Page 4 of Only His

Chapter 3

Our post-dinner conversation was a little less awkward than the one that came right after my unexpected arrival, but not by much. We moved out onto his front porch and chatted about mundane things—my parents, my time in college, how it felt to finally move out and be on my own.

It wasn’t until I noticed David creeping toward the banister by his steps that I realized he was trying to brush me off. A part of me wanted to ask if he had plans—a date, maybe—but there was no way to ask such a thing without my intention being completely obvious.

Before things could get truly weird again, I jerked my thumb in the direction of my house and said, “I should probably get some unpacking done before calling it a night. Thanks for dinner.”

“Thanks for the company.”

David reached out and laid a hand on my shoulder, much like he used to do years ago. It took every ounce of strength in my body not to shudder when I felt the warmth of his palm on my skin. Was it my imagination or was his grip a little more possessive than I remembered it being?

David’s chuckle snapped me out of my thoughts and I craned my neck to look up at him. He was taller than I remembered and his smilesstillmade me melt.

“Not gonna lie—you shocked the hell out of me just showing up like you did, but I’m glad you’re here. I think it’ll be good. Us being neighbors, I mean.”

My mouth was dry as a bone, so I nodded dumbly in agreement and forced myself to maintain eye contact as he continued.

“I remember what it was like living by myself for the first time. It takes some adjustment. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”

“T-Thanks. I’ll let you know.”

His hand was still resting on my shoulder and once I recovered somewhat from my mental overload, I realized how perfect the moment was. Between the moonlight, our close contact, and the fact that we were on his porch—the prime location for the goodnight kiss—it was downright romantic.

Kiss me. God, I’ll do anything. Please, please kiss me!

A slow smile spread across David’s lips and my breath caught in my throat. Did he also realize how this moment felt? Did he feel like we were ending a date as well? His hand left my shoulder and raised up to my cheek, hovering there for the briefest moment before…

He reached further up and mussed my hair.

“I’ll see you around, kid.”

You havegotto be kidding me.

With a cheeky grin, he stepped back into his house, the door clicking softly behind him. I stood there stunned for a long moment before returning to my house and staring at my disheveled hair in the bathroom mirror.

“I’ll see you around, kid.”

Kid.

Kid.

I narrowed my eyes at my reflection, scowling as I smoothed my hair back into place.

“Oh, I’ll show you how much of akidI am.”

It’s on.

* * *

The time when David left for work in the morning conflicted with my own work schedule, which meant early runs were no longer a viable option. Instead, I’d drag my tired ass home from work and put on my sexiest gym clothes, running past his house before he got home and trying to time my return with his. It took a few days to get it right, but I managed it.

He slammed the truck door and leaned against it, cocking an eyebrow behind his sunglasses as he shouted, “You still run?”

I slowed down a bit before coming to a stop a few feet away from him. I didn’t want to get too close—there was no way I still smelled fresh and clean from my shower that morning.

“Yeah. Got to stay in shape somehow, right?”

I stretched as I said the words and his head tilted downward. I couldn’t see his eyes behind the tinted lenses, but I could practicallyfeelhis gaze roaming over my exposed skin. As I rolled my neck and shoulders, I pushed my chest out, fighting a smile when I saw his hands twitch at his sides.

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