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“I’ll get them,” he says as he closes the door behind me. “But let’s get situated first. Have a seat on the bench and take off your shoes. I don’t like shoes in my home, so consider that the first rule.”
It’s a little early in the arrangement to be rolling my eyes, but here I am. Instead of sitting on the bench like he said, I just slip my Chucks off without even touching them. Then I kick them over to the corner near the bench.
Luke glares at me as his nostrils flare. “Line them up against the wall, Miss Green.”
“Oh, we’re starting already?” I quip back with a smirk. He doesn’t find it funny. “Okay, okay, relax.” With a huff, I line my sneakers up against the wall next to his brown leather shoes. They look so out of place together.
After putting my shoes where he wants them, I turn back and place my hands on my hips. “So, what other rules should I know about? I have a feeling there will be more.”
“Yes,” he replies dryly before moving into the house. I follow, noticing how he’s not the same relaxed, drunk version of himself he was last night. I might need to get him to drink more. I liked him better with whiskey in his bloodstream.
“I don’t like food in the living room,” he says. “Clean up after yourself in the kitchen and throw away food when it’s expired. You can help yourself to anything in the kitchen, even if it’s mine. Don’t leave anything in the sink and wash and put the dishes back after you use them.”
“Sheesh,” I groan as I stand behind him with wide eyes. “Will I get punished if I break the rules?” I ask playfully.
He turns, leaning against the fridge with his arms crossed. “Do you want to be punished, Miss Green?”
My brows shoot upward as I fight a smile. Just the image of Lucas Goode bending me over his knee and spanking me like a child makes me laugh…while also making my stomach flutter with something I don’t want to think about right now.
“Okay, but seriously,” I say as I hop up onto the counter. “I’m giving you control so you can help me figure my shit out, so how’s this going to work? You want me to crawl around or fetch you coffee? You can pet my head and call me a good girl.”
His expression turns to stone as he stares at me. After a moment, he has to clear his throat before speaking again. “Crawl around? That’s not what we agreed to, and that’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
“Then, what did you have in mind?” I ask.
Ignoring my question, he narrows his eyes. “Is that what you thought this was? I mean…that’s what you came for?”
I shrug. “I don’t know what I came for, honestly. But when I’m around you…” My voice trails as our eyes meet, and I decide to choose my next words very carefully. I don’t want to give him the wrong idea. “You have a way of making everything simple. You know what you want, and you know how to ask for it. I need that. I need crystal-clear expectations. Just…give me the chance to do something right.”
Slowly, he nods. “I think I can do that.”
“Thanks,” I reply, a small smile creeping across my face.
“Start by getting off my counter,” he says coldly.
My smile vanishes as I hop down and stand face to face with him.
“Good girl,” he replies, the frigid, gravelly tone of his voice sending chills all the way down to my toes.
I can’t hide my smirk now, but for the first time since I showed up, neither can he.
Ten
Lucas
Word travels fast. It takes my brother less than twenty-four hours to find out about my new roommate, and I’m willing to bet he didn’t waste a minute before texting me about it. I can just picture Caleb sitting smugly behind his desk at work with his phone in his hand, laughing about the fact that I now have a woman living in my house.
No doubt he’s making something out of nothing.
You and Sadie, huh?
I grimace down at his text message.
She’s renting the spare bedroom at my place.
Nothing more than that.
Right.
