ONE DOOR AWAY FROM DISASTER CHAPTER 58 - ONE DOOR AWAY FROM DISASTER BRANDY'S POV The growl of tires crunching gravel outside snapped me back to reality , though my body was still clinging to every delicious aftershock . I froze , pulse racing in my throat . He froze too , still pressed against me , both of us staring toward the window like guilty teenagers . " Did you hear that ? " I whispered , panic creeping into my voice . " We've got company , " he echoed , though his smirk said he didn't regret a damn thing . D The car door slammed shut , and footsteps followed , heavy and dramatic , echoing up to the mansion . Whoever it was , they were coming inside . Could it be Richard ? Please . That man swore he was dragging Larry to the club . God , don't tell me it's Larry ... because if it is , the universe officially has the worst sense of humor . I scrambled off the counter , nearly tripping in my rush , tugging my shirt down , fumbling like I'd never dressed myself before . My fingers shook , hair sticking out in ways that screamed just fucked . Meanwhile , Mr. Cocky didn't move an inch ... he just leaned back against the counter , broad shoulders relaxed , his grin absolutely shameless . The kind of grin that said he wasn't even a little worried about being caught balls - deep inside another man's baby mama ... scratch that ... another man's wife . " Seriously ? " I hissed , eyes darting around the kitchen like maybe I could shove him into the pantry . " Do you ever panic like a normal person ? " He tilted his head , wiping his mouth with the back of his hand . " Nah . Panic isn't my style . " I shot him a glare sharp enough to kill ... if glares worked on cocky bastards . My chest heaved as I scrambled for any trace of composure . The counter still creaked where I'd been perched , my legs trembling as if they remembered every second of him . Too late . Gbam ! The front door creaked open as Larry stepped in like he owned the damn place - or at least didn't give two shits about what might be happening inside . " Oh , he's back , " he whispered against my ear , one hand shamelessly gripping my ass like he owned it . I whipped around and shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass . He had the nerve to smirk . " Stay here , " I muttered , low and serious this time . But of course , fate had other plans . Larry must've picked up on the faint shuffle in the kitchen ... or maybe we weren't whispering as quietly as we thought ... because his voice rang out , calling , " Brandy ? " My chest tightened . Damn it . Without another word , I slid out of the kitchen , and drifted straight into the living room like I had been there all along , casual as hell . I sank into the couch , crossed my legs , and waited , acting like nothing was even slightly out of place . My breath hitched and lodged in my throat for a split second before I forced myself to move . I grabbed the remote , flicked on the TV , and let the noise fill the silence like I'd been there the whole time . " I'm in the living room , " I called out , voice sweet and steady now that I'd gotten my heartbeat under control . Thank heavens ... Larry was only in the foyer , just a step away from the living room . Perfect timing . Or ... at least , that's what I thought . Because with my luck ? Perfect timing usually meant trouble knocking right on the door . " Hey , " I called when he entered the living room . His jacket hung loose , his tie undone , his steps heavy and careless , the exact 1/3 ONE DOOR AWAY FROM DISASTER +25 BONUS rhythm of a man who'd had a long day and wanted nothing but his beer and his bed . " Hey , " he muttered , dropping his keys onto the counter with a clatter that made me flinch a little . Do us both a favor and keep your nosy self out of the kitchen . Trust me , you're not ready for what's cooking in there . I prayed hard . Like , bargaining - with- God kind of hard . I plastered on a smile that felt like it might crack under the weight of my nerves . " Welcome back ! How was your night out ? " My voice was just a hair too bright , too sweet , but Larry barely looked at me . His eyes flicked up for half a second , skimming over my messy shirt , lingering just a little too long on the buttons that weren't done right . Did he notice ? Did he care ? Hard to tell coz Larry never gave much away . And just like that , Larry strutted straight into the kitchen . Fuck . Jesus . Mary , Joseph , and all the saints ... why now ? My heart jumped into my throat , and I bolted after him like a woman chasing rent money . " Uhm ... where's Richard ? " I threw out the lamest question in history , hoping to slow him down , but nope ... he didn't even blink . Just kept moving like he was on a damn mission . Great . Perfect . This is it . Brandy , pack your bags , you're officially screwed . Forget screwed , you're roasted , toasted , and gift- wrapped with a bow . Lord , if you're watching , now would be a good time to send that lightning bolt . He hummed , striding straight to the fridge . Pulling it open , he fished out a beer like it was the only lover he'd ever truly cared for . The sound of the cap hissing as he twisted it off was the loudest thing in the room . Tbh , I literally shut my eyes and braced myself for the horror movie line at the doorframe ... " Who the fuck are you ? " ... any second now . My stomach was doing backflips , my soul already packing its bags . But after a few seconds of pure torture ... nothing . Too much nothing . I cracked my eyes open and - bam . The kitchen was spotless . No rumpled clothes on the floor , no trail of chaos , and no Mr. Cocky leaning smug against the counter . Just Larry , sipping his beer like he was in a commercial . Meanwhile , me ? Yeah , I was two seconds from collapsing in dramatic relief . But that dramatic relief nosedived into a dramatic plot twist . Mr , cocky was gradually shifting deeper into the shadow of the cabinets , arms folding across his chest , his face smooth and unreadable now . My stomach flipped . If Larry so much as turned his head , if he decided to glance towards the cabinet , everything would detonate . I held my breath as Larry leaned back against the fridge , beer bottle lifted lazily to his mouth . His gaze slid right over me again , then landed somewhere beyond , unfocused , like he was already halfway asleep . " Don't stay up too late , " he mumbled between sips . " I'm crashing ." And just like that , he wandered down the hallway , the bedroom door shutting with a soft , lazy click . Whew . He didn't see him . My knees almost buckled with relief - I was this close to building a shrine to the gods of dumb luck . But silence fell thick and heavy , wrapping around the kitchen like a vice . My pulse was still thundering in my ears . I whipped around , glaring daggers at the man still standing there , utterly unfazed , like he hadn't just caused me a near - heart attack . " Well , " I breathed , voice a little too shaky for the sass I was going for . " That was anticlimactic . " He smirked , pushing off the counter with that same slow confidence , stepping closer until his shadow swallowed mine . " Guess he doesn't mind sharing . " I smacked his chest , but the grin on my lips betrayed me . " You're insufferable . " " And you love it . " His hand slid back onto my hip , his fingers digging into the exact same spot he'd claimed earlier , sending a fresh wave of heat spiraling through me . And damn it ... he wasn't wrong , but ....