Page 4 of Shake Your Love
As I am climbing from the little bug with a full stomach, and a smile on my face, I hear a meow. At first, I think I imagine it. Until I hear it again. Turning, I am stunned. I could be knocked over by a feather. There Pierce, the hot, amazing cook, stands, holding that cute ball of fluff.
“H-hey, Pierce.” I stammer as I bounce on my heels.
“Paige,” his voice murmurs my name as if he is whispering a secret. I remember the secret from earlier and smile. “Hey.You’re....you just...I mean I’ve never...what’re you doing here?”
Blinking at him, I frown. It hits me as he stands there with a key in the same hand cuddling the kitten to his chest. He lives here too. We’re going to be neighbors. How could this happen? I flirt with someone for the first time ever and now I cannot escape him. What if he is totally grossed out by me flirting? Oh, no, what if he thinks I came here to wait for him?
“Living here. I-I mean, I just moved in. Well have been moving in for a few days. I’m new. I just got here. To Pine Grove. I came from Sunset Springs. I am not here for you. What I mean is,” I rush on in a mess of words and useless information he never asked for. “I guess we’re neighbors?”
Saying it like a question, I tilt my head as I wince. I am so embarrassed! This would just be my luck. I must be coming off as such a total loser. What was I thinking trying to flirt earlier? Leaving my number? Pierce chuckles and my face flames hot. Is he laughing at me now?
“Neighbors. Good. Now I don’t have an excuse not to call,” he says, crushing me with one sentence. He must see my wounded ego. “No. No that did not come out...what I meant is now I can...do you want a kitten?”
Pierce thrusts the kitten at me with a sheepish smile. I am still a bit hurt by his brush-off. It is what I ought to have expected. Reaching out, I take the kitten, nodding without giving an answer. We stare at one another for a moment before I turn and head inside, clutching the kitten to my chest.
Deciding a kitten is better than nothing, I rush inside before he can see my tears.
Chapter Three
Pierce
Who is a bigger idiot than I am?
No one. Not even close. There is no contest, I take the cake. Last night the prettiest, kindest woman I have ever met gave me her number. Even kind of flirted. I told myself I was going to call. Going to ask her out and give it a shot. Once I found out she was my new neighbor, I panicked.
If I screwed things up—which I often do—I couldn’t escape her.
Now I am sitting mere feet from her, with just a breezeway and two locked doors between us. I can smell her perfume. Cherries and cream. It hit me hard last night standing in the hall together. What I should have done was tell her how I was going to call. That Iwantedto call.
Instead, I said almost nothing. I was so thrown off balance by her. By how pretty she is, how thick and curvy her beautiful body is. How good she smells and how I wanted to taste her cherry red lips. I gave her the cat to give her something. Anything is better than the nothing I’ve been for so long.
Sitting here now, I can’t take my eyes off the door. I could just go over and knock on the door. Ask her how the kitten is doing. Find out if she named her. I called her Smoke because I was smoking when I found her. If I had to wager, I would think she would choose a better name. Does she need things for the kitten? Can I be bold enough to get things to bring to her?
It would almost be as if we were sharing the cat.
“Go talk to her, idiot. Paige gave you her number for a reason.”
Paige wrote her number on that ticket for a reason. I can’t understand it, but I ought to do something about it. Climbing tomy feet, I storm to the door, telling myself to get it done. To go talk to her. As soon as I open the door, there she is standing in her doorway, clutching the kitten to her.
“Paige, what is going on? You or the kitten need anything?”
Tipping her head up, she is smiling at me, but I see a sheen of tears in her pretty green eyes. Seeing it slices my heart in half. Which is wicked weird. I press a hand to my chest, to ensure I am no in fact bleeding out. Reaching out to her, I cradle the side of her face in my hand.
“We both need food. I have nothing here. I came here to be on my own. I don’t know how to be on my own, Pierce. I want to know. I want to do this on my own. But...can...can you help us?”
“Oh, babe, of course. Want some French fries and French toast?”
Paige peers up at me before she laughs a soft, melodic laugh, falling against my chest. The cat is tucked between us but doesn’t seem to mind. I sure as hell do not mind her soft curves pressing up against me. Slipping an arm around her waist, I haul her a little closer. Sighing, she nestles close and lets me hold her for a minute.
It takes just this embrace for me to decide. I will do anything for her. Be her best friend who cooks for her. Her neighbor she can borrow sugar from. A — figure to her new kitten. Or a man who will be anything she could ask of. Pulling back, I wonder if she can see the decision in my eyes.
“I would not say no to more fries, Pierce,” her voice is breathy, her eyes darker green than before.
Those pretty eyes drop to my lips. My heart twists in circles. I want to kiss her. Right here, right now, without knowing a single thing about her. My fingers brush over her cheek, slipping back to tangle in her thick, golden hair. Paige’s mouth parts as a little sound hums out of her. I lower my head,ready to take a chance, give it a go. I am inches from her lips when a fuzzy paw reaches up with a smack to rival Gordie Howe.
Chuckling, I pull back, letting the little thing curl up on her chest. Paige also laughs, making my chest and my jeans tighten. Turning back to my place, I take her hand to lead them both in. Paige wanders through the place as if taking her own tour while I head to the kitchen.
“That little creature will love a little tuna. For you, I will make whatever you want.”
