“So what you're saying,” he chuckled as he stretched out behind her on the sofa. “Is I need to learn to be a little less of an asshole, and you need to learn to be a little more of one.”
“I guess, yeah.”
“Well, you came to the right teacher.”
They laughed more than they ever had in all the time they'd spent together. She learned his laugh lines, knew how to find them around his eyes. Traced her fingers along them. He looked so good when he smiled, he needed to do it more often. She would help him.
And they talked. For hours. About everything. Her family, his family, school, jobs, past relationships, life, love, the universe. They teased and told jokes and he chased her around the apartment, making her laugh endlessly. He pushed her up against one of the windows and peeled off the sweater, kissing his way down her spine while she looked out over a sleeping city.
“We were made for each other,” he whispered late in the night, his lips wandering over trembling skin.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“Who would've thought, all those years ago. My next door neighbor, little Katya Tocci. I never even noticed you.”
“Not so little anymore.”
“No. Thank god we were able to keep the house.”
“Yeah, cause good neighbors are hard to find.”
25
Katya woke up to the sound of an alarm buzzing. She jerked once, still half asleep, then moaned and stretched out. Slowly lifted her head up to look around. Her hair was everywhere, falling all over her face. She blew on it till she'd cleared away a strand that allowed her to see. Wulf was laying on his back next to her and was rubbing his hands over his face.
“What time is it?” she asked, her voice creaky from all the talking they'd done.
“God, it's late,” he groaned, lifting his watch off his night stand. “It's almost noon.”
“You're lucky I've been banned from work, Mr. Stone, or you'd be in big trouble,” she said, stretching again before rolling onto her back.
“Paid leave is hardly the same as getting banned, Tocci. Fuck, it's so late,” he repeated himself as he sat up. He scratched his fingers through his crazy hair, obviously trying to wake up.
“Sorry,” she laughed, pressing her palm against his back. “You're the one who wanted to stay up so late.”
He glanced at her, one eyebrow quirked up in irritation, then he fell backwards. Rolled so he was on top of her.
“I think you're partly to blame for that,” he reminded her, biting into her lip. It was swollen from the night before, and she moaned as her pulse throbbed in response.
“Guilty.”
They kissed for a while longer. It was different, now. Kissing Wulf had always been a treat for the senses, but now, there was nothing methodical about it. He wasn't planning an attack on her body. He was enjoying it. Reveling in it. She never wanted to let him go.
“I want to stay with you,” she whispered into his hair as his tongue traced along her clavicle.
“Good, I want you to be here.”
“But I have to go home. I need clothes, a toothbrush, and I have to … I have to talk to some people,” she said. He stopped moving, which made her freeze up. That damn one percent lack of trust – he'd given her emotional PTSD. She was scared of his reactions.
“Some people, huh. Would this have anything to do with the date you were all dressed up for?” he asked.
“Possibly. And my roommate is pissed that I didn't call her that first night, she almost called the police. She thought you found me and killed me.”
“I did kidnap you.”
“Hardly – I was awfully willing.”
“You beat me with your fucking purse.”
“Don't be such a baby, you can barely see the bruises.”
He dug his fingers into her side, causing her to shriek and laugh.
“Okay,” he said, silencing her with a kiss. “Okay, let me go into work real quick. I have to clear something up with a shitty investment. I'll come back and I'll drive you to your apartment.”
“Wow, you're going to drive me all the way across town? This must be love.”
“I might even take the top down for you.”
“Stop, I might swoon.”
He kissed her on the nose and jumped out of bed. She watched him while he got dressed. He didn't pull on one of his suits, his normal attire for work. He went casual, just grabbing jeans and a polo shirt. She hoped that meant he wouldn't be gone all day. She didn't want to lose the momentum they'd built up.
As he slipped on a blazer, he came back over to the bed. Crawled over it and kissed her soundly, forcing his tongue down her throat. She was almost panting when he finally pulled away.
“Please be here when I come back,” he whispered, tracing his finger down the side of her cheek.
“I will. Don't be gone too long,” she replied. He shook his head and stood upright.
“Two hours, possibly three. Not a minute longer, I promise.”
“See you in three hours.”
He kissed her one more time, just as soundly, then he was striding out of the room. She heard the front door click shut, then she was left in silence.
She wandered out to his kitchen and decided to poke around. She was a chef, through and through, so she loved to be in a kitchen. Wulf's was sad, really. He had a great stove top, and a double oven built into the cabinets. Neither looked as if they'd been used. He had cast iron skillets and copper cookware, all shiny and new, except for one small frying pan that had seen a lot of action.
His refrigerator was in a similar state. He had a carton with seven eggs in it, a carton of non fat milk, a half a loaf of bread, and a jar of pickles. That was it. His freezer held a ridiculous amount of ice cubes, one lonely tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream, and some frozen chicken breasts. His cupboards weren't any better, with a couple boxes of pasta and cans of soup. She finally hit gold when she found an almost empty box of Cheerios. She pulled it down, then went in search of bowls.
She sat on the edge of his table and ate her cereal while she looked out over the view. She tried to pick out where, exactly, they were in relation to her apartment. Tried to pinpoint landmarks to help her along. But they were too far away, or the buildings were too small. She needed Liam to get her a flagpole for her roof, so she could raise up something bright and eye catching.
Liam.
The milk soured in her stomach. He'd been so good to her, and it really had been a great date. Any other time, any other girl, and it would've been a magical night. And what had she done to say thanks? She'd ran away, gone home with Wulf, and had sex all night with him.
Katya lurched away from the table, her guilt suddenly overwhelming. She grabbed at her phone and scrolled through his messages. They were all about how awesome the date had been, how much he cared about her. One asked her to bring him tacos, because he had to go into work early every day as they attempted to catch up on inventory.
Feed me, she-devil. I'm starved for you.
She couldn't bear it. She couldn't stand there in Wulf's apartment, relaxed with afterglow and half naked in his sweaters, while Liam was sitting somewhere, falling in love with her. She felt like the devil. She had to talk to him.
Okay. Two, maybe three hours, Wulf said. That's plenty of time to go downtown and speak to Liam. To at least stop any crazy thoughts he might have pinging around in his head.
She remembered Wulf offering her some of his sister's clothing, leaving them in the hall bathroom for her. She raced into the room and started yanking on clothing. Genevieve Stone was a little bit curvier than Katya, the soft knit sweater was roomy in the chest, the expensive slacks wider in the hips, but she made it work, then turned to look at her reflection. The sweater was a pearl gray color, the pants a charcoal gray. She almost burst out laughing.
Old-Katya and her all-brown-outfit would've gotten along well with Vieve, I think.
Her hair looked psychotic, but she didn't have time to make it present
able. She yanked everything up into a high ponytail and just hoped for the best. All she had were her strappy stilettos, so she put them on, grabbed her purse, then rushed out the door, looking like she was applying for a secretary job somewhere very unexciting.
While she waited downstairs for a taxi, Katya messaged Tori, asking her if she was at work. She wasn't, but yes, she did know that Liam had planned to be in office around ten that morning.
“Why?”
“No reason. I'm gonna stop by the apartment in a bit, okay?”
“Okay, see you then.”
The rain had made an epic return, beating down on top of the cab as they rushed through traffic. When they got to the club, she held her clutch over her head while she made a mad dash down the alleyway, trying to avoid puddles.
“Hey, long time no see, Ms. Tocci!” Jan, the bouncer, lifted a hand to her. He had an umbrella, and as soon as she got close enough, he held it over her.
“Yeah, I've been busy!” she had to yell to be heard over the rain. “Is Liam here?”
“Yeah, downstairs already!”
“Thanks!”
Katya stood in the hallway for a moment, shaking the rain water away and trying to decide what she was going to say. What could she say? “Hey, thanks for the date, but remember how I said that guy was an asshole? Well, he's not, and I spent the last thirty-six hours with him, and I think he's the best thing that's ever happened to me” just didn't sound very good.
Just be honest with him. Liam's always been upfront and honest with you. He's a big boy. He can take it.
With that thought, she squared her shoulders and strode the rest of the way into the bar.
“Hey, it's angel cake!” Timmy the bartender hollered. She rolled her eyes.
“Yup, it's me. How are you?”
“Can't complain. Hey, thanks for sending us Tori, she's a doll. Love working with her.”
“She's really the best.”
“She is. Still raining outside?”
“Pouring. Is Liam here?”
“Yeah, Eden's downstairs in his office. Here.”
Normally, she could push a button on the big vinyl door, and it would ring a doorbell in a security room. Cameras would show her face to a whole team of security workers, they would establish that she was a member, and she would be let in. But the buzzer was broken, it turned out.
Timmy had a key and he let her down into the lower level. He offered to send down drinks, and though she thought some liquid courage might help, she turned him down. As nervous as she was, she might just spew it all up.
She slowed her steps as she entered the lower bar, and eventually came to a stop. She looked around the space. That part of the club wasn't open yet, people were just moving and cleaning. Some decorations had been hung, and she wondered what was being celebrated.
It was so strange – six weeks ago, she'd thought sex clubs were an urban myth. Now she was calmly standing in the middle of one and wondering about the décor. Could look across the room and see the booth she'd had sex in; the memories still made her blush. But she refused to feel even a tiny bit embarrassed.
I'm proud. Proud that I can be this open minded, this accepting, this uninhibited. So thanks Liam, and thanks The Garden, and thanks Eros dating site, and thanks Wulf. Thank you all, for making me a better person.
Feeling good about herself, Katya made her way into the hall with all the doors. Most of the apartments were open, with people setting up the private rooms for the coming night. The locked doors belonged to members who rented the rooms by the month, she knew. The big conference room doors were open, and when she peeked her head in, the space was filled with seats. She wondered what was going on this time, was glad there was no St. Andrew's Cross to really bring out her blush.
Liam's office was down a small offshoot from the main hall, just off the conference room. There were no other doors, just his, and as she approached it, she saw that it was ajar. She raised her hand to knock, but then his raised voice floated out to her, causing her to stop.
“I don't give a shit,” he was snarling. “Say whatever you fucking want – keep saying it, doesn't matter. I don't fucking believe you. Get the fuck out of my office.”
Whoa, talk about an intense moment. Katya felt guilty for eavesdropping on what sounded like a very private meeting, and she started backing away. Someone else in the room said something, the voice so low she couldn't really hear it, but then Liam got even louder, stopping her in her tracks.
“Yours!? Are you fucking shitting me? You've never given a good goddamn about this business, just the money. I don't care what the deed says, this place is mine. Stop with the bullshit – you can't bully me into leaving her alone.”
That sentence right there brought Katya back to the door. She all but pressed her ear to the heavy wood, desperate to know what was going on and who was on the other side of the argument. She held her breath, not wanting to get caught, and listened carefully.
“I'm not bullying. And I'm not asking. I'm telling you – this little game is over.”
Katya stumbled away from the door, falling into a wall. She pressed a hand over her heart, to feel if she was still breathing. She wasn't taking in any oxygen. Nothing was working. Not her lungs, her brain, her heart. Everything had just spun to a complete standstill.
What. THE FUCK. Is Wulfric doing here!?
While she was stepping in and out of reality, the two men continued with their argument.
“Nothing's over – just because you're losing? Fuck that. It stopped being a game a long time ago, anyway. It's not about that, and you're the fucked up one for keeping this going. Back the fuck off and remember who saw her first.”
“Please, I was there before you even existed.”
“I'm her fucking neighbor, her goddamn landlord – she's been living next door to me for years.”
“And I was her neighbor ten years ago, so I win.”
Winning? A game? I'm a game to them? How do they even know each other, let alone have a game about me?
“Get fucked.”
“I'm done. It's over. It was all fucked to begin with. She was with me last night, and the night before – I don't care if you don't believe me, it's fact. Not a game, not a trick, nothing. I want her, she wants me. It's over between you two. Over.”
“She was with you ...” Liam's voice trailed off. Normally, Katya would've felt bad about him finding out that way. But right then, Katya still wasn't thinking normally.
No, Katya was pretty sure she was having an out of body experience.
“Yes. We talked about a lot of things, agreed on some things. She can explain it to you herself. But trust me when I say you two are over, and if you so much as look at her sideways, I will fucking end you.”
“If I so much as look at her? Sorry, pal, I hate to remind you, but I've fucked her. Lots of times. So I'll look at her any way I want.”
Katya was going to be sick. She was actually going to be sick. She could feel saliva pooling at the back of her jaw, could tell her stomach was rolling back and forth. Hearing people talk that way about her, it was surreal.
“Watch what you fucking say about her.”
“Screw you. You know what, you're right, Ricky. How's about I just give her a little call? Call her and tell her what a nice new boyfriend she has – a guy who told me to go out with her to see how good she was in bed, then sat around comparing stories with me. Let's see how she feels then.”
“You'd be outing yourself, too.”
“Ooohhh, little Ricky scared? Good, cause I'm not.”
Katya took several deep breaths and concentrated. Ricky? Why was Liam calling Wulf by that name? Wasn't that … wasn't his business partner named Ricky? Richard. She could picture the business card in her mind's eye. Richard Mason owned half of Liam's business. Richard Mason hated to be called “Ricky”, so that's what Liam always called him.
Katya's brain must've been a good lock pick in a former life, because some more of those tumble
rs squared up inside her head. A mason was a stone worker, or someone who worked with stone. Stone. Wulfric Stone. WulfRIC Stone.
They've known each other. This whole time, they've known each other. Known about each other. What did he say? 'A guy who asked me to go out with her …' – Wulf asked Liam to go out with me. Asked him how I was in bed. Wulf didn't ask me out till after my night with Liam. Wow, must have been a hell of a conversation. Shit, I would've asked me out, too. Naive idiot who puts out on the first date. Hell of a catch, boys. A hell of a catch.
She came out of her private reverie and realized everything had gone quiet in the office. The only noise was an odd jingling sound. It took her a moment to realize it was her phone. She looked down at her clutch, then pulled out her cell. Liam's office number was scrolling across the screen. He must have made good on his threat to call her. She put her free hand against the door and pushed, slowly opening it wide.
Liam was behind his desk, the phone to his ear, his jaw dropped. Wulf was to the left of the desk. He didn't looked shocked. He looked … hurt. Like he was in pain. She took a couple deep breaths and held up her phone, showing the screen.
“I would've answered, but … seemed kinda pointless ...” she let her voice trail off. Liam visibly struggled to swallow and set down his phone in its cradle.
“Katya, I don't -”
“I came here to talk to you. I didn't realize you were busy,” she interrupted. He moved around the desk, taking tentative steps towards her.
Wulf stayed completely still, his eyes never leaving her face.
“I'm so sorry, Katya. I didn't want you to find out like this.”
“No, sounded to me like you never wanted me to find out,” she even managed a laugh. “But just to clear something up, Wulf is right – he saw me first. We became neighbors when I was five. He wins.”
“Jesus, don't say it like that,” Liam growled. She looked up at him. At his warm eyes and his lips that were made to smile. Smile and lie, oh so well. Everything, a complete lie. A photo book of memories closed in her brain, the pages flipping. Them on the roof, or laughing together in his kitchen, or exploring each other in his bed. All a competition.
Neighbors (Twin Estates #1) Page 28