Page 4 of The Penalty Shot (Totally Pucked 5)

Effortlessly. She wouldn’t even have to try, and she’d still be the most beautiful woman in any room.

“Yeah, we’re neighbors. Do you always try to carry bags bigger than you?”

Her cheeks pink again, and she shakes her head. “Do you usually save damsels in distress from giant grocery bags?”

I smirk, raising my brows. “Touche.”

We ride in silence the last couple of floors until the elevator dings, and the doors slide open.

“Thank you again…Asher. For carrying my groceries like a gentleman. It was nice to meet you,” she says over her shoulder, as we walk to our side by side doors.

“It’s nothing. Anytime you need help, let me know. I know you probably have it covered, but the offer’s still there.”

Her brow furrows slightly, like she’s confused by my comment, but she just plasters on a sweet smile and uses the key in her hand to unlock her apartment. Carefully, I place the groceries back into her arms, and she turns to disappear through the doorway.

“Hey Auden?” I call.

She peeks around the grocery bag. “Yes?”

“If you don’t mind, I’dreallylike to sleep in tomorrow. You know past seven?”

For a moment, she doesn’t say anything, looking at me curiously, but then she gives me a shy shrug and mutters, “Okay, yeah sure. Thanks again, Asher.”

Then promptly shuts the door.

I reach into my pocket and pull out my keys, unlocking the door and then walking inside. Once I kick off my shoes, I toss the keys into the basket on the foyer table.

Hudson’s head pops around the doorway of the kitchen to peer down the hallway at me.

“Alright, the weirdest shit just happened,” I tell him as I walk into the kitchen and head straight for the fridge. I grab a Gatorade, twist off the top and down the entire bottle in less than thirty seconds. The entire conversation made me fucking parched. In more ways than one.

“Okay…”

I turn to face him. “I just talked to Neighbor Girl for the first time. Her name’s Auden.”

“So, you know her name…And that wasweirdhow?” He runs his hand through his tousled black hair. The guy doesn’t know what a hair brush is, I fucking swear.

“Well, I made a comment about the noise in the morning, and she looked at me like she didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. Completely oblivious. I think I weirded her out.”

Hudson pauses his sandwich-making. He levels me with a look. “Dude, what if she’s embarrassed that her neighbors are listening to her fuck? Did you ever think of that? Or maybe she doesn’t realize that she’s got such great pipes. Females are weird about that shit.”

Fuck, he’s right.

“Shit, I probably looked like an asshole. But hell, I also want to sleep past seven a.m. every morning. How do I politely say, “please muffle the sounds of your moaning so I can sleep?”

“I think you should probably invest in some ear plugs.” He slaps the bread onto his sandwich and takes a bite, chewing obnoxiously. “Plus, it’s not like we’ve been the quietest neighbors. We used to have people over all the time, and maybe this is her way of payback. Who knows.”

“Nah, she didn’t seem like that type. I dunno, maybe I’ll get the ear plugs. Maybe I’ll just move into your room once you’re gone. We’ll see. Anyway, I’m going to go change, dinner later?”

He shakes his head. “Can’t. I have another date with Ellie.”

“Wow, two in a row. Has the mighty finallyfallen? Is that what’s happening right now?”

“No, the fuck it is not.” He says it as if it offends him, the thought of him settling down, like the rest of our friends, and starting a family. “You’re sounding like Graham right now. The dramatics, I expect from him but you?”

“Fine. But I’m calling it now.”

Hudson rolls his eyes. “And I’m calling it now.You and Neighbor Girl.”

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