Chapter Four

Well, damn. This day was turning out to be full of surprises. And not all of them bad.

“Looks like we’ve found the original source of the problem,” he said and stepped aside to give her a better view.

She probably expected something horrible, like termites. He’d seen that before. But he already knew that what was hiding under Rose’s mattress would surprise her more than anything running through her mind right now.

She leaned forward and cocked her head, as if confused by what was under the mattress. And then, a shock of red bloomed on her cheeks.

“Those aren’t mine,” she said immediately, taking a huge step back.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“No. I mean it.”

“Trust me. I’ve seen worse. You should see some of the things that surface at estate sales. People’s grandparents’ stuff? It’s awkward for everyone.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t want to hear about it.”

“I’m just saying. Don’t be embarrassed.”

“I’m not!” she cried, her eyes flying open again. “I’m telling you. They’re not mine.”

“And I’m telling you that I’m not judging.”

“I’ve never seen them before. This is the first time I’ve seen anything like that.”

Her embarrassment was adorable, but it bummed him out. Such a sexy woman, living in the lap of luxury, secure long-term relationship heading toward marriage—and she was that freaked out by leather restraints? Seemed like a shame.

The restraints had been attached to the base of the bed, back when there was still a base intact. They could loop around the mattress and secure a participant’s wrists. Or be discreetly tucked away with none the wiser. Owen wondered how long they’d been there. How much had Jason Fucking Harris used them with women who weren’t Rose?

How much had Rose missed out on by being with some guy who had no idea what she was worth?

“Jason is such a freak,” she muttered, the bitterness surprising and sharp.

“Hey.” Owen held up his palms. “He’s a cheating sack of shit, but let’s not confuse the issue.”

Rose raised an eyebrow. “I don’t care what you do in your spare time. But I’m not like that.”

He wasn’t going to push it. Not when Rose looked like her teeth were about to fall out of her jaw, she was grinding them so hard.

But he was intrigued. By the restraints, sure, but even more by the woman before him. The one trying desperately to control her features. And failing miserably.

He unclipped the restraints, pulling them through the broken slats. Normally, when a person bent over backward to deny that something was theirs, that meant it definitely belonged to them.

But the shock on Rose’s face couldn’t be faked. And, underneath it, the hurt that came from finding out yet another thing that asshole ex had hidden from her.

It was a good thing he’d only emailed with Jason. If he ever met that guy in person, the first thing he’d probably do was clock him in the face.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said.

“What?” She sounded wary, like she was trying to figure out how her day could possibly get any worse.

But Owen wasn’t in the business of making people miserable.

Besides, he’d already lost the bed, the rest of the furniture in the apartment, and any hope of salvaging a sale from this day. He might as well go all the way.

“I’ve already got my truck here. I’m going to take your furniture back to my workshop. I’ll make the bed better than new. And then I’ll bring it all to you.”

She shook her head, not even thinking it over. “I already told you. That’s too much work. I’ll figure it out.”

“You can’t hire regular movers to get this out of here. You’ll risk even more damage. And if someone cheap says they can fix this—trust me, Rose. You don’t want that. Not with a piece this nice.” He paused then added, “The only thing is that I’ll need to hang on to it for a few days.”

And I’ll need to see you again.

Could he really pretend that thought hadn’t crossed his mind before making the offer? He wasn’t just losing time and money with every second he spent in this apartment. He was also losing brain cells, so that all he could think about was how not to let Rose get away.

She tried to argue. But he argued right back.

“You’ve got to get your stuff out or Jason will think he can just find another buyer. I’m already here, and I know I won’t break it. Well, anything else, I mean.” He tried not to blush, thinking of the bed.

But she was the one who was reddening. “I already know I can’t afford what you’re worth.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said.

But she was insistent. “I’m not going to owe you. I’ll pay you what I was going to spend on movers.”

“Fine,” he said. “But I’m still fixing the bed—since I’m the one that broke it.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Then you can throw in one thing more.”

She held up her hands. “Anything to make it right.”

He swallowed. Watching her lips form around that word, hearing the breathy “anything” come from her mouth…

It made his dick respond like it thought the word actually meant something. Meant what, under any other circumstances, he might have wanted it to.

But they weren’t at a bar or a club. This wasn’t a date. No one had swiped right on anyone. It was an accident, one big misunderstanding. Rose looked so horrified—sex was probably the furthest thing from her mind. He had to keep himself in check.

“You can do me a favor,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t tell your ex what you found,” he said. “Let him squirm worrying about it, wondering what happened.”

Rose smiled. One grin from her, and he wanted more. She’d only brushed his hand softly, but already he still felt her on his skin.

He couldn’t be thinking like that. And yet…

“Are you really sure?” she asked again. “I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

You can take advantage of me anytime.

He didn’t say that out loud, thankfully. He still had some sense left in his brain. Even if all the blood was pooling…elsewhere.

This was someone just out of an engagement. She wasn’t looking to rebound. Especially not with him.

She used to live in this very apartment, for fuck’s sake. She’d probably had a rock on her hand the size of California.

But he couldn’t help grinning at her anyway, thinking again of how her cheeks had flamed scarlet at the sight of that dark leather hiding dangerously under the bed.

“It wouldn’t be very gentlemanly for me to back out now,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you a gentleman, Owen?”

He held her gaze, just as she held his.

“You’ll have to wait and see.”