Page 54 of Payback
IT’S BEEN FIVE DAYS SINCEI stealthily snuck Roan out of the townhouse. Since then, he has stealthily snuck back in every single night with Camden and Indie being none the wiser. Granted, they are busy with their own lives and it’s easy for me to go a few days without seeing them, but I like the exhilarating feeling of hiding everything. I feel like I’m living a double life this week.
I go to work and take orders from Niall like usual, I get home, take a shower, and make myself dinner before Roan calls and asks to come over. Some might say what he’s doing is a booty call, but I’m one hundred percent okay with it because the orgasms I have are worth any crass label our situation might be considered. And telling Camden and Indie what’s going on sounds like a horrible idea, so I continue on with the booty calls!
Today, though, while I was at work, Roan texted and said he wanted to cook dinner for me tonight. And since cooking at my place might raise suspicions, he invited me over to his. My belly is full of butterflies as I change out of my work clothes and into a flirty blue floral sundress. June is just around the corner and, like my semi-relationship with Roan, London is heating up. The humidity here reminds me of Chicago, but I marvel over the fact that I have yet to feel the least bit homesick since I arrived here a few weeks ago.
I freshen up my makeup and slip on a sexy pair of blue lace panties before heading downstairs to call a cab. Camden is walking through the front door from a run as I descend the final steps.
“Allie!” he states cheerily as he pulls off his phone that’s strapped to his bicep. He pops his earbuds out and pulls the bottom of his white T-shirt up to wipe the sweat from his brow. “I haven’t seen you all week! Where are you off to?”
My face flushes with guilt because I’ve been purposefully avoiding Cam and Indie for fear of them asking questions about Roan after Saturday night. With how much we’ve seen each other this week, I wasn’t sure I’d have a very good poker face.
“I, um, was just going to go hang out with some friends,” I stammer.
“Friends?” Camden repeats, gesturing for me to follow him through the living room. He pauses at the accent table by the fireplace and taps on the glass of the aquarium that houses Snowflake. “Hiya, mate. Have you been fed today?”
“Yes, I fed him earlier,” I answer, hesitating in the foyer and desperately wishing I could ignore his request to chat and bolt out the door.
But I remind myself that I am a guest in his home. A guest living here rent-free even after I begged and pleaded for them to charge me. So, like the mature adult I am, I clunk my wedge sandals over the beautifully restored wood floor and follow Camden into the massive gourmet-style kitchen.
He opens the refrigerator and grabs a water bottle, offering one to me before propping himself on the white marble island. “Specs is out shopping with Belle for baby stuff,” he states before taking a drink. “I don’t think she’s quite ready to buy nursery items yet, but Belle is apparently in her…Oh, what did Tanner call it?” He pauses and scratches his head as he tries to recall and then snaps his fingers. “Nesting period!”
I nod and smile, positioning myself on the opposite side of the island. “I don’t know much about babies, but I have heard of that. Mother hens want to get their house ready for the baby bird on the way.”
“Speaking of baby birds,” he says in his best father-like voice, flashing me a warm smile. “Who are these friends you’re meeting up with and what time will you be home? Since you are currently my ward, it’s my job to keep a close watch on you.”
I laugh at his serious face and reply in a mocking tone, “Are you my new daddy now?”
He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. “Perhaps it’s good practice for me since I’m going to become one very soon.”
We both laugh but then the room goes silent and I realise that Camden is still literally waiting for an answer. “It’s just some people from work.”I do work for the team, so it’s not a total lie.
He nods and eyes me curiously. “How did you get on with DeWalt the other night? Was he a gentleman when he brought you home?”
I blink rapidly for a moment because just hearing his name in the presence of Camden sends a physical reaction through my body. “Yes,” I chirp, my voice tight in my throat. “Total gentleman.”Not so much of a gentleman the past few nights, though.
He nods thoughtfully. “Good. Gareth has it in his head that you fancy DeWalt. I told him he is mental. You have better sense than that.”
I frown at his curious response. “What’s wrong with Roan exactly?”
Camden barks out a laugh. “Nothing in particular. He’s a decent enough bloke I suppose. But you do PR for the team, and that makes things complicated. I can tell you firsthand how hard it is to date someone you’re working with. Indie and I met in a doctor-patient situation, and what started off innocent enough soon turned into a shit-storm for both of us when real feelings got involved.” He pins me with a serious look and adds, “Trust me when I tell you that no amount of professionalism matters when real love enters the picture.”
“Love!” I sputter. “Camden, I appreciate your advice, but I can assure you that there is nothing like that happening between me and Roan DeWalt.”
He gives me a skeptical look. “Good. I’d say you have enough footballers in your life.” He winks and hops off the counter, glugging the rest of his water all at once before throwing the container into the recycling bin.
He moves to walk out of the kitchen but pauses as he stares at me for a moment. “You coming to Sunday dinner this week?”
I nod. “Yes, for sure. Sorry I missed the last one. I was just over-tired, I guess.”
His mouth tips up into a half-smile. “All right. Love you a latte, Allie.” He ruffles my hair before he leaves, and I exhale a huge sigh of relief when he’s gone.
I appreciate the brotherly advice, but Camden is way off the mark here. Roan and I are definitely not on our way to love. We’re just having a bit of fun. Nothing more.
Roan’s house is adorable. Then again, I think everything is adorable in London. The charm and character of the older homes they have here are so different than the ones in Chicago.
I walk up to the navy front door and don’t even have a chance to knock before it’s pulled open. Roan is standing on the threshold, his light brown eyes wide and excited. My eyes drink in his sexy appearance, causing my insides to squeeze in on themselves. The past few nights, he has come over in joggers and a T-shirt. Not that I’m complaining. The man could wear a jumpsuit and manage to look amazing.
But tonight, he looks like he’s put in some effort and it’s certainly appreciated. His dark hair looks freshly cut and he’s dressed in a fitted grey thermal Henley with the sleeves pushed up to reveal his tan, muscled forearms. His dark denim jeans are fitted around his thighs, revealing the outline of his quad muscles, and I’m not hating it one bit.
