Page 74 of Too Good to Be True

“Okay,” she said, glad for the distraction. She opened a box labeled Dresser and began to stack the items into the drawers. First came T-shirts, which she sorted by whites and colors. Then came socks, which were already neatly paired up. She separated them into dress and athletic socks. Next came underwear.

Glancing across the room, she saw his back was to her as he hung his dress shirts in the closet. She felt funny touching his underwear, though she’d seen them on and off him last night. Still, it felt oddly intimate and a bit thrilling.

As she pulled them out of the box and stacked them in the drawer, she took note of his preference for boxer briefs in the basic colors: blue, gray, and black. There were no tighty-whities to be found, which she was glad of since they’d been her ex-husband’s favorites.

She paused with a black pair in her hands and recalled how they’d looked formed to his body and showcasing his long, hard…

“Ahem. How’s it going over there?”

She jerked her head around and dropped the underwear into the drawer like they were on fire. “Good. Fine. Everything’s good.”

He chuckled. “Just checking.”

“I’m almost done,” she said, turning away so he wouldn’t see her red cheeks. How ridiculous. They’re just underwear, for Pete’s sake!

“All done,” he said, coming up beside her.

She placed the last pair of boxer briefs in the drawer and closed it. Then she turned to look at him. His eyes were dancing, and he reached out and fingered a strand of her hair.

“I like having you here.”

Her heart rate spiked at his closeness and the tenderness in his voice. “I’m glad I could help.”

He shook his head. “I appreciate it, but that’s not why. I just like having you in my place and in my bedroom.”

She smiled. “I like being here.”

“What do you want to do now? Are you hungry?”

She probably should have been since it was approaching her usual dinnertime. Surprisingly, she hadn’t thought about food at all, though.

“I can wait a while.”

“Me too.”

It became clear how they were going to spend their time before dinner. He dipped his head down and was just about to kiss her when the intercom buzzed, causing her to jump.

She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, and Nick looked at the door as if someone were about to barge in and bust them.

“Stay here,” he instructed. He hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Frantic, she glanced around the room, trying to determine the best place to hide. Then she realized she was being ridiculous again. It was highly unlikely that the visitor would come anywhere near the bedroom.

She went up to the door and pressed her ear against it. Then she heard Fran’s voice come over the intercom, loud and clear.

“Hi, sweetie. It’s me. I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some Chinese.”

Sweetie? She couldn’t imagine Fran calling anyone that, not even her husband. At that moment, she realized how much Fran cared about her nephew. She’d taken him in, given him a job, and helped furnish his new apartment, and now she was offering food delivery service. Stacy was seeing a side of her boss she’d never known existed, and it was enlightening.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Nick replied.

Stacy shook her head, knowing Fran wouldn’t give up that easily. He must have realized it too because then he added, “But come on in.”

Stacy stayed very still, and it reminded her of playing hide and seek as a child. It had been almost impossible not to give herself away back then, and she’d often been one of the first ones found. That couldn’t happen today, though!

She heard Fran’s voice again as she entered the apartment. “Here you go. Carl and I bought more than we could eat, and I thought you might like the leftovers.”

Carl? Uncle Carl? This was the first time she’d heard his name. Fran always referred to him as her husband, and Nick always called him “uncle.” Finally, the man had a name.