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“Sarah?!”
“What are you doing here?” we asked at the same time.
She tilted her head. “Me? I came to get a sweater I’d left here last week that Alma put away in this closet.”
“Who’s Alma?” I asked, my mind foggy from sleep and a bit of shock.
“Alma is the housekeeper. Now, why are you in my brother’s guest room?”
“Sarah,” Jake came rushing into the room. “Who let you in?” He was dripping wet, holding a towel around his waist. His sculpted abs and wide pecs were on full display. My eyes bugged out, and my mouth fell open. Sarah smirked.
“Alma did. I came for my sweater that I’d forgotten here last week. She told me she hung it in this closet. Wasn’t I surprised to find my best friend in my brother’s bed?”
She cocked her hip and crossed her arms, but Jake rolled his eyes. “She isn’t in my bed.”
“I’m right here,” I muttered, a little offended they were having a conversation about me, right in front of me, while I still had sleep crusts in my eyes.
“See? She’s right there. In the guest room. Not my bed.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I muttered, then pulled down the sheets to crawl out of bed. Jake’s gaze dropped to my legs, and I realized I had fallen asleep in my underwear. I yanked the sheets back up. “Would you two mind giving me a minute?” I asked sweetly between clenched teeth.
“Sure thing,” Sarah smiled. Jake stood frozen, only his eyes blinked a couple of times. Sarah pushed him out of the room, laughing.
I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply before throwing off the duvet and marching into the shower.
A few minutes later, thankfully all of us fully dressed, we convened at the kitchen island looking a little wet and a lot embarrassed, except for Sarah, who still had a giddy smile on her face.
“So, what’s going on?”
Surely she would rub her hands together soon as though she were some mad scientist who put these two dangerous chemicals together and created this marvelous explosion.
I hated to be the one to burst her bubble. Sort of. “It’s not what you think. As you know, Jake is my bodyguard and after someone broke into my apartment yesterday, he felt I would be safest here.”
Her face fell. “Oh,” she said, disappointed. I refrained from rolling my eyes.
“Are you all right, Nikole?” she asked after she collected her crestfallen face.
“Yes,” I smiled. “I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
She nodded, but turned to Jake. “Why bring her here? And not some fancy hotel like you’ve done with other clients?”
Was this the first time he brought a client back to his place?
I tilted my head, wondering the same thing since he was the one who first suggested his place.
“Um. Well…” he said, crossing and uncrossing his arms. “I did mention the Ritz, and was ready to book Nikole there for two nights...” He shot me a sidelong glance.
“Yes,” I said slowly, feeling his awkwardness and wanting to relieve him of it. “But I felt more comfortable here where he could control every entrance and exit.”
Jake beamed at me. “Yes. Exactly!”
“Good morning, Mr. Devereaux.” A short, rosy-cheek woman with graying hair walked into the kitchen. “Ms. Devereaux, did you find your sweater in the closet?”
Sarah smiled. “I sure did, along with something else. Or should I say someone else?”
Alma looked at me but didn’t say anything. “Alma, this is Nikole. She is under my protection and will be staying with me for the next few days. Please help her find anything that she needs if I am not here.”
Alma nodded. “Pleased to meet you.”
