“Good evening,” said a deep voice behind us.
I turned around and found myself staring directly into my stalker’s beautiful brown eyes. There were still speckles of blueberry on his shirt.Oh. No.I immediately ducked behind the nearest piece of furniture.Shit! Shit shit shit!Had he seen me? Yes, I’d wanted to meet him. But now that it was happening, it kind of felt like my entire body was going to explode. Or melt. Wait, was I already melting? Or was I just sweatingthatprofusely? I closed my eyes. If I couldn’t see him, he couldn’t see me. That was how things worked.
“Are you hiding?” he asked.
I stayed still. Maybe he was talking to someone else. I just wanted to disappear.
“You know I can see you through that glass table, right?”
I snuck a glance back at him. Sure enough, I could see him clear as day through the top of the glass table I’d ducked behind.Damned modern furniture.I stayed still for a second, hoping he’d just walk away and pretend this hadn’t happened.
Instead, the corner of his gorgeous mouth ticked up.
“I’m not hiding,” I said way too defensively. “I was just…tying my shoes.”
“Tying your flats?” His voice was filled with amusement. “They don’t have laces.”
“Don’t be rude to your guest,” said Frankie.
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” said my stalker. “I’m just having one of those days. You wouldn’t believe what happened to me on my way over.”
Please don’t recognize me from the pie incident.
“Anyway, I’m Ryder. Pleasure to meet you.” He stuck his hand out for me to shake.
By some miracle it seemed like he hadn’t seen me hit him with the pie. I breathed a sigh of relief. God, he was so beautiful up close. And his name was Ryder? That was a super hot name. And it suited him. I bet he could ride me all night. “I’m meeting to pleasure you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well that’s rather forward of you.”
What?Then I realized I had jumbled my words all around.Fuck my life.“Er…it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I kind of liked your other greeting better.”
Kill me now.
“Raven here was just telling me how much she loves this apartment,” said Frankie. “We’ve visited a bunch, but this seems to be the only one she’s interested in.”
My stalker…er, Ryder…nodded. “Then she has good taste.” He turned and locked eyes with me. “What other places did you look at?”
“Uh…” How could I phrase this? For all I knew, all those guys were his friends. “Before I answer that, I have a question for you.”
“Ask away.”
“Are you good friends with a gay man or two rapey Spanish men?”Shit!That had seemed a lot less offensive in my head.
Ryder laughed. “I take it you met Ocelot and the brothers?”
“Maybe.”
He turned to Frankie. “What in the world made you think she’d like those apartments?”
Frankie put her hands up. “Don’t blame me. She asked for the biggest double shower I could find.”
“Really?” asked Ryder. His eyes locked with mine again. “I never would have guessed.”
I could feel my face turning red. “I didn’t fully understand what I was asking for,” I said. “But yes, I did technically request that.”
Ryder raised an eyebrow. “And it wasn’t what you wanted?”
