Page 51 of His to Seduce
“Did you ever think of calling first?”
He stopped a few feet from me and tilted his head. “Would you have answered?”
Fair point. “I still would have liked the choice as to when I see you again.”
We were in a standoff, my stubbornness versus his. Yet as the seconds ticked by, I began softening. I knew I came across as rude and uptight, but I didn’t necessarilyenjoybeing that way. I was just about to cave when a friendly voice shouted from across my front lawn.
“Everything okay over there, Miss Reed?”
I turned and forced myself to smile at Sal Lorenz.
He returned the smile from over the row of his perfectly pruned rosebushes, only losing the happy look when he glanced at David. We must have looked like we were arguing, which wasn’t off the mark, because his expression changed to one of concern.
“I’m fine, Mr. Lorenz,” I called back to him. “Just talking to a friend of mine.”
Sal Lorenz was a kind old man, often stopping by to check on me. He claimed it was because he was worried about me and didn’t like the idea of a woman living alone without a strong man to protect and care for her. I suspected it was because he’d lost his wife of forty-five years to brain cancer two years earlier, and he simply didn’t know what to do with all the time he spent by himself.
I’d taken up a rather interesting friendship with the old gentleman, who had to be going on two hundred years old based on his wrinkles and hunched back alone, even though he claimed to be only eighty-six.
He shot another look toward David and clipped the air with his pruning shears. “Okay, then, you let me know if you need anything. Made some banana bread today. I can bring it by later for some cribbage. See if you can finally beat me.”
I struggled not to laugh at his protectiveness. And simultaneously fought the urge not to blush. Because wasn’t that what all twenty-nine-year-olds did? Played cribbage with their elderly neighbor?
Next to me, David failed to muffle his laughter.
I glared at him. “You can come inside or leave, but you should decide quick before Sal decides to use those shears.”
“Inside,” David choked out through his poorly hidden laughter. “I choose inside.”
“Figures.” I turned back to Mr. Lorenz and waved. “Maybe some other night, Mr. Lorenz. Okay?”
“Take care of yourself, young lady.”
“Come on,” I said to David, and walked toward my front door.
We needed to talk, anyway. Might as well get it over with.
“Your neighbor seems nice.” David stood close to me while we walked, his hands still in his pockets. But he was too close, his voice too deep. It sent a shiver down my spine that wasn’t entirely unpleasant. “Protective. I like that you have that.”
I didn’t say anything until we were inside my house. My entryway was narrow and I had to press myself against my door for David to enter. Despite his caring tone, I debated letting it shut in his face.
But I generally tried not to be immature.
He brushed against me, grinning down at me as he caught my quick intake of breath. I hated that he affected me this way.
Hated that I’d let myself become so affected by him so quickly.
“Do you want a drink?” I dropped my keys in my purse and headed toward the kitchen. I’d barely eaten anything all day, but I needed a drink if I was going to have to talk to David.
As he followed me quietly, I felt him scanning my small house. Close to Fireside Grill, I was also only a couple of blocks away from Trina and Blue. The three of us didn’t get together as often as I liked since we were all busy with our jobs, but on nights when I didn’t run with Chelsea, I tried to get one of the other women to go for a short walk with me. Tomorrow, I had to get back to training for my last 10K run of the season, but tonight I was throwing my training diet out the window.
Beer. Lots of it. And a heck of a lot of food. Preferably ice cream.
“I could have a beer,” David replied, still behind me when I entered my kitchen and skipped past the refrigerator. His confusion was almost a palpable feeling when I opened the door to my basement and waved him through.
“Going to kill me down here and stuff me in a freezer?” He smirked as he reached me.
I glared, but it lacked heat. “Tempting.” Waving for him to go first, I then headed down the narrow staircase, ducking when I reached the bottom.
