Chapter Eleven
Brooks sat on the back of the couch watching as Leah wandered from one corner of his apartment to the other. With the big loft-style space he could see everywhere she went, for the most part.
He found himself watching her face for signs of things that she liked or disliked. It didn’t matter much since she wasn’t going to be there long, but he couldn’t help but hope that she liked his home.
Of course, it was the ultimate bachelor pad, not really decorated with a woman in mind. To impress one, maybe, but not encourage her to stay. The entire space was framed out in an upscale industrial motif with lots of exposed brick and piping, stark leather furniture, and glass and metal fixtures. He didn’t typically bring women back to his apartment. When he wanted to wine and dine them he took them to fancy hotels. If he really wanted to impress them he took them to fancy hotels in Paris or Italy.
His home, though, was his sanctuary away from everyone and everything else. That he’d invited a woman he wasn’t even dating to stay there blew his mind. He couldn’t process her brand-new wife status at all. That was a mind-fuck of epic proportions. As was her wandering around his apartment looking at his belongings because she would be living among them. Surreal, to be sure.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason he watched her like a hawk. It had been a week since their wedding night when she woke up bleeding. She’d been back to the doctor twice and was cleared to return to her normal life. Sex was still banned for a few weeks, not that he would have touched her anyway. Oh, he still wanted to. So desperately it sent a rush of embarrassment through him every time he thought of it. But the chance that what had happened the last time might happen again terrified him to no end, which was going to make living with her even more interesting. And difficult. But he’d have to power through because he wasn’t letting her out of his sight.
“You don’t have to keep watching me,” she said.
He glanced up and met her gaze. She gave him a soft smile that sent the warm and fuzzies ricocheting around his body. No one else had ever had that effect on him before. The fact that she could do it with a smile alone frightened him a bit—and he loved every second of it.
“I’m not going to break,” she said. “The doctor said I was fine.”
“I know. I’m making sure you don’t steal anything while you’re casing my joint.”
She laughed and the sound brought a smile to his lips, as it always did.
“So what do you think?” he said when she hadn’t made any comments.
“Very nice.”
“Just nice?”
“You have a beautiful home, Brooks. It’s not exactly to my taste and it could definitely use a woman’s touch,” she said with a smile, “but it’s impressive.”
He gave her an exaggerated scowl. “This place is perfect. What are you talking about?”
“It’s completely perfect for a permanent bachelor. But I might change a few things if I was moving in for real.”
He folded his arms. “Okay, you’ve piqued my curiosity. What changes would you make?”
She shrugged. “Nothing too drastic. A few pillows. Maybe. Or some curtains,” she said, gesturing to the windows that were for the most part bare.
Each floor-to-ceiling window did have a barn-style door hanging to the side of it, except instead of wood it was a hanging sheet of metal that could slide across the window if he wanted to block out the light. It worked wonderfully. Not only did it completely darken the room when he wanted it, but when it was open it served as wall décor. Curtains would ruin the whole aesthetic.
“As I said, it’s a beautiful apartment and I can appreciate it for the style that it is. It’s just not to my particular taste.”
“So what would be your particular taste? Aside from me,” he said, running a hand across his chest. She laughed, but her eyes followed the trail he made, and continued checking him out until she realized he was watching her. Her cheeks flashed red and she turned, shrugging like she hadn’t just been caught ogling.
“I like warm woods and earth tones. I guess I’m more of a traditional girl.”
“What? Like two-story house, picket fence, manicured yard in the suburbs?”
She smiled. “Something like that.”
“Really? You don’t want to stay in the city?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never given it much thought. I assumed someday when I was married and having kids I would move to a more kid-friendly area.”
“People raise kids in the city all the time.”
“I know,” she said, her hand straying to her belly. “And I will be, too. Plans change, I guess.”
Her bright smile seemed a little forced. She sat down on the couch and grabbed a pad of paper that she’d been scribbling on, jotting a few more items on it.
“I have a few things I need to do, so if you need to get back to the office you are more than free to leave me to my own devices. I’ll be perfectly fine.”
Brooks blinked at that. He hadn’t been to the office since their impromptu wedding and he had no plans on returning anytime soon. Things would move along fine without him for a little while, and Cole knew how to get ahold of him if he was needed. He had no intention of leaving Leah on her own.
“I don’t have any pressing plans,” he said. “And anything you need I can send out for.”
“Brooks,” she said in that same tone of voice his mom would use when she was trying to get him to understand something he wasn’t quite grasping. “The doctor said I am fine. I feel great. Even the morning sickness has almost disappeared. I’m strong and healthy, and feel better than I have in weeks, and I have a class to get ready for. I need to get supplies. I need to get my classroom set up and I would like to pick things out for myself, not send some employee out to get them. I have a lot of things to do. I can’t sit around in this apartment all day staring at your face.”
He let his jaw drop in mock shock and sucked in an exaggerated breath that had her biting back a smile. “I will have you know that most women would give their left eyeball to be able to sit around and stare at me all day.”
“I’m not saying the view isn’t impressive.”
He gave her a little bow of thanks.
“That doesn’t change the fact that I really need to get a few things done.”
The thought of her wandering willy-nilly around the city on her own sent a bolt of terror through him so strong he gripped the back of the couch. All he could see in his mind was her lying in a pool of blood somewhere without anyone to help her. Overreaction? Completely. But he was still gluing himself to her side.
“Okay, fine. If you need to go shopping then I will take you.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re going to take me shopping?”
“Yeah.”
“Happily follow me around while I stock up on supplies for my classroom?”
“I didn’t say happily, but I have no intention of letting you go by yourself, so you make a list and I’ll get my driver and we’ll get it done.”
“Okay,” she said. “But you’re going to hate it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I consider myself fairly warned.”
She smiled at him with a wicked little grin.
“Wait,” he said. “What’s all that about?” He waved a finger at her smiling face.
“Nothing.”
“Exactly how many places are we talking about?”
She shrugged and started wandering around the apartment gathering her things. He followed her like the little lapdog he was turning into. “I don’t know. As many as it takes.”
“And how many will that be?”
“I don’t know.”
“Leah?”
“What?”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know.”
Then she giggled and walked up to the bedroom to get her shoes. Brooks rubbed his hand over his face. This didn’t bode well.