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CHAPTER THREE

brOOKS

T he door shut behind me as she crossed over the threshold into my house.

Every breath, every little shuffle of her feet made me want to spin around and tell her to leave.

But I wasn’t the type of guy who would leave a woman in need stranded without a place to sleep.

No matter how much her presence angered me.

I walked over to the back door to let Diesel in. A blur of black fur shot past me.

“Whoa.” Harlow gasped, stumbling back as my black lab barreled toward her, his tail thumped with excitement.

“Diesel,” I barked, but it was too late. The dog immediately started jumping on his paws, like he was ready to knock her over.

“Oh, my goodness. Aren’t you adorable?” Harlow crouched down, laughing as Diesel licked her face like he had just found his long-lost friend.

“You got a dog.” She glanced up at me with a soft expression on her face. “You always wanted a dog.”

“Yep,” was all I said.

I got Diesel two years ago, right after I finished building this house, to keep me company.

“He’s so friendly.”

“He’s going to slobber all over your dress.” I was annoyed that my dog was showering her with so much attention.

She scratched behind his ear. “I don’t mind. I’m planning on throwing this gown in the trash anyway.” She stood up and continued petting my dog, who didn’t appear to be leaving her side anytime soon. “It looks like I made a new friend.”

“Don’t get used to him. You’ll be gone tomorrow.” I snapped my fingers. “Diesel, come.” The dog gave her a lingering glance before trotting over to come stand at my side. I walked over to the cupboard to grab a bone to keep him busy.

The second I placed it in his mouth, he happily trailed to his dog bed in the corner.

“Thanks again for letting me stay.” Harlow’s soft voice floated over my shoulder.

I turned to face her, and for a split second, I almost dropped the act.

Seeing her in that dress messed with my head.

I wanted to believe that she wasn’t just running from him, but back to me, but I wasn’t that young, stupid kid she left behind.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about what happened.

Did she finally come to her senses and escape from under her old man’s thumb, or did something else send her running back here?

“It’s not like I had much of a choice.” I gritted my teeth and stepped into the kitchen. I needed a drink.

I thought maybe she would take pity on me and leave, but then I heard her footsteps come up from behind. “This isn’t easy for me either, you know.”

I grabbed my beer and slammed the door. I spun around to face her. My kitchen suddenly felt small. Her presence took up way more space than it should have.

“We need to set some boundaries.”

“Okay.” She leaned against the counter in her big, fancy white dress. I wasn’t even sure how she fit that thing through the door. Her hair was messy, her makeup was smudged, but she was still the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

No matter how much I tried to fight it, my traitorous body reacted to her. I tightened my jaw and reminded myself why she was there.

I popped the cap off my beer. “We’re not going to rehash the past. What’s done is done.

My bedroom and my office are off-limits.

You can stick to the guestroom and the common areas.

Don’t expect me to hang out and keep you company.

You can stay tonight, but you will have to find someplace else to go tomorrow. ”

Her lips were pursed in anger. She was annoyed. “I get it, Brooks. You’re still pissed at me. You have every right to be, but let’s skip the part where you keep trying to intimidate me with your rules.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Intimidate you? I don’t want you to get the wrong idea and mistake my kindness for anything more than basic human decency. That’s all this is.”

She pinned me with a look that could set off car alarms. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not here to pick up where we left off.”

Her sass was pushing my buttons.

“Good, because that won’t be happening.”

“Agreed. So, are you done trying to scare me away?”

My lips flattened as she continued staring at me. “That depends. Do you agree to the rules?”

She folded her arms and tapped her fancy heels against my floor.

“Yes, Brooks. I’ll stay out of your room, keep to myself, and pretend we are strangers.

But don’t think for one minute that I’m going to walk on eggshells around you.

You can act tough and demanding all you want, but I’m not afraid of you. ”

I took a sip of my beer. “I’m not asking you to tiptoe around me. I’m asking you to follow a few simple rules, so we don’t end up killing each other.”

She gave me a slow, deliberate stare like she was sizing me up. “I don’t want to fight with you. So, I’ll agree to your stupid rules. I’ll stay out of your way, and you stay out of mine. Anything else, Your Highness?”

I cocked my head to the side. “Yeah, try not to breathe too loud, either.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She gave me a mock salute. “Are you done acting cold-hearted now? Are we finished?”

“I think that’s all for tonight.” I took a sip of my beer and stared at her like she was my enemy.

I wasn’t trying to be a dick. I didn’t mean to treat her like a pest, but I was mad at myself. I was pissed that I still cared after all this time. Annoyed that I even let her walk through my door in the first place.

I wanted her gone.

“Great.” She pushed herself off the counter. “Any chance you’ll feel generous enough and let me borrow something to sleep in?” She gestured down at her dress.

I couldn’t help but smirk. “Didn’t think of packing an overnight bag before bolting from the church?”

She shifted from one foot to the other as if she couldn’t wait to get away from me. “Very funny.”

I pushed off the counter and headed toward my bedroom. I opened my closet and rummaged through my clothes. Nothing was going to fit her, so I grabbed the first thing I could find.

I walked back into the kitchen. She was sitting on the floor. White lace was everywhere. Diesel was sprawled out on her lap.It was quite the sight.

“This is all I could find, so you better not complain,” I said, tossing the clothes on the counter.

She stood up, walked over, and picked up the flannel and sweatpants. “Thank you.”

I leaned against the fridge and crossed my feet at the ankles. “Try not to ruin them.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Just when I thought we reached a truce.” She stormed off, Diesel’s tail wagging right behind her.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

What the hell was I doing? Letting Harlow stay here wasn’t just inconvenient. It was dangerous. This situation was a pile of dynamite waiting to explode. Not just to my peace of mind, but to my self-control, too.

It was one night. I didn’t need to make this more complicated than it already was.

The sound of the shower turning off echoed through the house. I sat in my recliner, nursing my beer with ESPN playing in the background. I scrolled through my phone, trying to distract myself from anything other than Harlow Bennett in my bathroom shower. Naked.

It shouldn’t have mattered. Her staying here didn’t mean anything. She’d be gone tomorrow. Then, I’d have my life back.

The door creaked open. I could hear her footsteps pad across the room. I nearly choked on my beer when I spotted her.

She stood there in my black and white flannel. The fabric hung loose down to her knees. She had the sleeves rolled up awkwardly, and my sweatpants were so big and long on her that they dragged along the floor as she walked.

Her hair was damp, and her face was scrubbed free of the makeup she’d worn earlier. Somehow, this look felt more dangerous than the damn wedding dress.

This felt too intimate, and I didn’t like it.

“Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes.”

I cleared my throat and looked away. “Don’t mention it.”

She fiddled with the white buttons on my shirt. “I know you don’t want me here. I promise I’ll be gone tomorrow.”

When I didn’t say anything, she set her glass down and gave Diesel a scratch behind the ear. “I’m beat. It’s been a long day. I’m going to bed.”

I waited until I heard the door click shut before letting out a breath.

Diesel’s eyes flicked from the hallway to me.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, rubbing a hand over his head. “She’s only staying the night, so don’t get used to it.”

He looked at me like he didn’t believe me. “Come on.” I stood up to let him out for the night. “Come tomorrow, she’ll be gone.”

I wasn’t sure if that reminder was for his benefit or mine. All I knew was when I lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, visions of Harlow sleeping in the next room, surrounded by my things, and dressed in nothing but my clothes, lingered in my mind longer than they should have.