Page 14 of Undeniably Perfect

“I mean reformed may be a stretch, but I think you are safe. I never kill those I live with, too close to home.”

“Well, gosh, that’s so reassuring.”

We grin at each other over our playful banter.

My phone buzzes and I turn off my alarm.

“What’s that?”

“I keep a pretty strict schedule during the season. I need to get to bed.”

“Oh, right.” She glances at the clock on my wall.

“Did you find your files, by the way?” I motion to the laptop.

“Oh, yes. Thank you. I’m meeting up with my insurance guy tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully, I can get my first check. I want to replace my equipment as soon as possible. I have a lot of work to do this week. I still have a few more people to shoot for the gala event and I have a few shoots scheduled with clients.”

“I could ask my friend if you need help. She has lots of photography equipment.”

Tabitha shakes her head. “Thanks, but I’m used to specific cameras, so I just want to replace what was damaged.”

“I understand.” I turn to walk back to my room but stop. “And for what it’s worth, I’m really sorry about all of this.”

“Thanks,” she answers quietly.

Chapter Seven

Ifinish my solo workout just as my mom sends a text.

Mothership: Sweetie, you still available for lunch?

Me: Yep. I just finished my workout. I’ll meet you at Blue Palace?

Mothership: Hehe. I am already here. Can I come up?

Me: You know you don’t have to ask. Just come up.

I laugh as I walk toward the bathroom. The door is closed. Shit.

“Tabitha?” I ask as I knock on the door.

“Sorry, just a minute,” she mumbles from the other side of the door. The door flies open, and I suck in a breath.

Tabitha stands there with one of my big, white, fluffy towels wrapped around her. Her wet hair is a mess of loose curls that fall around her shoulders. I see a few tattoos, and I wonder why she chose them. Something in a foreign language, a bird, and a flower. It’s the first real glimpse I’ve had of them. Her skin is flawless and pale with a smattering of freckles on her shoulders. The towel is tucked into her cleavage, and dear god, it’s perfect cleavage. I look back up at her eyes. Her face tells me that I’ve been caught red-handed ogling her.

A blush crawled up her chest to her face as she steps around me and goes into the den.

I take a breath and go to shower. This living-with-Tabitha thing is going to be harder than I thought. I thought my type was the tall, skinny blondes I normally date, but Tabitha is making me re-think that. Hell, she’s making me re-think everything.

Tabitha

FML. I toss on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt that I had bought myself this morning. Thank god for street vendors.

I feel a little silly wearing an oversized baseball t-shirt. I don’t even know anything about the sport other than they use a ball and a bat.

I’m surprised by a sound in the family room because I can still hear the shower running. I look around the room. There’s a bat on the wall. It looks like a collector’s item, but beggars can’t be choosers.

I pick it up and creep out into the hallway with the bat raised up as I tiptoe on the wooden floor.

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