At Her Discretion

CHAPTER SEVEN: AN UNWELCOME ROOMMATE

Naomi woke up earlier than usual.

The penthouse was quiet, the city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows still waking up beneath a pale morning sky. She had already finished reviewing two reports and was halfway through a cup of coffee when she heard strange sounds coming from the living room.

A snore at first. Not a loud one, just loud enough to be concerning.

Naomi frowned.

Sebastian wasn't home.

He had gone for an early run nearly an hour ago.

Which meant there was only one possible explanation.

She set her coffee down and walked toward the living room.

The sight waiting for her almost made her turn around.

Adrian Sinclair was sprawled across the couch like a man who had personally paid for the penthouse. One arm hung over the edge. A blanket was tangled around his legs. An empty bowl sat on his chest, somehow balanced despite the fact that he was asleep.

Naomi stared.

Then she checked the front door.

Locked.

She stared again.

How had he gotten in?

As if sensing her confusion, Adrian opened one eye.

"Good morning."

"With you here, it's hardly a good morning."

He groaned lightly.

"And here I was thinking you were warming up to me."

"Why are you here?"

Adrian stretched lazily.

"Because I can be," he said, chuckling lightly.

Naomi blinked.

"Is the heir of the Sinclair family really this jobless?"

For the first time since she'd met him, Adrian looked genuinely offended.

"That was hurtful."

"It was a question."

"It was an attack."

Before Naomi could respond, the front door opened.

Sebastian walked in carrying a bottle of water and immediately stopped.

His gaze moved from Naomi to Adrian.

Then back to Adrian.

"What are you doing in my house?"

Adrian pointed at the couch.

"Enjoying this amazing couch of yours, obviously."

"Get out."

"No."

Sebastian stared at him.

Adrian stared back.

Neither moved.

Naomi took another sip of coffee.

"This is surprisingly normal for the two of you, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately," Sebastian said.

"Frequently," Adrian corrected.

Sebastian threw a cushion at his head.

Adrian caught it.

The fact that he clearly expected it made Naomi question how long this friendship had survived.

"You know," Adrian said while sitting up, "most people would be happy to see their best friend first thing in the morning."

"Most people don't break into penthouses."

"I didn't break in."

"You absolutely did."

Adrian pointed at the security panel.

"I know the code."

Naomi looked at Sebastian.

"You gave him the code?"

"It was a mistake."

"It was years ago."

"It remains a mistake."

Adrian looked pleased with himself.

Naomi was beginning to understand why Sebastian seemed permanently exhausted whenever Adrian was around.

The morning somehow became even worse when Adrian announced he was staying for breakfast.

He didn't ask.

He announced it.

Twenty minutes later, the three of them were standing in the kitchen.

Naomi had intended to continue working.

Instead, she somehow found herself watching Adrian steal fruit from Sebastian's refrigerator while Sebastian threatened him with increasingly creative forms of violence.

"What exactly do you contribute to society?" Sebastian asked.

"Charm."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"Of course it does."

Naomi shook her head.

"You two sound like children."

"He's older than me," Adrian said immediately.

"By six months."

"Age is age."

Sebastian looked ready to throw another cushion.

Instead, he opened a cabinet and started pulling ingredients onto the counter.

Naomi frowned.

"You cook?"

Sebastian looked up.

"Was that surprise?"

"Yes."

"Well damn, Naomi, that's rude."

Adrian nodded solemnly.

"Very rude."

Naomi ignored him.

"I just assumed..."

"You assumed I paid people to keep me alive?"

"A little."

Sebastian laughed.

The sound caught her off guard.

It wasn't the sarcastic laugh she was used to hearing. It was lighter, a lot more free.

For a moment he looked younger.

Then Adrian ruined it.

"To be fair, you do pay people to keep you alive."

"Eat glass."

"See?" Adrian looked at Naomi. "He's always threatening me."

Naomi had to hide a smile behind her coffee mug.

The next hour passed surprisingly quickly.

Breakfast turned into stories.

Stories turned into arguments.

Arguments turned into old university memories.

Most of them seemed to involve Adrian making terrible decisions and Sebastian somehow getting blamed for them.

Naomi quickly learned that Adrian had once attempted to drive a golf cart into a swimming pool.

Twice.

The second attempt had apparently been intentional.

She was still trying to understand that story when Adrian pointed at Sebastian.

"Tell her about the charity gala."

Sebastian immediately shook his head.

"No."

"Oh, now we have to hear it."

"No, you don't."

Adrian grinned.

"He had to give a speech at a charity event with a bunch of celebrities."

Naomi waited.

"And?"

"But he got so drunk the day before, he forgot," Adrian said, chuckling. "I had to write the speech myself and, boy, was it something."

Sebastian looked personally betrayed.

"You are a terrible person, Adrian. You know that, right?"

Adrian doubled over laughing.

"You looked like you wanted to jump out a window," he said, holding his stomach.

"It was a fundraising event for orphanages, and you wrote that parents aren't always great anyway and that it was a good thing those kids were orphans."

"It's true though. Sometimes having no parents is better than having bad ones."

"Why didn't you just say that yourself? Why drag me with you?"

"No one would take me seriously. But you?"

"My mom almost killed me for that stunt."

Naomi nearly choked on her coffee.

"Please tell me nobody actually applauded that speech."

Adrian looked far too proud of himself.

"They did."

Sebastian pointed at him immediately.

"Out of confusion."

"Applause is applause."

"Almost, buddy. Almost."

"f**k you, Adrian."

Adrian gasped dramatically.

"And in front of Naomi too."

Naomi laughed.

Sebastian pointed at her.

"Don't encourage him."

"Why?"

"Because he gets stronger."

"That's not how people work."

"It is how Adrian works."

The conversation continued long after breakfast ended.

At some point Adrian moved to the living room.

At some point Naomi stopped checking the time and just enjoyed herself.

The realization was uncomfortable.

Not because of Adrian.

Because of Sebastian.

Over the last few days, she had become so focused on monitoring him that she had forgotten there was an actual person underneath the contract.

A frustrating person.

An arrogant person.

A man who flirted far too often.

But still a person.

Watching him interact with Adrian was strangely revealing.

There was no performance.

No carefully crafted image.

No billionaire heir trying to impress anyone.

Just Sebastian.

And somehow that version seemed easier to understand.

The afternoon sun had begun spilling through the windows when Adrian finally stood.

"I have responsibilities."

Sebastian nearly choked.

"You?"

"Believe it or not, some of us work."

Naomi laughed.

Adrian pointed at her immediately.

"You see? She likes me."

"I tolerate you."

"I'll take it."

Sebastian walked him toward the door.

"Don't come back."

"I'll be here tomorrow."

"No."

"Probably."

"Adrian."

The grin on Adrian's face widened.

Before leaving, he looked between them.

Then he nodded thoughtfully.

"What?"

Adrian ignored Sebastian.

"Interesting."

Naomi narrowed her eyes.

"What is?"

"Nothing."

That immediately meant it was something.

Adrian looked entirely too pleased with himself.

Then he opened the door.

"I've decided I'm the glue holding this relationship together."

The silence lasted exactly one second.

"Get out."

"Leave."

Adrian laughed so hard he almost walked into the wall before finally disappearing into the hallway.

The door closed behind him.

For the first time all day, the penthouse became quiet.

Naomi looked toward Sebastian.

Sebastian looked toward Naomi.

Then, somehow, they both laughed.

The sound faded quickly, but neither of them seemed eager to break the silence afterward.

It wasn't awkward.

Just different.

For the first time since the contract began, they weren't sitting across from each other as supervisor and subject.

They were simply two people who had spent the day being bullied by Adrian Sinclair.

And strangely enough, it had been a good day.