The Girl Across the Hall

by Thayer King

  “But I thought we both agreed that this was a bad idea. I’m just a boring ordinary girl. I spend most of my nights alone, watching television or playing computer games. I’ve never been in a club or a bar. I can’t dance. I don’t know any fancy sex tricks-”

  Noah burst out laughing. “Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. I’m sure you will satisfy me just fine.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “You know that if I do agree to date you, it doesn’t mean we’re going to have sex right away?”

  He grimaced. “How long will you make me wait?”

  She should be concerned about his attitude. Instead, she found herself seriously turned on at the knowledge that he wanted her so badly. “I haven’t even decided if I will date you yet.”

  Growling softly, he laced his fingers with hers slowly until the two of them were as close as they could get with the table separating them. Zoe had always felt that she had average sized hands with rather long fingers. Noah’s hands dwarfed hers. “Oh, Zoe,” he rasped, “you definitely want to date me. I’d say you want to date the hell out of me.”

  She swallowed. From his tone she knew he wasn’t talking about taking walks in the park or going out dancing. But before she could think of anything to say, he kissed her fingers and pulled back.

  “We’d better eat this before it needs to be reheated.” He gave her a breakfast sandwich and chose one for himself. He pushed a juice at her as well. “I remembered that you didn’t like coffee. And as for the other stuff, clubbing and bars, you haven’t missed much. If you want to go to one, I’ll take you, but otherwise, I’m clubbed out.” He unwrapped his biscuit and bit into it.

  Zoe shook up her juice and opened it. “Noah…I’m…shy,” she said at last, thinking that he needed to know what he was getting into.

  “You say that like you’re confessing a crime.”

  “Well, people think you’ll get over it or if they continually push you into social situations that you’ll change. Things that you don’t think about are hard for me. I have to psych myself up for social interactions.” She toyed with the wrapper of her biscuit. She needed to make him understand that she wasn’t anything like the bubbly, outgoing girls he usually brought home. “I-I will never be the life of the party and I…I don’t own any cropped tops or even a single pair of shorts.”

  “You don’t own shorts?”

  “No. I’ve just never felt comfortable in them in public. I feel naked.”

  “Zoe, I don’t care about any of that stuff. Well, except the shorts. Maybe you could get a pair to wear at home.”

  She could see that he was going to refute every argument that she presented. So finally she said, “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

  He nodded. “That’s all I ask.”

  ***

  “Two Saturdays in a row! To what do we owe this honor?”

  “Hi, Dad,” Noah said as he joined his father behind the counter. After his breakfast with Zoe, he felt he could use some advice. Since he hadn’t tried to keep a woman around longer than a couple of days since eighth grade, he figured he was going to need all the help he could get. He was certain that she liked him, but convincing her to take a chance on him was not going to be easy.

  He couldn’t believe some of the excuses that she had given him. Like he couldn’t tell that she was shy! He knew she was different and he found that intriguing. “Where’s Mom?”

  “Abandoned me to go off shopping with her friends.” He placed a bookmark in the book he was holding and put it down. “Are you here to work?”

  Noah shrugged. And then he sighed. “I wanted your advice.”

  William’s eyebrows rose in exaggerated shock. “Really?” He rubbed his chin. “I think the last time you asked for advice, you were fourteen.”

  “Good grief. Keep this up and I’ll just go ask Warren.”

  “Just savoring the moment. Must be serious though if you’d consider asking Warren. What can I help you with?”

  “How did you convince Mom to date you?”

  “Oh, that’s easy—lots of begging and pleading.”

  “Dad,” Noah drawled. Why his father persisted in thinking he was funny, he didn’t know. “Can you be serious for a second?”

  “All right, all right. I asked and she said yes. I won her over with my stunning personality. Why do you ask?”

  This wasn’t helping at all. His parents were still very much in love and they rarely argued. To hear them tell it, they clicked immediately. Two months after meeting they were engaged. He needed to talk to someone with a different experience.

  As though he’d conjured him up, Ty strolled into the store with Julie in tow. Ty did a double take at seeing him behind the counter. Julie waved before disappearing between some bookshelves. “What are you doing here on a Saturday?” Ty asked as he approached.

  “I gotta find something to do with my Saturdays since you abandoned me to play with a girl.”

  Ty glanced over in the direction where Julie had disappeared and grinned. “Like you haven’t abandoned me a million times over a pretty girl.” Ty nodded at William. “Hi, Mr. Granger.”

  “Hi, Ty. Don’t believe him. He came to get dating advice from his old man.”

  “Really? What kind of weekend fling requires advice?”

  “Actually, I was thinking you’d be more helpful since Mom and Dad practically got married on their first date.” Noah came around the counter. “Come with me.” He led Ty to the more secluded seating area in the back. Dropping down onto the comfy sofa, he asked, “How did you convince Julie to go out with you? I know she had some reservations about you because, well, you were a player.”

  Ty joined him on the couch. “I was a mini-player. I did have the occasional girlfriend.” He shrugged. “But she was tough on me. I bought her flowers. I picked her up from work when her car wasn’t working. I’d send her messages just to say I was thinking about her. I didn’t stop asking until she said yes.”

  All of that sounded doable.

  “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of dating Avery?”

  Noah jerked. “No.”

  “Good.”

  “Why?”

  Ty arched a brow. “Do you really have to ask? I’d hate to have to kick your ass when you made her cry.”

  Noah scoffed. Ty was several inches shorter than him and about fifty pounds lighter. “Get serious.”

  “Besides, I thought you’d gotten over that momentary urge to fuck her.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I have. I think I was just getting missing her confused with something more. No, this is about Zoe.”

  “Ah, the neighbor. I should have guessed since you’ve been eye-fucking her for months.” Ty stood. “Julie’s at the counter. I gotta go. Why don’t you bring Zoe to the party next weekend?”

  “I’ll see if I can convince her. She’s shy so I don’t know if she’ll want to come. Oh, and Avery is bringing some dude she wants me to check out for her. Guess what his name is.”

  “What is it?”

  “Avery.”

  Ty shook his head. “How long do you think this one will last?”

  Noah stood and walked with his friend back up to the counter where Julie was purchasing a couple of books. “This is a rebound. Probably a week or two. She still hasn’t said why she broke up with Patrick.”

  “Yeah, she hasn’t said anything to me either. You know Avery. She’ll tell us when she’s ready. Hey, want to come to dinner with me and Julie?”

  “Sure.” It couldn’t hurt to have a woman’s opinion.

  ***

  Zoe was surprised when Noah showed up at her apartment shortly after dinner. She was also relieved because it meant she didn’t have to wonder what he was doing and who he might be with. They lounged on her couch watching nature documentaries. Noah winced as a pride of lions took down another animal. “I can’t help but feel sorry for the prey,” he said, leaning over so that he rested his head on her shoulder.

  She giggled. “I’m on the side of the pr
edators. They’ve got to eat. And they’re so strong and beautiful.”

  “Who would have thought sweet, little innocent Zoe would be on the side of the bad guy?”

  “What? They can’t become vegetarians. And if they don’t thin prey animals, they would die of starvation because there wouldn’t be enough food for them all.” She laid her head on top of his so that she could rub her cheek against his hair. He smelled good and so did his hair. Noah linked his fingers with hers. She noticed that he seemed to like to do that. She never would have thought such a simple action could be sexy but with Noah it definitely was. The sight of his thick, large fingers entwined with hers made her think of what it would be like if their limbs were tangled in a passionate embrace.

  “Noah, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why don’t you date? Did you get your heart broken? Or…something?” She’d been curious. She needed to know what she could be getting herself into. If he was too emotionally scarred to make a commitment, it was better that she know it before she got too attached. She didn’t make friends easily so she tended to cling to friendships once they were established.

  “No, nothing so noble. I’ve never been in love. I’ve never been married or even close to it. My parents and my brother are married and disgustingly happy. I’ve just never wanted to be tied down. I guess I’ve never met anyone I wanted to see beyond a few days. What I feel for you, I’ve never felt before.”

  “So, you’re saying you were…sowing your wild oats?”

  Noah turned so that his face was pressing into her neck as he nodded. His breath tickled. “I’m not going to make excuses for it.”

  “And you’re giving that up now? I mean, you’re not going to be trolling bars for women while I make up my mind?”

  He sat up abruptly. “Hell, no. Zoe, I may not have tried this as an adult, but I’m not a complete relationship moron.”

  Relieved, she nodded. “Thank you.” She wouldn’t have demanded he be celibate while she made her decision because she really had no right to do so. But that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt. And if he couldn’t keep it in his pants for such a brief period of time, she knew she would never be able to trust him with her heart.

  “While you’re making up your mind, does that mean we can’t kiss? Because I’d really like to kiss you.”

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth. Good grief, she loved his mouth. It was so full and looked so soft, especially in contrast to the dark stubble shadowing his jaw. She’d barely nodded before Noah was cupping her neck and pulling her into his kiss. Zoe moaned at the sensation of his lips pressing into hers. Unable to resist, she licked his bottom lip before capturing it with her mouth.

  Noah pulled back, surprise evident on his face. Then he groaned and his mouth crashed down to cover hers once more. When his tongue teased the seam of her lips seeking entrance, she opened to him. She expected him to simply thrust his tongue inside as had been her previous experience with men. Instead, Noah’s exploration was a deliciously languorous affair as though he were savoring every moment. It made her feel precious and appreciated.

  Zoe went limp in his arms. He could have done anything he wanted to her in that moment and she wouldn’t have resisted. But he kept one hand at her neck while his other large palm rested lightly at her waist. She was far less circumspect. Her hands cruised up his hard chest, over his broad shoulders, and finally wound up fisted in his thick hair.

  She brushed her tongue along the length of his before circling his lips and sliding it into his mouth. Noah’s big body shuddered and he groaned. The hand on her waist tightened. He sucked her tongue briefly before breaking the kiss.

  “We’d better stop,” he said, his voice rough and deep with arousal. His eyes were heavy lidded and his pupils were so dilated that his irises were barely visible. He cupped her cheek and stroked her swollen lips with his thumb. “Shit, that was intense.”

  Zoe leaned into his touch. “I love your mouth.”

  Noah groaned. “Oh, baby, I love your mouth, too.” He clasped her wrists and untangled her fingers from his hair. He kissed each of her hands before releasing them. He took a deep breath and stood, a slight grimace crossing his face. “Give me a hug and then I need to go.”

  She could tell he was on edge so she didn’t protest even though she wasn’t ready for him to go. She could have kept kissing him forever.

  The thick ridge of his erection was clearly outlined by his jeans where it lay against his hip. She couldn’t help but notice it since she was still sitting, putting her at eye level with his cock. Her eyes widened. He was huge. Her gaze went to his hands and feet. Well, he certainly lived up to the stereotype. She wondered what he would feel like when he was thrusting deep inside of her. Delicious, she mused. Zoe nibbled her lip.

  “Don’t look at me that way,” Noah groaned. He reached down and tugged her into a standing position.

  She didn’t bother to ask in what way she’d been looking at him. No doubt her thoughts had been written all over her face. She moved into his embrace and closed her eyes as she felt his hands spread wide over her back. He didn’t hold her too close. Their stomachs and hips didn’t touch. He rested his chin on top of her head. “Zoe, don’t make me wait too long, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Chapter Eight

  Tuesday evening Zoe was running around her kitchen in such a frantic state she was almost sweating despite the frigid temperature of her apartment. Her original dinner plans had been to prepare something simple like spaghetti bolognaise with fresh bread from the bakery and ice cream for dessert. But then she’d had dinner at Noah’s and he’d really raised the bar. He’d served her coq au vin over pasta with key lime pie for dessert.

  She’d spent most of the day rethinking her menu. Finally, she’d decided upon shrimp and grits with baklava for dessert. Only she’d underestimated how much time it would take to brush each layer of phyllo dough with melted butter. Now she was struggling to complete the main course.

  Her grits were bubbling. She’d placed it on the back burner for that very reason. She reached back to stir it to keep it from burning on the bottom and was immediately hit by the hot liquid. Cursing under her breath, she snatched her hand back and stuck it under cold running water until the pain subsided.

  She still couldn’t believe that Noah had pulled off coq au vin and the best key lime pie she’d ever had. She’d looked inside his fridge. There was nothing there but water, beer, and leftover takeout. When it came to cooking, he was a bachelor through and through.

  She was taking out wide bowls to serve the grits in when there was a knock at the door. A glance at the clock confirmed that it was almost seven o’clock. She turned the heat off under her shrimp and the grits as she hurried to the door.

  She took a deep breath and fanned her face before whipping the door open. Noah grinned down at her and gave her a quick kiss. “Smells delicious in here, baby.”

  “Thank you. I just need to plate it and then we can eat.”

  “Great.” He held up a case of beer. “I brought along my own drinks,” he said before stowing the six-pack in her refrigerator.

  That gave Zoe pause. He could have just brought over a single bottle. Lurking in the corner of her mind was the idea that he’d change his mind about wanting a relationship. After all, it wasn’t what he’d wanted even a week ago.

  “So what’s on the menu?” he asked.

  Snapping to, Zoe turned back to the stove and started spooning grits into the bowls. “Um, shrimp and grits. And for dessert, I made baklava.”

  Noah groaned. “I love baklava.” He started to sit and then paused. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No, please, sit. This will be done in a second.” She spooned the mixture of shrimp and bacon over the grits.

  “That looks really good. I’m starving.”

  She placed his plate before him. She had already laid out the silverware and napkins. After retrieving their drinks, water for
her and beer for him, she joined Noah at the table. Yesterday, he’d seated her adjacent to him rather than across the table so today she sat adjacent to him once more.

  She watched him fork up the first bite and taste it. “What do you think?”

  “It tastes as good as it smells. Have you made it before?”

  She shook her head. “I found a couple of recipes online and combined the ingredients I liked best.”

  “When it’s my turn again, I’m going to give risotto a try.”

  Zoe hummed appreciatively at her first mouthful. “The shrimp might be a bit too spicy, but I really like it.”

  “Me, too.”

  When they finished, Noah helped her clean up and then took the baklava out of the oven. She had cut it previously and so she scooped out triangles for each of them. They ate their desserts in front of the television.

  “I’ll trade you what’s left of my key lime pie for half of your baklava,” Noah said after one bite.

  “Why would you do that? That pie is amazing.”

  Noah popped the rest of his baklava in his mouth and licked his fingers clean. “About that pie….”

  “Yeah?”

  “My mom made it.”

  “What? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “You were so impressed with my culinary skills.”

  “Did you ask your mom to make it?”

  “Nope. She just happened to bring it by on Sunday so I saved it to serve with my dinner.”

  “It’s a good thing we weren’t competing. You’d be disqualified.” She finished her baklava.

  Noah settled himself in the corner of the sofa. He patted his lap. “Come here.”

  She approached him slowly, cautiously. She’d never sat in any man’s lap but her father’s. Noah situated her sideways so that her legs draped across his and her feet dangled off the sofa’s edge. She steeled herself for his kiss. Of course, he’d kissed her last night as well, but he’d waited until after he’d walked her back to her door. It had occurred in the hallway and had been relatively chaste.