“Hey, neighbor,” he said in a deep baritone.
Her gaze moved up the length of his torso in a slow-motion scan and settled on his face. William.
The trail mix she had swallowed stuck sideways in her throat. She pounded on her ribs with a fist to free the constriction and drew a stunted breath. Her belly did a little flip. She tried to say something but nothing came out.
A cocky grin played across his face. “Enjoying your view?”
“You can’t live here.” Her voice had an odd, high-pitched quality. Her heart rate kicked up, too, not helping the situation.
“Can and do. Want to light up the grill later?”
Yes, yes, she did. But, no. No, she wouldn’t. She was avoiding him. “Absolutely not. Because this is a dream, and you don’t live here.”
“Got a lease says I do. Burger or brat?” He moved closer to the patio.
She stepped back and shook her head. “Sorry, no. I have to unpack.”
“Suit yourself. Jeff and Dixie are coming if you change your mind.”
“Thank you, no. I have other plans.”With a pint of frozen yogurt and a cold shower.
“Bummer, maybe next time.” The gentle way he said the words almost made her believe his disappointment was real.
“Okee dokee then. Have fun.” Warmth flooded her cheeks. She didn’t need a mirror to tell her they’d become bright red beacons of embarrassment.
“I’ll do that.” The edges of his lips lifted slightly.
Lucy yanked the sliding door closed before he said anything more.
She leaned against the glass, head in her hands. Avoiding William Covington had become exponentially more complicated.
Chapter Three
Lucy entered the tallest building in the downtown block and headed to the KDVX studio in the basement. The elevator slid open, and she hit the switch to the hallway lights. Florescent bulbs flickered like something from a B-grade horror movie.
She gritted her teeth.First one here.
Of course she was the first one there. She had intentionally arrived thirty minutes before the morning shift to ensure she’d be ready for the show. Still, being the only one in the huge building chafed her nerves. No matter how many times she started a new job, the jitters set in. And given that she tended to move around a lot, she had loads of experience with first day tension. One thing she loved about journalism was that no one looked at her funny for bopping along to the next gig. Getting close to people meant they had the power to hurt her. So she moved along and never gave them that chance.
A therapist would probably have a lot to say about her perpetual need to dig up her roots and haul them along to the next place. Hence the reason she didn’t go to counseling.
The corridor loomed ahead as she hustled along. Dark hallways and corridors were not her friend.
She swiped her keycard against the security panel. When the yellow light flashed to green, she pushed the door open from the hallway to the brightly lit reception area.
“You’re early,” a man’s voice said.
She sealed her lips closed against a scream. Her purse fell from her grip, and her knees froze in place.
“Whoa.” A handsome guy about her age with dreadlocks emerged from around the corner.
Come on, Lucy. Get it together.
“Didn’t mean to scare you. Figured I’d get here first. Show you around.” He tucked a pen in the pocket of his designer jeans.
Her heart rate continued to run a half-marathon on its own. Someday it would return to a normal pace, but probably not today.
He dropped some papers on the reception desk and retrieved her purse from the floor. “I really am sorry I scared you, Lucille.”
