Neighbors with Benefits (Anderson Brothers, #2)(31)

“Give me a minute to pack my briefcase and Jacob will take us home.”

Home. She didn’t have a home. It was his home, and she was only crashing there temporarily. She needed to keep that in mind. “Okay.”

As she shrugged into her coat, the deep murmur of his voice drifted from his office as he spoke on the phone. How on earth was she going to make it through the next few days at the wedding? Pretending to be his fiancée would require touching and familiarity. Considering how his touch had affected her so far, she was in way over her head. No way could she pull this off.

Business only, she reminded herself. It would be her new mantra.

…

Business only, my ass. Michael drummed his fingers on his thighs while Jacob opened the door of the limo in front of his apartment building. They were later than he’d planned because Mia had forgotten her phone at the office, and they had to go back for it. She took Jacob’s hand and stepped out first, Clancy close behind.

He had become way too fond of this woman. She felt the same way he did, he was certain of it. Yet, still, she pushed him away. He’d fix that…somehow. Just then, though, he was excited for her to see his surprise. For the first time in years, he was excited about something non-business related.

As the elevator rose to his floor, he fought back a grin. Everything should be in place, just as he had ordered it. For days, he’d imagined her reaction. What woman wouldn’t be thrilled?

As he opened the apartment door for her and she froze, the answer hit him over the head like a sledgehammer: Mia. Mia would not be thrilled. Fuck.

Stock still, she stood just inside the door. “What is this, Michael?”

“Clothes.” He knew that was an idiotic answer, but he had no idea what she was really asking.

Protectively, she folded her arms over her chest, her mouth drawn in a thin line.

“It’s a new wardrobe for you.”

Wordlessly, she unclipped the leash from Clancy’s collar, looped the leash over the hook inside the kitchen where it belonged—a first for Mia—and disappeared into the bathroom with a discussion-ending click of the lock.

Fuck. What now?

Clancy gave a sympathetic swish of the tail and commiserative whine.

As directed, the shopper had placed the clothes on display with the matching accessories. A cashmere sweater dress and leather boots were laid across the closest chair. High-end jeans, a bright blouse and a supple tan leather jacket and matching ankle boots and handbag were artistically displayed on the sofa. Skirts, shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, and shoes were likewise organized around the apartment. Even the lingerie was laid out artistically on end tables.

What had set her off?

“I f*cked up,” he said to the dog. He seemed to be doing that a lot recently. First the Kawashima deal, now this. He had certainly read this wrong. He’d anticipated her behaving like the other women he’d known and that was his big mistake. She was nothing like them. A glance around his place confirmed it. No other woman he knew would even think to bring in fresh flowers or homemade picture frames into his home. Honestly, no woman had ever been given the chance. He’d pushed everyone away. You’re missing things, Mia had said, and she was right.

Well, he wasn’t going to miss them anymore. She’d gotten under his skin and made him want more than just that next deal. The least he could do was help her look good in front of her ex and her friends. Then, maybe, she’d stop self-sabotaging. Oh, yeah, that’s what it was. He’d watched her like a hawk over the last weeks, and he knew far more about Hermia Lysander Argaropolis than he could read in a file. Probably more than she knew about herself. When this weekend was over, she’d be leaving him with lot more than a new wardrobe. She’d be leaving him with a new sense of self. Whether she knew it or not, she’d been missing things, too.

With a deep breath, he gently rapped on the bathroom door.

“Not a good time, Michael.”

It would never be a good time if he didn’t know what had set her off. “I’m kind of clueless out here.”

“Tell me about it.”

Holy shit. For the first time in his life, he didn’t have the upper hand. In fact, he didn’t have any hand. He had nothing whatsoever. “Would you like a drink?”

“No.”

Well, he would. After pouring a scotch, he settled on the end of the bed to hold vigil over the bathroom door for when she decided to come out and clear this up.

Clancy curled up next to him, and he absently sifted his fingers through the dog’s hair while sipping his drink and puzzling over what had upset Mia so much. He assumed with her spontaneous nature, she’d love a surprise like this.

Maybe she thought the clothes belonged to someone else. Hell, who knew what she thought. At this point, though, he figured the best tactic was to wait it out and let her come around in her own time. She was unusual, and honestly, the stakes were very high. Too high. What started out as an uncomplicated business arrangement, which he’d hoped would morph into some great sex, had turned into something unexpectedly complex.

Never before had he cared about impressing a woman past the level of convenience and self-serving gratification. And that had always worked for him because the women he had dated wanted no more than that from him. Very clear A, B, and C categories.

Mia was different. A whole new category: those who just wanted him as a friend. A business-only friend. He finished his scotch in a gulp and set the glass on the floor at his feet. He gave a half-laugh. Before he met Mia, he’d have never put an empty glass anywhere but the sink or the dishwasher. Something about it was liberating.