Page 6 of Brazen
He cocked his head. “Since I met you, I’m a one-woman man.”
No man ever was that, at least with me. Patterson made it clear that he and Stein, the ex before him, had both cheated on me because I was "pretty for a side piece but not the kind to bring home to Mother." Maybe it was because I didn't have a mother or a father, just a grandfather who'd left me right after I finished college.
Britney returned. “What’s going on?”
I laughed and turned toward her. “It seems I’m getting married.”
Britney smiled brightly, like she was actually happy for me. “And I’m the maid of honor at your Norouzi wedding.”
Wait. Fuck. She was taking me seriously. I waved her off. “Of course.”
My head was pounding. Maybe drinking without even having a proper breakfast had been a horrible idea. I needed to go home, sleep, then figure out how to fix this new mess too.
Chapter Three
Charlie
* * *
I paced the penthouse with its warm white walls and Brazilian cherrywood floors. My preference had been dark, but my mother had convinced me my taste was outdated for modern design. So the brightness of the room made me itch to leave every single day. Except right now.
I knew that was because Hope was here. She’d asked me to watch out for her when she stood and realized she’d had too much to drink. I'd checked her license. She lived too far away to drop off easily.
Now I paced because she was snoring loudly. I’d googled her name, and the articles and pictures of us were first and in print newspapers now.
The room grew quiet. My heart thumped. There was no more snoring. I popped my head into the spare bedroom where I’d placed her. She was sitting up, checking that her clothes were still on.
She paused then let out a sigh when our gazes met. She was still without those heels of hers she’d insisted on wearing in Paris and here. Then she blinked. “Where am I?”
I tapped the doorframe. “My place.”
She rubbed her head. “How did I get here?”
I invited myself in and took the chair opposite the bed. “You passed out. You asked me to take care of you last night. When I told Britney where I lived, she helped me get you here and promised to call you.”
She jumped up with a small tremble. “Where—" Then she glanced out the window and pointed outside. “Is that the park?”
I glanced out then back at her. “Yeah.”
She looked up at the coming evening sky. “Of course you live here. Look, I need to go.”
I flinched. We’d had fun, and she still fascinated me. For now, I’d decided to stay out of her way and keep my distance. “Why? Do you have a cat or a dog you need to collect?”
She walked out of the bedroom, scanning the floor for her shoes, but stopped in the living room to stare at the original paintings on the wall. She glanced back at me. “I’ve never had a pet.”
I walked beside her. “Ever?”
She lowered her head and hugged her waist. “No. The building has a no-pet policy.”
“That’s a dumb policy.” I pointed at the leather sofa.
She craned her neck and gazed around the penthouse. “Do you have a pet?”
I sat, hoping she would me. “No, but I’m thinking of getting one.”
She sank into the seat opposite me. “Why?”
I met her pretty green eyes, and somehow my soul was calmer, so I told her the truth. “I hate walking in these walls. I’m hoping if I get a pet, it will make living in Manhattan… better.”
