Shit, maybe I should have just brought dinner. She couldn’t reject me then.
Noticing an unfamiliar car in her driveway, I still knock on the door. When one of the big guys from her moving team answers, I try to figure out if he’s the brother or the friend. I refuse to imagine she has a boyfriend already.
“Who are you?” the man barks out.
Knowing I need to play nice here, I bite back the retort on my tongue and answer nicely. “Reed. I’m Hope’s neighbor. She home?”
He steps back and allows me to enter, only to be stopped by the other beast of a man. “What do you want with Hope?” He’s just as direct too.
“How about you get her, and I’ll discuss that with her.” Just because I intend to play nicely with the obviously protective men in her life doesn’t mean I’ll allow them to walk all over me either.
“Hey, Luca, do you think you could come with me to– Reed.” As soon as I hear her voice, my eyes search her out. Watching her descend the stairs in a pair of cotton shorts and another baggy sweatshirt, her hair a mess on top of her head, I’m struck by her beauty all over again. “What are you doing here?” She hesitantly walks down the last two steps and stops.
“Well,” I push past the two men trying to block me and hold out my offerings. “My partner's wife suggested a muffin and tea as a peace offering. However, I’m regretting not getting dinner because I’m starving.”
“A peace offering?” Her brows furrow as she looks down at my hands. “For what?” I can hear the two men behind me whispering as they watch us.
“The other day, me being a jerk. Kissing you.”
“Kissing? When the fuck did he kiss you?” one of them asks, interrupting me.
“I’d really like to spend some time with you, Hope.” She’s still staring at the offering in my hands.
“I’d really like to know why you’re kissing my sister,” the same man demands.
Turning my head, I come face-to-face with the bigger one, who was inside. So this is the brother. “It usually happens when there’s a mutual attraction.” I smirk at his dropped jaw.
“There’s no attraction, asshole. Hope doesn’t–”
“Luca!” Shame enters his face at his sister’s cry.
Staring down at Hope, she tries to hide her face, but I can tell she’s upset and likely trying to hide her tears again. There is a lot more going on here than I first imagined, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.
“Hey.” I lift her chin with a knuckle. “Ain’t nothing to be upset about here.” She shakes her head.
Grabbing her hand, I gently tug her over to the small dinette in her kitchen and pull out a chair for her. When she sits, I place the muffin and tea on the table and sit across from her.
“Give it a try. It comes from Tillie’s sister’s bakery on the boardwalk. All-natural, everything from scratch and all that jazz.” I grin, trying to get her to return the gesture.
She doesn’t, but she does take a sip of the tea.
“Tillie?” I perk up at her inquisitive question. She’s showing interest.
“My partner Colby’s wife. She’s always bringing in treats from Peyton’s bakery. We’d all be fat if it weren’t for the fact it’s all healthy.”
“What kind of tea?” Hope asks quietly, sliding a sad look to her brother before refocusing on me.
“A peach, lavender, chamomile concoction or something. It’s her own recipe.”
Her eyes close as she takes a tiny sip, and the smile that graces her face is far more erotic than any experience I’ve ever had. It’s satisfying and filled with pleasure. Knowing I gave her this little slice of heaven is an aphrodisiac.
“Reed, can I talk to you for a sec?” Luca interrupts our moment, and from the anxious look on Hope’s face, I want to kick his ass.
“Sure,” I reply. "I’ll be right back,” I tell Hope and stride towards Luca and his friend, following them outside.
When he tries to close the door behind us, I push it back open. Hope doesn’t need to be locked out, or in, rather, and I have a suspicion that’s happened quite a bit in her life.
Raising his hands, Luca backs off.