could both see the screen. His pinky finger brushed against mine before his hand covered mine. I sucked in a breath, but I didn’t move.
“Carl,” I whispered. I mean, I wasn’t in a real relationship, but he was.
“I miss you, Reese.”
I nodded, and then I thought of Finn. Real or fake, I’d never disrespect him. I still wanted the life I’d always imagined with Carl, but I wasn’t going to act on anything while we were both actively dating other people. I pulled my hand away and turned to look at him.
“Not sure how Christy would feel about that, but I know Finn wouldn’t like it.” I licked my lips because my mouth had gone dry as my adrenaline started pumping.
It wasn’t attraction or a physical pull that I felt toward this man. It was adrenaline. I was pissed. Why was I keeping that to myself?
Here he was, telling me that he missed me, and I knew what he’d been up to.
“I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Really? Were you thinking about me when you were fucking Christy in a closet at the hospital?”
His eyes widened, and his face paled. “How do you know about that?”
“It’s a small town, Carl.” I turned back toward the photos and moved my chair away from him just a few inches. “If you aren’t able to work with me, please say so now.”
“Of course, I can work with you. I’m sorry.” He turned so he was facing me. “I don’t know what’s going on with me right now, Reese. I’m just kind of lost.”