Page 5 of A Perfect Match
“Furthermore, there’s a time limit.So now you need to leave.”
The sass in her tone prompts a laugh from me.“I won’t be leaving.This is my property.”
Her brows form a straight line and her chin dips.“So you’re the new owner, huh?”
“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”I step closer, analyzing all of the details I can before she zips away.Her green eyes.The creamy skin I’d kissed every square inch of.I stick out my hand and she eyes it for just a moment too long before shaking it.
“Piper.”Her smooth hand in mine sparks.The undercurrent is there, even if she’s acting like she doesn’t recognize me.She pulls away quickly and starts backing up, narrowing her eyes.“Hopefully you’re a bit more considerate moving forward.”
She zooms back toward the shop, brightly greeting Barb and her assistant who have since reached the front of the store via the grass.Piper looks over her shoulder at me, her bright smile falling only slightly as she narrows her eyes at me before disappearing into her shop.I still can’t fully comprehend what just happened.
Pat comes up to me, saying in a low voice, “We got the whole thing recorded.That was epic.We’ll be sure to get her to sign the release so we can use it for tension.Angry neighbors play so well on TV.”
I heft with a small laugh.“And in real life?”
“That’s for you two to hammer out once we’re done filming,” Pat said, nudging me in the side.“In the meantime, the thornier the better.You haven’t even told her she needs to vacate the apartment yet, have you?”
My stomach turns into a knot and plummets to the bottom of my feet.Fuck.I’d forgotten about that small detail in facing down the woman who’d been haunting my memories for the past month.At least now I had a name, but along with that I had almost one hundred percent certainty that she either did not recognize me or was no longer interested in me.Did she not remember the four orgasms I’d given her?
“I sure haven’t.”I heave a sigh, rubbing at my forehead.First things first: I need to move this van.And after that?
I somehow had to find the courage to inform that little spitfire that not only am I her new landlord, I’m also kicking her out of her home.
CHAPTER THREE
PIPER
“Piper, do you want these in the walk-in or out front?”
The voice of my employee, Jerrica, jolts me out of concentration.I’ve been skulking near the front windows, tucking myself behind the mossy drapes, as I spy on the developments next door.
“Uh…walk-in’s good.”I toss her a bright smile, but she looks concerned as she heads for the back room with a tray of marshmallows.Jerrica has been helping me for the past year, once it became obvious that I couldn’t open, close, prep for bulk ordersandremember to feed myself while running this operation on my own.
Jerrica’s in college and helps out super part time, which is about the extent of how much help I’ll allow at this point.I barely let myself take on an employee until my mother reminded me a little sternly that it was normal for businesses to have employees and this wasn’t a sign of my failing.That advice was in direct contrast to the loud chorus of opinions coming from my brothers, who have something to say about every single decision I do or don’t make.Most times, I find it easier to just avoid certain situations at all costs.Until the decision to not hire someone started costing me my health.And even now, it makes me skittish.
The pleasant murmur of the Cloud Nine patrons settles over me, temporarily relaxing me.Until I spot Mr.New Landlord strutting out his front door, followed by a camera crew.I stiffen, a few sensations warring within me.
First of all, I’m disgruntled by the fact that he is so hot.The one-night-stand of my dreams seems to have bulked up since I last used his body as a playground.His biceps damn near doubled as a chin-up bar in Cleveland, and now?Whoo boy.I can’t really think too long about it because I’m in public and someone is sure to ask me why my cheeks are pink.
And secondly, what in the actual fuck is happening over there?He’s not just the new owner of the building, he has a camera crew.What sort of sociopath both blocks a curb cutandhires people to follow him around, documenting his every move?I never got narcissist vibes last month, but maybe I’d been too drunk to notice.I always thought I’d be able to sniff out a narcissist despite how many peanut butter and jelly shots I’d consumed.
“He’s the guy from that reality TV show.”A customer has materialized beside me—Mikey—jerking his chin toward my new neighbor as he addresses the cameras on the sidewalk.He’s got a mic on, I notice now.I nod slowly.
“That explains the cord coming out of his pants,” I mutter.Then I straighten, turning back toward the shop.So much for lurking in the moss drapes.“What show was he on?”
“That food truck show.”Mikey stuffs his hands into his pockets, rattling change.“The one with the Daly kid.”
“Oh, right.”I straighten up the nearest table and chairs, fiddling with the centerpiece as though that’s what I was intending to do all along.Really, I’m just counseling myself tonotstare out the window again.“I remember that show.I never watched it, but I heard about it.”
“It was great.The Daly kid won, and he opened up his own food truck in Cleveland.With that guy, I think.”Mikey’s brows form a line and then he shuffles back to his table where he’d been sipping a hot cocoa and reading the newspaper.“Or maybe it was in Columbus.”
“It was in Cleveland,” another regular, Kaci, pipes up.She comes damn near five days a week for my homemade rice crispy treats.
“This is all very interesting.”I try to sound bright and unaffected, but really I can’t stop thinking about the way I’d felt in my new landlord’s arms, the possessive way he’d bitten my neck that night, the way he’d tossed me around and filled me and—
“Piper, are you okay?”Jerrica touches my arm as I come around behind the front counter.“You’re so flushed.”
“Yeah, I’m—”Horny.Unable to stop thinking about my new neighbor’s dick.Remembering all the different places that man kissed me a month ago.“Just thirsty.I need some water.I might be coming down with something.”
