Page 35 of In Love with Lewis Prescott
“Yes, because it’s true.”
The longer I stay quiet, the more I could swear I hear the gears in Naomi’s mind cranking away.
“What happened?” she finally prods.
I roll my eyes and walk to the far corner of the room so that Mina and the leasing agent don’t hear.
“Okay, so a few weeks ago...we almost kissed.”
Naomi squeaks “what?!” so loudly, I have to hold the phone away from my ear.
“It was the evening of the day I accidentally grabbed his...you know.”
“Wow. You two don’t waste any time, do you?”
“Very funny. In all seriousness, it was another accident. Total mistake.”
“Harper, the kind of accidents you have are very interesting. They seem to frequently involve you getting handsy with the intimate areas of your famous housemate’s rockin’ body.”
I bite down to keep from groaning too loudly. “You’re hilarious, Naomi. That evening, we were sharing a drink on the veranda, I tripped and lost my balance, and he caught me, pulled me to his chest, and that’s when it almost happened.” I’m careful to keep my voice low. “But then we came to our senses. Lewis was the first one to break the embrace. He ran off to bed, and I did too. The next morning we decided that it was just a weird moment. We’re all good now. It’s water under the bridge.”
Naomi makes a “hmm” noise, signaling that she’s thinking hard about what I said.
“Well, I definitely have to applaud you for handling this so maturely. But you gotta tell me...if he hadn’t pulled away, would you have kissed him?”
I let out a breath. “Yeah.”
“It’s only a matter of time before you two jump each other’s bones. I’m calling it right now.”
I roll my eyes. That stubborn streak inside me rears its head at my cousin’s smug tone. “You couldn’t be more wrong. Lewis and I have an arrangement. We’re both committed to maintaining our boundaries for the rest of the time we’re staying together.”
“Uh-huh.”
Damn Naomi. She’s always pulled off indifference so well. Ever since we were kids, she knew that was the quickest way to rile me up—by acting like she doesn’t believe a word I’m saying.
“We’ve spent the past two weeks doing physical labor side by side at the house. We ripped up all the floorboards in the kitchen and living room and installed a whole new floor. I’m talking shoulder to shoulder, Naomi. Sweating and grunting and...”
Just the image of Lewis in his unofficial contractor uniform of a ratty T-shirt and ripped jeans slingshots to the front of my mind. I can’t deny just how hot he is.
“Oh yeah, it sure sounds like you’re completely unfazed by the man.”
I push up my glasses and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I swear to God, no one gets me as worked up as you.”
“Harper, you don’t have to be all business all the time. You don’t have to fight your own feelings—especially if he’s vibing right along with you. If the stars align again and you have another flirty interaction—and it feels right—I say go for it.”
For a moment, I contemplate my cousin’s advice. Maybe it really can be that simple.
I glance through the doorway and see Mina waving me over.
“I gotta go,” I tell Naomi. “Send me those dress pics you were talking about, okay?”
“Can’t wait to see you next weekend!”
We exchangeI love yous before I hang up and join Mina.
“I love it,” she says. “It’s the perfect amount of space for what I need and a great location.”
The leasing agent beams. “I can take you back to the office and get you started on the application.”
