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“And somewhat of a sister-in-law,” Wendy adds.
My confusion must show, prompting Evie to continue. “Wendy’s brother Ryan and I have a daughter together. He and I never officially married, but for all intents and purposes, she and I are sisters-in-law.”
“I think I met Ryan at your wedding, and I know I met Tillie. She’s adorable.”
Evie smiles and says, “Thank you,”
“It’s less complicated than it sounds,” Darius adds. “Fortunately, Ryan is a great guy. They co-parent remarkably well, and my stepdaughter is an amazing kid.”
My stunning neighbor wanders into the kitchen at this point, stealing my attention. My gaze glides down from her upswept hair and dangling golden earrings to the one shoulder that’s temptingly laid bare by the wide neckline of her sweater. Even though the red knitted garment is oversized and shouldn’t be sexy, I know what lies underneath. Our previous interactions may have been brief, but not so brief that I didn't notice her generous breasts. The fitted black pants she’s wearing show off the shape of her well-toned legs, and her thick-heeled black boots could inflict some severe damage in a fight. Her clothes are a combination of sweet and biker chick, like her personality. She tries to be a polite little southern belle, but she ends up losing her temper at me, which is a reaction from the fairer sex that I’m not used to. But it has benefits, like helping me keep Lucy at a distance. If she thinks I’m an asshole, she won’t want anything to do with me. And since I find her stunningly beautiful, Ineedher to stay away from me.
Being attracted to her is fine as long as I’m the only one who knows I am. I can’t allow any feelings for her to develop beyond mild interest, which shouldn’t be difficult if we’re never together. Even when we are, I act like a Neanderthal whenever she speaks. And it’s not on purpose. It’s as though I have some strange affliction that causes my brain to misfire whenever we’re in close proximity. I feel bad about it; I’m usually a polite guy.
“Niall.” Calista calls my name, and my gaze finally leaves Lucy.
“Yeah?”
“How’s everything at your house?” she asks.
I tip my head toward her. “I think you mean at your house.”
One of her shoulders shrugs. “Well, you’re the one living there.”
“It’s a great setup. I like everything about living there.”
A guttural sound of disagreement leaves Lucy’s shiny red lips, gaining everyone’s attention. Alarm flickers in her brown eyes, but it’s gone in a flash, making me wonder if I imagined it.
She places her hand in the middle of her chest. “Excuse me, y’all. I had a frog in my throat.” Her southern drawl is noticeably deeper.
“So you’re happy with everything? No complaints for your landlord?” Calista asks me. I imagine she’s trying to draw everyone’s attention from Lucy.
“None. It’s a great house. I appreciate you letting me stay there.”
“It’s nice to know someone’s occupying it. Also, I like knowing Lucy’s not alone. It’s a safe area, but there are always exceptions.”
“Calista,” Lucy challenges, with her hands on her hips.
“What? I can’t worry about you?”
“I’m a grown-ass woman who’s been taking care of myself just fine. You forget I bought my house years before you moved in next door.”
“I understand all that, but now you have to deal with Les alone, which worries me.”
I frown. “Who’s Les?”
“The creeper who lives in the house on the other side of Lucy’s.”
I turn to Lucy. “Has he bothered you?” It’s the first time I’ve spoken to her in a normal tone.
She opens her mouth to reply, then closes it, choosing to shake her head instead.
Calista jumps in. “He’s more of an ogler than anything. But he’s not subtle about it at all. Lucy and I used to pretend to be lovers to keep him away.”
Murphy hoots with laughter. “Yeah, because the idea of two hot chicks scissoring isn’t a turn-on.”
“Right?” Ryder wraps his arm around Calista’s shoulder. “I told her they may as well have waved a red thong at the dude.”
“Two for the price of one,” Kaiden adds.
