Page 1 of Wild Side
CHAPTER 1
RHYS
I hear the doorbell.And I ignore it. I don’t want whatever they’re selling.
So I continue surfing through the options of TV shows to watch next. Nothing appeals to me.Ted Lassoleft me in a slump, and being too injured to work out has me bored.
Now there’s three strong knocks at the door. And I still don’t want to answer it. I come to this place to be left alone, so I pretend I don’t hear it. Door-to-door people always go away, eventually.
But not this person.
Now they knock five times.
Pissed off now, I push to stand and ignore the sharp twinge in my knee as I march across the open living space.
“Whatever it is, I’m not interested—” I yank the front door open, but I come eye-to-eye with absolutely no one. Just a clear view of the front street.
“Hi. I’m Tabitha.” The firm voice comes from below me, and I drop my chin to follow the sound. “Rhys, right?”
There’s a woman standing on my front doorstep. She has dark hair, nearly black. The onyx slashes of her eyebrows frame narrowed chocolate eyes that are ringed with a thick fringe oflashes. She’s short—next to me, most people are—but there’s something about the way she carries herself that feels tall.
She has a presence.
I say nothing, but she sticks her hand out to shake mine anyway. I stare at it, not wanting to be rude, but also wondering what the hell she wants. This place is my haven. No one knows me in Canada.
When I’m in Emerald Lake, no one bugs me.
And that’s how I like it.
“Hi? Hello?” She bobs her hand again, calling me out on the fact that I’ve stood here glaring at her and not made a single move. “If English isn’t your first language, I have some passable French. Otherwise, I’ll pull my phone out to translate.”
My lips flatten, and I reach forward to wrap my hand around her small one. “I speak English,” I mutter as I meet her eyes once more. “I just wasn’t expecting anyone.”
I can feel the calluses on her palms as she grips my hand. Hard. It’s a real, proper, honest handshake. “Who doesn’t love a surprise, am I right?”
“Me. I don’t love surprises.” Her eyes don’t leave mine, and I get the sense she’s sizing me up. Judging my worthiness. For what, I have no clue.
We continue staring and shaking hands tightly, even though at this point, the custom has dragged on for longer than necessary.
“Well, surprise!” she announces suddenly. “I’m your new tenant’s sister, and I’m currently helping her move in. I need to have a chat with you while she’s out.”
I drop her hand and blink. Her tone makes me feel like I’m in trouble. All I wanted was someone unobtrusive to live next door and maintain the place during my stretches away. Now I have some tiny terror on my front step, looking like she’s ready to interrogate me.
“Invite me in. We’ll cover our bases, and I’ll be on my merry way.”
She smiles now.
And it’s fucking blinding. It’s not demure or shy. It’s a weapon, and she knows exactly what she’s doing by pulling it out on me.
Before, I was quiet because I’m always suspicious of people who randomly show up at my door. Now I’m quiet because my brain is short-circuiting, and my eyes are wandering. Wandering over shiny strands of dark hair, tan skin, and the feminine flare of her hips.
Yeah. Tabitha, sister of my new tenant, is hot, looks like she thinks I might have bodies buried in my basement, and has a mean handshake.
Strangely, I’m into it.
So I step aside and gesture her in.
For a flash, she softens, a relieved smile touching her full lips as she wipes her palms nervously against acid-washed jeans. Her chin dips as she steps into the foyer with a muted, “Thanks.”
