by Misty Evans
And he finally had a decent place he could call his own.
He was fishing money out of his pocket as he opened the door. “That was fast. We didn’t expect you for another…”
Like earlier in the day, the words died in his throat. “Van?”
Her brows crashed down and she looked like she was going to spit fire. “Oh, my God. What are you doing here?”
“I live here.”
“You what?”
“This is my new place.” He stepped back and swept his arms around so she could see Liam and his other friends, then asked. “What are you doing here?”
Liam waved at her from across the room. Van’s hands balled into fists and she set them on her hips. “You do not live here.”
“Yeah, I do. I just moved in.”
“No, no, no, no.” She paced circles on his front porch. “That’s not possible. Why didn’t Becca tell me?”
“Tell you what? That I gave up my apartment to a couple who had nowhere to stay while their daughter was getting her wish fulfilled by my foundation? I needed a bigger place anyway.” Sort of. “This duplex is only blocks from my office. It all works out.”
“It does not work out!”
What the hell was her problem? “Look, I’ll stay away from Liam and Becca if that makes you happy, but I can’t move out of San Diego for chrissakes.”
She was holding her head in her hands. “Why me?”
She was so distraught, he almost grabbed her and pulled her inside. “Do you want a beer or something? Pizza’s on the way.”
Without looking at him, she stomped down the stairs. “I do not want a beer.” She took two steps to the neighbor’s stairs and climbed them. “What I want is for you to move that ugly ass van out of the driveway so I can park my car off the street and tell your stupid friends to quiet down.”
Grabbing the doorknob of the unit next door, she gave him that sneer he was coming to love.
“Are you kidding me?” Alex grinned wide as understanding dawned. “You live next door? You’re my neighbor?”
She narrowed her eyes and shot fire at him again. “I’m moving soon.”
As she let herself in, the humor of the situation hit him. He laughed long and hard. Why hadn’t Liam told him?
Van was his next door neighbor. They shared a wall.
Oh, hell yeah.
And if he had his way, they’d be sharing more than that again soon.
Chapter Five
Van sighed with exhaustion as she parked her car. For the past week, Alex had had people over late and she’d been unable to get much work done, let alone sleep. For the most part, the noise level had been manageable but distracting. Especially when she could hear female voices in the vicinity of his bedroom. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that the layout of his duplex mirrored her own.
After the day she’d had, the last thing she wanted to endure was some conversation with him. Endure the reminders of what he’d done to her body. Of what they’d done together. How it made her feel. She’d been lucky enough to avoid him for the last few days and only seen him in the distance. Okay, so once he’d been out on his porch and she’d deliberately driven past her house and gone around a couple of blocks before circling back to make sure he was already inside.
Pathetic. She really had to get a grip. He was just a guy—with the body of a god and the stamina of a marathoner, and that tongue, well—
Okay, that was enough.
If she continued down this path, she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight…again. Given her workload, she couldn’t risk it.
She’d been given two new projects and they both had high revenue numbers attached. The beginning of projects were always the most stressful and time intensive for her. Not only did she have to select her teams, she also had to do all the planning and nail the client down on exactly what they wanted. She had to establish that she was in charge, and then, of course, would come the presentations of the plans.
That was the part that made her sick with nerves.
The planning part came naturally. She actually liked it. The presentation to the clients and the C-level executives, she could do without.
She always had the answers to their questions and she was always prepared. Luckily for her, no one could see the sweat rolling down her back.
Some people thrived on that kind of thing, but not her. As soon as one presentation ended, she started working on the next. She hadn’t really taken a break since her first day at DIVE.
Nature of the business. If she wanted that promotion, there weren’t going to be any breaks. She had to keep her head down and plow through. And she had competition for the promotion. Michael Kent had been there a little longer, but she was better at her job and she handled more revenue projects. But somehow, because she lacked enough “soft skills” he was in the running for her job.
She couldn’t afford distractions right now. Which meant that she had to do everything in her power to avoid Alex.
Sometimes easier said than done. He was always there, or at least she was always aware of him. She didn’t have time to dissect how she felt about that. She had work to do.
The front door to Alex’s place swung open and a pert brunette bounced out onto the front porch, Alex right behind her. Van froze and considered her options.
Option one: hide in the car until the brunette left and Alex went back inside.
That was her favorite, but it was hard to scrunch down in her Mini Cooper and get the door shut.
Besides, Alex would see the light on in her car and no doubt do the Boy Scout thing and come on over to tell her. Then he’d find her hiding and that would be hard to explain.
Option two: stay perfectly still like a cockroach in daylight and hope they didn’t notice her.
That was sort of like eavesdropping or spying since from where she was standing she had the perfect view of his porch. Not to mention if they started making out, she was likely to gag or toss her cookies.
Or tear the chick’s head off for having her grubby hands on her man.
Van shook her head at the intrusive thought. Alex was not her man. Shit, she didn’t even like him.
She liked a sensitive guy as much as the next person, but there was no way he could be that nice and sincere. There was no sexy edge.
Immediately the image flashed of him making love to her in the doorway of his bedroom. The cool, controlled demands. She wasn’t into being dominated, but she appreciated a man who knew what he wanted.
And that night he wanted you begging.
Van went for her final choice—act like it’s no big deal. Grabbing her stuff, she booked straight to her apartment.
Easier said than done, because she’d stopped at Ralph’s Market on the way home, but if she was quick, she might make it before Alex noticed her struggling with the bags.
On his doorstep, Little Miss Pert and Perky was giggling at something he said. “God, Alex, I can’t even imagine everything you’ve been through to bring these kids their wishes. The work you do is so important.”
Van bit back a gag as she hefted her laptop and swung it over her shoulder. Yes, he did good work for the foundation, but honestly, it wasn’t like the man was a saint.
Get inside before you have to witness that woman with her hands all over him.
She picked up to the two grocery bags and groaned under their weight. As she climbed the stairs, she could see the girl going in for the kill with her arms wide and looping around Alex’s neck. A wash of hot anger distracted her.
Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look.
But of course, she did and Miss Pert obviously had a death wish as she angled her head up and her lids fluttered closed as she leaned into Alex.
Was this the type of woman he liked?
Easy. He was bored and had no one better to do. She had to reconcile what had happened. And like an idiot, she’d given in to her too-desperate libido.
Damn, she’d never noticed how long her stairs were bef
ore in her life. Her gaze flickered to the couple one more time, but instead of landing the kiss on Alex’s perfectly sculpted mouth, Miss Pert missed when he turned his head and the kiss landed on his cheek.
And his gaze locked with Van’s.
His lips parted slightly, his eyes focused on her like a hawk watching its prey. Smoothly, he set the brunette away from him. “Van, that looks heavy, let me help you with that.”
He turned to the brunette who looked ready to deck him. Van couldn’t help but empathize. “Thanks for coming by to welcome me to the neighborhood tonight, Shelley.”
He led her halfway down the stairs and Van frowned, studying the girl again. She recognized her from across the street. Wasn’t her name Shelby? Perfect, she’d have to endure more of this kind of flirting.
The girl blinked in disbelief. “It’s Shelby,” she muttered as she walked away.
Alex seemed to not even hear her as he hopped the railing that separated their properties and reached for her bags.
Van rolled her eyes. “Poor Shelby needed your help a lot more than I do.”
Alex took her bags from her hand. “What she wanted was to help herself to something.”
“I’m sure you were more than willing to oblige,” she said through clenched teeth as she made a swipe for her bags. He was both faster and taller, so it was a futile effort.
Alex carried her things inside and dropped them on the kitchen counter. “This place looks just like mine. The layout, I mean. Only it’s a mirror version.”
“Uh huh.”
He snapped his fingers. “So that means your bedroom and mine share a wall, don’t they?”
She ignored him, a warm flush starting low in her belly. How many nights had she lain awake wondering what he was doing on the other side of that wall?
“You realize we’re going to have to talk at some point, right?”
Van took the milk out of the bag and deposited it into the fridge. What in the world had possessed her to think they could avoid this conversation? “We don’t have anything to talk about other than you being a nuisance.”
His grin was quick and he stepped into her space as he placed her organic juice in the fridge next to the milk. “I didn’t know that orgasms were such a nuisance. I’ll remember that next time I’m giving you four or more. Because let’s face it, I think that time with you on top, one rolled into another.”
Her face flushed as heat suffused her body. She remembered that one. Alex had been holding on to her hips for dear life, and he’d directed her to play with herself. To show him what she liked. How she liked it. He’d wanted her to teach him. This was not going to work out well for her if her mind kept drifting back to Jersey. She chose to ignore his reference. “You are the nuisance. You weren’t supposed to move in next door.”
He bracketed her in place by placing both hands on the counter on either side of her. “You do realize why I bug you so much?”
She raised a brow and folded her arms, determined to ignore her irregular heartbeat, and the low hum of lust in her blood. “I’m sure you’ll enlighten me.”
His lips tugged into a slow, sexy smile and her brain reminded her body to hold the line. None of his charm would be making it past her defenses. Except, his heat enveloped her. And his scent, damn, he smelled so freaking good. She gritted her teeth.
“It’s because, past that hard outer shell, you like me. You don’t want to like me, but you do. And you’re having a hard time with that.” His gaze dipped to her lips. “Our best friends got married. It’s not like we can completely avoid each other.”
“Something you made worse by moving in next door.”
“I had no idea you lived here. Liam had the address wrong. He thought I was moving to a duplex on Juniper Berry Avenue, not Juniper Street, so that’s why neither he nor Becca figured out we’d be neighbors.”
“Find someplace else,” she said. “I was here first.”
“Come on, a great deal like this in Mission Hills? It’s almost walking distance to my office. Not going to happen.” His gaze dipped to her lips. “Not to mention, there are beautiful women here. I’m not leaving”
With his scent floating around her, she involuntarily licked her lips. It was far too dry and hot with him standing so close. “That night at the wedding would never have happened if I thought I’d have to see you every day.”
A shadow flickered over his face, then disappeared in the next instant. “Okay. If you say you don’t want me, I believe you.” He leaned in even closer, his lips mere inches from hers. “It won’t be happening again. But maybe, we could try to be friends. After all, I do live right next door. I can ignore the fact that your body is like dynamite to me and that the memory of having my tongue, my fingers, and my dick inside of you keeps me up at night, if you can.”
She would never be forgetting that. Ever. But he didn’t need to know that. “You want to be my friend?”
“Not particularly. I’d prefer you naked in my bed and coming, but I’ll take what I can get.” He shoved away from her. “And as a gesture of friendship, I invite you to my housewarming party on Friday.”
He was inviting her to a party after he’d just invoked memories of what they’d done to each other? Yeah, sure, of course. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Some of the people I work with will be there, and I’m sure Becca won’t know many of them. She’ll need someone to talk to besides Liam.”
That was low. She hated that he knew how to get to her. Becca being there greatly increased the chances she would go.
Maybe he understood her better than she thought. “I don’t really do the crowds of random strangers thing.”
“It won’t be a crowd. Only a handful of people.”
“I have a huge project that I’m working on right now.”
“No matter how many excuses you throw at me, I’m still going to persist.”
Despite herself, a laugh bubbled out of her chest. Where had that come from? “You’re stubborn, you know that?”
“So weird because no one has ever said that to me before. But if that’s what it takes to melt your icy facade, I’ll just keep chipping at you until you realize I’m not such a bad guy.”
Van sighed. “I don’t think you’re a bad guy, you’re just—”
“Not your type,” he answered helpfully.
“Yes.”
Alex’s gaze dipped to her breasts. “Given how your body responds to mine, I find that hard to believe. Maybe you should try a different type. You’d have more fun that way.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I have plenty of fun. You’re not ready for all this fun.”
His gaze swept over her, scorching her flesh everywhere it roamed. “I’m probably not, but I’m willing to test it out at the housewarming. And you’re in luck, I’m thinking of doing a lingerie sleep over, too.”
“Just what every girl wants. To be part of a harem.”
He cocked his head and Van had to work hard to suppress the shiver of anticipation. “Well, only one person is getting that invite. See, I ordered a new bed, but it’s not here yet, so I need someone to help warm my sleeping bag.”
“You’re incorrigible, you know that?”
“Now, that I have heard before.” He tucked his hands into his back pockets. The stance did wonderful things for his broad chest. “So what do you say, Van?”
“If I say I’ll think about it, will you stop harassing me?”
He grinned wide. “That’s an answer I can work with.”
Chapter Six
A single wall separated them. To Alex, it seemed like a solar system.
He stared at his bedroom wall. Imagined Van on the other side getting ready for his party. He’d knocked on it once to see if she’d knock back. She didn’t.
There were no sounds of a woman getting dressed or doing her hair coming from over there. No clatter of heels or blow dryer buzzing.
She wasn’t coming.
No matter what he did, Van was not warming
up to his charms.
He’d wait her out. She couldn’t avoid him forever, especially when he lived next door.
He stopped staring at the connecting wall and rummaged through his closet. What should he wear tonight? Regardless if Van came or not, he had a housewarming party to host.
His mother had recently given him a new shirt made from organic bamboo. Her last ex-husband—she had three now—had been into organic everything. It would please her to see Alex wearing it, but every time he put it on, it made him itch.
Flipping past his office attire and extensive collection of polo shirts, he hit the Diesel shirts. Blue, tan, white, blue…plain, safe, normal. Shirts he loved, yet none seemed quite right.
He sat on his bed. Or half a bed. His new frame hadn’t arrived so his mattresses were still on the floor. He lay there night after night, hearing Van-sounds through the wall. She listened to a lot of Rihanna and watched anything with Morgan Freeman. When the music was on, all he could do was imagine Van dancing around her bedroom naked.
Talk about torture.
Then there were the times she was quiet as a mouse. Those were more frequent. Working probably. She never had friends over. She brought stacks of files and her laptop home every night.
And I thought I was dedicated to my job. Van wasn’t dedicated, she was obsessed.
He remembered that obsession. All that intensity focused on him. The memories of her from their one night together still had the power to rock him to the core. Knowing she was so close—sleeping, working, watching TV—but unreachable, drove him crazy.
Returning to his closet, he caught sight of his red flame-resistant jumpsuit. His racing uniform matched the super modified sprint car he drove for his friend and mentor, Westin Carnegie and the Badass Metals team.
He pulled out the suit and hung it on the door. Nothing plain, safe, or normal about that. Too bad he couldn’t wear that during the party. Van would love it…she seemed to gravitate to bright, showy colors. His parents…well, there was no way he’d let either of them see it.
They didn’t know he was racing again. No one in his family knew. It was his dirty, little secret.