by Layla Hagen
I liked the stores that were on the smaller, less popular side streets, like ours—Soho Lingerie. There one could find true gems and unique shops catering to every taste imaginable. I stopped by Joe’s, where I bought my coffee every morning. I’d sworn by Starbucks for most of my adult life but had decided to support local entrepreneurs once we moved here.
“A latte, please,” I told Joe. “And a cappuccino.”
“That’s for you too, or for Tess?” Joe asked.
I grinned. My caffeine addiction was so well-known that even Joe was policing my intake.
“For Tess, of course.”
“Coming right up.”
Knowing Tess, she’d arrived two hours ago and was already in need of a second dose of caffeine. The smell and taste of coffee always took me back to the time I’d worked in a small lab, fresh out of college. That was when I’d gotten addicted to coffee. I’d majored in biotech, and I’d loved working in the lab. Two years later, a fashion company reached out to the lab, asking for the development of a special type of fabric. I’d worked on-site for three years, and then had stayed on as director of R&D. None of that really prepared me for running a business, but I’d taken the plunge anyway. Even though I was a little out of my comfort zone, I loved what we were doing: creating lingerie for women of all shapes and sizes. I’d always been curvy and far too busty from a young age, so this was personal to me. I wanted every woman to feel comfortable in her body, to feel proud of herself. It was my mission.
I also loved that I didn’t have a boss. I liked working hard, just didn’t like to do it on someone else’s terms. I liked having a say in my own schedule. Granted, for the past year, that had meant working nonstop, but I was optimistic that things would settle down... eventually.
Most of all, I loved working with my sister. Tess and I balanced each other. We had complementary skills, and that came in handy.
“Morning, sis,” I greeted, stepping inside Soho Lingerie. We’d decided on the name easily enough—they made great key words for search engines, and when we eventually expanded (we had big dreams) it would serve us well. Soho was known all over the globe.
Tess looked up from the counter, where she was hunched over her laptop. “Oooh, you come bringing coffee. I love you more every day, I swear.”
I handed her the cappuccino, admiring my sister’s fashion sense. Currently wearing a knee-length white lace dress with long sleeves, she also had a red belt around her waist. Tess rocked whatever she wore, no exception. She had her own style. Her hair was light brown with blonde strands—sometimes she added pink or green highlights in for fun, especially since her hair was getting so long, almost reaching her waist now.
I peered over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Answering customer complaints.”
“We should really hire someone to help us with the online shop.”
Tess pressed her lips together. “We’ve got this.”
Yeah... except we didn’t though. We had a backlog of emails, orders... everything. We’d had the online shop for four years, and we’d run that while holding full-time jobs. I only remembered that time in a blur, as if it happened to someone else. We’d quit our jobs just before opening the brick-and-mortar store. I loved interacting with customers, finding the perfect lingerie for them.
I loved every nook and cranny of our store. We’d handpicked everything. The customer couches were dark green velvet. We had two of them, one in the front and one in the back, separating the changing rooms. The brass light fixtures and light pink walls were just beautiful. We’d replaced the original flooring, which had been a gorgeous wood, but it had darkened the place too much. We’d gone with a light oak, and it made the shop look bigger.
As much as I loved our store though, I couldn’t deny it—we were running on a hamster wheel.
We had two sales associates, Jane and Olive, but still handled too much ourselves. We also had a secret weapon: our family.
We were tight-knit... and there were a lot of us. Tess was the oldest of the group. Then came our cousin Hunter, just one year behind. He’d lived with us as a teenager, so sometimes we even forgot he wasn’t actually our brother. I was two years younger than Tess. Our brother Ryker was two years younger than me, and Cole came directly after him. Mom had confessed once after a fabulous meal where we’d had far too much to eat and drink that he was the surprise baby. At thirty-two, I still considered my siblings my best friends.
Anyway, Cole, Ryker, Hunter, plus Mom and her husband were pitching in to manage the store on Sundays. Honestly though, that wasn’t okay. Everyone had crazy busy schedules without spending their time here. Cole and Hunter were running a real estate empire. Ryker was a Wall Street guru. Mom was a school principal, and her husband was in charge of setting up concert stages. They could all use their time off for a break.
I knew they wouldn’t stop dropping by until Tess and I hired someone though. It was just the way our family worked—every time someone was in over their heads, the others came to the rescue.
My family had always been close, especially after our dad left us. Once upon a time, we’d been the picture-perfect family. Then our financial situation imploded, and to make matters worse, Dad left Mom for another woman. It had been such a difficult time that I mostly tried to block it from my memory. We’d been living in Boston in a large house. Mom had been a homemaker, so we were suddenly in a terrible position. Luckily, she got a job at a school here in New York. Mom started as a teacher and worked her way up to principal.
She was tough as nails and raised her own four kids and our cousin by herself. She was my role model. She’d taught us the value of hard work and independence and sticking together. We’d taken that to heart and added a few indispensable attributes to our family dynamic... namely teasing each other about absolutely everything.
Even though the rest of the gang worked in various fields, we had one project in common, the Ballroom Galas. From September to June, we organized galas raising money for charity. Working on that meant we met up regularly. Now the events were on summer hiatus, but we still found plenty of excuses to get together. By the time we met next, I hoped we’d have made some progress in finding someone to cover for us on Sundays.
Right now, I didn’t even have time to think about it, because the store was bustling with customers as soon as we opened.
We only took a real break shortly before lunch, both sitting on the couch next to the counter.
“Sooo... want to tell me a bit more about last night? You were saying something about a hunk before you rudely hung up on me and then didn’t call me back,” Tess said, batting her eyelashes.
I laughed. “Well, I told you the essential information over the phone.”
“But I live for details. Is he tall, short? Blue, green, brown eyes? How long is his hair?”
“Geez, woman. Slow down. Breathe.”
Tess pressed her lips together, a sure sign that she was barely holding back what she really wanted to say. She kept batting her eyelashes like she had something in her eye.
“First of all, he actually overheard me saying that stuff.”
Tess’s eyes bulged. Giggling, she covered her mouth with a hand. “Oh, Skye.”
“Hey, not funny. I was trying to make a good impression.”
“I bet he was impressed.”
I blushed just remembering that daring smile on his handsome face.
“You think he’ll take the house?” Tess went on.
“I don’t think so.” I was keeping my fingers crossed for one of the families to move in. A too-hot-to-handle neighbor was more than I could deal with right now.
“Aww, girl, he’s really something, isn’t he? You’re blushing.”
I pressed my palms on my cheeks. They were burning.
“I need to get it together.”
“Nah, just go with it. Daydreaming about hot guys is relaxing. For me, at least.”
Tess wiggled her eyebrows before bursting out laughing
. It was so contagious that I started laughing too. This was what I loved most about running the store with Tess. We shared tidbits of our day-to-day lives, giving each other advice.
An image of Robert popped into my mind. Yumm... all those muscles, those perfect cheekbones. I felt my shoulders slump, but my limbs seemed lighter as I practically swooned just thinking of him. I grinned at my sister. “You’re right. This is a much better relaxation technique than visualizing waterfalls or whatever.”
I’d never been able to get the hang of meditation. Ever.
“I know, right?”
Our much-needed break came to an end as the door opened and a customer walked in. Ah, Ramona, one of my favorite clients.
“Ramona, hi. What can I do for you?” I asked.
“Well, that bra you talked me into buying last time is the best thing since sliced bread. It’s comfy and super sexy. I don’t know how you girls do it, but I want three more.”
“Coming right up. How about panties to match?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Ramona had been shy on her last visit to the store, conscious about her curves, but now she was radiant, adding a lace nightgown to her purchases. I lived for this: watching women become confident with their bodies because we created the lingerie to fit their needs.
After she left, I noticed I had an email from the homeowners, asking me how the showing went. Then I saw another email, from Robert. I was usually bad with names, but I knew exactly who Robert was: six feet of hotness that spelled all kinds of trouble.
Ms. Winchester,
I’m interested in the house. Let me know about a convenient time to call to discuss the remaining details.
Robert Dumont
Holy shit. I was getting a too-hot-to-handle neighbor after all.
Chapter Five
Skye
I’d barely gathered my wits enough to email him back when he called me. Stepping to a corner of the store, I answered.
“Skye Winchester,” I said.
“Ms. Winchester, this is Robert Dumont.”
Oh. My. God. His voice was panty-melting.
“I figured from the number. What can I do for you?”
“I want to make an offer on the house, but I want to discuss some details. Can you put me in contact with the sellers’ lawyer?”
“Sure thing. But I can also try to answer some questions if you like.”
“Okay. I’ve had a real estate agent look at the listing and I have some notes. I’ve printed them out, and I can meet with you to go through them.”
“You can also just email everything.”
“I prefer to do certain things in person.”
His voice was so captivating, low and rich, that my imagination just ran wild. Laughing, I ran a hand through my hair. If my mind wandered like this when I was on the phone with him, how could I do better face-to-face? Or if he moved next door to me?
I licked my lips, shaking my head. One thing at a time.
“Okay. I’ll be at work until nine. I suppose we can meet after that.”
“Where exactly is your workplace?”
“Soho Lingerie—a store in Soho.”
“I can drop by in half an hour. My office isn’t that far. If you have time.”
That take-charge tone sent shivers down my body. Awareness curled through me. Why did I like it so much?
“I’ll make time. I’ll text you the address after hanging up.”
“I look forward to seeing you.”
Was his voice even richer, or was I just making it up? Imagined or not, my whole body lit up in anticipation. Somehow, I couldn’t picture him in here, surrounded by lingerie.
After texting him the address, I darted to the bathroom to check my appearance.
As a self-declared lab rat, I had never considered myself particularly fashionable, even though I worked in fashion. I liked makeup but never put too much thought into it. So why was I in the tiny bathroom at the back of the shop, trying to decide if I looked better with my hair down or up and if I should use eye shadow?
“Okay, hair down,” I murmured to myself, arranging my bangs before heading back to the front of the store. Tess was smiling from ear to ear.
“You look fabulous, just in case you want to know,” she said. I was certain my phone call had been overheard.
“Thanks for not teasing the hell out of me.”
She winked. “The day is still young.”
“Ah, of course.”
Checking my watch, I realized the half hour had already flown by. I planned to take Robert to the back, in the small makeshift office. Really, it was just a desk in our storage room. It didn’t get any natural light or decent cell reception, but it worked for now.
I glanced around proudly. Our store was inviting but not sexy. We’d designed it this way so customers wouldn’t mind dropping by even if their kids were with them. That was usually the case, especially on Saturdays.
I exhaled sharply when Robert walked through the door. The man was just breathtaking. He wore a custom-made navy suit and a white shirt. I assumed it was custom not only because it fit him so perfectly but also because his initials were sewn in at the breast pocket. I also noticed he was holding a stack of papers in one hand.
“Mr. Dumont, hi. This is my sister, Tess.”
Tess was unnaturally still, right up until she stretched out a hand, shaking Robert’s.
“Let’s go to the back. We have a small office there. Tess, let me know if you need help.”
“Sure.” I almost giggled as my sister seemed speechless.
I led the way, acutely aware of him. His presence seemed to fill the whole space while he looked around curiously.
“Sorry about the mess. This is actually our storage room,” I said once we were inside the office. It was dark and slightly claustrophobic in here, given the sheer number of boxes on the shelves and littering the floor.
“You own the store?”
I nodded proudly. “Tess and I set it up. Started with an online store, then opened this.” Glancing at the papers he held, I asked, “Is that the list of questions?”
The stack of papers seemed far too thick for it to be just questions.
“Yes, as well as the contract. I had it reviewed by lawyers.”
To simplify the process, the owners had allowed the applicants who came to see the house to also download the contract from the online platform where the house was listed.
I cocked a brow. “I assume all was standard, or did you find any issues?”
“No issues, but I like to cover my bases.”
That take-charge tone, damn. I was betting he was nobody’s fool, ever. He was used to being in control, and I admired that... liked it even. His gaze was trained on me, making me hyperaware of my own body. I barely kept from squirming and was determined to make eye contact the whole time.
Easier said than done. I could practically feel my heartbeat pulsating throughout my whole body.
He placed the stack of papers on the desk. “Do you have a pen? I want to make a few notes on the contract.”
“Sure.” I took one from the first drawer, pushing it toward him. Our fingers touched briefly. I sucked in a breath. I gave up, darting my gaze away, only training it back on him once he was hunched over the papers, making notes on them. I never knew shoulders could be sexy, but Robert’s definitely were: muscles that were perfectly defined but lean.
“So, my lawyers say the asking price is about 2 percent too high... but I’m willing to overpay in light of the family’s situation.”
“Much appreciated.” In fact, he had no idea how much. The owners would be over the moon, but so was I... because I’d just discovered that this man with six feet of pure muscle had his heart in the right place.
Hmmm... why did I care, though? Well, it was good to have nice neighbors, right? I kept telling myself that was the only reason.
“I do, however, want them to hire independent companies to check the wiring and plumbing. After t
hey confirm it’s good to go, we’ll schedule the closing. I don’t want any nasty surprises after I move in, and I don’t have time to handle this myself.”
Fair enough. When he straightened up, his lips curled into a smile along with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. I looked away quickly, but he caught me checking him out.
“Okay. I’ll pass the information on. I’m sure they’ll accept, because they want to sell as soon as possible. When do you plan to move in?” I asked.
“As soon as we have a deal.”
“Okay. Then I’ll have their lawyer contact you, and you can finalize everything with him.” I played with a strand of hair between my fingers, acutely aware of the energy between us thickening.
“Ms. Winchester, I think we need to clear the air.”
“Oh?”
“What was it you said... you don’t know what describes me best: smoking hot or fucking gorgeous.”
His gaze trapped me in my spot. My whole body was instantly on alert. Heat coiled through me slowly.
“If I return the compliment you made me, would that even the playing field?” he continued.
Wow. He doesn’t pull any punches, does he? I smiled but remained silent. What could I say?
“Skye, I need to look for some merchandise,” Tess called from the corridor, effectively saving my ass.
“Sure,” I replied, grateful for the interruption.
My sister walked in, heading straight to the shelves with merchandise.
“I’ll see myself out,” Robert said. He paused a beat at the door, winking at me. “About what I asked... let me know.”
In a fraction of a second, heat replaced the amusement in his eyes. The air between us charged. My throat went dry, and so did my lips.
