Maid for Each Other

by Lynn Painter

“What?” Lauren asked. “I just got here. You brought me up with you, remember?”

“She doesn’t mean me,” Roman said to Lau...

“Please leave us,” ...

“Don’t Pretty Woman me,” Lauren whined, and I had no fucking clue what she meant but I was glad to see her turn t...

“I don’t think sh...

“Get the fuck out of my house, Roman,” I said, feeling like I might die if I didn’t ...

Until Abi started moving. She walked toward me until she stopped only inches away, setting her hands on my chest. At her touch, I felt a spark of hope spread through me and my whole body was buzzing as she moved both of us until my back was against the wall.

Just like Kansas City, praise Jesus.

“Before we were interrupted, you asked me what you ca...

My arms wound around her so fucking fast. “I’ll do anythi...

“Forgive me,” she said, looking up at me with so much seriousness on her pretty face that it hurt a little. “Please forgive m...

“What, uh…,” I said, torn between wanting to know what changed and wanting to shut the hell up and ju...

She bit down on her lower lip and tilted her head, watching me like she was trying to figure out her next ...

“What?” That was the absolute last thing I expected her to say. I was shocked and didn’t even try to deny it. I just asked, “How t...

“So it’s true?” Abi looked up at me like she couldn’t quite believe it. “It’s actually you and Roman who do all of this…Robin Hooding?”

“It is,” I admitted, wondering if she knew that she was the only person in the world besides me and Roman who knew.

“I definitely want to talk about that, but first will you forgive me for bein...

“Done,” I said, sliding my hands up to cup her fa...

“And the things I wrote were not about you,” she said, speaking quickly like she was in a hurry for me to know. “They were inspired by you...

“Never?” I teased. “I mean, your asshole character’s name ...

“Mostly never,” she corrected, a giggle in her voice. “He was created in the image of who I thought you ...

“Ah,” I said. “When I promised to get you fired and...

“That’s so Connor,” she repli...

“I love you,” I said, feeling like I couldn’t go another secon...

“I love you, too,” she said, and something about hearing her say thos...

I kissed her mouth, a small kiss that would’ve been appropriate all the times we attempted to pull that off, but I quickly pulled back. Because I needed to hear her utter tho...

“I love you,” she said, her face glowing in complete happiness that I fucking adored.

“Again,” I said, lowering my mouth, and I knew what she was going to say before she even said it.

“You’re not the boss of me,” she said, biting my bottom lip. “But I’m saying I love you becaus...

“Fucking thank you for that,” I said, then I went i...

I maneuvered her into my office, wanting to work fucking hard on Abi on top of my large mahogany desk. I lifted her, in love with the way she felt in my arms, but when I reached for her idiotic NEW YONK shirt, she pulled back.

“What are you doing?” she asked, a snotty little grin on that addictive mouth.

“Oh, you want mine off first?” I teased, reaching over my shoulder to gra...

“No,” she said, pushing my chest a little and climbing off the desk. “I mean, we can’t ge...

“Why ...

“I have to work,” she said, her eyes narrowed like I was the one saying nonsensical bullshit. “I’ve already wast...

“Are you talking about cleaning my place?” She couldn’t be serious. “It looks great and I don’t care. I’ll tell them you ...

“No,” she said, her eyebrows furrowed. “Masterkleen is paying me to do a job, so I’m going to do it. You need to leave...

“Abigail Mariano,” I said, grabbing her shirt and jerking her back to me, “so help me God, I am going to call Ken Adams and get you fired, ju...

“You wouldn’t,” she said around a laugh, and I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten lucky enough for her to cho...

“Try me,” ...

“What if we made some sort of a deal,” she said with a grin. “You agree not ...

“I thought you didn’t want me to make any mor...

“I don’t,” she said, groaning. “I was tryi...

“Oh, is that what that was?” I asked, even though her watching paint dry would...

“It was. You were supposed to suggest something overtly sexual, to which I would agree, and then I could go scrub your damn windowpanes while we both suf...

“I ruined it?” I said, laughing...

“Yes,” she said, laughing, too. “Now you’re just going to have to keep me company for the next few hours whil...

“And after that…?” I asked, giving her an obnoxiou...

“After that, I go home to my place,” she said, and disappointment settled into my belly. After a month without her in my life, I didn’t want to be apart from her for a minute, much less a whole night. But before I could argue, sh...