Page 25 of Kissing Chaos
“Please tell me that cup has a double shot of espresso in it. Gimme, gimme.” I reach for the coffee with grabby hands, but McKenna pulls both cups out of my reach as I pout.
“No, ma’am. A regular caramel coffee has more than enough caffeine for your ass.”
Taking a sip as soon as she hands it over, I moan at the sweet caramel taste but still feel like grumbling about the lack of espresso.
“At least it isn’t decaf, hon. I could have done you dirty there and didn’t. So, say ‘thank you, McKenna, for helping to fuel my unnecessary and unhealthy caffeine addiction, even though it ruins what little focus I have.’”
I roll my eyes but mutter a thanks to my best friend between sips. McKenna goes to take a sip of hers but freezes, the straw an inch away from her face.
“What in the actual hell are you doing here?” she yells over my shoulder.
My head snaps in the direction she’s glaring as the distinct laugh of Noah Slater reaches my ears. My eyes dart back and forth between the two, unease and confusion creeping into my chest.
I choose to ignore the fact that my best friend and current crush-slash-hero have some sort of history and ask Noah, “What are you doing here, elevator man?”
His lips slip into a shit-eating grin. “I live here.”
My head darting side-to-side, I say, “No, you don’t. This is my loft.”
He points to the door next to mine. “And this is mine. Howdy, neighbor.”
I almost snap at him, his unexpected appearance and the news of him being my neighbor making me anxious, but the guys pull up to the curb with all my belongings in tow before my mind can take off again. When I asked Jace the other week about the card on the town bulletin board advertising the loft for rent, he had offered to set everything up for me. Sounds like he failed tofill me in on a few important facts, like the sexy mechanic living next door.
Taking a deep breath, I step back, away from the towering male, and slink toward my brother. I can tell even from here that Reece notes the look on my face. He glances behind me, and I know immediately when he spots both individuals standing at my door.
“So much for staying away from him, I guess.” I shrug at him.
“Meaning?”
“Says he lives next door. Better than a stranger, I think?”
“You good with this?” he asks while still eyeing Noah, his eyes hard, jaw set.
“Areyouokay with it?”
His eyes soften as they take me in. “I don’t like some guy living right next door to you, but Jace ripped me a new one after that night we ran into him and I tried to piss Noah off. The guy isn’t at the top of my list, but it’s for personal reasons. As long as you are comfortable, I can deal with it.”
I nudge him and smile, although I feel more than a little nervous about having all that hotness next door all the time.
10
Noah
It’s a rare day when I forget how to practice patience. My mama taught me better, but some days, my give-a-damn breaks. Today was one of those days where every little thing irritated me. I’d been in a sour mood since I woke up before dawn. Working on elevators on a weekend is never at the top of my to-do list, but our deadline is closing in. Not much choice but to go in, even if I spend the rest of the weekend irritated.
That mood disappears as soon as I catch sight of two people standing in front of my door. I can’t help but laugh at the unexpected situation of seeing McKenna Monroe standing outside it with the girl who has consumed my thoughts for the last few weeks. Jett glances at me for a moment before turning her head and talking to me while looking out at the town.
“What are you doing here, elevator man?”
I can’t help the grin that feels permanent around her. Panic brews in her eyes at the realization that we are neighbors now. Man, what I’d do to take a look inside her mind. I want this girl, chaos and all, even if I have no business getting anywhere near Reece Taylor’s sister.
As she scampers off to her brother and Jace, I turn my attention to the brunette still next to me. Her eyes track my every move with distaste clear as the blue skies overhead.
“McKenna Monroe. What’s it been? Two years? Four?” If I wasn’t looking closely at McKenna, I would have missed the tick of her jaw or how that little vein pops on her neck—both traits that indicate how happy she is to see me again after all this time.
“I’m going to ask you again, Slater. What the hell are you doing here? Did your brother put you up to this?”
“I live here, princess. I wasn’t kidding.” Probably not the best time to mention that I own this entire strip of lofts. McKenna’s never been a fan of people who flaunt their money, even if it is hard earned.
