“How was it?”
“Meh. I would have preferred to watch dinosaurs eat people.”
Connor put a hand to his chest. “A woman after my own heart.”
“You are impressed by the dumbest things.”
“You have no idea.”
I stood and went to get the door for him. It just seemed important at the moment to let him think I wanted him to leave. While he took his time gathering his paper packets, I glanced around and noticed he’d cleaned up my kitchen. It wasn’t like I’d left a sink full of dirty dishes or anything, but he’d scoured the rice pan I’d left soaking. He’d wiped down my counters. I was pretty sure he’d swept. He’d spent a lot of time here, waiting up for me. Why?
His gaze followed mine, and when our eyes returned to each other, he looked embarrassed.
“Why are you here, Connor?” I asked, not patient enough to let the mystery unfold at his pace.
“I needed a quiet place to look over these contracts. I’m sorry I stayed so late.”
I continued to stare, not accepting that answer.
“What answer are you hoping for?”
“The truth.” I swallowed hard. Our staring contests were always charged, now more than ever. My heart rate picked up with every second he looked at me like that—like he was torn between the obvious chemistry pulsing between us and the casual indifference he tried to convey. I saw the moment chemistry won.
He dropped the contracts back on the coffee table and stalked towards me. I braced for impact, but it didn’t prepare me for his mouth taking mine, or his hands on my waist, holding me in place against the door. I dropped my hand from the door knob and gripped the back of his neck, sliding my fingers into his hair.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, moving his lips to my neck where he paused and breathed in deep. “I’m so sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“I do everything wrong. I’m a bad neighbor. I haven’t even taken you out on a date. I’ve questioned everything about you, and yet all I’ve wanted to do since the moment I saw you was this.” He kissed me again and again, and all rational thought left my brain. My limbs were like Jell-O, and l let him steady me.
“Melissa,” he whispered, pulling back to look at my face. “Are you engaged? Are you in love with someone else?”
I shook my head, for once not sorry that Damien was gone for good. “He’s never coming back. And if he did, I wouldn’t let him.”
Connor’s face turned sad. “He’s an idiot.”
“I know.” I reached up and touched Connor’s lips, and he pressed a kiss into the tips of my fingers, and then the center of my palm, and then my wrist. If he was trying to capture my attention, he had it. I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him first this time, taking the lead.
After a minute, he groaned, resting his head in the crook of my neck. “I should go. It’s late and this is new. And I know we need to talk, but now is probably not the best time.”
I nodded. All I wanted to do was kiss Connor until the end of forever. We’d have to wait and talk when my body wasn’t flooded with a million sensations begging for more. I opened my door and pushed him out of it, making him laugh.
“Good night, Melissa.”
“Good night, Connor.” I shut the door and locked it before I changed my mind.
14
________
Connor
My thoughts had been going in waves of excitement and panic since the moment I left Melissa’s house last night.
Man, Melissa can kiss. I can’t believe I almost missed out on that.
But we’re neighbors, what if this doesn’t work out?
