AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m standing near my door, shooting the shit with a few of the guys on the team, when I hear people talking out in the hall. It sounds like Brady. What the hell is he doing making a ruckus out there? He’s the guest of honor, and I’m pretty sure the sooner he gets in here, the sooner all these people leave.
I excuse myself and walk over to the door, whipping it open. “Thought I heard you out here. What the hell, are you trying to piss off all my—” I abruptly stop talking when I notice Miles’s sister, Twyla, standing with Brady and Violet.
What the hell is she doing here?
“Funny thing, we just met your new neighbor.” Brady thumbs toward Twyla.
My stomach lurches. Great, as if tonight could get any worse. Temptation just moved in across the hall.
Three
Twyla
Chase fills the doorway of his condo with his mouth hanging open. My brother, Miles, once told me Chase is one of the biggest tight ends in the league and at six foot four, two hundred sixty-five pounds of muscle, I believe him. But that’s not what’s most intimidating about the man—it’s the constant scowl glued on his face whenever he looks at someone and his short, flippant answers on the rare occasion he talks to you.
Still, I’d be lying if I claimed I didn’t have a small crush on the man. It wasn’t anything I worried about before because I was with Mathew and I was only looking. I may have been taken, but I wasn’t dead. Chase truly is the perfect package with his short beard and his trimmed brown hair that’s always lighter on the ends. Add on his stacked frame and deep-brown eyes, and he looks drop-dead sexy in his Kingsmen uniform, but he’s even sexier dressed in regular clothes, like right now.
And I cannot believe he’s my across-the-hall neighbor.
“Hey, Chase.” I smile widely at him since my arms are immobile from holding a box.
He recovers from whatever stupor he’s in, blinking a few times and nodding briskly. “Hey… so you live here now?” He motions toward the door directly across the hall from his.
“For the next few months. I’m condo slash pet-sitting for a tech guy who’s in Asia for a while.”
The four of us stand awkwardly for a beat, then Brady widens his eyes at Chase.
Chase glances at me as if I’m the last kid waiting to be picked in gym class. “You gonna join us?”
I cringe. “Thing is… my brother doesn’t know yet that I’ve moved here. And I doubt a party is the best place to tell him.”
“Nonsense. Your brother will be excited to see you. Right, Chase?” Violet says.
He clears his throat. “Yeah, sure.”
That isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. But itwouldbe nice to see everyone after my long trip.
“Okay, I just have to put this in the condo, and then I’ll come over.” I motion with the box toward condo number 3311 behind me.
“Chase can take that box for you so you can open the door. Right, buddy?” Brady claps him on the shoulder, walking past him.
“Last I checked, you had two hands,” Chase mumbles.
“Guest of honor, my friend.” Brady walks into Chase’s condo.
Violet follows her fiancé but glances over her shoulder at us.
“Do you mind?” I ask Chase, lifting the box.
“Here.” He holds out his hands for the box, and I pass it over.
“Thanks.” I fish the key for the condo out of my purse, open the door, and hold it for Chase.
“Nice place.” He walks in and sets the box on an expensive-looking table in the entryway. “It’s really… modern.”
“You’ve never been in here before? I figured you would have since you’re neighbors.”
“I’m not really the neighborly kind of guy. I saw this guy twice, maybe.”
