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I walked into the front room mentally prioritizing the repairs that needed to be made. “She’s sound asleep. I ended up read—” I stopped mid-sentence when I discovered that Luna wasn’t the only one on the train to dreamland.
Skylar was curled up in the corner of the couch, her mouth open, making little grunting noises. Snoring actually. Her glasses were sitting crooked on her nose. Her chest was rising and falling in steady breaths and there was a tiny bit of drool pooled at the corner of her mouth. She looked so tiny, and young, and vulnerable. I felt my heart double in size.
Luna wasn’t the only one that I’d do anything to protect. For so long, I’d been so closed off. I’d kept people at a distance. But somehow, someway, these two people had made their way into my life, my heart. I was trying to tell myself that I felt a responsibility to them because they were neighbors and we lived in a fairly desolate slab of the island. But the truth was that was just one of the reasons I felt what I did. The other reasons had to do with emotions I wasn’t ready to face.
I contemplated whether or not I should wake her up. I’d noticed that there were dark circles under her eyes when she opened the door tonight. She was clearly exhausted so I decided it would be best to let her sleep. I wouldn’t be able to lock the deadbolt, but I could still lock the bottom knob.
Before I left, I walked as quietly as a six-foot-four, two hundred and twenty-five-pound man could on old wooden floorboards. When I reached the couch, I bent down and gently slid her glasses off of her face and set them down on the coffee table. She might wake up with a crick in her neck, but at least her glasses wouldn’t be damaged and she’d be warm. I picked up the waffle blanket that Luna had used for her “dinner picnic” and gently placed it over Skylar.
I’d made it halfway to the front door when I stepped on a particularly squeaky board. I stilled and glanced over my shoulder, hoping that Skylar wasn’t disturbed. But I saw her eyes fluttering open. I could see that she was disorientated as she sat up and looked around the room. She grabbed her glasses and put them on, now they were even more crooked than before.
“Hey, I was trying not to wake you.”
She sat up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Did I fall asleep?”
I couldn’t help but grin at how adorable she was sitting there with her glasses askew, looking around sleepily. She stood and the blanket fell to the ground as she stretched her arms over her head. The motion caused her sweatshirt to crawl up revealing a sliver of skin on her belly. It was just the slightest hint of flesh but it lit my entire body up with awareness.
When she lowered her arms, she asked, “Is Luna—”
“She’s asleep,” I rasped as my throat constricted with arousal.
Skylar tilted her head to the side and rubbed her neck like she might have a crick in it. My hands itched to work out that crick and any other that she might have on her body.
Oblivious to the internal chaos she was causing in me, she dropped her arm and a half-grin pulled at her lips. “Did she talk you into more than four books?”
“No,” I answered honestly. Technically, I’d only read four books. I’d just read the last one two times.
“Well, thanks again. For the pizza, for today, for everything.”
Instead of verbally responding, I just nodded. I didn’t trust myself not to tell her that I’d do anything for her, which would be a totally inappropriate thing to say. Even if it was true. Knowing that I needed to get out of there, I walked to the front door and when I turned back, I saw that she’d followed and stopped up short behind me.
There were mere inches between us. Neither of us said a word. Every part of my DNA was screaming for me to wrap my arm around her, pull her close to me, and crush my mouth to hers. My heart was thudding violently in my chest and I was practically choking on arousal.
I cleared my throat. “I, uh, noticed a few repairs that need to be done around the house. Would you mind if I stop by and work on them this week?”
She stared up at me and blinked several times like she wasn’t sure how to respond.
“I’m a contractor,” I explained. It was strange to talk to someone who didn’t know anything about me. Although, she knew more than I’d like thanks to that damn trolley ride. She hadn’t brought up the curse yet, but I had a feeling she probably had some questions about it. “A licensed contractor.”
“It’s not that. I’m sure you’re very,”—she licked her lips and my dick jumped in my pants as she inhaled slowly—“qualified. It’s just, I’m having a little bit of a cash flow issue and I can’t really afford—”
“I won’t charge you.” I hadn’t even considered that before I offered.
She shook her head and her brows creased. “But…why would you do that?”
“Part of the perks of a small town.” I lifted my hands and adjusted the glasses on her head so they were straight. “Neighbors help each other out.”
My fingertips grazed her cheek as I lowered my hand and I noticed that she sucked in a shaky breath. Her lips parted, her eyes dilated, and a flush colored her fair skin. If this were any other woman, I’d lean down and kiss her. But if this were any other woman, I wouldn’t want to kiss her more than I wanted to take my next breath.
Before I did something stupid, I dipped my head and I walked out the front door into the crisp night air. I turned back and smiled. “Have a good night.”
“Have a good night,” she repeated, still looking adorably dazed.
I already had a good night. One of the best nights I’d had in a long time.
