I pulled into my assigned parking spot and exited the car. Locking it behind me, I marched up the stairs with new determination. I hopped on the elevator, hitting six with a plan. I was going straight to Heath’s door and asking him on a date. If he decided he didn’t want me anymore, then I would deal with it after. It was past time to move on and try again because I was done being lonely. It was time to start taking some risks.
I looked at the wall he had pushed me against last night and blushed, remembering the way he had kissed me like he was drowning and I was his last breath of fresh air. If I closed my eyes, I could almost feel his hands as they roamed my body.
The louddingof the elevator jolted me from my daydream, and I took a deep, fortifying breath. I was going to do this. After getting off the elevator, I marched right up to his door. Fist up, ready to knock, I paused.
Those thoughts of not being good enough crept back in. I could almost hear Tom’s voice as he told me I wasn’t good enough. I was too overweight. I was too boring.
Enough, I thought to myself. When I moved, I promised myself I would try to find the person I was meant to be, and this might be the first step to doing just that.Fears aside, for better or worse, here we go.
I knocked and wiped my sweaty palms down my jean-clad thighs. It felt like forever until I heard shuffling on the other side of the door. As the knob turned, I steeled myself. Only I was not met by Heath. I sucked in my breath as I came face to face with the ruggedly sexy Viking from last night.
Chapter Four
“Reid,” I breathed. At first, he looked a little confused, and then recognition sparked in those amber eyes.
“Bunny.” A smooth smile slid across his lips as I flushed at the endearment. “I didn’t think I would get to see you so soon. To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked as he leaned against the door frame.
I looked him up and down. He wasn’t wearing any socks or shoes, telling me he had been relaxing when I interrupted him. I didn’t know why, but the sight of his naked feet turned me on more than I would’ve liked to admit. Taking in the low-slung faded blue jeans covering strong legs, I swallowed hard as I looked past his tapered waist. I bet he had that sexyVthat led to the promised land. My gaze traveled up to his dark-blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his forearms.
Like Heath, Reid also had a tattoo. Only this one wrapped around his forearm and disappeared underneath the fabric. I wondered how far up the tattoo went. It probably ran up the entire length of his arm and wound around his shoulder.
I dragged my gaze to his chest that stretched the fabric of his shirt. There was an emblem on his left pec that led me to believe Reid was a first responder of some sort. My gaze finally made its way back to his face, where a lock of hair had fallen onto his forehead, partially covering my view of his eye in the sexiest way. I made eye contact and found him staring at me too, waiting.
I blinked and tried to swallow with my suddenly dry mouth. He’d asked me a question and I should’ve answered—if only I could remember what he’d said.
I flushed. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
I braced myself, figuring he would get the same look of annoyance that Tom used to get when he realized I wasn’t listening.
Reid chuckled. “Oh, bunny. What are we going to do with you?”
It felt like he put a little emphasis on thewepart. I shook my head to clear all the intrusive thoughts. I swallowed again. “Is Heath home?”
Reid shook his head in the negative. “No, he had to run to the bar to do inventory early this evening. The trouble with owning a bar is that you don’t have much free time.”
I was a little taken aback by his words. I had just figured Heath worked at The Sand Dollar, I didn’t think he owned it. I was a little impressed by the fact that someone at his age owned such a successful business. So, that was why he laughed at me when I said he would get into trouble for leaving work early.Can’t get into trouble for leaving work when you’re the boss.
I felt like an idiot for assuming he was only a bartender because of his age. I blushed as if Reid could read my thoughts. He continued to study me like he was trying to figure out a particularly difficult puzzle. “He should be back any minute if you want to come in and wait.”
That was a really bad idea. I was here to ask his roommate out, yet I was dumbstruck like a pre-teen pining after the high school quarterback. Yes, it would definitely be an awful idea to follow this man into his empty apartment where we would be alone for who knew how long. So why did I find myself nodding and following him through the door?
Once inside, I looked around. The layout of the apartment was a mirror of mine. For two bachelors living together, it was a lot cleaner than one would expect. They had a big U-shaped sectional that covered one of the walls, facing a big TV in the main room. The overstuffed cushions just begged for someone to sink into them. Being that the floor plan was the same as my apartment, I knew down the hallway would be two bedrooms and a shared bathroom with the same oversized shower I had. I was right in my late-night contemplations. From the looks of it, my bedroom did, in fact, share a wall with one of theirs. I wondered whose.
“Would you like anything to drink? I think we have tea, water, or beer.” Reid looked at me with humor in his eyes.
“Sure, I’ll have a beer,” I said in a too-shaky voice.
Maybe a little liquid courage would calm my nerves. He headed toward the kitchen. Hearing him digging in the fridge, I found myself being drawn to the pictures hanging on the wall.
Most of the pictures looked like they were from the boys’ younger years. From the looks of it, they had been friends for a long time. The pictures spanned from two boys with toothless grins to what looked like high school graduation.Good to know they have always been this attractive.It really wasn’t fair to all of womankind for these two to be so good-looking.
I felt, rather than saw, Reid come up and stand next to me.
“Heath and I have been friends our entire lives. Our moms were best friends in school, so we were pretty much raised together.”
I nodded. “That’s awesome that you two have each other. Life is always easier when you have someone to go through it with.”
Reid regarded me almost seriously as he handed me my beer. “So, tell me about yourself. Health said you’re new to town.”