The Neighborhood (Twin Estates #2)

by Stylo Fantome

  “Don't trust him,” Liam had warned. “And don't listen to him. He'll either treat you like you're stupid, so you'll let him get away with anything, or he'll lie to you, try to get you to do anything.”

  “Jesus, being a lying shit hole seems to run in your family.”

  “Watch it, angel cake. We called a truce, remember.”

  Around two in the morning, Katya had to call it quits. She'd gotten up early to drive in from Carmel, and the day had taken an emotional toll on her. Dealing with Liam and coming to an understanding with him, then meeting his twin and dealing with all those issues. And of course, as always, running around in the back of her mind was Wulf.

  She not only hadn't made him dinner, she hadn't bothered answering her phone when he'd called. No doubt he'd stopped by her apartment, and of course she hadn't been there. He'd be pissed.

  Added to that, she still wasn't sure how to feel about him. She'd somewhat forgiven Liam, so it stood to reason that she should extend the same courtesy to Wulf. But his betrayal felt different from Liam's, she wasn't sure if she was ready to forgive Wulf. Wasn't sure if he was ready to truly apologize. She couldn't imagine him breaking down on a street sidewalk and begging her to forgive him with only a look.

  So when she said goodnight to Liam, she was still thoroughly confused about how to move forward with the two men in her life. She changed into pajamas and brushed her teeth and climbed into bed, then got to her new favorite hobby.

  Staring at the ceiling.

  It was all so different. Knowing the two men knew each other, knowing she'd slept with them both and they both not only knew about it, but had talked about it. Discussed it. Before, she'd never considered Liam a contender because he'd never tried. Now, it was at the forefront of his intentions. Did she want to consider dating him? Could she ever forgive Wulf?

  I'm going to be glad when I go back to work – I'm ready to have other things to concentrate on.

  *

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Tori practically yelled, slapping her hands down on the kitchen island as she turned to face Katya. It was noon the day after Katya had come home, but the first they'd seen each other.

  “I know what you're thinking, and don't -” Katya tried to cut her off.

  “There's TWO of them!?”

  “- get excited.”

  “Two Liams. Two! I mean, wow. I can't even imagine. And you saw him? Are they really identical?” Tori asked. Katya had made the mistake of mentioning Liam's brother.

  “I did see him, and yes, they're almost indistinguishable. I was talking to Landon for a while before Liam walked in and I realized it wasn't him,” she replied.

  “I have to meet him.”

  “Well, don't hold your breath. They don't get along too well, and Liam says his brother is kind of a jerk. I don't think he'll be coming around the club, or anything.”

  “Whatever. What about this kitchen, huh? Isn't it amazing?” Tori asked, switching the subject abruptly and smoothing her hand over the granite island top.

  “Yeah, about this kitchen – why didn't you mention it in your texts?” Katya asked, putting her hands on her hips. She and Tori had texted back and forth throughout the weekend, but there had been no mention of a new kitchen being installed in any of the messages.

  “I thought it was supposed to be a surprise,” her roommate shrugged. “These workers showed up Friday, right after you left. They had copies of your maintenance requests, and a whole letter from the management company, signed by your Wulf-man, so I just stepped aside and let them in. They were almost done by Friday night, and then when I got home Saturday night, everything was in place.”

  “He's crazy,” Katya sighed, rubbing her fingertips across her forehead. “I can't believe he did this. And then he expected me to make him dinner while he was out eating with that blonde bombshell from the second floor.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Sounds like being a heart breaker isn't working out so well,” Tori said in a careful voice.

  “This was your idea!”

  “Um, no it wasn't.”

  “Yes, it was! You said to do whatever I wanted!”

  “Yeah, I did. And you did that, and it was good that you did, and now you're going to do something else. That's how it works,” her roommate explained. Katya blinked her eyes a couple times.

  “I'm pretty sure that made no sense,” she pointed out. Tori smiled brightly.

  “Good. Gotta keep you on your toes. So break this down for me – you and Liam are officially friends again,” she checked. Katya frowned, but nodded. “And you and Wulf are ...”

  “Confusing?”

  “Sounds about right. Got any plans with either of them for tonight?” Tori asked, dancing around the island and opening the large fridge.

  “No, not as of right now. I'm gonna take it easy today. First day back is tomorrow,” Katya reminded her friend.

  “Ooohhh, right. Exciting! I bet you'll be glad to get back to the shop, huh?”

  Katya nodded, twisting a hank of hair around one finger. She was excited to get back to work, but she'd also started thinking more and more about breaking out on her own. Having her own shop would make it easier for her to set her own hours – not to mention, she could make her own rules, set her own prices. She had a lot of freedom at Fondant's, and she loved the owners, but still. She was long overdue to branch out on her own.

  Katya left Tori alone to make a lunch and went to take a shower. When she was done, she wrapped her thick hair up in a towel and scampered into her room. She didn't plan on going anywhere, so she slipped on a comfy pair of jeans and a simple tank top. Barefoot and not wearing any make up, she made her way back to the front of the apartment.

  “Did you try the stove?” she asked, bending at the waist and vigorously rubbing the towel over her head. “I haven't cooked a meal on propane in so long. We should think of something yummy to make for dinner.”

  “Sounds good to me. I like my steaks rare.”

  She snapped upright, her hair falling all over her face. Liam was in her kitchen, leaning back against the island while playing with his phone. Katya glanced around, but Tori was nowhere to be seen.

  “How long have you -”

  “About thirty minutes.”

  “And where is -”

  “She was making something that smelled like burning, then threw it away, then said she was gonna go to that place you went that one time, and she'd see you tonight, after she got off work,” he answered, standing upright and finally slipping his phone into his back pocket.

  “Oh. Okay. What are you doing here?” Katya tried a new line of questioning.

  “I don't usually go into work till after two,” he said, which she already knew. “But Lan is passed out on my couch, so I didn't want to be there. I figured I'd see what you were up to.”

  It took Katya a second to catch on that Lan meant his brother Landon.

  “I didn't really have any plans for today,” she replied.

  “Sounds like we have the same plans, then. So what happened in here? I don't remember all this,” he commented, turning around and taking in the new kitchen, as if he'd just noticed it.

  “That's why I came over to your place the other day – Wulf had all this done, while we were in Carmel. I asked for a new oven. He took my request a little too seriously,” she explained.

  “Damn, he really did. It looks nice,” Liam mumbled. She nodded.

  “It's gorgeous.”

  “You like it?” he asked, glancing back at her.

  “Yeah, what's not to like? Lots of counter space, two ovens, state of the art appliances,” she said. He frowned.

  “Have you seen him since he did this?”

  “No. Haven't talked to him at all. He left a note, saying I was supposed to make him dinner last night, but ...” Katya let her voice trail off. Liam's smile returned.

  “But you spent last night with me,” he filled in. She nodded.

 
; “I did.”

  “Good girl, good for you. Stick it to the man. C'mon, let's get cooking.”

  It was actually pretty fun. Liam always managed to shock her a little; it turned out he wasn't a half bad cook. It shouldn't have surprised her, really – when Liam liked something, he threw himself into it, and Liam loved food.

  Even though it was only the afternoon, they made a full meal. Asparagus with a hollandaise sauce, steak, rice pilaf, and even a batch of chocolate fudge cupcakes. While the desserts were cooling on a rack by the sink, they carried their food into the living room and sat at the coffee table, an eighties movie playing on the tv in the background.

  “Wow, you can really cook, woman,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food. She smiled, nibbling at her asparagus.

  “Thanks. Baking is my thing, obviously, but I like all kinds of cooking,” she said.

  “You can cook for me anytime, angel cake, and I really mean that.”

  “You couldn't afford my hourly rate.”

  He didn't say anything after that, just licked his plate clean. Then he groaned and laid back into the couch. She smiled and ate a couple more bites, then shoved her plate aside and put her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands.

  “It was so good, Katya. Thank you,” he sighed, rubbing a hand over her back.

  “You're welcome,” she said, rolling her head around on her shoulders. His hand moved, working its way under her hair and rubbing at her neck.

  “I haven't seen your hair down in a long time,” he commented. She groaned and sat upright, leaning into his touch a little.

  “Yeah, I guess not,” she said, tilting her back to him so he could rub harder.

  “Looks good.”

  “Okay, enough,” she laughed, laying back and forcing him to move his hand. “No flirting, Edenhoff.”

  “Oh my god!” he all but yelled, sitting upright. She put a hand to her chest, shocked by his outburst.

  “What? What!?”

  “My name!” he laughed, looking down at her. “You got my name right. For like the first time ever.”

  “Oh jesus,” she groaned. “Liam, I've always known your name. You're just fun to mess with.”

  He playfully glared, then poked her in the side.

  “And I'm the bad guy, huh? All this time, I didn't think you cared enough to remember,” he grumbled, continuing to poke her all over as she laughed and squirmed.

  “That's awful!” she gasped for air. “Of course I cared, I just thought it was fun to annoy you!”

  “Exactly,” he said, using both hands to tickle her. “You're an awful, awful girl.”

  “Well, I learned it from you, Edenhooferhasslehoffer.”

  They were all but wrestling at that point, Liam leaning over and following her as she squiggled down the couch. She kicked his plate off the coffee table, which caused her to shriek with laughter. He pinned down her legs after that by straddling her thighs, which left her pretty much at his mercy.

  “I'd forgotten,” he was panting for air when he finally stopped.

  “What?” she gasped.

  “How stunning you can be,” he said in a soft voice.

  She choked on air for a minute, struggling to shove her wild hair out of her face. She felt him move, then one of his hands was in her hair, helping her. He tucked the still damp strands behind her ear, then he left his hand against the side of her neck.

  “You can't just say stuff like that,” she whispered. He smiled.

  “But I said I wouldn't lie anymore.”

  She was working that over in her brain when he leaned down and kissed her. She blinked a couple times, unable to focus on him because he was so close. Then she softly moved and let her eyes fall shut.

  This is a bad idea. Stop him. Stop this. This isn't what you want.

  Instead of saying all that, though, she moaned. He shifted around, bracing an arm on the side of her to hold himself upright, then his tongue was in her mouth, causing her to gasp. Both his hands were in her hair, pulling lightly as he kissed her harder.

  They'd shared a kiss in Carmel, and he'd kissed her on the street, but it wasn't the same. It had been a long time since they'd been intimate together in any real way. She'd almost forgotten what it was like – how warm he was, the way he smelled and tasted. How his hands were bold as they wandered over her body, but also gentle.

  Katya was a red-blooded woman who hadn't had sex in a long time, and Liam Edenhoff was a stupidly sexy man who was very good at what he did, seduction wise. She got lost in the moment, lost in his heat. Gasping and moaning underneath him, arching her back so she could feel his chest against hers.

  When he bit into her bottom lip, she also felt his hand on her breast. It startled her a little, the long ignored nerve endings suddenly receiving so much attention. It reset her brain a little, shocked her into the here and now. As his hand wandered farther down, she opened her eyes again. Sucked in a deep breath of air while his teeth cut into the side of her jaw.

  “Liam,” she breathed his name.

  “God, you feel so good,” he groaned in response as he shoved her tank top so it was scrunched up under her breasts.

  “Liam,” she repeated herself while trying to clear her throat.

  “A long time, angel cake,” he continued talking, and she felt his hand moving between them. Fumbling to undo his belt buckle. “I have been dreaming about this for a long time.”

  “Stop,” she said more forcefully, placing her hands over his before he could shove his jeans down.

  “What?” he asked, finally lifting his head, seeming to realize for the first time that she wasn't an active participant anymore.

  “I … I'm sorry, I can't,” she whispered, blinking up at him.

  “Oh. Oh god, I'm sorry,” he started speaking fast. “You said you weren't ready for anything, I wasn't even thinking. You just … I just … god, I'm sorry.”

  He started to move off her, but Katya felt bad. She'd kissed him back, she'd been moaning and whining and rubbing against him. She was just as guilty for starting something she couldn't finish, so she made him stop. Wrapped her arms around his shoulders and forced him to lay down flat on top of her.

  “Don't be sorry,” she told him, combing her fingers through the back of his hair. “It was nice – so nice, I forgot what was even happening.”

  “Thanks,” he mumbled into her neck.

  “I just don't want to use you again, and I still don't know what I want. I don't want to do something we'll both just regret later,” she said softly. There was a long pause, then his arms wiggled their way around her waist.

  “I could never regret sex with you,” he informed her, and she barked out a laugh.

  “Good to know.”

  “Do you want me to leave? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable,” he asked, letting her go and pushing himself upright.

  “No, you don't have to go. Unless you feel uncomfortable,” she told him.

  “Um, I'm extremely uncomfortable,” he laughed. She could tell – she could feel the bulge in his pants against her thigh. “But I'd like to stay. If that's okay.”

  She nodded and scooted to the edge of the couch. He fell into place against the cushions, spooning her from behind. She got comfortable, resting her head on his bicep as he stretched his arm under her neck. He draped his other arm across her waist, his fingers brushing against the exposed skin above her pants.

  “This is definitely okay, Liam. Thanks,” she sighed, focusing on the tv.

  “Thank you,” he breathed in her ear, making her shiver.

  Good idea or bad idea, this feels pretty damn good.

  *

  Wulf usually thought of himself as a smart man, but sometimes, he got confused. It seemed to happen a lot around a certain baker. So he would switch tactics. Try different things to try and keep her on her toes. Maybe confuse her for once.

  Like playing along with her game.

  Or installing a new kitchen in her apartment while they were gone
.

  Even trying to annoy her with his demand for dinner.

  Then there was the run in with their ridiculous blonde neighbor, which had been rather fortuitous. Katya's face had been priceless.

  Now, though, he was realizing he was kind of an idiot. All those things had just riled Katya up, and a riled up Katya was more like a hurricane than a rational person. It emboldened her and caused her to react rashly. Then after setting all that into motion, he'd given her thirty-two hours alone. Time to ruminate on what he'd done and retaliate.

  And, he realized as he stood in her living room, time for her to reconnect with Eden.

  When he'd discovered that her front door was unlocked, he'd let himself in, expecting to find her poking around her new kitchen. Instead, he'd found her asleep. She was on her back on her sofa, breathing heavy, her hair absolutely everywhere. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen it down, it was a lot longer than he'd remembered.

  He also didn't remember her having a tumor, but she seemed to have grown one. A six-foot-two, one hundred and seventy pound tumor. Liam was was on his side, his face buried in her hair, one of his arms draped across her stomach, one of his legs stretched across both of hers.

  They were both deep asleep, Liam even snoring lightly. It looked like they had been that way for a while. There was a plate half full of food on the coffee table, and it was all cold to the touch. Most of the lights in the apartment were off, just the tv was on and the lights in the kitchen.

  Wulf stayed completely silent and let his eyes wander over them, trying to figure out what exactly had gone on. Had they had sex? If they had, how would he handle that? Not well, he was sure. No, if he found out they'd slept together, he was pretty sure he was going to put his fist through something. Most likely Liam's face.

  But he didn't think they had slept together. A glance down the hall showed that Katya's bed was made and free of wrinkles. Both of them were wearing all their clothing; Liam even had his shoes on. If he had to guess, he would say they'd had a meal together, then they'd cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie, falling asleep after a long enough time.