Page 27 of Bad Boy Neighbor

I rub my face vigorously, wondering what the hell I should do until it dawns on me—I need an excuse to see her, and going for a run will be the perfect excuse. She happily obliged yesterday, so why would today be any different?

I quickly put on my running gear and head toward the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.

Inside the kitchen, Seb is already up concocting his damn raw egg shake.

“Wanna go for a run, mate?”

“Um…” I scratch the back of my neck. “Yeah, but I kinda have plans.”

Seb grins, swallowing the godawful drink he has made in the blender. Who knows what the guy puts in it. The shade of dark green is undesirable, yet he claims it gives him the stamina of a wild stallion.

Just what I need to hear while staying under his roof.

“Do plans include a certain female neighbor?”

I don’t have to say anything. Seb can read me like a book—bro code at its finest.

“So, what happened to you and what’s her name?” he asks.

I dread saying her name. Perhaps it’s the guilt of how I left things off back home. It wasn’t my finest moment, but I was in a dark place, and no good would come of us or any woman who was around me.

“Bianca.”

“Ah, yeah, Bianca. How is she?”

“Good, I guess. I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Don’t tell me you just left her? You guys were dating for a while. I thought you were going to marry her?”

I can feel his judgment, but if anyone can understand, it’s Sebastian. I recall him getting serious with a girl back home but never paid too much attention to his previous relationships.

“It was too much,” I admit, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, then a protein bar from the cupboard. “The media was hounding me, then targeting Ma and Pa. Then they started going after Bianca. I just thought it would be a good idea if I disappeared to give her some freedom.”

Offering a deep sigh and thoughtful expression, Seb follows through with a heavy nod. “I get it, mate. If anyone gets it, it’s me. But if you and Gabbie are starting something, you gotta fess up to the truth. Start with a clean slate. No secrets.”

“We’re not starting something, okay? She’s a cool chick, and I just like playing her. Easy target.”

“Be careful… that’s what I thought with Lana. That shit turns when you least expect it, and then bam…” he makes like an explosion with his hands, “… look at me. I’m the old ball and chain.”

I laugh, finishing off the protein bar. “Your woman has ears, so don’t go mouthing off like that. You’re a lucky man.”

The bastard knows it, smiling in agreement.

“Go for your run and be gone for an hour. I need some alone time with my wife.”

I head out the door, feet firmly on the pavement. I forget how I’m imposing on their home and make the decision not to outstay my welcome and figure out my next move. But it all seems overwhelming for this time of the morning. Once I’ve finished my run, I will try to house hunt, again.

I bang on Gabriella’s door, noting the time is quarter past six. There’s no answer. So, I bang a second time only to hear a muffled voice behind the door. It opens at a slow and agonizing pace. Wearing only a burgundy silk robe with her hair a frazzled mess, she stands between the crack of the door and arch, her eyes barely open.

“Yeah.” She yawns.

Beneath her robe, she’s wearing only a white tank with nothing underneath. My eyes immediately gaze across her chest, mesmerized by the shape of her nipples.

Holy shit. Control yourself.

Fuck! Like I needed a hard-on in these thin athletic shorts.

“Do you always answer the door to strangers with no bra on?”

---