“What is this place?”
“It used to be a factory, eventually the first three floors will be apartments.” Clay wraps his hand around my upper arm, helping me step over discarded pieces of wood with nails sticking out of them.
“The building owner let you move in with it looking like this down here? I feel like this is a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
“I’m not planning on suing myself,” he says, and I glance up at him, which means I’m not watching where I’m going and end up stumbling slightly. Thankfully, he still has a hold of me, so I don’t fall on my face like I could have.
“Thank you.” I sigh then squeak when he stops and lifts me off my feet in one quick motion. Wrapping my arms around his neck on instinct, I blink as our eyes meet up close, caught off-guard by his nearness and just how pretty his eyes are. Not only are they a very unusual blue green but the lashes surrounding them are dark and long. Clearing my throat, I place one hand against his chest. “I can walk.”
“I’d rather not have you sue me when you break your pretty neck,” he mutters, stepping around a stack of paint cans. “Those shoes are dangerous.”
“No, they aren’t.” I look down at my boots. “They look high but that’s just an illusion.”
“Whatever you say.”
He reaches a set of metal double doors that curve at the top, then places me on my feet so he can open them. When we step out onto the sidewalk, I realize that we are near the river and an old train yard downtown.
“This way.” He points me to the right where there a few cars parked along the sidewalk, then takes his key out of his pocket and the lights on a red jeep that has been decked out flash.
When he opens the passenger door for me, I get in and look around. The vehicle is new, even the plastic mats on the floor are still covered with the paper from the dealership. Another mystery.
When he’s behind the wheel, I rattle off my address, then we sit in silence as he drives us across town. I want to ask about a million questions, but I get the feeling that he wouldn’t answer them, so I keep my mouth closed. Getting to my building doesn’t take long because traffic is so light, and when we arrive, he finds a place to park, and I start to tell him thank you for the ride but before I can even open my mouth, he’s out the door and slamming it shut.
“I don’t need you to go in with me.” I tell him as I hop down from my seat after pushing open the door.
“I want to hear what your co-worker has to say about last night.”
“Okay, but I need to go to a friend’s place to pick up my key since I don’t have my bag. Do you want to wait for me in the lobby?”
“I’ll go with you.” He follows me to the building and lucky for us a couple is leaving as we are walking up to the door, so the guy holds it open, allowing us entry.
I press the button for the penthouse when we get on the elevator, and hope like heck that Brodie is home and not at soccer practice or out with friends. The ride up to the top floor feels like it takes forever with Clay sucking up all the air in the small space, so when we arrive and the doors open, I drag in a relieved breath.
“Hopefully he’s here.” I mumble to myself as we head down the hall to the door at the end and then knock twice. I hear movement from inside, then the turn of a lock and a moment later Brodie is opening the door, wearing only a pair of black boxers.
“Hey what are you doing here?” he asks me, then looks to my side and frowns at Clay, who is so quiet that I would forget he was here if his presence didn’t seem to cause my cells to vibrate with his nearness.
“I need my spare key, I got locked out of my place.” I tell him then laugh as his Great Dane, Jeb, bounces out of the apartment and starts to dance around my feet, almost knocking me over when he hops up on his back legs so he can get his face in mine. “Hey handsome.” I give him a hug then try to control his snout as he begins licking my face.
“How’d you get locked out?” Brodie asks, handing me a key as he takes control of Jeb.
“Long story.”
“You can tell me about it over dinner,” he suggests.
I shake my head. “I can’t tonight, but maybe later in the week.”