Page 5 of Working For Her Attention

Groggy, irritated, horny, and completely unsatisfied was bad enough, but when I reached the kitchen and headed to my coffee machine, I shut my eyes and breathed through my nose so I wouldn’t scream with complete and utter frustration so damn loudly my neighbors would think I was being murdered.

There, on the counter, sat the empty coffee jar.

One I forgot to replace when I’d gone to the store the night before. But who could blame me? After two sleepless nights of overthinking since finally meeting Sam face to face, focusing on my grocery list had been more than difficult.

“I’m so screwed,” I whispered to myself, checking the digital clock on the over-the-stove microwave.

I had just enough time to run into town to the coffee shop I’d scooped out last week if I went through the drive-thru. I rushed to the door, automatically locking it behind me when I stared at my car.

“Shit,” I whispered under my breath because just like that, my day had just gone from bad to worse.

I had epically messed up.

Not only had I just locked myself out, I’d locked myself out wearing my pajamas just as Sam Miranda walked out of his house. He stopped mid-step when he noticed me. And for a long, quiet morning where the birds chirped around us and the rest of the street still slept, we simply stared at one another.

“Hi!” I called out like a dork and winced at myself for being so damn awkward around the man.

There was something about Sam Miranda that re-wired my brain and made me all warm and mushy inside.

“Hey,” he called out as he started his slow steps towards his truck, or so I thought. He simply placed his travel mug on the hood of it and kept walking.

Straight to me. Great!

“What’s going on?” he asked as he reached the edge where the curb met my front yard.

“Going on?” I repeated like I had no idea what he was talking about even though I was pretty sure that not just my face was brighter, but the tips of my ears had turned red, too.

“Avery?” He looked like he was about to take a step forward but then changed his mind.

“Oh, nothing, umm…” Make something up! Anything! “I was going to water my plants.”

“Your plants?” I nodded. My front yard was nice, but it wasn’t like I had a crazy amount of plants in the front, more like two rose bushes that were already there when I moved in.

“Yup. I come out here every morning and⁠—”

“Baby, you’re in your pajamas,” he pointed out. I pressed my lips together. We both knew I was lying. Also, he called me baby?!

“I woke up late.” I shrugged like it was no big deal I was outside my house in a thin nightshirt that sat a few inches above my knees and no bra. I was almost positive that if I glanced down… Yup! Kill me now! My nipples were standing at full attention. Sam stared at me like he was trying to decide if he was going to call me out on my BS.

“Okay, then. If you’re sure you’re not… locked out of your house or anything?” He looked like he wanted to smile, and everything inside of me froze.

How does he know I’m locked out?

“Me, locked out?” I laughed and shook my head before I gave up. “I’m a horrible liar.” The words tumbled out, and he moved closer. “I didn’t sleep well again, and I ran out of coffee and thought I’d go get some from that place in town.”

“With the drive-thru?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Exactly. But in my half-awake daze I…” I point behind me. “This is beyond embarrassing.”

“Hey…” He stepped forward and stopped right in front of me. Sudden shyness filled me, and I didn’t realize I was looking at the ground until his fingers lifted my chin. “Hey, pretty girl, look at me.” I blinked, my tongue suddenly too big for my mouth.

Does he mean that? Did he really think I was pretty, or was he just being kind to his neighbor now that he saw just how ditzy she was?

“Shit happens, okay?” His reassuring tone made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

“Right,” I whispered, my eyes taking in every masculine feature of his face.

“Now, how about you let me help you get back into your house, okay?”