Page 14 of Sinful Mates

Stopping in front of a black door, Theo pops the key in and opens it. He strides in and flick the lights on. The room is spacious, the carpets are a dark smoky gray color with lighter gray walls and white trim. A bookshelf sits on the wall in the living room. The place is open plan, and I can see the marble counters in the kitchen at the back of the apartment from the living room.

There are three doors which Theo heads to, opening them one after the other like he’s some stage magician. One is a huge bathroom with large black tile on the floor and gray tiles on the walls. The bathroom has a large shower that can easily fit a few people and a garden bathtub off to the side. I’m not looking forward to having to scrub those tiles. It may be pretty to look at but it’s going to be a real bitch to clean.

Door number two is a laundry room complete with a washer and dryer. The last room is a bedroom which has a huge king-sized bed in the middle and a smaller bathroom off to the side. There’s also a walk-in wardrobe and double doors that lead to a small courtyard, complete with outside table and chairs.

Come to think of it, I don't recognize any of the furniture but did recognize my messy handwriting on the boxes that are stacked in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom.

“What did you do with my mother’s furniture?” I ask, bile rising in my throat at the thought of it being thrown away. I don’t care about the furniture really, only one particular piece, the dining table which my grandfather had made. My mother's father was a carpenter before he died and had made a huge dining table that my mother had adored and had hand-carved an intricate floral design into the top and on the legs.

Theo, seeing my panicked expression, quickly answers. “It’s in our shed at a property we own just outside the city. Why? Something you need? I can go retrieve it for you.” I shake my head, relief floods me that it hasn’t just been discarded like trash.

“No, but the dining table was my mother’s. Her father made it for her.”

“I promise it is safe, now what do you think? Do you like it?”

I do like it, and that's what burns me up. I don't want to like it. I don't want to admit I'd sleep better and be far safer than I have in the car garage. Grudgingly, I give in as he waits for an answer. “I do like it, although I think it’s a bit much. But thank you,” I tell him. The place is beautiful, but it isn’t like home. I will miss the storage locker, the garage, and my car. It has been home for so long now, I’m uncomfortable with so much space. But one thing I don’t miss is not having a toilet within a few steps, or hot water. And I definitely won’t miss freezing my ass off in the underground garage shower or having to run through the dark underground garage just to pee.

Theo opens boxes and pulls stuff out. He has unpacked the entire kitchen by the time I have unpacked one box. I get too busy looking over old photos of me and my mom.

God, I miss her. Putting some of her personal belongings into my new room, I try on one of her jackets. It still has her perfume on it. I remember the last time I saw her wear it. I’m getting choked up, memories are threatening to overwhelm me. I take it off before sniffling and rubbing at my eyes, stopping any tears from falling that are starting to brim.

I hear a knock on the door before the handle twists and in steps Tobias. “I thought I would stop in and see how you’re doing with unpacking.” I head toward Theo who has just opened a box of books. How can he move through everything so fast?

“Theo has mostly done it. I have been too busy looking through photos,” I admit.

Tobias nods and heads over to Theo and kisses his cheek. I blink at the display. “I thought you said you weren’t gay.”

“We aren’t gay," Tobias replies, his eyes twinkling in the lights. "But we never said we didn’t like each other,” he chuckles at me.

I smile back. Seeing them acting like normal people instead of just my bosses is so different. Though, in Theo's case, I kind of miss my normal boss. It will take a while to get over how he treated my baby. “Why? Does it bother you?” asks Tobias.

Theo’s head jerks up to study me. He holds some books that need sorting in his hand but pauses to hear my answer.

“No, the opposite actually. Doesn’t bother me at all,” I state. I won’t admit seeing them together kind of turns me on in a weird way. Theo reads the back of one of the books he has in his hand, while Tobias pulls books out and stacks them on the bookshelf.

“You like fantasy novels?” Theo questions.

I nod. “I wouldn’t own them if I didn’t.” I’m proud of my little bookshelf. Some of my favorite authors are up here.

They insist on sorting the entire thing while I sit on the black leather couch and watch them. Theo sits in an armchair opposite me, a book still clutched in his hand. “You can borrow it if you want,” I tell him. “It might not be your cup of tea, though.” I hide my smile by turning my attention to the windows. My lips twitch.

“Why do you say that?” he asks, flicking through the pages. My face heats, suddenly a little embarrassed as he gets closer to the end.

“Because it’s a spicy reverse harem book." I point out. At their blank stare I sigh. "You know, erotic romance?"

“You read erotica books?” Tobias questions. He doesn't laugh at me, that’s interesting.

“I read anything that piques my interest, but yes, I like erotica novels and mainly fantasy, horror, and romance novels. Why? Does that bother you?” I throw Tobias's own words at him. His lips turn up into a smile before he glances Theo who’s also smiling. “No, just an interesting thing to read, I was curious.”

"If you do borrow it, I expect you to return it in one piece. That's a signed copy of Moonlight Muse, she's one of my favorites."

Tobias chuckles. "Her Forbidden Alpha." He reads the title to Theo who shrugs.

"I'll still borrow it. Coffee?” asks Theo, changing the topic. I go to get up, but Tobias pulls me back down beside him on the couch.

"You're not a secretary here, Imogen," he says softly, his eyes dark. Without Theo around, it’s hard to breathe again.

Theo rummages through the kitchen cupboards, which apparently, they have filled. How strange would it be to have hot food whenever I want it? To be able to poke around the fridge and not have to force myself to eat something questionable before it goes bad? I’m honestly excited about it.