Page 33 of Mr. Wrong (Hollywood Knights #1)

Thirty-Three

Ellenore

When Lex suggested we work together for Cassie’s sake, I was sure he didn’t mean it.

I was sure things were going to continue on as they had been since I got here.

That he’d continue to fluctuate between hating me and lusting after me.

That he’d keep making my life miserable and making me come until his brother eventually came home and fired me.

I was wrong.

On both counts.

Over the last five weeks the three of us have settled into a comfortable routine.

I walk into the main house, at 8:00 every morning, to find breakfast waiting.

The three of us eat together and then Cassie goes upstairs to get dressed for the day.

While she’s gone, Lex and I clean up the breakfast mess together and talk about Cassie.

What she excels at. What she’s struggling with.

How incredibly bright she is. How fast and funny and sweet she is.

How much she needs to be around other kids.

And then after Cassie comes down, Lex gives her a hug and, after giving me a quick, friendly smile and a I’ll see you at three , Lex leaves.

And not back to the pool house leaves.

Lex leaves .

Gets on his motorcycle and leaves.

Listening to him drive away is the worst part of my day.

Because I don’t know where he’s going and I don’t know what he’s doing and I don’t know who he’s doing it with and all the not knowing is driving me nuts.

What I do know is that he doesn’t live in the pool house anymore.

That his moving out was gradual. Over the last few weeks, his clothes and toiletries just sort of disappeared—a shirt here.

A razor there—until his side of the dresser was empty and my shampoo didn’t have to share shelf space with his in the shower anymore.

But every morning, when I wake up, there’s fresh coffee in the kitchen and Morris is hunched over his bowl of soft food for senior cats, grumbling at me between mouthfuls like the old grumpy cat that he is.

And every afternoon, at three o’clock, he comes back and shoves me out the door so he can have his time with Cassie.

They moved their swim time to after her nap and I can hear them shouting and splashing in the water in the late afternoons.

When Cassie shouts, Elle come swim with us from the pool, I come outside and stick my feet in the water while she and Lex keep splashing and playing until he swims his way toward me and asks if I mind keeping an eye on Cassie while he starts dinner and invites me to eat with them.

Because I never mind spending time with her and because I’d probably jump off a building if he asked me to, I always say yes.

After dinner, I clean up while he gives Cassie a bath and if she’s managed to make it through the day without dropping any F-bombs, we watch a movie in the theater room, Cassie firmly wedged between us while she struggles to keep her eyes open for five more minutes .

When Greta arrives, Lex carries Cassie up to her bed while I slip out the back door and down the walkway to the pool house.

Then Lex gets on his motorcycle and leaves again.

The next day, we start all over.

Tonight, I don’t leave. Tonight, I don’t make it past the back porch before I feel my knees bend and my ass hits the top step.

Because, even though we have this unspoken agreement to keep our conversations centered on Cassie and he hasn’t so much as looked at me with anything other than polite professionalism in the past five weeks, I’m going to have to break the barrier.

Because Derek is here. He’s in California and he’s made it clear he’s not leaving until I agree to see him.

When I hear the door open behind me, I can feel Lex standing in the doorway, looking at me.

He stays where he is for a few seconds, probably contemplating just shutting the door and making his escape through the front entrance, so when I hear the door snap shut, I figure I’m alone but then he’s easing himself down to sit beside me on the narrow step.

“Hey,” he says quietly, his shoulder pressed against mine. “What are you doing out here?”

“Waiting for you,” I whisper back, making myself look at him, my heart stuttering a little in my chest because he smells fantastic and it’s been weeks since he’s been this close to me.

He’s been careful to keep his distance. Not to touch me and suddenly he’s not being careful anymore.

Suddenly he’s right here and I don’t want to say what I have to say.

Do what comes next. “I uhhh …” I quirk my mouth to the side and sigh.

“I need tomorrow off.” I swallow hard and shake my head in an effort to clear it. “I know it’s short notice but I—”

“It’s fine.” He flashes me a quick, superficial smile that reminds me of his brother. “I’ll get it worked out,” he says. “Moves some things around and see if I can get Greta to—”

“Derek is here.” I don’t know why I tell him.

Maybe because I knew he wouldn’t ask why I needed the day off.

Because I wanted him to. Because I want him to touch me and I’m seconds away from asking him to, like a sad stray dog, hungry for attention.

“He’s insisting that I meet him for coffee.

” I give him a small nervous laugh and roll my eyes.

“He thinks I’ve been sucked into some sort of cult because I refuse to talk to him.

He’s threatened to get my mother involved if I don’t—”

Suddenly, Lex isn’t just sitting next to me.

He’s leaning into me. His big, warm hand reaching up to slide around the back of my neck and his mouth is hovering above mine for just a moment before it connects, the press of it so gentle and sweet my heart nearly shatters on impact.

It lasts only for a few seconds before it’s over and he’s moving away from me again.

“It’s okay, I don’t need an explanation,” he tells me as his hand slides away from my neck to fall into his lap. “I’ll talk to Killian before I leave and make sure he pulls one of the cars out for you to use. Just knock on his door and ask for the keys when you’re ready to leave.”

“Okay.” I give him a nod, my heart lodged in my throat. “Thank you.”

“Whatever you need.” He gives me another one of those smiles that remind me of his brother before pushing himself off the porch step to stand over me.

“Good night, Elle,” he says, giving me a quick tip of his chin, his expression hidden by the darkness between us, before he moves away from me and disappears around the side of the house.