No Summer Hotter than You (Years in the Making #2)
1. Shoua
CHAPTER 1
shoua
“Good morning!” boomed Anthony’s voice as he nearly kicked down my front door with two glass cups of iced coffee in hand.
If I wasn’t so accustomed to him doing that every weekday morning for the last two years, I probably would’ve been startled and tripped ungracefully down my stairs like the first time he ever did that. Now he gave me a warning with a solid knock on the door and then let himself in with the key I gave him.
The morning sun rays beamed brightly from behind his large frame as if he was the sun itself. I squinted at the sudden onslaught of bright light, and he quickly closed the door with a soft click before I could tell him to.
“Someone sure is happy today,” I said from the top of the stairs.
“Meanwhile, someone sure is grumpy this morning,” Anthony quickly answered back. He placed the coffees on the entryway table to lock the door. “Excited for today?”
“Yup, for another blazing hot day,” I mumbled. I walked down to where he was in my foyer from my bathroom upstairs with my tote bag and slingback heels in hand. I had a few showings today, so my usual flats wouldn’t cut it. “I’m going to dread driving all over town for the three showings I have lined up today in this heat.”
“Don’t work too hard, alright?” said Anthony. Despite the tired lines on his face, his radiance made my heart beat harder for a moment as warmth spread across my chest. “I know you’re busy every summer because you’re a realtor and all, but you should take it easy. It’s fucking hot today.”
“I’m complaining, but I’ll be fine.”
He flashed me an apologetic smile as he handed me my coffee. I sipped it and let out a satisfied moan, enjoying the sweet milky bliss. In college, he worked at an artisan cafe and had been making coffee ever since. When we started living next door to each other two years ago, he began making vanilla hazelnut lattes for me every morning. Hot in the winter with fancy latte art and iced in the summer.
I quickly grabbed my coffee from him. He always put my iced coffee in this cute, lilac colored tall glass with a glass straw, meanwhile his was usually in a regular glass cup. So, I always knew which one was mine.
Now we were standing near each other, I took in the wide smile and flushed cheeks he wore. A small smile eased onto my lips. His morning grins were always the most contagious, which was why he’s always the first person I want to see the most at the start of my day.
“Just take it easy today,” he said, humming softly. “And hydrate when you can.”
I nodded slowly when I realized the scent of his body wash was different today. It was floral, sweet, and feminine. He clearly wasn’t home last night, and the knowledge of that sent a slight ache through my heart.
“Looks like someone had sex last night,” I said before sipping my coffee again. I blew out a long breath that masked into a delighted sigh. “I didn’t know you were back to casually hooking up. Thank you for the delicious coffee, by the way.”
He laughed. “You know me, Shoua. I’m not really one for that sort of stuff. This was just a one-time thing.”
He was right. Although he had the looks and charm to get any woman into bed for casual sex, that wasn’t who he was. He only did it from time to time. Anthony had always been the type to enjoy long-term commitment more than quick flings.
We headed into the kitchen from the living room after I set down my tote and shoes by my sofa. Anthony still wore his bashful smile as he drank his coffee. My smile broadened with a playful roll of my eyes. I grabbed eggs, bacon, and sausage out of the fridge as Anthony quickly headed toward the pantry to get the sourdough bread.
“Why didn’t you just have breakfast with her if you two were already spending a night together?” The tone of my voice sounded much more spiteful than I intended.
Anthony let out a thunderous laugh as we danced around one another in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready. We don’t always spend mornings together like this since he usually came over to give me my coffee and then was out the door around seven, but he sent me a text earlier asking if we could have breakfast together today. I was planning to head out earlier than usual since my clients wanted me to show them a few places today at three o’clock, so I’d be leaving the office early.
“Aw, Shoua, do I smell a bit of jealousy here? Amanda’s only in town to visit her parents for the weekend and had an early flight to catch this morning to go back to Miami. Besides, I would rather have my meals with one of my favorite people any morning.”
I let out a short scoff. “Happy to know I’m one of those people.”
He laughed again. “You sure don’t sound all that happy.”
I grunted. “Give me a break. It’s Monday, and I wasn’t the one who had sex all weekend.”
It was then that I noticed two blooming hickeys on the nape of his neck, and I quickly turned away.
“Not all day, but all night—yeah.” His grin morphed into a mischievous smirk as his honey brown eyes twinkled. He was giddy, and it was fucking adorable.
His bubbling energy was always contagious, and my smile grew wider. I began cracking eggs into a bowl as Anthony grabbed a pan and started the stove for me.
“Maybe you should start dating again,” I suggested. “Get on a few dating apps and see how it turns out.”
“Nah, I’m good. Anyway, I’ll man the stove this morning,” he quickly spoke up.
I shook my head at him. Whenever he started to hook up like this, it meant he was on the precipice of finding his next girlfriend. He needed companionship, without a doubt. I didn’t bother pressing him on this because what was the point when it was bound to happen anyway?
“Says the man who’s been up all night.”
“Stop being so green-eyed, Shoua. There’s plenty of what I got for you and the rest. Maybe you should take your own advice. You should start dating again as well.” Anthony grinned, and I shook my head.
After breakfast, he offered to rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Our morning together was short-lived as I quickly headed out before him. He must’ve been in a really good mood to take it easy this morning, especially if he wasn’t in a rush to get out of the house after seven a.m. As I drove to work, I tried not to pay too much attention to the tinge of jealousy I now realized was coursing through my veins. It felt like bits of poison as it made its way to my heart.
I let out a long breath as I thought about what Anthony said during breakfast. He had a point. Maybe I should get out and date around a bit. Maybe I would even fuck around a bit. I hadn’t thought much of flings or dating since last year after my car accident. Maybe it’d be easier to live with the fact that I had a crush on him if I tried to date. I would never jeopardize our relationship by confessing to him how I felt, so there was no point in not dating or casually seeing someone anymore. I only started having these feelings for him because of all he did for me in the aftermath of my accident.
While my ankle was sprained, he essentially lived with me and was at my every beck and call while I recovered. Anthony would attempt to cook despite never being much of a cook. He spent every day driving me to work and picking me up. He called out of work whenever I had a doctor’s appointment and was always there with me.
Once my ankle healed, he continued to drive me everywhere without a single complaint. When I broke down after having an anxiety attack when I first attempted to drive again, he came running. He was never frustrated by how scared I became of making left turns. He took me to my showings over the weekends and stayed all day with me there, even though I told him I’d be fine without him. He was always with me, which was a side of him I never knew.
It was impossible not to start developing feelings for Anthony Hughes after experiencing that kind of gentle care and attention.