Clashing with the CEO - Page 129

“A welcome gift,” Neil said.

I punched him in a playful manner without thinking. “You didn’t need to do that!”

“I wanted to.” His words hung heavy until he quickly added, “I bought flowers for Christine when she moved into her house too. It’s simple etiquette.”

“Still, you’ve already done so much for me. I’m in your debt.”

Neil brushed me off with a non-committal grunt. My attention turned from the flowers to the apartment at large, marvelling at its resemblance to a high-end hotel suite. I knew I was going to be very comfortable here.

We dumped the first load of my stuff on the floor, then made one more trip to the car, taking the rest of my things.

“Do you need my help with anything else?” Neil asked once we had brought everything inside.

I shook my head. “I think I can manage.”

“Any questions?”

“You’ve already covered everything.”

As much as I enjoyed Neil’s presence, I was eager to start unpacking and getting the place set up how I wanted.

“Okay.” Neil shifted on his feet. “Well, call me if you have any problems.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He lingered for a second as if he didn’t know how to say goodbye. “I’ll leave you to settle in, then.”

I nodded, displaying my gratitude with a bright smile. Neil exited, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, absorbing my surroundings. This beautiful, lavish, spacious apartment was mine… For a little while, at least.

Chapter Forty-Five

Ispent the rest of the day unpacking and arranging the furniture in my new apartment. Though I had few possessions to fill the space, I enjoyed adding little touches like books on the coffee table and a throw on the armchair. I also visited the supermarket to stock the pantry and fridge with the basics I’d need over the next couple of days.

The hours slipped away, and exhaustion set in. I decided to have an early night and retreated to the bedroom. I crawled under the warm covers. As I drifted to sleep, the knowledge that Neil was so close by, in the very same building as me, fuelled my fantasies.

In the morning, I ventured into the bathroom to shower. My bare feet felt the shock of the cool, slick tiles in contrast to the soft bedroom carpet. I turned on the shower, and as the water flowed, I sensed something was amiss. The pressure was weaker than I expected it to be. Undeterred, I shed my pyjamas and stepped under the stream of water. The temperature was fine at first, not hot, but warm enough. As I lathered coconut-scented body wash on my wet skin, the temperature dropped, leaving me shivering in a cold spray. I quickly finished washing, my teeth chattering, and emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. I tested all the taps in the apartment, confirming the issue was not isolated to the shower. Then I checked the water heater in the utility cupboard. All the settings looked fine, so I didn’t know what the problem was. Not knowing what else to do, I texted Neil, hoping he could assess the situation.

Hi, Neil. There’s a problem with the hot water and pressure.

Neil acknowledged my text and said he’d pop by later to take a look.

He arrived in the afternoon, looking effortlessly handsome in a lightweight button-down shirt and jeans.

“Thanks for coming,” I said, daring to meet his eyes.

Neil said nothing, and he didn’t move from the doorway to enter. He just stared at me with a look of shy fascination. I wondered what he found so mesmerising, then I looked at myself and realised what it was. I was wearing his sweater. The one which had shrunk and he had told me to keep.

The heart-stopping moment in his car came to my mind.

“It suits you.”

I suddenly felt way too warm to be wearing it, but knew taking it off now would draw even more attention to it. We stood in awkward silence for a second before Neil dragged his eyes away, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry you’re having issues with the water. Can you show me what the problem is?”

I led him to the bathroom, a room now filled with a sense of femininity because of all my products. Neil rolled up his shirtsleeves, revealing the toned arms I couldn’t help but imagine wrapped around me. He turned the shower on.

“At first it’s not too bad, but after a few minutes, the pressure and temperature drop,” I explained.

He let the water run for a while, and the stream died down. “I see what you mean.” He checked the water heater, his brows furrowing as he tried to decipher the issue. “I’m afraid I lack skills as a handyman. I’ll have to get a plumber in. Hopefully tomorrow. Will that be okay?”