Chapter 7
SEVEN
This wasn’t helping my claim not to be a peeping tom, but in my defense, Nova trying to leap through the open window to reach me—blinds, screen, and all—was impossible to ignore. I’d just grabbed a pint from my fridge and headed outside to enjoy the sunset, determined to adjust my attitude and soak in the experience of being in California, rather than stay sat in my house like a lonely sap every night.
A sap who’d decided to delay inviting his coworkers out for a drink until next weekend. I moved through the ranks and got to where I was by being good at programming, not socializing, and large groups of people left my tongue tangled in knots. Especially since the managerial team advised me not to talk business and to ensure fun was had by all to boost morale. Didn’t having a job do that? A sense of accomplishment at the end of the day? Was anything more satisfying than coding for several hours on a module, compiling, and watching the program run the way it was supposed to?
“Arf, Arf.”
Admittedly, Nova continuing to swim his way through the blinds came close. I shifted to the side, the weathered seat of the garden armchair creaking as I balanced on one arse cheek and fished out my phone. I’d saved Zoie’s contact info and figured I should send her a warning that her dog was about to destroy her blinds and see if she was home to stop it. Or, if she happened to be at work, ask if she wanted me to step in.
Everything within me froze and heated at once.
Zoie was at home, all right. She came dancing into the kitchen and—bloody hell, she was wearing nothing but her underwear. The widening gap in the blinds provided a perfect view of her spinning a circle, blond and pink hair whipping around her like the tornado she was.
I tried to look away. My neck just refused. My eyes joined in on the mutiny, and there went my dick, twitching and launching a case for me to stay frozen in place.
Zoie came to an abrupt stop and I winced, certain I was caught. She rushed toward the window, eyes wide…
But her gaze was fixed on the puppy tangled in the now-mangled slats.
The cups of Zoie’s bra overflowed as she bent to help her dog, and my mouth went bone dry at the glimpse of her small but perky breasts. My fingers twitched with desire—all I needed was a handful, and I’d happily illustrate how perfectly hers fit in my palm.
Alas, it wasn’t to be and, unable to simply watch while she struggled, I set my ale on the tiny, circular table and pushed out of my chair. “Need some help?” I called through the window, and Zoie’s head jerked up, her eyes flying cartoonishly wide.
Suddenly self-conscious, I glanced at my feet, doing my best to be respectful where I’d failed moments ago.
Keeping a hand up to shield my vision, I blindly strode toward her window, arm sweeping the space in front of me. My fingers grazed the screen and a wet doggy nose. “What can I do?”
“I think I got it,” Zoie said with a grunt. “He’s just so squirmy and clumsy, and—” A clattering noise sounded, and I looked right in time to see Zoie and Nova tumble to the floor, taking the blinds along with them.
I sprinted from the tiny strip of grass that counted as my yard, around to her back door. I knocked and then tested the handle—later I’d ask why she didn’t keep it locked, but first things first, I’d rush in and rescue her.
Not that I thought she couldn’t rescue herself, but was it so bad to want to heft her into my arms and receive a kiss as my prize?
Only if she willingly gave it, of course.
“I’m coming in,” I hollered, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement.
Up through the slats Zoie emerged from the blinds, like a vampire awakening from a grave. She yelped as our gazes caught and dove right back down to the floor.
“Sorry, I was out having a pint and enjoying the sunset and saw Nova in the window. It’s a new thing for me—the sunshine, not looking through your window.” Bollocks, I was bungling this all up, and while I was far from innocent, in trying to clear my name, I’d made myself sound like I’d been there perving. “Just checking if the two of you are all right.”
“Debatable,” Zoie said as she wrapped her arms around her puppy and stood, draping her dog in front of her like a lumpy brown cocktail dress. With a wagging tail. “But we’re better off than the blinds, so…”
I snorted a laugh and, despite my desire to soak in the sight of her, forced my gaze to the floor once again. “Nova did warn me he was a handful in that letter he wrote me. For the record…” One quick glance up, just long enough to deliver one final line. “I’m not scared.”
Zoie bounced her dog higher in her arms, trying and failing to contain his squirming. “Well, obviously I could use some help, and I’m so glad Nova’s realized that. How brave of him to turn to a neighbor in his time of need.”
I shoved the sentence through my matrix of context clues, taking an extra second to ensure I was keeping up with a woman I had no chance of keeping up with.
Our gazes latched mid-air, snapping that line of connection tight, and I stepped closer, eyes remaining locked.
Ever so slowly, I stretched out my arm and petted Nova’s head, uber cautious about remaining in respectful territory. No accidental grazes of Zoie’s soft, sunkissed skin.
Usually, I couldn’t wait to meet the dog but wished the owner didn’t have to be present as well, but this was definitely the best of both worlds. “Yes,” I said, my voice coming out gruff from disuse, “very mature for a puppy.”
The smile that spread across Zoie’s face kicked me in the gut. “Hear that, Nova? Graham is gonna keep you out of trouble while Mommy’s at work. He says he’s not scared, so let’s try to keep it that way, okay?”
Her dog responded with a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Something I wouldn’t mind giving Zoie myself, although I’d use far less tongue. Once I captured those full lips of hers with mine, though, all bets were off.
Except you’re not in America to make moves on your neighbor. The only thing you’d make is a mess.
“When would you like to start? I have to close the bar for the next three nights and—Nova, seriously stop wiggling so much. You’re scratching up my stomach.”
Don’t look at her bare stomach, don’t look at her bare stomach. It wasn’t so much the belly but the temptation to dip a couple inches lower, and that’d make it more difficult to remain the gentleman my mum had raised me to be. “Let’s make it tomorrow.”
“Perfect. I’ll bring him over at a quarter to six. So, now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself and we’ve settled that, I should probably get back to, uh…” She gestured vaguely around her, as though she was more concerned with the messy kitchen than her lack of clothing.
“Finishing your dance?” It burst out of me, unbidden. But I’d never been one to take things back, and I wasn’t about to start now. Nothing to do but ride it out, so I backed toward the door and paused with my hand on the handle. “That’s my vote, as I certainly wouldn’t say no to an encore.”
Surprise flickered through her gray eyes, even as her cheeks flushed pink and her mouth formed a wide O . If not for her stubborn determination to wear her wiggly dog, I was certain she’d be chucking objects at my head. “Sounds like my puppy isn’t the only one being a naughty boy today.”
Guilty as charged , I thought as I flashed her an unabashed grin, and despite the talking-to I’d just given myself about crossing lines—especially with my next-door neighbor—I couldn’t wait until I had the chance to be naughty around Zoie again.