Ten

ANDREW

“Morning, Cupcake.” I give her a winning smile and take in her flushed appearance.

I witness a blush creep up her inviting neck in the aftermath of my greeting. My fingers are eager to grab onto her neck and mark her there with my tongue. Even better than my tongue would be the hot spray of my thick cum after she—

“What are you doing here unannounced for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, and at six-thirty in the morning?” my temptress asks, finding her voice.

I can’t tear my eyes away from the soft column of her neck and she reaches up to cover it with her small hand as if she’s attempting to hide the vulnerable area from my sight.

But she’s too late because I’ve already committed every alluring inch of it to my memory. It’s the reason I’m here so fucking early. No matter what I did at home, I saw her everywhere. When I closed my eyes to sleep, she was right there in my damn dreams.

This has never happened to me before so I got my ass out of bed and drove across town to confront her.

A decision I’m currently rethinking.

She looks fuckable in that satin robe. With her cheeks tinted a red hue and her hair wild and free, she looks like a woman who’s been thoroughly fucked.

I’m tempted to point it out with a teasing remark, but think better of it when I remember she’s currently living without the luxury of air conditioning.

But that doesn’t explain the hardened nipples visible through the thin material of her robe.

Fuck.

“Andrew!” Lilah’s voice rises as she snaps her fingers near my ear.

“Sorry, you were saying?”

She does her signature move and crosses her arms across her chest.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re here or not?” she asks, that cute little frown marring her features.

Goddamn, she’s adorable. I could stand here ogling her all damn morning.

Leaning against the doorframe, I mirror her crossed arms.

“That depends. Tell me what you were doing before I got here.”

That same red blush sweeps over her neck and cheeks and I give a triumphant smirk.

She was touching herself before I got here. Shit, that thought sends my raging libido through the roof.

“I was sleeping,” Lilah shares with a shaky breath.

Yeah, fucking right.

“You’re an awful liar. You know that, Cupcake?”

“You know,” she starts, that defiant air returning to her words, “I only opened the door because I thought you were the super. So you better give me a really good reason not to close it in your face right now.”

There’s my little firecracker.

I already know that smart mouth is only one of her many forms of defense against me and it does nothing but make me harder for her.

“I guess I missed you,” I say, laying it on thick.

To my surprise, she doesn’t roll her eyes. They just grow cloudy with what I want to say is longing as she regards me from under her lids.

As soon as the emotion appears, Lilah hides it in a flash. That same defiant glint returns and she opens her mouth to counter my words.

“I think you’re full of it.”

An easy laugh escapes me at that one. Maybe she’s right, but there had been some truth to my words. It felt like my body was going through withdrawals with each endless hour that passed.

“Say what you will. But it’s nothing but the truth. I woke up and the first thing I wanted was to see your face.”

Silence falls between us and Lilah fidgets with the belt on the robe. I wish she’d just undo the damn thing and put me out of my misery already.

Then again, I don’t want her neighbors getting any glimpse of her. Only my eyes should be able to feast on her magnificent frame.

Which reminds me of the request I made at our first meeting.

“You never answered my question.”

Her eyebrows dip and her lips turn downward. “What question?”

“About letting me paint you,” I clarify.

“Like the people last night?” she asks and I know I’ve reeled her in.

Try as she might, she hadn’t been able to hide her reaction to the exhibits. My presence had been all but forgotten as she got lost in the complex poses and the carefully placed props and paint.

“Yes, but it’d just be you. I don’t want to share you with anyone just yet,” I tell her smoothly.

Lilah is going to say something witty in response, I can see it all over her face. She only pauses when the door across the hall opens. From the look that transforms her face, I can tell she’s not too fond of her neighbor.

“Come in,” she says reluctantly, giving the neighbor a half-hearted greeting as I step inside the humid apartment.

I’d been a little too distracted last night to take in the furnishings in the small space, but now my eyes scan every meticulous corner. She doesn’t have much and the furnishings are definitely secondhand, but everything is clean and has its own place.

The sectional sofa is worn, but comfortable if my memory serves me correctly. There’s a table at the end nearest the door. An antique lamp rests on the surface, not a speck of dust in sight. Her coffee table is covered in candles and magazines. On the opposite wall is a TV dolly which holds an outdated TV and DVD player.

The door to her bedroom is half open and I see that the lampshade in there is at an angle. Given how tidy the place is, it sticks out a little. I wonder why, but my attention is drawn away by Lilah’s busyness.

When Lilah closes the front door, she makes a beeline for the kitchen and pulls down a tall glass from the cupboard. Heading straight for the freezer, I watch her fill it to the brim with ice cubes.

Slamming the door of the appliance shut, she starts chomping away.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“No thanks, Cupcake.”

“I wish you’d stop calling me that,” she says grumpily.

“Do you really, or does it just make you feel better to put up a fight?” I challenge, loving the fire visible in her chocolate eyes.

“I’m starting to regret letting you in here.”

“Let me feed you,” I offer, shoving my hands into my pockets.

It’s the only way I’m going to keep them off her. Especially now that I’m fully in her domain, surrounded by her unique scent and everything that makes her her.

“I wasn’t sure what time you had to be in the office so it’s part of the reason I showed up so early. But I can make it up to you. Have breakfast with me.”

“Maybe. If you agree to have a follow-up meeting with me about your portfolio,” she counters unexpectedly, not missing a beat. I have to give it to her for being able to focus on work when all I can think about is ravishing her.

Business had honestly been the last thing on my mind but I have to remember it’s the way we were introduced. When I only stare at her, she places a hand at her hip letting me know she’s serious.

“Fine. I’ll schedule a meeting for later this week.”

I’ll agree to anything if it means I get to spend more time with her. The more time we spend together, the better my plan will go.

“Breakfast?” I ask again.

Lilah studies me for a beat before agreeing reluctantly, “Only because I don’t have any food in the house.”

She’s cute as fuck.

My answer comes easily as I watch her with a grin. “I’ll take what I can get, Cupcake.”