“You’re a total pig,” Renee said. “There’s no way I can sleep in this room.”

“Then why are you smiling?” Weasel asked. His large, muscular arms were folded over his even more impressive chest, but she ignored that about him. He was part of her brother’s close friends, and that would be crossing lines. There was no way someone like Weasel wouldn’t break her heart, and it was the simple reason why she would never risk it.

“Because I know this is not just some excuse to make me feel better. You actually need me, and I prefer to work for my living. You’re a slob.” She frowned. “It’s strange. I never thought that about you. Your room at the clubhouse was always clean.”

“This place has become a dumping ground for far too long. It was just easier to drop and dump than actually do anything with it.” Weasel stretched. “Don’t worry, I got rid of the rats and mice.”

She jumped, screamed, and then stood on a chair. “Mice?”

He burst out laughing. “You’re still so easy to tease.”

“You’re an asshole, Weasel. Just so you know, Vengeance told me to call him if you were too much of an asshole.”

“Oh come on,” he said, offering a hand. “That was funny. There’s no mice or rats. I promise. There’s a lot of spiders, mind you, and I do kill them as I see them.”

She shivered and made a grossed-out sound. “I’m pleased I stopped off at the store and got these.” She tore into the package of the rubber gloves and quickly pulled them on. Next, she had on an apron and then tied her hair into a hat, securing it onto her head. Turning toward him, she watched as he burst out laughing.

“That has got to be the most unflattering attire ever,” he said.

“What were you expecting? A maid’s uniform. Something they wear in porn movies.”

“Now that would be nice. I might just go out and buy you something.”

She ignored him and made her way toward the window. Opening it wide, she then grabbed two large trash bags. Picking up random stuff that was lying around and throwing it away.

For thirty minutes, she worked to clean down the surfaces and then the floors. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Weasel stood with his arms folded. “Don’t look at me with those cute little judgey eyes. You wanted to work, and this is the task you need to do. I’m just curious and want to watch you work.”

Renee wrinkled her nose as she lifted up a thong. There was a thick layer of dust around it. “Is this yours?”

Weasel burst out laughing. “That was probably one of the guys from the club bringing a trophy to show me and left that dirty shit here.”

“Nasty.”

“You keep saying so.”

Shaking her head, she filled several bags with crap and stored them at the door. “How long have you had this place?”

“A couple of years. I’ve bought stuff and just left it, and not really done a lot with the place.”

She was surprised to see the mattress on the bed still had a protective wrap over it. That gave her hope that she would be sleeping in a nice clean bed. “How many women have you brought back here?”

“None. This is my domain and no pussy, besides yours has been allowed here.”

“That seems … completely wrong.”

“Why?”

“This is your house. Wouldn’t it make sense to bring them back here?”

“Nope. None at all. You see, this is my castle, and only people I like make it back here.”

“And you’ve not liked any of the women you’ve slept with.” She needed to think about him with other women, otherwise she was at risk of getting too close, and she didn’t want to get close to him, nor did she want to have any feelings for him.

“I’m sure you’re aware that there are people out there you don’t have to be attracted to in order to fuck.”

She nodded. “You’re right.”

“Why are you interested in the women I’ve been in?” he asked, taking a step into the now clean room. Well, she wouldn’t go so far to say it was clean. He could walk without fear of killing himself.

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.” He stood right in front of her. “Don’t worry, princess. No one is going to invade your space if that is what you’re worried about.”

“This is your house. You can bring anyone back here that you want.” She forced a smile even as jealousy began to work its way up her spine. She wasn’t happy, far from it, in fact. Just the thought of another woman being able to touch him was enough to make her sick to her stomach. “I better get back to work.” He didn’t move out of her way, and so she moved around him.

Grabbing the trash bags, she took them straight outside and left them in separate piles. Finally, looking at the kitchen, she once again shuddered. Bottles and empty takeout trays were everywhere. She would do her room first and then this room. The house was just a mess but at least he didn’t have a problem with her throwing shit away. She would have quit if he had any issue with her cleaning.

“I’ve got to head out. Are you going to be okay handling this on your own?” Weasel asked.

“Yeah, I think if anyone tried to rob the place, they’d turn around and leave. Nothing worth stealing.”

Weasel burst out laughing. “You’re a hoot. I know we’re going to be the best of friends.”

She had her bucket filled with water and several clothes. Making her way back to her room, she stared to wipe down the years of dust and grime. She didn’t know how anyone could have lived like this, and Weasel was a clean guy.

This place was a mess. After another two hours of scrubbing every single surface so that it sparkled, and changing the water several times, she stopped on the landing outside of her room. Down the hall was Weasel’s room. She had to know if he lived like this.

Moving toward his door, she reached out, touching the handle.

This was so wrong and she felt like she was invading his privacy. Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she turned the handle and opened the door. The scent of lavender greeted her, and his room was … spotless. His bed didn’t have a single wrinkle, and every surface was clean.

She frowned. Why was the rest of his house a dump?