Page 71 of Loathe Thy Neighbor

With a roll of her eyes, she pours another drink…and slings it back.

Her gaze drops to the bottle and she shrugs. “You know what? Fuck it.” She grabs the bottle and glass, padding down the hall. “I’m taking a bath. If I drown, I’m haunting your ass!”

The bathroom door slams closed, and I can’t help but laugh.

Nolan was right.

River does challenge me like no one else ever has…especially my sanity.

Which is probably why I find myself stalking toward her like a maniac.

She doesn’t react when I push the door open, almost like she was expecting me to follow her. Her whiskey is sitting on the counter, and she’s bent over the tub in nothing but her t-shirt and underwear, messing with the water.

Her ass is in the air, and it brings back all the memories of her yoga session, which I’ve conjured up way too many times for it to be considered healthy.

Being close to her all the time…it’s getting in my head. Making me notice things about her. Forcing me to see her when she’s not so damn strung out all the time.

It’s making me like her. Making me want to be around her, and not just to annoy her.

“Are those turtles on your ass?”

“Yes.”

I narrow my eyes. “I thought you hated turtles.”

“Why would you assume that?”

“Because you hate Leo and always make fun of him.”

“Correction.” She reaches over and turns the water back off. “I hateyouand make fun of you. Now can you go? You’re ruining my bath.”

When she spins around, I waste no time crowding her against the sink, caging her in.

Her body presses tightly to mine, and everything inside my brain short-circuits when I feel her breasts.

She’s soft and fits against me like that’s where she’s meant to be.

“W-What are you doing, Dean?” Her tongue peeks out, tracing her plump lips that look so,sogood.

I lean toward her, wanting to taste them.Needingto taste them.

“What am I doing?”

Shit. WhatamI doing?

Why do I have this ridiculous desire to touch her? To taste her?

It’s River! This makes no sense.

And yet, here I am…staring down at her lips, which all too often spew words of hate.

But none of that matters in this moment.

Ineedto kiss her.

“I’m going to kiss you.” Her breath hitches, and I look into her eyes. “Can I kiss you?”

Her head moves almost imperceptibly.

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