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“I don’t know, but I’m not mad about it.”
Oh, I’m definitely not mad about it. How can I be when his hands make me shiver, and his mouth may as well have been sent from God Himself?
But then, just as his hands dive under my shirt, I start to overthink it all. Which is totally on brand for me, even if it is stupidly inconvenient right now.
“Zeke.”
I don’t push him away, but he must sense the hesitation in my voice because his head comes up, and he pins me with those bright blue eyes.
“You want me to stop, Cherry?”
“No.” But I don’t sound convinced.
He cups my cheek and softly brushes his thumb back and forth.
“It’s okay,” he says as he rests his forehead against mine. “Now, I need a cold shower.”
I can’t help but laugh and be grateful that he isn’t a complete jerk who issues a guilt trip when a girl says enough—even though I didn’t actually say it.
“I have a cold shower you can use.”
That makes him grin. “Do I need to apologize?”
“No.” I can’t resist dragging my fingertips down his cheek. “It might be mortifying if you do.”
“Good, because I’m not sorry. I’ve been thinking about doing that for more than a fucking year.”
“Really? Even though I’m a nag?”
I grin when his eyes smolder with more lust.
“You’re the hottest nag in the county. We might dislike each other, but the chemistry…it’s almost mean.”
“You have to go home now,” I inform him. “Because I do have to work early, and it’s going to suck with sugar-riddled little kids first thing in the morning. And if you don’t go, I’ll ask you to stay, and that’s not a good idea.”
“I have a long day tomorrow, too. So, I’d better go home and put on that loud metal music I sleep to.”
“Don’t make me poke your eyes out.”
“So violent,” he says again, but he’s grinning as he steps away from me. “The code to my door is 3792. Just come in when you need to.”
“I won’t—”
Before I can finish, he closes my door behind him, and I’m left sitting on the kitchen counter, completely turned on and irritated at the same time.
Sounds about right when it comes to Zeke.
Chapter Two
Zeke
“You’re pissy as hell today.”
I roll out from under a Honda to see my best friend, Wolfe, scowling down at me.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Exactly. The only time you shut up is when you’re pissed off about something. What’s wrong with you?”
I push back under the car and ignore him, but he grabs my foot and pulls me out again.
“What the fuck? I have work to do here, man.”
“You’ve been this way for three days, and it’s driving me fucking nuts. What’s up?”
I blow out a breath and stand, wiping my hands on the rag that always hangs from my back pocket.
“Neighbor,” is all I say.
“You two really need to stop sparring with each other. It’s kind of childish, Zeke.”
If only that were the reason I was sleep-deprived and, therefore…pissy.
But that’s not it at all.
Cherry’s been in my condo every day for the past three days for showers, to wash her dishes, do her laundry. She’s always there, because even if she’s gone by the time I get home, I can still smell her in my space.
She’s invaded every waking thought, and every single one of those centers around getting her naked and fucking her blind.
Not to mention, she hasn’t nagged me once since the other night, and my masochistic ass kind of misses it.
I’ve lost my damn mind.
“You’re quiet again.”
“I just haven’t been sleeping well,” I lie easily. “It’s not a big deal.”
Wolfe narrows his eyes at me. We both know he knows I’m full of shit.
We’ve worked together for more than a decade. I was his chief mechanic when he raced cars professionally, and when he was forced to retire, we went into business together in his hometown of Huckleberry Bay. He’s like a brother to me.
“You’re full of it.”
I can only laugh and shake my head. “Yeah, well, I don’t have another story to tell you. It’s lunchtime. Hungry?”
“Of course, I’m hungry.”
“I’ll go get some food for us. Walk off the mood. What do you want?”
“Burgers from Gordy’s. I want a double.”
“I’ll be back.”
I take off my coveralls, hang them on the hook inside the back door, and then walk out into the fall air.
It’s breezy today, which is usual for this coastal town, but it’s not raining. The yellow and red leaves are starting to fall, and the long walk to Gordy’s is pleasant.
“Hey, Zeke!”
I glance over and wave at Dotty, the bookstore’s owner, as she sets her sign out on the sidewalk.
“Hey, Dot! Have a great day.”
She grins and goes back to what she was doing. In the past year, I’ve grown to know pretty much all the shop and restaurant owners in town, along with most of the people who work in those businesses. And they know me.
