Page 31 of Bidding War

“Perfect.”

As fresh, clean snow falls, we trundle through the streets of Boston. It’s late, so there’re fewer cars on the road and more people out. The night owls are my people once again. From servers to dancers, only us weirdos walk the night. But with Neil at my side, I feel a lot less vulnerable.

“How come you jumped in the middle of that fight tonight? That was really dangerous.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “They were hot. Had to cool off. Not all that dangerous.”

“Come on! They were huge dudes, shouting at each other and ready to swing.”

“They reminded me of these two bulls we had back home, and?—"

“Bulls? Like cows?”

He laughs. “Bulls are cattle. People use cattle and cow interchangeably, but it’s debatable. Anyway, these two bulls hated each other. They’d always almost get into a ruckus, but once we turned them into steers,” he snaps his fingers, “docile like little calves. You just have to know how to take the fight out of a man.”

“I’m sorry, but I thought bulls and steers were the same thing.”

“A bull is an uncastrated male. A steer is castrated.”

“And all that castration talk doesn’t make you want to cringe?”

He grins and shakes his head. “Nah. You get used to it, growing up on a ranch.”

“Wow. So, like, you grew up extra rural, huh?”

“You could say that. We raised beef and had a small garden plot for the family. Just a few acres of vegetables, no big deal.”

“I kill house plants. A few acres of vegetables is a big deal.”

He laughs again. “I find that hard to believe. You couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Pretty sure the only thing I ever hurt is feelings.”

“You? No.”

“Ask my exes. I think they’d disagree. I was born with a sharp tongue. Got it from my mom.”

At that, he pauses. “My mom had a mouth on her, too. Never liked it. She was always … pushy. That’s why I went away to school. Just needed to get out of the house, you know?”

“Very much. I could have lived at home for college, but I chose the dorm. I had to get out.” He nods sympathetically, and before I know it, we’re at my building. “This is me. Wanna come up for a nightcap?”

“I’d like that.”

So, we walk into the lobby area. It’s not much more than a hallway, really. Off to the left is the mail area and to the right, the elevators. Neil presses the button, and while we wait, he comes closer. I don’t mind it. He smells amazing. When he lifts my ponytail out of the way and kisses the side of my neck, I’m surprised. But it’s nice. Then he spins me around and kisses my lips. This kiss is hungrier than before. Less gentlemanly and more aggressive. I’d be all for it if I weren’t wiped out from the night. Still, though. The kissing is nice.

When his hand snakes up my shirt, though, I put the brakes on.

I back off just a little. “Neil, that’s?—"

But he kisses me again. Okay, as long as he keeps it to kissing, that’s fine. I don’t mind it. In fact, he’s a very good kisser, and I find myself getting lost in it until his cold hand goes up my shirt again.

I give him a playful shove. “Neil, come on. We’re not doing that right now.” Where the hell is the elevator?

“Yes, we are,” he says calmly as he cups my breast over my bra.

I shove him a little harder this time, but he doesn’t back off. “Stop.”

But a sinister smile twists his once-handsome face. “You’re not going to tell me what to do.”

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