The Arrangement

14

Liam frowned at the sound of a thud, and his head snapped toward the couch just in time to see a blur disappear over the edge. "Seriously?"

A groan followed.

He pinched the bridge of his nose before removing his glasses. He placed them on the bedside table beside the lamp.

She wasn't getting up. He walked around the bed toward the couch. Joy was sprawled on the rug, one hand rubbing the side of her head while the other clutched the blanket tangled around her legs.

"You make quite a lot of noise when you sleep," Liam remarked dryly.

Joy blinked several times before slowly looking up at him. Her eyes were unfocused.

"What?" she mumbled.

She squinted at him as though trying to make out his face.

"Liam?" He raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here... this late?"

Liam stared at her for a long moment. "I can see you're not fully awake."

Without waiting for another response, he turned and walked back to the bed.

Still sitting on the floor, Joy frowned. Her sleepy eyes followed him automatically.

He wasn't wearing a shirt. Only a pair of black sweatpants rested low on his waist. The muscles across his broad back shifted naturally with every step he took, disappearing beneath the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

Joy swallowed. Why was… Her brows knitted together as she slowly looked around and her eyes widened. "Wait."

She looked back at Liam. "What are you doing in my room half na…" The words died in her throat as realization crashed into her all at once.

This wasn't her room. This was…

"Oh no."

She slapped a hand over her face, horrified. "I fell asleep in your room."

Silence.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

She'd wanted to avoid wandering around the house on her first evening. So she'd sat on the couch for "just five minutes" while scrolling through reels on her phone.

Apparently, those five minutes had turned into several hours. Slowly climbing to her feet, she brushed invisible dust from her clothes before facing Liam.

"I'm... I'm so sorry." Her words stumbled over each other. "I didn't know which room was mine. Every door upstairs looks exactly the same, and I thought if I kept opening doors someone might think I was snooping around."

She laughed awkwardly. "So I just... stayed here for a little while."

She scratched the back of her neck. "I was going to leave." She laughed nervously. "I just..." Her cheeks warmed.

"I fell asleep."

Throughout her explanation, Liam hadn't interrupted once. He had already picked up the book resting on his bedside table and the sound of a page turning was the only response she received.

Joy looked down at her feet. He was definitely angry.

"I'm really sorry," she whispered again. "I'll leave now." Why was she so careless. She was equally mad at herself.

She turned toward the couch. "My phone."

It wasn't where she'd left it. She frowned and lifted the cushions to check benaeath them. Carefully, she rearranged the cushions exactly the way she'd found them before sliding her hand into the gap at the side.

"There you are." She let out a relieved sigh as her fingers wrapped around her phone.

She turned and Liam was standing directly in front of her. So close that she almost walked straight into him.

A quiet scream escaped her lips and her phone slipped from her fingers. It landed on the rug with a dull thud while she stumbled backward, falling onto the couch.

For one humiliating second. Neither of them moved. Then Joy scrambled upright.

"My phone." She bent down, picked it up, and stood again, instinctively moving away from the couch because she suddenly felt like she needed to get away from him, she couldn't bear being too close to him, especially when he was without a shirt.

He was far too close. And without the suit, he somehow looked even larger. His arms were crossed loosely over his chest.

Joy quickly looked away..Her heartbeat refused to cooperate. Liam looked at her for a moment before a scoff escaped him.

"Why did you scream?"

She blinked. "What?"

"You heard me.”

There was the faintest hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

He was teasing her. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. How was she supposed to explain that being surprised by a half-dressed billionaire standing inches away in the middle of the night wasn't exactly good for her heart?

"I..." Her voice came out softer than she'd intended.

"It's late." She cleared her throat. "I didn't want to wake anyone."

Liam's eyebrow lifted. She avoided looking directly at him again. Unfortunately, her eyes betrayed her.

They drifted to his chest for the briefest second before she immediately looked elsewhere.

Heat rushed into her cheeks and she silently scolded herself. Get a grip, Joy. He was just a man. A ridiculously attractive man. With an annoyingly perfect body.

She inhaled slowly. Then took a careful step toward the door.

"I'll just go..."

"Stop." His voice didn't need to be loud to have her doing exactly that. She stopped.

She slowly turned back. "What?"

Liam looked at her for a second. "It's late."

She nodded uncertainly. "Yes?"

"You'll sleep here tonight."

Her eyes widened. "I…"

His tone remained calm and matter-of-fact.

"It's best if you just spend the night here.”

She hesitated.

"You're already here and it's past one. If you've been here, why not just wait till sun rise?” He shrugged lightly. "It'll also look more convincing."

Joy looked at him. He didn't sound enthusiastic about the idea. If anything, he looked mildly inconvenienced.

Still, she nodded. He was paying her, and she was to do whatever he asked her to.

"Okay." She turned toward the couch.."I'll sleep here."

Before she could take another step, Liam reached the couch first. Without a word, he picked up the blanket lying across it and tossed it onto the bed. Then he grabbed one of the pillows from the bed before pulling another blanket free.

He carried both back to the couch and dropped them there.

She stared.."What are you doing?"

Liam looked at her as though the answer should have been obvious.

"You'll take the bed."

"I couldn't possibly…"

He ignored her and adjusted the pillow once before lying down and closed his eyes.

This conversation was over.

Joy remained standing exactly where she was, watching him. For someone who claimed not to like sharing his space. He had just given up his own bed without another word.

She smiled faintly. Maybe he wasn't quite as cold as he wanted everyone to believe. She stood there for another moment, her phone still clutched in one hand.

Only the ticking of the wall clock filled the silence.

Her gaze drifted to Liam as he lay on the couch with one arm tucked beneath his head while the other rested across his stomach. His eyes were closed, his face calm, though she somehow doubted he was asleep.

She bit the inside of her cheek. "I haven't showered yet."

One eye opened. "What?"

"I said..." She cleared her throat. "I haven't had a shower since I got here."

Liam lifted a hand and pointed toward a door at the far end of the room without opening his eyes fully. "The bathroom."

Joy followed the direction of his finger. "Oh." She nodded awkwardly.

"Thank you."

She had barely taken two steps when his voice stopped her again.

"And wear that."

She turned. He was pointing toward his desk.

A neatly folded black T-shirt rested beside a stack of books.

Joy blinked. She looked at the shirt then at Liam. Then back at the shirt. Was that for her? Had he kept it aside for her?

She stared for a second longer than she intended.

Liam finally opened both eyes.

Unfortunately, he caught the exact expression on her face. A look that practically screamed, He prepared clothes for me.

"Don't flatter yourself." He said, unimpressed.

Joy's brows drew together. "What?..."

"I don't know what ridiculous conclusion you've reached," he interrupted lazily, "but I'd advise you to abandon it."

He shifted slightly on the couch and continued. “I have no interest in whatever nonsense is currently going through your head, but you better snap out of it. It makes sense if you walk out of my room in the morning, wearing my shirt.” He said coolly.

She stared at him for a whole three seconds. Then let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

"I wasn't thinking anything."

"No?"

"No."

"Okay.” He replied dismissively.

"I wasn't!"

Liam gave a small shrug. "If you say so."

The infuriatingly calm tone was enough to make her grind her teeth.

"You know..." she muttered as she marched toward the desk, "you're far too full of yourself." She snatched the shirt off the desk.

"I'll have you know I wasn't thinking anything. Why would you think I was? You think you're something special? Nothing we haven't seen." She said defensively.

"Mm."

"I wasn't."

"So you've said. You sure like to talk, don't you?"

She glared at him. "You really think every woman falls at your feet?"

"No." He turned to look at her. "I know they do."

Joy's mouth fell open. The nerve.

She huffed loudly before stomping toward the bathroom. He called her name just as she placed her hand on the knob.

"Joy."

She paused without turning around. "What?"

"Don't slam the door."

She smiled sweetly. "Of course."

Then Bang! The bathroom door rattled against its frame as she closed it behind hee

Liam closed his eyes. "Unbelievable." He rubbed a hand over his face.

Behind the bathroom door, Joy leaned against it, grinning. She had no idea why she did that, but it was satisfying. She turned on the shower, and moments later the sound of running water filled the room.

Liam tried to ignore it. He adjusted the pillow beneath his head and closed his eyes, only to open them again.

The couch suddenly felt far less comfortable than it had a few minutes ago. He let out a slow breath.

"This is going to be a long three years." The steady sound of water continued. For reasons he didn't care to examine, sleep refused to come.

With an irritated groan, he pushed himself upright.

He walked over to the bedside where his reading glasses and book still rested.

After slipping the glasses back on, he picked up the novel. He read the same sentence three times.

Not a single word registered.

"Hopeless." Muttering under his breath, he reached for the robe hanging in his closet and slipped it over his shoulders.

He tucked the book beneath one arm and opened the bedroom door. The sound of the shower still echoed faintly behind him.

Without another glance back, Liam stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. Maybe a change of environment would help. Because one thing was becoming painfully obvious.

He wasn't getting any sleep in that room tonight.