The Arrangement(2)
“What?” He lifted his arms and shrugged. “That was a compliment.”
Erika tugged on Ariadne’s elbow. “Let’s go get washed up for dinner.” She shot Ted a significant glance.
Suppressing the urge to get in a parting shot, Ariadne turned and strode up the stairs. At the door to her room, she grabbed Erika’s wrist as a horrible thought took root. There were five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Erika and Ted had chosen a bedroom on the other side of the house. “Tell me, he’s not rooming next to me. If I have to listen to him and some bimbo going at it all night-”
“Ted told him it would be okay if he brought a guest, but he didn’t have anyone with him downstairs. Maybe he came alone.”
She grunted. “Like that makes any difference. He’ll be at a bar before nightfall picking up some unfortunate woman with poor judgment.”
“I wish the two of you could get along,” Erika said with sad brown eyes.
“I’d be fine with calling a truce. He always strikes first.”
“Because you always rise to the bait.”
“You think if I kept my mouth shut that he’d stop? You’re wrong. Trust me, I know from personal experience. But I will try to put up with him.”
“Thanks.” Erika gave her a quick hug before heading for her room, her long blond ponytail swaying against her spine.
Ariadne entered her room, pausing for a second to admire the view of the beach. The pale yellow walls and large windows made it a cheerful space. She really could use the cheering up. It had been a rough year. First the ugly break up with Daniel, his subsequent engagement to her cousin, and now this. Two weeks in forced close proximity with Asher, her nemesis since high school, would make the situation with Daniel seem like a dream.
She stripped out of her bathing suit in the bathroom and brushed out her hair. The curls she’d worked so hard to achieve with her curling iron this morning were long gone and her black locks just brushed her shoulders. She bound it in a ponytail before covering it with a shower cap and climbing in the shower. The sand between her toes was going from itchy to painful.
She washed off quickly and wrapped up in a towel. She stored her shower cap on the towel rack. Since they’d arrived in Nags Head only this morning, she had only unpacked her bathing suit and her toiletries.
Her suitcase sat on the braided rug beside the bed. The floor was hardwood like all the floors in the house with the exception of the bathrooms. She lifted the case onto the bed and unzipped it. There was a brief knock at her door before it was flung open and Asher entered.
Ariadne shrieked and clutched her towel more securely. “What the hell? You’re supposed to wait until I say enter.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Like you would have given me permission to enter?”
“Certainly not now! I’m not dressed.”
He gave her a slow head to toe. When he spoke his voice was huskier than usual. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“You haven’t seen me before,” she insisted.
He shrugged and closed the door behind him. “Look, I came to say that I was going to be on my best behavior.” He ran a broad hand through his thick dark brown hair. It was straight and longer than she’d ever seen it. It flopped down over his forehead, covered his ears and brushed the collar of his linen shirt. “We came here to relax. Neither one of us needs any shit this summer. So what do you say we call a cease fire?”
She nodded. “If you can control yourself,” she said stiffly, “there won’t be an issue.”
He grinned. “Copacetic. I’ll leave you to get dressed.”
She stopped him when his hand was on the doorknob. “By the way, what room did you choose?”
“We’re neighbors,” he tossed over his shoulder.
“Um, did you come alone?”
He turned and leaned against the door. “Are you going somewhere with this?” His eyes held a speculative gleam.
“Get that look off your face. I just wanted to know if this was going to be a repeat of three years ago.” When he only quirked a brow, she elaborated. “I was kept up all night by you and your friend having sex and then arguing into the wee hours of the morning.”
He winced and then stiffened. “You heard that?”
“Who didn’t? I don’t know what you did to her. She sounded like she wanted to castrate you by the end of it.”
Asher ran a hand through his hair again. “Yeah, well…I’m alone this time. And I intend to stay that way.”
Her brows rose in surprise, but he left before she could comment.