Page 2 of Only His

That was when my new, terrible idea started.

I knew for sure that I didn’t want to stay in a dorm, so I either had to continue living with my parents for the time being or get an apartment near campus. While discussing the options, my dad was tickled at the amount of money I’d saved up over the past year and a half.

“At this rate, if you stay with us while you finish school and keep on working, you’ll have a nice down payment to put on a house when you’re done! Or at least enough to cover rent for a long while if you want an apartment.”

And he wasn’t wrong. Within an hour of his comment, I was on my laptop, browsing through the houses listed for sale or rent in Uniontown. David wasn’t coming back to Bellwood, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t go tohim. I had to at least try. I didn’t mind sacrificing my social life by living with my parents. I had bigger concerns.

At the same time, there was atinypart of me that hoped I’d meet a nice guy in college and forget all about David. I met plenty of guys—and got plenty of invitations for dates—but no one ever clicked for me.

Which was ultimately how I ended up standing in my new yard, staring at the house next door with a ridiculous smile on my face.

It was fate. I applied for a job at the hospital in David’s town as soon as I finished my degree and nailed the interview. Then, as I was researching the daunting prospect of trying to get a mortgage since I wasn’t fond of any of the apartment options, the house next door to David went up for rent.

Ithadto be fate. There was no other explanation. Everything was just too perfect to be a coincidence.

He wasn’t home when I visited the house the first time, nor was he home the day I moved in, but I knew it was his house. I snuck a peek at Dad’s address book just to double-check.

The plan was simple. Move into the house next door to David and continue right where I left off—only amp up the flirting now that I was officially an adult and my parents were no longer in the vicinity. I wasn’t exactly experienced when it came to men, but I didn’t doubt that I could do it. I could seduce him. I was sure of it.

I heard the roar of a truck pulling in next door and began to panic. The only things I had unpacked were some of my clothes and makeup. The rest of the time I spent getting dressed and waiting for him to get home from work.

I peeked through the window in my new living room, smiling like an idiot as I watched David sliding out of the truck. The sun hadn’t quite set yet, so his sunglasses were still on, but I caught him glancing over at the house, obviously wondering about his new neighbor. He hesitated for a moment on his porch before unlocking the door and disappearing inside.

I wondered if he would come over to welcome me to the neighborhood. Even with the distance between our houses, I could somehow sense that he was contemplating it.

I shuffled around on my feet nervously while I debated it. In the end, I knew it would probably be best to go to him, just in case I was wrong. The last thing I wanted was to wait until it got dark and go over there like a creeper. No, it was better just to do it now.

As soon as the knot in my stomach untwists, I swear.

I dug out a box of kitchen supplies my mom packed for me and poured myself a glass of water, taking a few minutes to calm down. Once I felt certain that I wasn’t going to make a total ass out of myself, I steeled my nerves and grabbed my house keys.

The walk from my yard to his was short. I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how he’d react when he opened the door and saw me for the first time since he moved. Sure, David had come back to visit my dad a few times, but he was long gone by the time I got home from school or work. During the moments where I indulged my paranoia, I wondered if he was purposely avoiding me. I refused to dwell on those thoughts.

“Got to be positive,” I whispered as I reached up to ring the doorbell.

I straightened my skirt and smoothed my hair down, mentally preparing myself to continue right where I left off, just as I intended. I bit my lip as the door opened.

David stared at me with a look of pure shock as I smiled sweetly and said, “Well, hello, neighbor.”

Let the seduction begin.

Chapter 2

I was all about making an impression—hence the short skirt and tight top I chose to wear—but making David freeze with what appeared to be dread wasnotwhat I was shooting for. Not at all.

My smile faltered as I forced myself to ask, “You’re not happy to see me?”

Either my expression or the way my voice wavered seemed to shake him out of his stupor. Literally. He shook his head as he scratched the back of his neck, chuckling softly like he didn’t fully believe I was standing on his doorstep.

“Of course, I am.” He cleared his throat before finally smiling at me, though it looked more bewildered than happy. “I’m just surprised. What are you doing here, Emily?”

There was a hint of accusation in his voice. It was enough to make my words falter.

“I… Well, I live here now,” I said, waving my hand toward the house next door. “Well, I livethere. I was looking at houses in the area and it went up for rent, so…”

I trailed off, ignoring his confused frown while he processed my explanation. In the meantime, I couldn’t help but scan him up and down with my eyes. He looked… good. Better than good, actually. His hair had grown out a little, curling around the ears. I itched to run my fingers through it. There were a few extra lines around his eyes, but they only increased his charm. It also appeared that he had bulked up more. He’d always been fit, but with a leaner build than he was currently sporting. He must have hit the gym pretty hard over the past few years.

Damn him. How could a man look even better at thirty-six than he did at twenty-nine? It wasn’t fair to the rest of the universe. Not that I intended to complain—especially if I managed to seduce him.

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