Chapter Three
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I snapped at Tammy, tugging on the hem of my dress—the dress—which felt too tight, too short...too much.
I felt as if my ass was going to pop out at any moment and moon everyone in my building.
What had I been thinking when I bought it?
Oh right, I was going to wear it in Vegas. But for a normal day in Long Beach, especially for a casual knock on my neighbor’s door, it felt like trying too hard.
Anything would have felt like too much. Except maybe baggy pajamas and a tank top, which sounded much more comfortable than the skin-tight dress I wore.
“Stop that.” Tammy slapped my hand away. “You look sexy.”
“Skanky is more like it.”
“No way. Look at your ass.” She shook her head. “Damn, Bryan was a fool to let you out of his sight.”
“Come on, I don’t want to do this—”
“Just knock on the door and tell him you made some extra cookies and that he should try them,” Tammy said. She closed my door half-way, pushing me further into the hallway. “I’ll be waiting here. Spying on you through the peephole.”
“Creeper,” I hissed. “This is a stupid idea.”
“Not listening.” Tammy flashed a cheeky grin and slammed the door shut.
Holding a plate of freshly baked, admittedly delicious cookies—all Tammy’s work, of course—I felt a bit ridiculous. Why had I stupidly allowed Tammy to do my makeup and dress me up? My heels were way too high to walk in.
My vision seemed to blur a little as I began my journey across the hall. The three steps to the door of 4B felt like a mile of tightrope over the Grand Canyon.
I knocked on the door lightly, my hands shaking.
“Louder!” I heard a whisper behind me.
I groaned, rolled my eyes, and knocked again.
The door swung open almost immediately. I found myself staring up into those deep, brown eyes again. He was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and jeans. His eyes were narrowed, a bit puffy, as if he had just woken up.
His hair looking tousled and rumpled. The sight of the five o’clock shadow on his face made my thighs automatically press together.
“H-hi!” I said, a bit too enthusiastically.
He flinched. Which made me flinch.
What if he worked nights and I’d woken him up?
“Yeah. Uh, hi,” he said.
His gaze moved down the length of my body. His lips parted just a little in response.
I felt blatantly aware of my pushed-up breasts. My hips were too wide, my legs too exposed, my face felt like I had slammed a cake onto it. I swallowed.
“Can I help you?” he asked with a frown.
“Cookies,” I blurted.
He blinked.
I shook my head. Crap, there I go again. “I mean, I made you cookies. To welcome you,” I added. “To the building. Again.”
His brows drew together. “Cookies.” He seemed to taste the word on his tongue, as if he had never heard of it before.
I raised the plate a little higher, the smell hitting my nostrils with a punch. Damn, Tammy sure knew how to bake.
“Okay,” he said. He took the plate from me. “Thanks.”
I let my arms flap at my sides. I had no idea what to do with my hands now. “Welcome...again,” I said.
I was about to turn around and run back to my condo with my tail between my legs, when a corner of his lips lifted. I stopped, mesmerized. It might even be half a smile, if I tilted my head a bit.
“Thanks, again,” he said. He held out his right hand. “I’m Liam, by the way.”
I shook his hand, enjoying the feel of warm, strong fingers gripping mine. He had a firm shake, and the tips of his fingers seemed to linger in the center of my palm before he pulled away.
I tried not to drool when his bicep flexed, wondering what it would feel to have those arms tighten around me.
“Misty,” I said.
“You across the hall, there?” he asked, nodding behind me.
“Yeah.” I smiled, remembering that Tammy was staring at us, and would probably have a full review of my flirting techniques as soon as this was over. “Looks like we’ll be neighbors.”
“Cool.”
Feeling a bit more encouraged, I looked up at him with a smile. “You know, if you’re new in town and you need someone to show you around—”
“I’m not.”
I nearly choked. “W-what?”
“I’m not new in town,” he explained. “I moved from a few blocks away, actually.”
“Oh.”
I wanted to see that smile again, or at least, the full version of it. But his face resumed its somber expression. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but with me.
“But thank you for the offer,” he said, shifting from foot to foot. “And for the cookies.”
“You’re welcome,” I muttered.
“I’ll return the plate soon.”
“Oh. Sure.”
I tried not to sigh.
“Well, I have a lot of unpacking to do.”
I was being dismissed. “Of course.” I took a step back, wobbling on my heels. Fortunately, I regained my balance. Or maybe unfortunately. At least, if I stumbled, he would have no choice but to catch me again, and I could continue admiring his muscles and the brown hues of his irises.
Liam gave a nod and shut the door.
I bolted for my apartment, nearly falling as I spun on my heels. Thankfully, Tammy opened the door in time, and I stumbled inside, aiming straight for the couch.
“That was the stupidest idea ever, thank you very much! I feel like an idiot.”
I attacked the straps of my shoes, yanking them off one by one.
“What happened?” Tammy asked. She kept a safe distance from the sofa.
“He totally rejected me.”
“You asked him out?”
“I said that if he needed someone to show him around the city, I’d be happy to help.”
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t even let me finish. Shot me down completely.” I buried my face in my hands. “That was so embarrassing.”
Tammy paused. She tiptoed a few steps closer. “Was he even remotely interested?”
I took a moment to replay the encounter in my mind. “He checked me out,” I admitted. “But barely. Obviously didn’t like what he saw.”
Tammy didn’t say anything for a moment. “Well, then screw him,” she hissed. “You’re a sexy mama. He must be gay or something—”
“I don’t think he’s gay.”
Tammy struggled for words. “Well...then...I... Something’s wrong with him. You look amazing, and if he can’t see that, then he must be blind...or something.”
I fought back a smile.
“What’s so funny?” Tammy demanded.
“It’s just...he must be something if he can get you all speechless like that.” I looked up at my friend, wiping away a tear from the corner of my eye.
Tammy frowned. “You crying, sweetie? That bastard make you cry?”
“I’m—I’m fine.” I took a deep breath. “But you know what? You’re right.”
Tammy touched her chest. “I am?”
“Yeah. I am a sexy mama.” I laughed, unable to say the words with a straight face.
Tammy’s grin spread across her face, all straight and white-toothed. “Hell yeah you are! I told you. If he can’t see it, then he just isn’t right in the head. We can’t fix stupid. You know what I mean?”
I laughed again. “And I gave him your cookies.” She shook her head. “All that deliciousness gone to waste.”
“I can always make more.” She started for the kitchen without waiting for an answer. “It’ll make you feel better.”
“No. I have a better idea.”
I rose to my feet. I lifted my chin, trying to channel the strong, confident vixen I knew lived inside me somewhere. It didn’t help much that I had already taken off my shoes and lost the four inches it had given me. “Let’s go shopping tomorrow.”
Tammy turned slowly. When she saw that I was serious, she clapped her hands together. “You serious?”
I nodded. “Yeah. If I’m going to snag some hot dates, I’m going to look hot doing it.”
“Are you really serious? Don’t kid around with me.”
I squared my shoulders. “If Liam doesn’t want me, he doesn’t know what he’s missing. But I’ll have plenty of fun showing him.”