Chapter 4

GRAHAM

At six fifty-five, I pull my car out of my own driveway and into Sarah’s next door. I get out and walk to her door. When I knock, she opens almost immediately.

“You’re early,” she says, smiling.

“You’re ready,” I say, looking her up and down. Her light brown hair is pulled into a high ponytail, and she’s wearing a minimal amount of make-up. She closes a beige coat, and I glimpse a blue tunic-looking thing and leggings with boots. Everything about how she’s dressed is as laid back as it is classy, and I love it. She’s so different from other women.

“You sound surprised,” she says.

I nod. “I’m used to women fussing forever, and then they still don’t come out of the house looking as stunning as you look.”

She blushes when I pay her the compliment, and it’s exactly what I was after. I chuckle, unable to hold back my glee.

“Shall we?” I ask.

Sarah nods and reaches for a handbag behind the door. It’s a bag with a long strap that she hooks over her shoulder, completing her look, and I know she can’t have much in a bag that small. She’s becoming more and more attractive by the minute. God, I want her. She’s so fucking hot that I can just imagine what she looks like beneath her clothes. But I won’t make a move until after dinner. A lady with class like Sarah needs to be wooed first.

“Did you drive here?” she asks with a laugh when she sees my car.

I nod and run around to open the door for her. “A lady shouldn’t have to walk twenty steps in the cold.”

“Thank you,” she says, smiling. “And might I add, you look pretty good yourself.”

I grin, closing her door before walking around to the driver’s side. I wore a dark pair of jeans and a light blue collared shirt, which I’m glad about now — we match. I chose to wear my black, double-breasted coat against the cold because everyone compliments me on it.

“Where are we going?” Sarah asks when I’m in the car.

“The Scott Place,” I answer, and I drive us there. It’s not too dressy, it has good food and even better views of the mountain — perfect for a dinner date without being overly romantic. I called ahead and managed to reserve a table, even though it was short notice.

I park the car, and we walk into the restaurant. When she takes off her coat and scarf, I get to see her figure unobstructed for the first time. She’s wearing a long, dark blue tunic that doesn’t cover her ass as much as it frames it. Her slender legs are clad in leggings, which are tucked into knee-high boots, and her neckline is scooped just enough to leave everything to the imagination. And my imagination is going wild.

We’re taken to our table. The restaurant has wooden floors, a big stone fireplace and one entire wall consists of windows that look out over the mountain.

“This view is breathtaking,” Sarah says. “I can never get enough of it.”

“Yeah,” I answer, but I’m staring at her. When she looks at me, she blushes. God, I love it when she does that.

“So, what do you do?” she asks once we’ve ordered our meal.

“I’m in construction,” I say. It’s not the full truth, but I’m not lying. I don’t want her to know that I’m her landlord, so I keep it off the table completely. I don’t want our business relationship to interfere with the personal one we’re creating. I will tell her who I am, if this goes any further and it’s necessary at all, but for now, I like being just the neighbor who is taking her out for dinner.

“How about you?” I ask.

“I work in the front office at a local school. I love kids, but I don’t think I have what it takes to be a teacher.”

“What do you do in the offices?” I ask.

“I answer the phone, book buses for school trips, send notices to parents and guardians, deal with sick notes, and so on. Basically, I’m aware of what’s going on at the school on a day-to-day basis. It’s a great job for me as I’m a complete dork.”

I smile at her. “A sexy dork.”

Yes, I’m complimenting her because I want to see her blush and get shy. She’s adorable when she does it. Adorable and fuckable.

She tells me a bit more about her life, and I force myself not to stare at her mouth the whole time. Her lips are perfect — not too thick, smooth and beautiful — and the way she moves them when she speaks makes me want to kiss her. Before the night is over, I’m going to kiss those lips. And do more if I can.

After dinner, I drive her back to her place. We get out, and like a gentleman, I walk her to her door.

“Thank you for a great night,” she says. She’s standing close to me, and the atmosphere is charged. I want her so badly. I run my fingers along her hair and through her ponytail and move in for a kiss.

She doesn’t reject me. Instead, she closes her eyes and lets me kiss her.

The moment my lips touch her, my cock hardens in my pants. She kisses me back, allowing me to slide my tongue into her mouth. When she slides her arms around my neck, I pull her against me, and she gasps. I’m sure she can feel my dick. Because my dick can feel her, and I’m so fucking eager to get her out of her clothes.

“Do you want to come inside?” she asks against my lips, and I nod. I want nothing more than I want her right now.

My phone rings, vibrating in my pocket between us, and she steps back, breaking the kiss. Dammit.

“I’m sorry,” I say, pulling out my phone and looking at the screen. It’s one of my tenants. I can’t ignore it. “I have to take this. Just a moment. I’m sorry.”

She nods, and I press the phone against my ear, turning away a little. It’s Mrs. Reeves, and she’s in a panic about her heater not working.

“I’ll come have a look tomorrow first thing,” I say.

“Can’t you do it now?” Mrs. Reeves asks. “What happens if the weather turns cold tonight?”

I sigh, glancing over my shoulder at Sarah. I would much rather be fighting the cold by rubbing my body against hers, but I can’t neglect my tenants.

“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I say.

When I hang up, Sarah is hugging herself against the chilly wind.

“I have to go. It’s a work emergency.”

“On a Saturday?” she asks.

I nod. “Joys of being in construction. I’m always on call.” I feel a little guilty about the white lie, but I don’t know how else to put it.

Sarah nods. “I understand,” she says. “You’ll call me?”

“Of course,” I say and kiss her again. “Get inside, sweetheart. It’s freezing.”

I can’t see if she blushes again at the pet name because she turns away from me. I wait until she’s inside before I leave her house, getting into my car and driving to Mrs. Reeves, who rents a place on the other side of town.