Page 55 of Arranged Control

She hums to herself as she begins to lay everything out. I watch curiously while she gets set up. There are little stacks all over the place, lined into rows by color and type. Tops there, bottoms there.

“Are you organizing before you organize even more?”

“You could probably learn a thing or two,” she says with a slight shrug. “Based on the state of this place.”

“What’s wrong with my house?”

“You’re not exactly tidy.”

“Tidy? I’m pristine.”

Her nose wrinkles and she shrugs. “Whatever you say.”

I glare at her, annoyed, but also thinking about yesterday on the balcony. Her stuck-up mouth sucking my cock and loving my taste. This goddamn girl drives me crazy, but I still want her so damn badly.

I don’t say anything for a while. I lie back on the bed and observe. She moves around with grace and precision. It’s a little obsessive and unnecessary, and I can’t help but admit there’s a kind of sense to all her madness. Once her clothes are out in sections, she begins to place things in the drawers I cleared out.

“I know you’re not fully bought into this,” I tell her after she’s already glared at my closet for three whole minutes like it might make more space. “I appreciate you trying at least.”

She glances at me. “That almost sounds nice. What’s the catch?”

“You’re always waiting for me to be a bastard, aren’t you?”

“History repeats itself.”

“God, you’re such a brat.”

“And you’re a bastard.” She grins slightly. “But you’re welcome. I know this is important to you.”

I push myself off the bed with a sigh and gesture for her to follow. “I want to show you something.”

She clearly doesn’t want to stop what she’s doing. There’s probably a proper order in her head, and coming with me on a side quest wasn’t part of her to-do list plans. But for once, she decides to bite her tongue and comes with me to the room next door.

I gesture inside. She frowns at me like I’m about to explode into a million pieces in her face before peering through the doorway.

“I made some changes.” I gesture at the shelves and the hanging racks. “It’s only half finished right now, but I think this’ll make an acceptably large walk-in closet for you when it’s done. What do you think?”

She moves inside. I have an island envisioned like her closet back home plus more built-in shelving and drawers. Right now, it’s only partially done. I haven’t had much time to work on it.

“You did this for me?” she asks, looking over her shoulder.

“I want you to feel welcome here. My house is your house too.”

She chews her lips for a second. “And here I am, being an asshole to you.”

“I’d never ask you to be anything but yourself.”

“Stop. Don’t ruin the moment.” She takes a deep breath and looks at me. Her eyes are slightly watery. “Thank you, Seamus. I’m honestly a little touched.”

“It’s just a closet.”

“No, it’s more than that. You’re trying to meet me halfway. You’re being flexible. While I’ve been?—”

“Rigid. Difficult.”

“Set in my ways.” She gives me a hard look. “You really jumped on that.”

“Like I said, I want you to be happy here.” I move in toward her. She doesn’t pull away when I put a hand on her lower back. I like the way my palm fits there. I like her spine, her curves. I love her thick blonde hair and her fit body.