Read Online High Maintenance by Lia Fairchild - Free Book Online

was Julian’s doing, she didn’t bother to call Ray or Tate. She hadn’t considered trying to fix it herself either. Even with the sun down, the heat persisted. Shredding clothes, ice water, fanning herself…all failed attempts at keeping cool. She’d even stood in front of the open freezer door for several minutes. At some point, it would be time to think about whether she should continue living there. Her dad’s lease still had a few months to go, but even without Julian’s constant badgering she’d been having thoughts of finding a newer place.
    The pool at Julian’s condo would have been the perfect escape. Now that that was no longer an option, she settled for a cool shower. She moved Cupcake’s box into her bedroom to keep an eye on her. Under the refreshing stream, she ran through her normal routine as her conditioner sat in her hair. Instead of focusing on the emotions of Julian, she centered in on the logistics. She’d already retrieved their application from the bank. Next she needed to figure out next steps for going it alone. No matter what happened between her and Julian, her business would be her independence. An added bonus would be showing Julian she could be successful without him.
    Lexy gave her hair that final rinse. Just as she reached down to turn the water off, the lights in the bathroom turned off. “ Shit !” She finished turning the knob, wrung her hair out, and then pulled back the curtain. Though it was pitch black, her towel was within reach in its normal spot.
    Cupcake yelped in the other room as Lexy dried her body, then wrapped the towel around herself. “I know,” she said back.
    With tentative steps and a hand along the wall she made her way to the bedroom, blackness surrounding her every move. She managed to sidestep Cupcake’s box and found her nightstand with her phone on it. One finger tap of the home button gave her a miniscule amount of light, but it was enough to provide some security. If Julian is behind this, he is going to fucking pay .
    Her battery life showed forty-two percent. “Dammit.” Still, she needed the light so she pressed it every few seconds until she made it to the living room. In the middle she paused, racking her brain to remember what sort of supplies she had. Candles? A flashlight? She had to have something given the mechanical expertise she’d gained.
    A noise from the street caused her head to turn toward the window, which only displayed a faint glimmer of glass. It sounded like muffled voices, people in the streets. Then, the sound of a drawer opening in the opposite direction. The kitchen. She froze, pulse racing, hoping whoever was there wouldn’t see her since the light from her phone had timed out. She padded slowly to the side, toward the front door when she saw a beam of light coming across the counter. What if whoever Julian had hired decided to come back anyway? A quick image flashed in her brain of being attacked and Julian paying with guilt for what he’d created. Yeah, that would teach him. Or maybe it was the guy who tried to break into the Chang’s apartment. She worked to slow her breathing.
    Her hand reached out for the doorknob, causing her towel to loosen under her arms. Her breathing labored while she held her towel with the hand holding the phone and grabbed the knob with the other hand. It was unlocked. Slowly she turned the knob, only to find the damn thing stuck. Her usual solution involved a lot of clanking and swearing, so what now?
    Lexy pushed the home button on her phone, and then the dialer, ready to press those three numbers you hope never to have to use.
    “Lexy?”
    Her phone slipped from her hand at the sound of her name. She struggled with the towel.
    “Don’t be afraid. It’s Tate.”
    “Dammit, Tate! You scared me!” How did her apartment become Grand freaking Central Station?
    He shined the light in her direction. “I’m sorry. You didn’t answer the door. I was worried about you, so I let myself