Page 2 of Slow Burn
I opened my eyes and shook off the melancholy before it had time to sink its claws in. Now was not the time for it, not when I had more pressing matters to attend to. Like getting acquainted with my hot-assed, tattooed neighbor.
My approach to the little wooden fence that separated our yards was deliberately slow and I wasn't sure why. It wasn't like I was a jump in head first kind of girl, but I wasn't overly cautious either.
And yet, I felt an odd nervousness in my bones the closer I got. He was still hunched over his bench; one hand gripping the wood while the other furiously worked a handsaw. Now that only a few feet separated us, I saw he was taller and broader, and his entire right arm was covered in ink—well, the parts peeking out from under his t-shirt sleeve.
I had to swallow down a little sigh as I took in his big shoulders, narrow waist, and absolutely perfect butt.
Wow.
It took me a few seconds to realize that if he turned around right then, I'd probably look like a creeper. Clearing my throat, I spoke loud and clear. "Hi, I'm—"
"Not interested."
What?
Taking a step forward, I rested my arms on the fence. "I just want to introduce myself."
"No."
At least that's what I thought the grumble translated to.
My brows knitted together. I was so confused. Never in my life had an attempted introduction gone like that. And I'd spent a year in New York, so that was saying a lot. I also wasn't one to simply give up. Once I had my mind on something, I had to see it through.
"You're not interested in making a friend?" I tried again, using the sweetest tone I could.
The big man on the other side shifted, keeping his left side completely out of my view. He was still looking down but I could see a glimpse of a sharp jaw peppered with a few days' growth.
"No."
This time I heard him loud and clear. I also happened to notice that if he wasn't being such a grumpy ass, his voice might've sounded sexy. It was deep and gravelly, the kind that could have goosebumps littering your body with just one word.
Licking my lips, I took another approach. "Okay. How about a friendly neighbor? Surely you don't have a problem with that?"
He let out an audible sigh. Dropping his chin to his chest, he gritted out, "Do your ears not work, woman? Not. Interested." The tool in his hand fell onto the bench with a loud thud before he turned and stomped into his house.
Completely stunned, all I could do was stare at the door he'd just slammed shut. It was the sound of my phone shrieking to life from inside my house that finally pulled me out of my stupor. With a sharp shake of myhead, I pivoted and hurried to answer. I didn't even have to look to know it was Frankie.
Swiping the green button, I pressed the device against my ear. "He's an asshole."
2
MADDIE
I held my hand above my eyes and squinted at the bright rays smacking me in the face. As much as I would have liked to complain, it wasn't the sun's fault it was so damn bright. Nope, thanks to Frankie's margarita concoction yesterday, I was feeling the slightest bit fragile.
She'd arrived on my doorstep fifteen minutes after I'd informed her of my neighbor's wonderful personality. And because it wasn't in Frankie's nature to show up empty handed, she'd waltzed into my kitchen with lunch, dessert, and drinks.
Lots and lots of drinks.
Naturally we'd hoped to catch a glimpse of Mr. Personality next door, but his grumpy butt hadn't made an appearance once. In fact, I didn't think I was going to be seeing much of him at all.
He'd made that perfectly clear when he stalked back into his house when I returned from the beach earlier this morning. I hadn't even had a chance to lift my arm to wave before the shadowy figure pushed off his chair and disappeared.
From the tiny bit I could make out, I spotted my sister, Jennah, heading toward our parents' hardware store. Instead of going in, she turned and waited for me to catch up. Great.
"Fun weekend?" she chirped the moment I reached her.
Jennah had two years on me but anyone who didn't know us could easily mistake us for twins. We had the same blonde hair, we shared the same almond-shaped, hazel-colored eyes. Even our damn noses looked alike.
