Page 28 of Lost Room Lawyer (Room #4)

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Hector

“I didn’t know someone could die so quickly,” Nico said against my neck.

“I mean… sure, if someone gets shot or something, butthis way? She just complained about dizziness. At the hospital, they discovered she had developed red spots on her body a few weeks earlier. She thought it was just an allergy. I mean, who would see a doctor for something like that? And honestly, what doctor would have even thought to test her blood for it?”

“That’s a good question. But you shouldn’t drive yourself crazy over it.”

“I know,” he murmured, pinning forehead against my neck. “Thank you. It feels good to talk about it.”

Holding Nico in my arms felt incredibly right and fulfilling. I kept touching and kissing him, unable to keep my hands off of him.

What I received from him in return, whether he realized it or not, was remarkable. The way his fingers traced my chest, down to my thigh was electrifying. Each time his hand brushed my hip, a cool tingle coursed through my body.

A growling sound caught my attention. “You didn’t have breakfast?”

“No, I …”

“Did those two keep you from eating?”

Nico pulled away from me and sat up, blushing. “They were talking about you.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “I was gone for only three minutes.” Nico looked at me thoughtfully, which left me puzzled. “You talked about me, and it ruined your appetite,” I concluded flatly.

“That’s not how it was!” Nico objected, laughing as he nudged my arm.

I dragged him down onto the pillows, leaning over him with a playful grin. “Oh yeah? Well, I guess I have no choice but to cook you something.”

There it was again, that sparkle in his eyes. And damn, it made me so happy.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” he teased.

I traced my thumb over his lips with affection. “I cooked for my kids regularly.” I avoided mentioning Viktoria by name, but I could see where his thoughts wandered from the expression on his face. To prevent the mood from changing, I kissed him. “How about spaghetti?”

“That sounds good. And what about your two tenants?”

“Oh, they’ll probably stay in their room until evening.”

“And what about… I don’t want to keep you from work—besides, it’s my work too.”

“I’m working,” I replied. “I’m taking care of you. That’s only fair.”

“Fair?”

I just shrugged because, honestly, I couldn’t quite explain what was fair about it. I didn’t owe him anything.

Nico let it go and reached for Luca’s clothes while I went to the kitchen.

Even though I didn’t officially live here, I had still stocked a few supplies.

A week ago, Sara had moved out to live with her boyfriend and left some food behind.

Even though Sara had given ample notice, I hadn’t yet had the chance to advertise the room.

Luca was thrilled when she moved out. Asking him if he knew anyone who might want to move in seemed pointless, as he was enjoying having the place to himself far too much.

“Can I help?” Nico suddenly asked.

The taupe-colored sweatpants and white T-shirt looked great on him, along with that salmon-red-orange sweater. He could literally wear anything.

“Just sit down,” I said kindly.

The dining table was clean, and all the dirty dishes had been put away—Luca was an exemplary tenant—so I handed Nico two fresh glasses, one of which he filled with water. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he took a few sips and looked around.

“So, this is your city apartment. It’s huge!”

I followed his gaze to the 85-inch flat screen, which was perfect for watching amazing nature documentaries—and likely one of the reasons Luca wouldn’t be moving out anytime soon.

“Yeah,” I admitted. “A tenant decided to move in with her boyfriend. I haven’t had time to find someone new. The third room has been empty for a while. I don’t know. It’s a hassle to have three students living here. Luca’s kind of an exception.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’ve known his parents for a long time. It was sort of a favor to let him stay here. But despite all his quirks, Luca is a nice guy and almost like a roommate by now.”

Nico laughed. “Yeah, my roommate has his quirks too.”

“Dominic? He seemed very serious.”

“Yeah, he’s skilled at making everyone believe that.”

It was incredible how much I enjoyed spending time with Nico. We conversed effortlessly, and I didn’t feel the need to put on a front. Even though I was still his boss and mentor, right now it felt like we were more like a couple.

Shit! He confessed to me, and I’ve avoided giving him an answer.

Maybe because I don’t know the answer.

I really need to figure this out.

But deep down, it was clear. I was married and had a family. The relationships I’d had with men were always purely business. I’d paid for their services. Of course, Nico was a different situation. Though, in a way, I was still the one paying him—only now, he was my intern, not my escort.

Lost in thought, I stirred the sauce, trying to make sense of my tangled thoughts. I knew this was a weak argument; you didn’t need to be a lawyer to see that.

Once the dinner was ready, I prepared two plates and joined Nico at the table. His sad smile revealed that his thoughts had drifted back to his mother. That was okay. What mattered was that I could bring a genuine smile to his face, even if just for a moment.

If there was one thing I’d learned in the past few weeks, it was that Nico didn’t wear a mask. He was just himself. And, God, did that make him attractive.

We quickly emptied our plates and loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Eventually, we were back in the bedroom for round two.

***

It was already five o’clock when I walked into the kitchen in just my boxers to get Nico a glass of water. Juri had just emerged from the bathroom, wearing only his pants, and he slicked back his hair.

“Well, well,” he said, grinning while taking the iced tea out of the fridge. “You surprise me, Hec. This is almost like a honeymoon weekend.”

“Don’t exaggerate,” I answered, trying to keep a straight face as I grabbed a ginger shot from the fridge shelf.

“I think it’s great. You can even tell it’s doing you good. You’re practically glowing.”

Juri’s words meant a lot to me, and when he placed a hand on my shoulder and searched my eyes, he even made me smile.

“Stop overthinking. The guy really likes you. And he’s totally hot.”

“He said he’s fallen in love with me.”

Juri frowned, his moss-green eyes reflecting his surprise as he looked at me. “Really? That’s awesome!”

A key rattled in the stairwell, and the apartment door opened.

“Is Luca out?” I asked, confused.

“No, he’s in his room,” Juri replied, removing his hand from my shoulder. As I realized who else had a key, Viktoria entered the apartment. My jaw dropped, and my heart skipped a beat.

What the hell is she doing here?

“Oh…” she said, clearly startled, stopping by the coat rack.

She studied me with wide eyes, then at Juri. It was the same look she’d had in the office when she’d burst into the meeting room and seen Juri and me …

“Oh no,” I said, stepping out from behind the kitchen counter. There was still time to fix this. “Viktoria, what are you doing here?”

She tilted her head to the side, eyeing me with suspicion.

“What’s he doing here?” she demanded. Her expression shifted from confusion to horror, her mouth opening wider with each passing moment as she completely misinterpreted the situation.

But who could blame her? We were both standing here, half-naked, in the kitchen.

“I’m just visiting,” Juri explained in a casual tone, pointing to the closed door of Luca’s room. “My boyfriend, his tenant.”

“He’s… a client of yours,” Viktoria stated. “What… and he… Explain this to me!”

“There’s nothing to explain,” I answered. “Yes, he’s a client. That’s all you need to know.”

“You two seem pretty close!” Viktoria blurted out, her eyes darting back and forth between our underwear.

Just then, the door to Luca’s room opened, and Luca came out, at least wearing a T-shirt. Judging by his reaction, he’d heard us and handled the situation with surprising calm.

“Hello, Viktoria! Long time no see.” As if everything were perfectly normal, he strolled past me to Juri, gave him a kiss, and took the iced tea from him. “How are you?” he asked.

“Are you all seriously messing with me?” Viktoria sounded audibly pissed.

“What’s the problem?” Luca asked.

“I think she thinks Hec and I are together,” Juri said.

“Hec?” Viktoria flared up.

“Don’t call me that,” I scolded Juri.

Luca laughed but then turned serious. “So? Are you?” he asked, trying to do Viktoria a favor.

“Of course not,” Juri snapped.

“Good. Then come back to bed.” Before the two of them disappeared into Luca’s room, he raised his hand in a farewell gesture. “It was nice to see you again, Viktoria.” He then closed the door behind them.

I sighed and rubbed my cheeks.

This can’t be happening.

Viktoria furrowed her brows, scrutinizing the apartment before making a regretful face and pointing at me. “If I’d known you weren’t at work, I would’ve come sooner. Why aren’t you wearing anything?”

How I wished I had more clothes on right now. “I was just showering,” I lied. “Vicky, shouldn’t you be at work?”

She glanced down at the floor, uncertainty in her eyes. “I’ve noticed that our sex life has really suffered lately, and it seems like Leo’s ex-wife situation has shaken you up. So, I thought…” Viktoria unbuttoned her coat, revealing herself in black lace.

Oh fuck …

“This is… really bad timing,” I stammered.

But Viktoria didn’t want to hear it. Like a cat, she moved closer to me, and the way she pursed her lips would have made any man weak. I, however, backed away a few steps until I bumped into the sofa.

Viktoria pressed herself against me, massaging my back and squeezing my buttocks. “Let’s go to the bedroom,” she whispered in my ear, cramming her breasts against me. When she placed a hand on my penis, I knew what was going to happen, and I felt trapped, unable to stop the impending disaster.

“Come on,” she said, heading for the bedroom.

I reached for her arm, but she slipped away. So, I hurried after her, which she took as a game. Giggling, she ran ahead of me and soon stood in my bedroom.

Over her shoulder, I saw Nico sitting on the edge of the bed, just putting on the white T-shirt. Although he was wearing the black jeans he’d worn at the funeral yesterday, they were still unbuttoned, revealing his blue boxers. Surprised, he sat there, staring at Viktoria.

“What’s going on here?” Viktoria asked after what felt like an eternity, turning to face me. Then she extended her arm and pointed a finger at Nico. “What is he doing in your bed?”

“Vicky, please, let me explain.”

Viktoria’s mouth fell open again, but then she just shook her head and stormed through the hallway toward the door.

“Wait!” I shouted, grabbing the shirt that was lying on the chair by the entrance, quickly putting it on, and rushing after Viktoria. “Please! It’s not what it looks like!”

Viktoria turned to me in front of the coat rack. “Not what it looks like?” she growled. Then she extended her arm and gestured toward the bedroom. “There were condoms and lube in there! Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Please, Vicky. That… that doesn’t mean anything.” A sickening feeling spread in my stomach, and I felt dizzy. But I had to do everything I could to keep my house of cards from collapsing. “I love you.”

“Excuse me? Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

“That was just… I was just satisfying my lust. There’s nothing more to it.”

“But there is more! The boy is lying in your bed! Do you think I’m blind?”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. As I opened my mouth to try to say something, she finished buttoning up her coat and left the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

My heart was about to burst out of my chest. My pulse hammered in my head, blood rushed through my ears, and I forgot to breathe. When my body gasped for air, I came back to my senses.

“Shit,” I muttered, clasping my mouth as I turned around.

In the hallway stood Nico, dressed in black with a stony expression. It took a moment for me to process what I had said. When he began to move, I panicked, though I couldn’t quite grasp why.

“Nico, I’m sorry, you have to understand…”

“Just forget it,” he said quietly, walking past me and leaving the apartment as well.

Not in a panic, like Viktoria. Nico just walked out.

All the warmth drained from my body and my entire world came crashing down around me. My house of cards seemed to be made of concrete, because the weight I carried felt overwhelming and beyond this world.