Neighbors (Twin Estates #1)

by Stylo Fantome

  “Do they?”

  “Yeah. But don't worry, he doesn't pay any attention to them.”

  Katya frowned and slurped at her margarita. She'd prefer it if he did – she wanted some of the attention off herself.

  They talked about Tori's job for a while, until it was time for her to actually put in an appearance at the place. She changed into a sexy outfit, then blew a kiss as she breezed out of the apartment. She was gone for all of two minutes when there was a knock at the door.

  “Did you forget your keys?” Katya groaned, stomping down the hallway. “I always tell you, check your pockets before -”

  When she swung open the door, it was to find Liam standing there. Not Tori. They blinked at each other for a moment, then Katya finally smiled. She had missed him. Maybe not as a lover or as a romantic interest, but as a very good friend. His warmth and caring always surrounded her, making her feel comfortable in her skin. A feeling she wasn't entirely used to.

  Especially after spending a few days with Wulf.

  “I actually do have the keys to the building, but I thought it might be creepy if I used them to let myself in whenever,” Liam teased. She leaned through the doorway and wrapped her arms around his middle, surprising him a little. It was a moment before his own arms were settling over her shoulders, holding her head tight to his chest.

  “It would be very creepy,” she sighed, breathing in his warm, familiar scent.

  “You okay?”

  “Now I am,” she said, pulling back a little so she could look up at him. He was still smiling.

  “I have a surprise for you. Come with me.”

  They went back up to the roof. Katya wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it certainly wasn't what was waiting for her. She burst out laughing as she took in the small, blue, plastic kiddie pool that was now sitting in front of the old loveseat.

  “You dragged this up here?” she snickered, walking around it. It was filled with water, which she discovered was ice cold when she leaned down to drag her fingers through the liquid.

  “Yeah. There's a hook up over there, I stole a hose from maintenance.”

  “Naughty. I won't tell if you don't.”

  “It's okay, I'm pretty tight with the owner.”

  She laughed again, glancing back at him. He wasn't looking at the pool. He was only looking at her. She cleared her throat and reached up to pull her hair into a ponytail.

  “Let's take this baby for a spin.”

  She'd carried her margarita up with her and they shared it while they sat on the loveseat. They'd both rolled up their pant legs and were soaking their feet in the subzero kiddie pool. It was funny, she'd spent a lot of time trying to talk Wulf into taking her to the pool he said he had on his own building – and here Liam had brought one to her. It was kind of a beautiful moment.

  So many moments. Moments with Wulf. Moments with Liam. So different.

  “So, how was your vacation? How is Mom?” he asked, leaning back into the sofa.

  “Mom is good. Really good. I, uh, I told her about you.”

  “Really? That's nice.”

  “And the other guy.”

  “Wow, angel cake! You're getting braver every day!” he laughed. She threw him a glare over her shoulder.

  “Hey, it was hard for me. My mom and I don't talk about stuff like that,” she told him.

  “I know, I'm teasing you. I'm impressed. It couldn't have been easy. Good for you,” he said, and she felt his fingertips near her temple, gently pushing a stray hair behind her ear.

  “She was totally cool about everything, I was kind of shocked. You'd really like her.”

  “I'm sure I would.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And what about the new guy?”

  “What about him?”

  “Did Mom like him?”

  Katya cleared her throat again, turning to stare out over the neighborhood.

  “Yes. My mom likes him very much.”

  “Lucky for him.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Katya,” Liam sighed, and she felt him lean forward. “Is everything okay?”

  She bit into her bottom lip. This was not something she could cry about to Liam. What could she say? “Hey, thanks for all the great sex and opening my mind to new possibilities and ways of life and fucking me six different ways to Sunday, but I think I'm falling in love with this totally closed off douchebag asshole, and I don't know how to stop it from happening, and I don't know how to make him love me back” just didn't sound like something she should blurt out to him.

  Why couldn't you just fall for Liam!? He's so perfect! He owns his own property, runs a successful night club, is so hot he burns just to look at him, and is the best thing to happen to the female sex since vibrators.

  But she hadn't fallen for him, and that's why she couldn't talk to him. It was between her and Wulf. Their moments were their own, she wanted them kept private. Things they'd only ever share with each other.

  “Yeah. Just a long week. New guy can be kind of temperamental, and my mom threw a huge neighborhood barbecue right before I left. Just drained. Ready for a couple more margaritas and a nap,” she said, finally managing a smile for him.

  “Margaritas I can help with. But a nap? Are you five? I can think of some other activities that might help relax you.”

  She felt his hands on top of her shoulders, squeezing and massaging. She closed her eyes. It felt natural when Liam touched her, but she knew it was wrong. She was just helping him dig himself into a hole with her. The same kind of hole she was standing in with Wulf. She wouldn't do that to another person.

  Katya moved so her back was against the arm rest, then she put her feet in his lap. Let him massage those. They laughed about life in suburbia and he talked about his childhood and his family. His parents were divorced, but it had been amicable, and they were still really close friends, which was encouraging to hear, she felt.

  She also learned about his brother, the other sibling who had inherited one of the Twin Estates buildings. For some reason, she had always assumed it was a younger brother. Maybe because of his age, she didn't know, but then Liam casually made a comment about his brother being his twin, and Katya almost fell off the couch.

  One Edenhooferhoffen was almost too much for the world – there were two of him!? Another carbon copy of Liam running around somewhere? She wept for the women of the world and prayed that his brother was at least the settling down type. Those were some genes that needed to be propagated.

  “Edenhoff. Say it with me, angel cake. Edenhoff.”

  The second Edenhoff brother – “technically he's older, by about four minutes” – was in Guatemala. He was a former ER doctor and he traveled around with different aide groups, providing medical services in third world countries.

  Talk about night and day. One twin runs a sex club at night, the other saves starving children in Latin America. She almost wondered if Liam was making it all up.

  The sun set and the stars came out and it got too cold for the kiddie pool. Cold enough that he wrapped his massive hoodie around her. She'd figured he would go back to his club, but when she asked him, he told her he was where he was needed most. Then they finally went back to her apartment, where they drank margaritas till Tori came home. Katya left them together, laughing around the kitchen table, while she quietly slipped into bed.

  I do need Liam. I would've stayed home all day pining for Wulf if it wasn't for him. But I don't want to use him. I just want … this all to not be so complicated anymore.

  *

  Katya had the rest of the weekend off, and she refused to spend it whining and crying over Wulfric Stone. He had a life. He had a business. He had property in Malibu he was trying to sell, apparently. His life didn't revolve around her, and that was okay. So he hadn't gotten in touch yet, so what? She was a modern woman, having a very modern relationship. She would not freak out. He'd get in touch when he had the time.

  She kept herself busy, going back to h
er strip-aerobics class. They'd served their purpose, but she really did enjoy it. Candi was glad to have her back – the classes were always fluctuating, so it was nice to have a regular.

  Sunday was spent with Tori, who'd been given the day off. They went out shopping with her tip money – The Garden was proving to be lucrative. Membership there was not cheap, which meant neither were the clientele. Tori made excellent tips, on top of the very impressive wages Liam gave her.

  After buying some sexy dresses for Katya, and even sexier outfits for Tori's new job, the girls went into a dive bar on a whim and proceeded to get hammered. Completely wasted. Tori was celebrating finally having a job she actually liked. Katya was burying her self-pity under a fifth of tequila. They made a bunch of new friends and were the belles of the bar, till a very nice and polite bouncer kindly asked them to leave.

  On the car ride home, Katya called Liam. Tried to tell him how much she appreciated him, all while Tori blew raspberries into the phone. He sounded concerned, but she couldn't really understand what he was saying, so she shrugged and hung up on him. Then she closed one eye to help with her aim and stabbed her finger at a different contact.

  He didn't answer. Of course he didn't answer. Why would he? Not like she mattered. Not like she was anything important. Not like they hadn't just shared the most intimate moment she'd ever had with anyone ever, so OF COURSE HE DIDN'T FUCKING ANSWER. After she yelled the last part, Tori took her phone away. Clearly, one of them was slightly drunker than the other.

  When they pulled up to their building, Liam was stepping out of a taxi at the same time. Tori had one arm slung around Katya's waist, trying to hold her upright, but she was laughing more than she was helping. Liam simply strode over and scooped Katya up, cradling her in his arms as he carried her through the building.

  “You're very strong,” she mumbled, completely limp in his arms, her head hanging upside down. Tori was holding onto her ponytail, as if that helped somehow.

  “Not that strong. It's like carrying a dead body. Did you gain weight down in Carmel?”

  Both girls burst out laughing, and even through her drunk haze she was able to hear him chuckle. He was fine, she was sure. He was so tall, so strong. Easily as strong as Wulf, and Wulf would never drop her.

  Except he did. Like a bad habit, angel cake.

  The tears started after they got into the apartment, thank god. Tori fell face first onto the couch and Liam carted Katya into her bedroom. While she hiccuped and sobbed, he peeled her jacket off her. Took off her shoes and socks and skinny jeans. While she laid there, desperately trying to catch her breath, he crawled into bed next to her.

  “What's wrong?” he whispered, smoothing his hand down the side of her face. “Do you need to be sick?”

  “No,” she wailed.

  “Tell me. This is killing me. Let me help you.”

  Katya rolled onto her side and pressed her face into his chest.

  “I did something awful.”

  “What?”

  “Awful, awful, awful.”

  “Jesus, Katya, did you kill someone? Run over a small child? What?” he demanded.

  “I said too much,” she whispered.

  “You … what?” he sounded confused.

  “I … I … I think I ...”

  “For the love of all that is holy, what!?”

  “I think I do need to be sick.”

  She was carried into the bathroom. She tried to push him out the door, but that only made the nausea worse. Besides, he wouldn't allow it. Liam was okay with every single part of her, she knew. The workaholic Katya, the stick-up-her-ass Katya, the sex kitten Katya, the crying Katya, and yes, even the drunk and puking everywhere Katya. As he held her hair away from her face and he rubbed her back and he got her glasses of water, her mind spiraled around one single thought.

  You're so stupid for not loving this man.

  19

  “Here.”

  Liam raised his eyebrows. Katya had just burst into his office. She looked very much the worse for wear. Her hair was all scraped up into a messy bun on top of her head. She had dark circles around her eyes, and her normally olive tinted skin was an ashy gray color. Her full lips were thin and pinched, and he really hoped she wasn't going to throw up in his office.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, jumping up and hurrying around the desk. “You should be in bed, I'm surprised you're even up at this hour.”

  “It's three in the afternoon, Liam,” she said as he urged her into a seat.

  “Yeah, but in hangover time, that's like six in the morning.”

  “I wanted to say thank you, for taking care of me,” she started, then made a gagging sound in the back of her throat. She pressed a hand over her mouth and held up a paper bag.

  “What is this?” he asked, gingerly taking it from her.

  “Tacos. God, the smell. I think I'm actually dying.”

  Liam laughed and threw the tacos behind his desk before calling upstairs. He had a large ginger ale and a really cold beer brought back for her. He'd been working in the bar industry for a long time, and it was his opinion that hair-of-the-dog was the best hangover cure. Apparently Katya felt the same way, because she immediately grabbed the beer and chugged it down.

  “Better?” he asked with a laugh. She burped in response, then slapped both hands over her mouth. He laughed even harder.

  She spent the afternoon in his office, talking and laughing with him. She certainly wasn't her usual perky, sassy self, but at least she didn't look like she was gonna throw up, anymore. He offered her a taco, but she waved him away, sticking with her ginger ale and some goldfish crackers he'd managed to scrounge up.

  After a while, she became absorbed with something on her phone, so Liam went about his work. Most of the bar's accounting and payroll needed to get done. He would glance up at her every now and then, smiling to himself. He liked having her there, was comforted by her presence.

  He frowned at his last thought and stared at her. He had to tell her how he felt. If she hadn't figured it out already – he wasn't exactly being subtle, but fuck it. When he fell, he fell hard. He'd never been afraid to love.

  His only fear was that she'd never love him back.

  “Katya, I ...”

  *

  Katya glanced up at the sound of her name, but before Liam could finish the sentence, his office phone rang. He glared down at it for a moment, then looked back up at her.

  “Just a sec,” he sighed.

  “Want me to wait outside?”

  “No. No, not at all. It's just my partner.”

  She nodded and was about to go back to the book she was reading, but when he swiveled in his chair, she got a little curious. His back was to her and he was speaking in a low voice. Normally, Katya wasn't much of a snoop, but she couldn't help but lean forward in her seat, trying to hear him better.

  “No … no, don't come down here … I know … I'm aware … you think so? … oh, you know so, excuse me … fine … fine … why don't you call and check for yourself?”

  Katya was surprised to hear that Liam sounded kind of pissed off. Not fully angry, but there was a tightness to his voice, and his tone was snide. She wondered why he hadn't just bought his partner out. The club was thriving, and he had his property. Surely he didn't need Richard Mason's help anymore.

  “That's good … real good … how about you handle your business the way you want to, and I'll handle my business the way I want to … sure, sure … I'm hanging up now … goodbye … goodbye … hanging up … wow, I've never heard you this angry before, it's kind of amazing, I'm actually – hello? Hello? Motherfucker,” Liam growled, and he slammed the phone down with so much force, he startled her.

  “Bad news?” she asked. He glared at her for a moment, then took a deep breath.

  “Yeah. Yeah, he's a dick. We have this sort of side investment, and we can't agree on anything.”

  “Why would you start a new project with him, when you hate him?�
�

  “What makes you think I hate him?”

  Katya shrugged.

  “You never have anything nice to say about him. Your whole demeanor changes when you talk about him, or when he's around,” she said, remembering the time she'd interrupted their meeting.

  “It does?” Liam sounded surprised.

  “Yeah. I always assumed you didn't like him,” she explained.

  He was suddenly out of his chair and stalking towards her. She sunk down in her seat, swallowing thickly as he bent over her. She sucked in a breath of air when he reached out his hand. Again, that brief moment of hesitation. His eyes flicking to hers, seeking permission. She didn't know what was going on, so she didn't say anything, didn't move. He went ahead and touched the top of her head, pulling the pins out of her bun. She could only stare up at him as her thick hair fell in waves around her shoulders.

  “You should wear it down,” he said in a husky voice.

  “You think so?”

  “Looks sexier.”

  When he kissed her, it was a little bit of a shock. They hadn't kissed in a while. Also, just a couple hours ago, she'd been puking her brains out. She'd brushed her teeth – several times – and had swallowed half a bottle of Listerine, but still. Between the hangover and her conflicting emotions, his tongue was making her want to gag. Not the reaction she usually had to him. She grumbled and pushed at his chest till he backed away.

  “What is going on?” she panted for air.

  “Nothing. I just haven't kissed you in a long time. Wanted to give you a little reminder,” was all he said. She stared at him like he was crazy.

  “Okay, well, maybe while I'm hungover, we should not do that,” she said, trying to laugh a little to break the mood. He had one hand in her hair, holding it away from the side of her face, and he stared down into her eyes.

  “I think I have something that could make you feel better,” he whispered, leaning close enough that his lips brushed against hers.

  Katya was a red blooded heterosexual female – of course she was turned on, a sexy man was trying to kiss her. One whom she knew for a fact could make her hear colors and taste sound. It was very tempting. But as good as all those things were, they wouldn't banish a different man from her mind, and Liam deserved better than that.