SWEET SPOT

I

night, I love

ng lo

some days, they were shed at the door and flung onto the couch where they'd hang out for

was in some state of undress – in a T-shirt and panties or just

nothing

st twenty-five years without my own bedroom – without

e freedom of living alone like a norm

ose nights that made me k

humping outside in the hall. It was almost 10:30PM – all I wanted at this hour was to

dnight and wake up early to start the custom order of truffl

hbor struggling out in the hall. More often than not, it was her finicky lo

ot to

red as I finally let myself close my e

ot water, soaking in the Epsom salts and

uched my bath pillow, a l

ral seconds of silence passed – even waited another few to be safe. Once I ru

hit the tub before the

um

my bathroom door. I waited to hear a strike three but in

be, my heart beating fast as I imagined Tess bleeding on the floor in the hall, s

e house till I breathlessly reached the door, my fingers unlatching all thre

s open, I stared. Th

...

hit chest first – wide, hard chest stretchin

to broad shoulders, sculpted collarbones, and a square jaw boasting the kin

finally locked, feeling legitimately smacked

and light green eyes and for a moment I forgot where I was, becau

ith a faint smi

in what world did he

hrough all the questions

go of my mission to magically

he was – whether he had in fact been plucked from the cover o

p as his gaze dipped down to my body – and o

ndering how much of me he'd seen before I

looking away, right?

ggers at him as I strug

round my waist. I stared at the stranger as he faced away from me now,

I demanded hotly. "D

nds on what your defi

ped shut. I meant nipple but I wa

nipple, my

th fel

can see through that we

breasts. I wanted to call him out but I couldn't find my

icks. I'm Te

m as he turne

t was hard

rs or humility. Fuming, I craned my neck to see past his broad frame, finally spotting the shattered r

lder, letting out a sho

ith the key. Might've swung my bag

all over the floor, sobered quickly b

her favo

l forg

m, doing little to mask my d

ith right now?" I asked. His crooke

uble with the lock, I

eager to get o

, but that meant that my bath was over and that my night had gone off

pped back out in the hall and closed the door, sayi

you doing?

y time t

er brother," I said. "And not some

ight, but it teased

like a robb

second glance, he was built much more like an athlete than

rt, and his dark-wash jeans fit well enough to give me an idea of rock-l

question but by all

shoot him a look. "Are you usually this

g unpleasant?"

essed me, we could call it even for

ook. "I thought you sai

e chance to say the word nipple again since cle

" and faced away again, avoiding his eye even

but I didn't look up. "I'm sorry

s fi

w it's

y meeting tomorrow." Petty

eat of silence passed as he continued watching me. "And at som

e it was the pause or the way he dropped his voice, but

tonight it was giving me the image of Lukas making it up to me shir

d myself, touching the hot back of my neck wh

t let me buy

t I don't r

e key I saw on

wasn't

lly playing

migh

fee

ke my

Fine. Nothing I can do then?" When I sho

have you angry with me if I'm

t of typing and look

tion. "Tess didn't te

bout a trip, but I th

s said. "By at least a couple weeks. And I happen to be renovating my

o ask more about Tess but there

ving across the hall from me. Ins

ing amused with whatever express

off the top of my head, starting with the noise that came with

And assuming th

but my tongue betray

me to the view of biceps that bulged a

ring parties home at the end of the night and we're respectful of the fact that this townhouse was built in 1901. The floors creak, the walls are thin and we can easily hear each other if

brows ascended.

ood, and I guess it's a lifestyle you'll

bly survive multiple guests and shoes worn in the house. I know that because I own this place. I bought it five years ago, I paid for two of the renovations and I intend to live in it

h you," he said. "Because

red a

l,

d made it echo in my head as I blinked

ing. This isn't a

altzed into my life five minutes ago, who'd taken less than that amount of time to threaten the perfect routine I'd carved out and lived blissfully for th

had no

n till three loud pings

that's my brother. I'm s

nger than I thought... Not sure

o don't worry about him at all

otal helplessness. I didn't realize how hard my jaw had

little con

all of this. God, he was such a prick. Just for sticking that condes

at, I hurried my

o with some kind of grunt of a noise, I paced past him, hand

iggling and jiggling both at once the way I'd learned over the yea

new neighbor and despite wanting badly to just flus

good

yes off my ches

hing beyond your lock." I stalked

n for a

h him an incredu

can smooth things over. The way we started

tly. "It's late and I s

sleeping

"Soundly till y

his gaze dipping again. "Pretty we

eeks

dam

th Lukas Hendricks aside from perhaps calling him out for the arrogant asshole he was,

ould only serve to amuse him and I refused to let him win

t as I turned and pushed ope

nob refus

lock