Page 82 of Crave Thy Neighbor

I pinch my brows together. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve worked side by side for the last five years, Brooks—I can tell when you’re blowing smoke up my ass.”

Fuck.

“All right, fine. We slept together. Big deal.”

“Big deal is damn right. She’s your roommate. That’s nothing to turn your nose up at.”

“It’s not permanent.”

“Her living there or you two fucking?”

“Both.”

He huffs out a laugh. “Right. Keep selling that shit to yourself.” He crams the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, then hops off the tailgate. “I’ll see you in there.”

I’m not selling myself anything. We both agreed it was just sex, and I mean it on my end. I’ve had friends with benefits before and walked away unscathed.

This is no different.

I’m sure of it.

13

Maya

Time is passing faster than I thought it ever could.

This last week and a half I’ve spent with Nolan has been nothing short of magical.

The things he’s done to me…

The stuff I’ve done to him…

I swear I’ve been flying above the clouds for days now.

I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever get tired of him, but every day I wake up next to him, it makes me want him more.

We’ve been discreet since Sam came home from his dad’s. I set an alarm every night in case I fall asleep, then sneak back over to my room before the sun—and my kid—rises.

“Good morning,” I tell him as he pads out of his bedroom in his work pants and unbuttoned flannel that shows off a white shirt clinging to the muscles I’ve raked my fingers over so many times I’ve lost count. I set a fresh plate of pancakes on the counter, knowing he loves them. “You’re just in time.”

“What’s all this for?” he asks, dropping down onto a stool.

“I wanted pancakes,” Sam says through a full mouth.

Nolan’s eyes find mine.Is that why you left so early?they ask.

Yes, mine answer.

“Well, good call, Sam. I love pancakes.”

“That’s what Mom said too.” He shovels another forkful of fluffy goodness into his gob. “And you’re lucky she makes the best ones ever.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

He slathers butter on the perfectly round and golden cakes, then pours a generous amount of syrup on them and takes a bite.

---