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“Nope, never,” he said firmly. “You’re the best. So you got a little drunk and silly—who cares? Time to move on. Order yourself some greasy food, take a nap, and I guarantee when you wake up it all won’t seem so bad.”

“I don’t believe you.”

There was a knock at the door, and I froze in place before ducking back down behind the island, even though whoever was out there wouldn’t be able to see me from here.

“Someone’s at the door,” I hissed to Nev.

He gasped. “What if it’s him?”

“Exactly.” Sweat bloomed in my armpits. Fuck. No. If he was trying to return my key, he could just leave it out there. Make it easier for the Banshee Butcher to come slice off my tongue and add it to their collection.

“I think you should answer it.”

“Sage advice that I’m going to immediately ignore.”

“But what if he wants to…” Nev gasped. “Oh my god, what if you open the door and he sweeps you up into his arms and kisses you senseless?”

“We discussed this, Nev,” I said flatly, then cringed when another knock echoed through my front hall. “My life is not a nineties rom com.”

A third knock. I ignored it, even though I was starting to doubt that it would actually be Ewen. He wouldn’t be that eager to see me. I hadn’t exactly been the friendliest neighbour.

And I was a depraved pervert.

“Damn it, I have to get back to work,” Nev grumbled. “Answer the door, Rafe.”

“No.” I lifted a hand to my head and touched the plastic bag. “I can’t, anyway. I need to go wash the bleach out of my hair or I’ll get hot roots.”

“You can’t avoid him forever, bro. You work with him.”

The knocking had stopped, so I breathed a sigh of relief, then told Nev, “I’m actually really good at avoiding him at work. And I’ll just never open my curtains again. Or go in my yard.”

“Sounds rational,” Nev deadpanned. “Okay, text me later.”

“’Kay,” I said morosely.

“And seriously, just forget about Big Dick Dan,” he added, just as I heard another sudden knock. This one louder and closer.

And coming from behind me.

I jumped out of my skin and whipped my head around. All the blood drained out of my face when, still squatting behind my kitchen island with a plastic bag on my head, I saw Ewen standing at my open back door, knuckles still resting on the frame and a big shit-eating grin on his face.

Chapter Sixteen

The Intimacy of Dyeing Hair

Rafe

“Howdy, neighbour,” he drawled, eyes gleaming with amusement as he took me in from head to toe.

Nev fell silent, before I heard him choke. “Holy shit, is that him?”

I lunged for my phone, smacking my chest into the edge of the island and fumbling to hang up the call. Then I whipped the bag off my head, cringing as hunks of slimy, bleach-slick hair flopped into my face.

Ewen crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder on the doorframe, a big paper bag dangling from one hand. His crooked grin grew wider. “What did your friend just call me?”

Fuck.

Heat flooded my face as I rubbed my sore chest, my brain not working well enough to form words. It didn’t help that he was wearing grey sweats and a cropped T-shirt that looked like it might have been Tasselled Tussler merch. There were nipple tassels printed on it. And his abs were just… there. On display. Chiselled and quite frankly ridiculous.