"Obviously good taste doesn't mean good manners. Anyway, stop trying to change the subject. Follow me," demanded Isaac.
I followed him down the hallway and up the staircase to my bedroom. Sitting on my window seat, he tilted the blinds so he had an excellent view of the street. I followed him, waiting for Theo to jump up before I took my seat. We looked down onto Betty's old house.
Most of the view was obstructed by another moving van, but I could definitely see what all the fuss was about. Standing on the doorstep, looking out at the van, was a man who stood about six feet tall with dark-brown hair. His wet T-shirt clung to his body, and even from this distance, I could tell his body was extremely fine.
"Okay, so you weren't exaggerating." I smiled, all thoughts of Jack disappearing from my mind. Looking at Isaac, I could see him practically salivating. "Put your tongue away." I laughed, swatting his arm.
"You see why I thought he'd be good for you?"
Could I ever!
* * *
By the time I'd finished work the next day, the rain had gotten heavier and the temperature had gotten lower. That meant I was soaked to the skin and freezing.
I drove down my street, really hoping the parking spot right outside my front door was vacant. That way I could run in and have a hot shower as quickly as possible. The only bad thing about living on my street was the absence of off-street parking. Luckily, most people had their regular parking spot and mine was almost outside my house. Today though, it looked like someone had taken it. That someone drove a very nice, black, sleek sports car.
Damn it!
Driving slowly, I realized there was a very small space in front of it. I could fit in there, I was sure of it. Reverse parking wasn't exactly my strong suit though, and I will admit I may have slightly misjudged how much room I needed to fit my small SUV into a parking space. Feeling the bump before I heard any noise, I quickly realized I had reversed into the aforementioned, sleek sports car.
Shit!
I hit the brakes and dropped my head onto the steering wheel. I sat there for what seemed like ages, slowly banging my head, too scared to get out and look at the damage I'd done. It didn't take long to hear the shouts coming from my rear bumper, so I took a deep breath, opened my door, and prepared myself for the worst.
Walking around to the back of my car, it appeared my hot, new neighbor was the owner of the now dented vehicle. Well, I guess I could cross get hot guy to notice me off my bucket list.
"What the hell?" he yelled, pulling at his short hair. His sleeve rode up his arm just enough for me to glimpse his tattooed bicep. I watched as the rain fell onto his face and dripped off his chin.
"I'm so, so sorry," I said, my heart rate rapidly increasing. Not sure if that was from adrenalin or lust, but either way, my blood pumped a whole lot faster.
"What is wrong with you? Do you not know how to park?" he shouted.
I felt the heat coming off him. "I didn't mean it. I just misjudged how much space I had," I said lamely.
As I looked at him close up, I saw how dark the color of his eyes was. I watched as the raindrops fell on his long lashes, and if it weren't for the scowl on his face, I think I would have had an orgasm on the spot. The more the rain fell, the more his T-shirt clung to his defined torso. The more it soaked into his dark denim jeans, the more my hormones stirred. It had been a very long time since I'd had that reaction to a man. In fact, thinking about it, I don't think I'd ever had that reaction to a man. If only we'd met under better circumstances.
Who was I kidding? This man was out of my league no matter what circumstances I met him under.
"You couldn't see the parked car behind you?" He hadn't actually stopped to look at me yet. His eyes had yet to leave his front bumper.
Mine were yet to leave him. I noticed the really sexy crinkles around his eyes as he squinted against the rain and the incredible biceps he had as he ran his hands through his wet hair. And I may have noticed his incredibly sexy ass as he turned to look at his car.
Okay, I admit it. I was paying far more attention to him than I was to the mess in front of me.
"I'm really, really sorry. I have insurance, so it will be fixed," I said, reluctantly taking my eyes off him. Thankfully, my old car didn't have very much damage, but the sports car hadn't faired too well. "I'm sure it looks worse than it really is," I said, noting how my tow bar was hooked into his radiator. Shit, that couldn't be good.
I snuck another look at him and realized this man was actually quite terrifying up close. I'm just not sure what scared me the most—how angry he was or how sexy he was. Running home and hiding in a hot shower was probably a good idea. Actually, maybe a cold shower would be better.
"Seriously?" he yelled.
It was at this point he finally turned to look at me, and I noticed the intensity in his eyes as I felt myself shrink back. But he blinked, and suddenly all the anger disappeared. I'm not sure why, and right then, I wasn't questioning it. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just really love my car. I'm Brody. Brody Foster."
He smiled and extended his hand for me to shake. I went to respond, but had to stop. Every bit of air in my lungs vanished as his soft, full mouth turned up into a smile.
"I've just moved in across the street."
His smile faltered as I failed to shake his hand. My brain yelled, "Take his hand," but my body wasn't listening. My voice had definitely fled the scene.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just really love my car," he continued.
He dropped his hand. The rain had started to fall heavily on his T-shirt again, and I could see the definition of his firm stomach as it disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.
Eyes up, eyes up! I forced my eyes to leave his stomach. Looking into his eyes probably wasn't any better an option, but I did manage to find my voice again.
"I'm Chloe. I live right here," I croaked, nodding towards my front gate.
I could see Theo sitting on my window seat looking down at us, probably wondering what the hell all the fuss was about. I reached out my hand to Brody, and he thankfully accepted it. As his hand touched mine, I felt electricity run up my arm and down to dormant parts of my anatomy at a speed and intensity I had never felt before. Oh boy!
"Would you like to come in, and I'll give you the details of my insurance?" I asked, mentally fanning myself. I was pretty sure he could see the steam coming off of me as I stood in the rain.
"Yeah, that's probably better than freezing out here."
I turned and walked to my front door with Brody following. Fumbling with the key in the lock, I finally got the door open. Theo ran down the stairs, past me, and straight to Brody, where he jumped up at his leg and demanded to be picked up. Amazingly, Brody reached down, scooped him into his arms, and was instantly rewarded with Theo kisses.
Humph. See who gives you treats later, Theo. Not that I blamed him. Given the opportunity, I'd have liked to be scooped up in Brody's arms, and I too would have smothered him with kisses.
Turning my back on them both, I kicked off my wet shoes and walked to the kitchen, passing the hallway mirror on the way. One quick look at my reflection as I passed it had me groaning inwardly. My hair was plastered to my head. My mascara had left trails of black streaks down my cheeks. And my high visibility work shirt gave my skin a very weird glow. And just like Brody's, my shirt was stuck to my chest like glue. Not the first impression I would have chosen to give him, but too late now I guess. I made a mental note to add waterproof mascara to the shopping list.
Discreetly running my fingers through my tangled hair and swiping at the mascara pooling under my eyes, I kept my back to Brody and went in search of my insurance policy.
Looking for it was kind of like looking for the Holy Grail. I believed it existed, but just where exactly was proving hard to find. I felt Brody's stare on the back of my head. Opening messy drawer after messy drawer, I rummaged my hardest, but to no avail. Brody m
oved into the kitchen, and I heard him put on the coffee pot. He obviously thought I was going to be a while, so he might as well make himself at home. I moved to the spare room cupboard and pulled out the cardboard boxes I used as a filing system. I heard the phone ring in the kitchen, but decided to let the caller leave a message. I knew these documents were really important, and the sooner I had them the sooner Brody would be out of my house, and I would be able to breathe properly again. Now I probably should tell you that I had one of those outdated phones with the built-in answering machine. The advantage of it was that I could screen a call as the message was being left. The disadvantage was that I got to hear my awful voice announcing that I could not presently take the call and please leave a message. The caller did as asked.
"Hey, sis, what are you doing that's so important you can't answer your phone?" I heard my brother Sam's laugh through the speaker. Sam was two years younger than I, the tallest member of my family and, according to my friends, completely edible. Personally, I just found him annoying. I also have an older brother Robbie. I found him annoying too.
"I was just looking to get tickets for Sexpo and wanted to make sure you still wanted to go." I felt my cheeks heat up at the thought that Brody had just heard that. "Also, I have to tell you about last night. I need some advice. I found this chat site where people talk about anything. And I mean anything!" I heard him laugh. "I can't believe what some people get up to. Not in my wildest dreams could I think it up! Anyway, these two girls asked me to meet them and join in, if you get my drift…"
I ran into the kitchen and grabbed the handset. With shaking fingers and burning cheeks, I pressed the answer button before Brody could overhear any more of my humiliation. I could only imagine what he was thinking. Sexpo was Sam's idea, and Isaac and I had agreed to go along for a laugh. But at that moment, it didn't feel funny at all. Add the rest of Sam's narrative to that and Brody must be thinking we're all nymphomaniacs. Sneaking a look at Brody, I thought that, given half a chance, it could become a possibility.
"Hi, Sam," I breathed into the phone.
"Wow, you sound breathless. Did I interrupt something?" He laughed suggestively.
"No! I just had to run for the phone!"
"Righto. Whatever. Anyway, I just called to let you know about the tickets and to ask for some big sister advice."
"Yep, I heard. Can I call you back later? I have a visitor here at the moment." I looked up to see Brody grinning at me.
"Tell me it's that new neighbor of yours, and I'll leave you to it." Obviously he'd been talking to Isaac.
"As a matter of fact, it is." I smiled. I really hoped Brody's hearing was not bionic, and he couldn't hear what Sam was saying to me.
"Yes! That's just what you need. A good…"
"Okay! We'll chat soon." I quickly butted in before Sam got to say what was really on his mind. My face was so hot I thought I'd melt the phone.
"I was just going to say you need a good night out." I heard him laugh. Yeah, right.
As I said goodbye, I turned to hang up the phone and saw Brody leaning backwards against my kitchen counter, long legs stretched out in front of him, and a very wicked grin on his face.
"Sexpo, huh?"
"It's not what you think," I managed to say, even though I couldn't quite look him in the eye. Standing in my very small kitchen, only a few meters away from the hottest man I'd ever seen, I just couldn't bring myself to talk about my Sexpo tickets.
"I'm not thinking anything." Yeah, whatever. He reached over and handed me a cup of coffee. Even though I was on fire from the neck up, from the neck down I was freezing.
"Why don't you go and have a hot shower. I can get the insurance info off you later," Brody offered, putting his empty cup in the sink.
"Thanks. That would be great," I mumbled.
Walking Brody to the front door, I stood back and watched as he once again picked Theo up and gave him a big cuddle. Maybe Mr. Hottie was also Mr. Softy. He passed Theo to me and stepped just a bit too far into my personal space for me to be comfortable.
"See you soon, Chloe." He smiled and closed the door behind him.
I quickly moved to the front window, stood back, and admired the view as he crossed the road, his movements fluid and sexy. Watching the rain once again soak into his T-shirt, I thought his back was just as glorious as his front.
CHAPTER THREE
The next morning the rain had finally eased. I walked to my car, ready for a big day at work, stopping when the couple who'd moved in next door walked down the path towards their car. I thought I should introduce myself and waited, but they looked the other way and ignored me.
I took a moment to check them out up close and noticed I was right in my earlier assessment of the man. A good ten years older than I, maybe mid-forties, he was quite fit and not bad looking. Not good-looking, but not ugly either. She was much taller than he was, her dark-brown hair greying at the temples, showing a bad dye job, but it was her face that made me suck in my breath. If anybody had ever looked like they were sucking on a sour lemon, it was this woman. Something about the pair of them made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, and annoyance prickled on my skin.
"Well, good morning to you too," I called out, a little bit louder than I'd meant.
I watched as they stopped, looked at each other, and then turned back towards me. Uh-oh. I felt my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. I was usually the quiet one. The woman didn't look impressed at my tone, and I prepared myself for a verbal slapping. Instead, her partner stepped towards me and quietly extended his hand.
"I apologize for our rudeness. I'm Rick."
His voice was very smooth and controlled. I accepted his hand and felt its clamminess as it touched mine. Well, I'd be wiping my hand on my pants in a minute.
"And this is Joy," he said, indicating the woman next to him.
Joy? Seriously? How could anybody have such an inappropriate name?
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Chloe. How are you settling in?" I asked, trying my best to be polite. I was now regretting my decision to stop and talk to them.
"Ah, yes. Very well, thank you," Rick replied. Joy hadn't moved. Hadn't smiled, hadn't lifted an eyebrow. "It seems like a lovely street."
"Yes, it is lovely. Normally, it's very quiet. This week has been a bit different though. So many neighbors moving in and out," I babbled. Babbling was a bad habit of mine when I was nervous.
"Really? Other neighbors have been moving out?" Suddenly Joy had a voice. It matched the rest of her—harsh and scratchy. I watched as she adjusted her sunglasses, pushing them farther up the bridge of her nose.
"Oh…umm," I stammered, a bit shocked by her outburst. "Um…the lady across the road moved out last week. Moved into a nursing home, or retirement village, or something like that." Even though her eyes were hidden, I struggled to get my thoughts together under her stare. I saw Joy look across the road to Betty's house and then to Rick, her thin lips tightening in a line across her face. "Yes, it was a bit sad really. Apparently her family thought it was for the best. She was a good friend, and I miss her, but she did leave one of her treasures with me," I said, thinking of Theo. I smiled, trying to alleviate the sudden tension in the air. I watched Rick's Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed.
"Well, we…we really need to get moving," he stuttered, his previously smooth voice now filled with uncertainty.
Joy turned her back and stomped off towards the car, getting in and slamming the door behind her. Rick followed, got into the passenger side, and struggled with his seatbelt as Joy spun the tires and screeched away from the curb. It appeared they didn't like the idea of elderly neighbors going into nursing homes. Watching their car speed away, I felt a swirl of anxiety as I stepped up to my car and beeped the doors open.
* * *
After work I stopped by the bank to cash my paycheck and, for reasons only the Universe understood, Brody happened to be behind me at the precise moment I embarrassed myself by spilling
the contents of my bag on the floor. I felt my cheeks flame as I watched in horror as two stray tampons rolled across the tiles in their little cellophane packets, passing eight other people along their way, before finally coming to a stop against the far wall. My breath caught as Brody let out a snort of laughter.
Sometimes life could be so unfair.
By the time I'd finished cashing my paycheck, Brody stood by the exit waiting for me. He smiled as I approached him, and I felt the butterflies break out of their cocoons in my stomach.
"I've been thinking…," he said.
Why did I think that didn't bode well for me?
"And since you did smash into my car and haven't given me your insurance information yet, you should buy me lunch." He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled.
I took a moment to process what he'd said, my hormones waking up as I did so. "Fair enough. What did you have in mind?" I was quite relieved he'd taken the whole accident thing as easily as he had.
"The Bar and Grill. I feel like a really big steak," he said, pushing away from the wall he leaned against.
"Okay. It's the least I can do," I said breathlessly as Brody put his hand on my back and guided me out the door. I felt the tingling all the way to my toes.
The Bar and Grill wasn't far from the bank. The rain had cleared last night and left everything hot and steamy. Then again, that could just be me. I was only a couple of feet away from Brody. As we walked towards the bar, I noticed how many women looked at him as we passed. There was nothing special about the way he was dressed, just the usual jeans and a T-shirt, but it was the way his clothes molded to his body to perfection that made him desirable.
Thankfully, I had decided to dress slightly better than normal today with my flowy, little skirt and tank top. After the last time I'd seen him, I had some repair work to do.
"What's your story, Chloe?" he asked, his steps falling into pace with mine.
"My story?" I raised an eyebrow.
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