Page 77 of Alex

She crosses her arms across her chest and pops out a hip. If this wasn’t serious, I might tease her about how sexy she looks like this. Or throw her over my shoulder and take her back to my car.

I arch my eyebrow and wait for her to give me permission to explain my horrible past behavior.

“I was eighteen-years-old. I was young and dumb. Hell, I was reckless. My mom had just left, and I was acting out. I felt lost and confused and tried to play up my carefree attitude.”

I let out a sigh as her hardened expression softens. I hope she can see how much I’ve changed since the night I met her.

Something clicked inside of me that night and I wanted more of her. When I found her working for my dad, I knew I needed to change to be worthy of her.

“Elise, I’m not that same guy anymore. I try to be a better man with each new day. Sure, I might smoke a little pot every now and then, but that’s harmless. I don’t cheat. I don’t steal. I’m learning how to help run my dad’s business.”

Her neighbor coughs loudly, like he’s trying to ruin this moment for us.

I open my mouth to ask what his problem is, but Elise steps in. “Excuse me, do you need something? Am I blocking your mailbox, or are you just being a nosy, busy body?”

The neighbor frowns. “No. I don’t need anything.”

Elise throws her hands up. “Then go somewhere, please, and stop eavesdropping on our private conversation.”

A smile stretches across my face. Even when she’s annoyed, Elise still uses the word please.

When the neighbor leaves, Elise turns her attention back to me. “What now?”

I furrow my brows, needing her to clarify what her question is referring to.

She rolls her eyes. “You’re laughing at me. What did I do now?”

I try to keep my grin from showing, but I fail. “I’m smiling at you because you tried to act mean and tough with your neighbor, but you still said please. I thought it was cute.”

“Cute, huh?” She stalks closer to me with her lips in a pout.

I want to kiss her until she comes undone in my arms.

My lips crash into hers as her arms wrap around my neck. I pull her closer to me, pressing her body tightly against mine.

We shouldn’t be kissing right now, but damn it, that’s all I can think about.

Her lips part, granting me entrance into hermouth. My tongue duels with her for dominance, but she gives up the fight and lets me take control. My dick bobs in anticipation of greater things to come, but I will it down.

Being here in her apartment’s lobby while her apartment is charred from the fire isn’t the time to get carried away.

I try to pull away, but her hands tangle in the locks at the nape of my neck and pull, eliciting a long groan from me.

“Elise, wait. As much as I’d love to haul your ass to my room and fuck you until you can’t walk, we need to take care of things here first.”

I can’t believe I just stopped things from going further, but I don’t think her landlord would like to see me take Elise here in the lobby.

She nods her head slowly as she takes a few steps back. Her finger trails along her swollen bottom lip.

“I promise we will continue this later.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she says with a grin.

She reaches inside her purse and pulls out a tiny notebook and a pen. Of course, she would have pen and paper on her at all times.

She writes a short letter on the notepad before ripping out the paper and tossing it into her empty mailbox.

With a twist of the key, the mailbox is locked up tight.

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