9

 

Eros was still staring at the flower shop, while Psyche opened the passenger door and got out of the car. She snatched her bag from the back seat.

“Thanks so much for the ride.”

“Wait!” Eros said hastily. He switched off the engine and jumped out. “I’ll, uh, walk with you.” Because something compelled him to see where she was staying. The flower shop was only a one-story building, so there couldn’t possibly be an apartment on top of it. Maybe there was another structure behind the building?

She glanced over her shoulder, a look of apprehension on her face. “You don’t have to. I’m fine.”

“I insist,” he said with a smile, pretending to be the perfect gentleman, when his actions had nothing to do with good manners, but curiosity. “I’ll carry your bag.”

Reluctantly, she allowed him to take the bag and walked to the entrance of the shop. She pulled her keys from her handbag and unlocked the front door. Then she turned around and smiled, reaching for the bag.

“Thanks again.”

But he didn’t relinquish the bag. “I’ll carry it inside.”

She hesitated, and he knew in that instant that she was trying to hide something. It made him even more determined to accompany her inside.

“It’s dark in here,” he said casually.

She flipped a switch and the overhead lights illuminated the shop. Psyche stepped inside, and Eros followed her, closing the door behind him. He glanced around. It was tidy in the shop. An array of plants and flowers stood on benches and in display cases. At the back of the shop was a counter with various tools for cutting flowers and arranging bouquets, and to the left of it was a door.

“I can really take it from here,” Psyche said.

“I’ve come this far already, I might as well carry the bag all the way to your apartment,” he said as casually as possible, adding a smile.

Psyche turned the doorknob and opened the door, then flipped the light switch. The moment Eros walked through the door, he realized why Psyche hadn’t wanted him to enter.

The room was no larger than twelve by twelve feet and appeared to be serving as both an office and a place to sleep. The couch, which had seen better days, was covered with a white bed sheet. A duvet and pillow were neatly stacked in one corner. There was a tiny window above it, leading out to a miniscule yard. To the right was another door. It was partially open and revealed a sink and a toilet.

“You live here?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

“Only temporarily.” Her voice suddenly sounded defensive.

“Why?”

She shrugged. “My apartment isn’t habitable right now.”

“Why’s that?”

“A pipe burst, and it hasn’t been repaired yet.”

“Well, how long should that take? A couple of days, right?”

Psyche shifted from one foot to the other. “Uh, yeah, normally, sure.”

“What do you mean by normally? What kind of damage did the place sustain?”

“We had to rip open the floor and a part of the wall, too. The insurance company is digging in their heels. I’m sorting it out. Just takes a little time.”

He stared at her, his eyes narrowing now. “How long has this been going on?”

“A while.”

“How long?”

She swallowed. “A few weeks.”

“And it’s still not repaired? Can’t you find a plumber and a handyman to fix it? I can recommend some people if that’s what’s holding—”

“It’s not that. I have a plumber, but as long as the insurance company refuses to pay for the damage, I can’t get it fixed.”

“They’re refusing to cover it?”

She nodded. “They’re saying it was a pre-existing issue, and that it’s therefore excluded from coverage.”

“A burst pipe? That’s not pre-existing. It just happens.”

“That’s what I told them, too. But then the insurance adjuster saw the mold.”

“What mold?”

“The mold underneath the floorboards. They said the pipe must have been leaking for months to create that kind of mold. So they’re telling me to go and deal with the previous owner.”

“What’s the previous owner got to do with it?”

“I bought the place only a few months ago. They say the home inspection should have revealed the problem, and I should try to sue either the home inspector for negligence or the previous owners for hiding a known problem. Either way, I’m screwed.” She reached for the bag again. “But that’s not your problem. I’m working on it. It’s just gonna take a little while.”

When she tried to pull the bag from his grasp, he put his hand over hers, not relinquishing it. “You can’t stay here. There isn’t even a shower. Or a kitchen.”

“I shower at the Y.”

He shook his head. “That’s not a solution. Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“Back to my place. You can stay there.”

“No.”

He met her eyes. “I promise you that you’ll be safe there. I won’t barge in again. I swear. I only did so because I thought you were a burglar. I’m not in the habit of spying on women in the shower, I can assure you that.” No matter how hot that particular woman was, or how much he’d love to get another glimpse of her perfect body. He meant what he said. She’d be safe in his house. And definitely more comfortable than in this dump.

“That’s not why I can’t accept your offer. I don’t want to inconvenience you. Clearly, you don’t need a housesitter.”

“Stay as a guest. The house is so large, I won’t even notice you’re there. And I’m gone a lot anyway. You’ll have the guestroom and your own bathroom, and you can use the kitchen and the rest of the house as you please.”

“I don’t want to intrude on your privacy. I’m really fine here.”

Eros tossed a disgusted look at the couch. “Yeah, that couch looks really comfortable.” He rolled his eyes. “Come on, Psyche. Just move into the damn guestroom and stay there until your apartment is livable again. Do me that favor. Or I’ll feel like a total shit for having tossed you out after Triton promised you that you could stay at my place.”

“Triton should have never made promises he couldn’t keep.”

Eros grimaced. “Yeah, well, I’ll have a word with him about that. But that doesn’t mean you should suffer the consequences.” He motioned to the door behind him. “Let’s go. It’s late. And I’m sure you’re tired.”

She gave him a very long look. Was she assessing him to see if she could trust him? After all, he was a stranger to her, and he had barged in on her when she’d been taking a shower.

Finally, she nodded. “I don’t know how to thank you for your hospitality.”

He could think of a few things off hand, but he was smart enough not to voice them. Because making a play for Psyche would be a very bad move. A woman like her could get under his skin, and that was the last thing he needed in his life.