Page 7 of Let Me Love You

“Meh.” I shrug. “Not sure what the big deal is.”

“The deal is you’re acting like a player.”

“I didn’t choose this life. It chose me,” I taunt, aware it’ll irritate him more, though I don’t give two shits what he thinks about my personal life. The last thing I want is to be berated in front of Archer, who’s actively avoiding eye contact with me. Once the coffee finishes, I pour a cup, then add sugar and creamer.

“Want some?” I ask Archer, grabbing another mug from the cabinet.

“Sure,” he says, but I’d already started filling it full.

He takes a few steps toward me, and I smell the light hint of his cologne.

“Help yourself to the cream and sugar.”

“Thanks, but I like it plain.” He sips it, and his eyes widen. “That’s strong enough to put hair on your chest.”

A small smile hits Tyler’s lips. “Better than that instant shit, isn’t it?”

“You want some?” I glance at him.

He shakes his head. “I’m good.”

I meet Archer’s gaze. “You ready for the big house tour?”

Swiping away loose strands of hair that have fallen from my bun, I’m embarrassed by his first impression of me. Tyler’s need to call me out for it hasn’t helped.

“Yeah, that’d be great,” he says.

With a smile, I lead him to his room. Since I knew he was coming today, I made sure to change the sheets and wash the comforter. I also moved all my spare clothes out of the closet so he’d have more room. Though I don’t think he brought much with him.

Archer looks around, but I can’t quite read him.

“Is it okay?”

He turns with a perfect smile and kind eyes. “It’s amazing.”

“It’s not a huge room, but…”

“It’s more than enough. Thank you,” he says genuinely.

“I’m happy to help. You’re a dog person, right?” I ask when Sassy saunters in and jumps on the bed.

Archer chuckles. “I can be.”

I lead him to the main bathroom, and he peeks inside. “There are two in the house. This one only has a shower, but the ensuite has a tub, and if you ever wanna use it, go ahead.”

“Great, thanks,” he says.

“And this is the laundry room.”

Archer scans over my scattered dirty clothes on the floor.

“Sorry for the mess,” I say. “I’ll try to be a bit more tidy since you’re here.”

“Everleigh,” he says. I love the sound of my name rolling off his tongue. “It’s not a big deal. I was in prison for five years. Seriously, this is already a million times better. Even with a naked dude on the couch.”

That has me laughing hard, which only makes my head pound more, but at least he sees the humor in all of this. “Well, I’m glad I haven’t made you wanna run away yet. So, some ground rules…” I say, moving back to the living room.

“Oh, Tyler already laid some of those down.”