Landlord Wars(61)

“Damn straight. Meet me up there in ten minutes?”





Max





I climbed the steps to the open rooftop, and the scent of fall and slightly damp air hit me. The night was cool but not too cold, with no rain on the horizon, only typical San Francisco fog. I had no idea what to expect after Sophia suggested we meet here.

But it wasn’t this.

The heat lamps were turned on, and there were strings of white lights above lush plants in varying shades of green and red, some with wide, palm-sized leaves, and others with spiky foliage. The rooftop had been nice before, but it looked like an oasis now.

I spotted Sophia at the center of it on the two-person chaise I’d tacked on at the last minute while ordering outdoor furniture. I’d spent little time here since the remodel a few months ago, and now I was patting myself on the back for my amazing forethought.

A two-person chaise was exactly what I needed right now.

My heart sped up as I slowly made my way across the roof patio to the beautiful woman wearing what looked to be soft baby-blue lounge pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. “You did all this?”

She shrugged slightly. “Not physically. I had help from the shop installers, but I designed it.”

I spun in a slow circle and shook my head, amazed. There were a few flowering plants and others I’d expect to keel over in the sometimes-cool San Francisco climate. Nothing I knew the names of, but the assortment and arrangement brought life to the space. “It’s incredible.”

Sophia patted the spot beside her, not that I needed an invitation. That spot had my name written all over it.

I’d been thinking far too much about Sophia and the interruptions preventing us from having alone time, first from her sister and now my parents. And here, it only took my incredibly smart and talented girlfriend to find the one place no one would look for us.

I eased onto the lounge beside her and nodded at the short tumbler in her hand. “Nightcap?”

She handed the glass to me and reached for another I hadn’t seen resting on the table. “Victor gave me this fancy bottle of whiskey or scotch—not sure which—when I signed the contract this week.”

She mentioned the name of the maker, and I said, “Whiskey. And not cheap.”

Sophia clinked her glass to mine. “To Victor and his good taste.”

I glanced pointedly at the plants. “To what do I owe the surprise?”

She waggled her head. “You’ve been stressed, and I wanted to do something nice for you. And don’t look at it as repayment for the dress. I planned this long before.”

I typically took care of others, and I suspected Sophia and I shared that in common, which made this gesture extra special for me.

My breathing increased and a burning sensation tightened my throat. I slowly set my glass aside, leaned over, and kissed her softly. “Thank you. No one has ever done something this nice for me before.”

Her expression showed surprise and a little confusion. “Never?”

I shook my head.

“I wasn’t entirely altruistic.” Her mouth pulled into a sneaky smile. “I might have also used it as an excuse to bring greenery up here.”

“Of course,” I said and slid my hand around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her neck. God, I needed this. Being with Sophia took the weight of the world away. “You’ve made it so nice that this will be the place everyone wants to go. Though I think a few of the plants are going to die.”

She half rose and looked over my shoulder a little too aggressively. “What? Where?”

I tugged her back down. “Those plants with the thick leaves.” I pointed them out.

“You mean the succulents?” She crossed her arms, blocking all the best bits, but I continued to hug her anyway. “Ye of so little faith. You think I don’t know which plants will survive here?”

“I would never think such a thing.” After the other day and my mistrust rearing its ugly head the moment my parents’ financials hit the streets, I wasn’t making the same mistake twice. A man could learn. “You are right, and I am wrong. I will recompense in the form of chocolate.”

She harrumphed. “You may know real estate, but I know plant state.”

“Plant state?”

She uncrossed her arms and folded them behind her head. “In fact, it’s so nice now that there is greenery, I wouldn’t mind living here. These heat lamps are ingenious.”

I rolled my gaze over her face and down her body. “We could make it even warmer.” I gave her a suggestive smile.





Chapter Twenty-Eight





Sophia





I squirmed beneath his muscular chest, and he shushed me. “Don’t wake the building.”

“You did not just say that cheesy line about getting warmer.”

“Say what?” He reached back and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it aside.

My mouth went dry. Damn him and his physique. “Your body is a menace. Makes my brain lock up.”

He hesitated. “Want me to put my shirt back on?”

“Absolutely not, but—” I glanced around. “Should we? Up here?”

“It’s private.” He tugged my T-shirt down, and his lips whispered over the top of my breasts as his soft hair tickled my neck. “No roommates or mothers to drop by unexpectedly.”