Page 25 of Crave Thy Neighbor

“Wha… What are you doing here?” She peeks around like she’s searching for someone else. She wets her rosy pink bottom lip with her tongue. “Are you following me?”

I lift a brow as my lips curl into a smirk. “Uh, no. I’m not following you.”

She doesn’t appear to believe me.

“Lunch break.” I hitch my thumb over my shoulder. “My jobsite is a few miles up the road. The guys wanted to come here, and I’m not dumb enough to say no to hot food in this weather.”

She nods, shoving the napkins back into her purse. “It is really cold.”

I point at the tray in her hand. “So cold you’re drinking an iced coffee?”

She shrugs. “What? Sometimes you crave an iced coffee.”

“Can’t say I ever have.”

Another nod, and a quiet falls over us, both unsure what to say next. She adjusts the tipped cup on the tray, then stares at the ground.

I stare at her, committing her curves to memory like the asshole I am.

She’s wearing another pair of skintight jeans and booties, this time with a blue and white sweater that’s striped across her middle and her arms. Her brown hair is hanging in waves down her back, and there’s an adorable-as-fuck beanie with a puff sitting atop her head. Her cheeks are tinged pink, and I don’t know if it’s from the weather or her embarrassment.

“So, uh, you work around here?”

I drag my eyes back up to hers. If she caught me staring, she doesn’t say so.

“This week, yeah.”

“What do you do exactly? You know, besides knock down perfectly good apartment buildings.”

I tuck my lips together, fighting a smile, because I doubt she’d appreciate that right now. “I’m a welder.”

“Oh.”

She falls quiet again, her brows drawing together.

I’m not sure why she says it like she does, but I don’t bother asking.

I glance into the diner, noting the guys are all staring out at Maya like they’ve never seen a woman before.

A surge of protectiveness rumbles through my chest, and I glare at them.

“Well,” Maya says, pulling my attention back to her. “I, uh, better get back to the shop.” She lifts the coffees. “The girls are probably wondering where I am.”

“You work with River, right?”

“Yep. Making Waves is right up the street.” She inclines her head, indicating it’s behind me. “We’re right on the corner. We’re closed on Mondays, but we’re doing inventory today.”

I don’t tell her I know where it is.

Before River and Dean started dating, he used to pop in there for his mom and sister on their birthdays or for Christmas. He’d deny it, but it was his way of supporting River because he had a huge crush on her.

I’d usually run up to The Gravy Train for coffee while he did his shopping because there was nothing of interest to me in there.

Well, at least I didn’t think there was…until now.

“I…I’m sorry about the mess.” She winces, noticing the wet spot on my shirt.

I shrug. “No big deal. I get messier than this most days.”

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