Page 95 of The Fine Line
“Anything else?”
I cross my arms. “If you’re planning to…do that with anyone else, I need two hours’ notice. So I can either leave or barricade myself in my room with snacks and noise-canceling headphones.”
Rhett straightens. “Cub, I don’t think that’ll be?—”
“And I’ll do the same for you.”
He goes still. “You’ll what now?”
“If I bring anyone back here, I’ll let you know. So you’re not blindsided.”
A muscle twitches in his jaw. “I thought we needed to be careful.”
“And we will,” I say. “But a girl has needs.”
The air stretches tight between us. Rhett steps closer, folding his arms to mirror mine.
“You’ll be watched more than me,” I say softly. “Just keep things here. And keep me in the know. I don’t want any surprises.”
Something shifts in his expression. The teasing dulls. “Baby?—”
“Promise?”
A beat. Then he nods. “I promise.”
I exhale. “You know, I’m surprised by your place. When I woke up here, I never would’ve guessed it was yours.”
“Why’s that?”
“It’s so…white. Pristine. Trendy decor, no clutter, no personal touches. And instead of a hockey bag and sticks shoved in the corner, you’ve got a blanket ladder and pampas grass.”
“That fluffy stuff has a name?”
“It does,” I confirm, smirking. “You know, this whole place looks straight out of a catalog. Like it’s a showroom.”
“Well, it kind of was,” he says. “I walked into a furniture store thirty minutes after getting the keys and told them to bring me whatever was on display.”
I tilt my head. “Not into decorating?”
Rhett shrugs. “I’m rarely home. Didn’t think much about it.”
I hum, opening another box. “Can I ask you something?”
“If it’s about whether I think a spatula is a spoon, you probably won’t like my answer.”
I blink, then decide to not even entertain that thought. “Why don’t you have a house?” I ask. “You’re in your thirties.”
“Barely.”
“Still. You’ve been in Texas for a while, and it’s not like you don’t have the money.”
“Less commitment,” he says. “Easier to break a lease than sell a house. In case I get traded or something.”
“You’ve been with the Storm for ten years.”
“You never know.”
Before I can push further, he changes the subject.
