13. Brett

13

brETT

THREE MONTHS LATER

“ M icrophones?”

I pointed Luke toward the home office that would soon become the recording studio for my podcast, and found Claire, drunkenly attempting to install the soundproofing.

“Claire!” I shouted. “Put down the Clairsmopolitans and the sound insulating foam!”

She turned around and pouted. “Can I just put down the foam?”

Luke laughed and gingerly placed the box of microphones next to Claire’s feet.

“Do I get one of those?” he asked, pointing at her drink.

I had spent the past few hours moving a few of my belongings over to Luke’s house. That was, our house.

Luke had extended the contract on his rental house for one year and asked me to come stay.

I had taken that—correctly, thank goodness—as his request for me to move in.

Fortunately for me, my boss was back from his summer vacation and I’d completed my summer housesit. My boss was happy with how things had gone, especially when I told him that I had booked the one and only Luke Dalton as a featured guest on my podcast.

The show had gone swimmingly. Luke had been a perfect gentleman and—of course—it ended up being my most popular show ever.

We even set up video recording to launch a YouTube channel, and when Luke made his first appearance, the viewership was in the millions.

The next day I was offered a shiny new contract with a six-figure annual salary.

Life had changed in more ways than one.

No more struggling to keep up with bills, no more worrying about debt collectors calling my phone.

I was finally going to feel stable. For once.

Gazing over at Luke, I felt compelled to share my thoughts with him.

But before I could, the doorbell rang.

On the other side of the door was Leonard, cape and all.

Behind him… was something massive.

But I had absolutely no idea what it was since it was covered in gift wrap.

Leonard offered a cheery hello before he dragged the oversized gift down the hallway of our home.

As he struggled, Luke came over to assist.

“What on earth is this?” he asked.

Leonard simply snickered.

As they moved into the living room toward an eagerly anxious Claire, I exhaled a deep breath and took stock of my surroundings.

Luke’s appearance on my show had changed my career, and his appearance in my life had changed everything.

“I present to you,” Leonard started before ripping the paper away. “ The Titans of Tension .”

Wrapping paper fell to the floor to reveal an oversized portrait of me and Luke, standing at least ten feet tall and eight feet wide.

The painting was a comically gigantic masterpiece, featuring vibrant colors that seemed to leap off the surface, capturing me and Luke in a playful, almost whimsical manner.

It depicted the two of us standing on the beach, arms draped around each other with huge grins on our faces. The painting was done in a surreal, almost caricatured style, emphasizing the underlying humor of our situation.

The frame itself was ornate and gaudy, adorned with shells and bits of beach paraphernalia, adding to its eccentricity.

My jaw hit the floor. Claire’s jaw hit the floor.

And she was not an easy person to surprise.

She began to say, “Mother of…” but I quickly cut her off.

“Leonard!” I exclaimed as everyone else stood around in silent horror. “It’s wonderful. We’ll treasure it.”

“Right!” Claire chimed in as she snapped a picture of it with her phone. “And who needs wallpaper when you have this? Honestly, just redecorate the whole house around it!”

I could see Luke shaking his head vehemently behind Leonard who couldn’t see him.

I grinned through clenched teeth. “I’m sure we’ll find the perfect place for it. Claire, please delete that picture you just took.”

Claire cackled. “This is what happens when you mix too much money with too little talent.”

Much to my surprise, Leonard fired back. “Your opinions are as cheap as your shoes, Claire.”

Claire’s mouth was agape.

A sight I had never seen: Claire stunned.

That would show her.

Before she could fire back, Leonard moved on.

“I’m off!” he said, scurrying out of the room.

“You can say that again,” Claire mumbled as he walked away.

She turned, tucked her metaphorical tail between her legs, and walked into the kitchen for more Clairsmopolitans.

Luke walked up next to me and pulled me into his embrace. Waves crashed on the beach just beyond the window.

Our perfect window. In our perfect home.

Luke nudged me. “I can tell you’re in love with this house.”

For a moment, I wondered if he was going to say that I had fallen in love with something else. Some one else.

And maybe I had.

“It’s on the market,” he added as he walked out toward the back porch overlooking the beach.

The sunset before us was a masterpiece. One that I wanted to enjoy every day with Luke.

“How much?” I asked, once we were out of earshot of Claire who had stumbled back into the office to keep fussing with the insulating foam.

It was amazing how quickly she was able to recover from an awkward interaction. Knowing her, her days were probably filled with exclusively uncomfortable situations. The girl said whatever she wanted to say, whenever she wanted to say it.

I looked up into Luke’s eyes as we stood by the hot tub, listening to the waves roll in.

It was like a quiet thunder that drowned out the sounds of anything and anyone else nearby. The only thing that existed was the two of us, and the ocean beyond. It felt as if we stood on the edge of the world.

“It’s probably just a tad out of my price range,” I joked.

“Fifteen mill,” Luke said.

Only rich people could refer to millions of dollars as simply mill .

As if he were ordering fifteen pizzas for a party.

No big deal.

“Oh, is that all?” I asked with a huge grin.

Maybe after a few years of growing my podcast. If I was lucky. Very, very lucky.

Luke touched his hand to my cheek, locking eyes with me. “Well, I got my sponsorship check today. My agent called me a few hours ago.”

Luke had mentioned a new sponsorship deal but hadn’t mentioned the amount. I knew for a fact that it was more than what he’d lost with the Monarch fallout, but it didn’t seem like my place to ask.

“And it just so happens,” he added, “the numbers line up. Almost like it was meant to be.”

I knew that fifteen mill —as he so eloquently put it—was like pocket change to him, but it was still an overwhelming amount for me to even fathom.

I glanced away, out over the water to watch the seagulls fly through the air.

Was it possible that my wildest dreams had come true?

Years of browsing dating apps, sorting through messages, and going on tedious first dates—all to lead me to the man I ultimately wanted. And needed .

The man I never thought I’d find.

The man I’d relentlessly mocked for months.

But we didn’t need to focus on that now.

“We’ll put a pin in it,” Luke said, likely sensing my nervousness.

He pulled me into his embrace.

Suddenly, we heard a crashing sound behind us. I turned to see that Claire had fallen while trying to step over a pile of foam on the floor.

She grinned and giggled before pushing herself up.

I looked over toward the house next door. I couldn’t imagine what life would be like having a next-door neighbor like Leonard Worthington. Wacky hijinks and constant chaos all the time.

Looking back at Luke, I nodded. “This house is perfect.”

I could picture it all. Waking up to look out on the beach and seeing Leonard flying away on his latest aviation invention.

Claire could come over and stay for days in one of the countless guest bedrooms upstairs.

I could permanently convert one of the rooms into a proper, full-fledged recording studio with a view of the ocean. Luke could make use of the massive private gym in the basement.

I could picture it all here in this house.

“It’s at ten thousand likes!” Claire shouted, rushing out to the back porch to wave her phone at us. “You guys are so adorable.”

Luke pulled his phone out of his pocket and browsed Claire’s social media feed.

Evidently, she had not deleted the photo of Leonard’s painting.

And there it was—in all its glory—online for everyone to see. With almost ten thousand likes in just a few minutes.

Claire cackled and went back inside.

I had no idea what to expect when it came to posting private moments online. My online activity was limited to sharing my views in a podcast. Maybe now I’d get a taste of what it was like to be critiqued.

However, much to my surprise, most of the comments were positive and supportive.

This is the kind of love story I can get behind!

Honestly, this is art. Can we get this in every gallery? Love their vibe!

Brett and Luke are the couple we didn’t know we needed! Where can I get a print?

Luke started laughing hysterically as soon as he saw them.

That was it—it was official, we were cemented.

I felt the warm breeze coming off the ocean as it brushed through my hair. Just a few months ago, the idea of living with Luke would have been laughable, even impossible. We’d been at each other’s throats, bickering and throwing jabs like it was a sport.

Now, the whole world had slowed down for us, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Bring on the comments. Bring on the criticisms. And bring on the love.

With Luke by my side, I was prepared for it all.

**

Like steamy stories with fiery men? Keep turning the page to check out Obedience (Submission Book 1) .

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