Page 10 of Untraced Magic
“Hey, sis, long time no see.” I grinned back, landing a peck on her cheek. Wrapping my free arm around her, the gas bottle balanced precariously on my thigh. “No more blonde?” I asked, motioning to her hair.
She laughed, tugging at a strand. “Yeah, thought it was time for a change.” Her eyes darted to the bottle. “Problem with the grill?”
“Yeah, sorry, just let me get this sorted and I’ll be back shortly.”
As I turned to head towards the stairs, my feet froze mid-step when I spotted our new neighbor standing at the bottom of the stairwell.
Chocolate-brown orbs connected with mine, and a foreign heat washed over me. Intense. Like an outgoing tide, threatening to pull the sand from under my feet and take me with it. My gaze fell to her full lips, and her tongue slid over them as if parched.
Heat licked at my insides, only intensifying as I walked closer.
We both moved to the side, but in the same direction, causing us to do the whole ‘you go that way, I’ll go this way thing’ but both got nowhere.
Standing face to face, she clutched her drinks in one hand, shoving the other in the pocket of her jeans.
Thosejeans.
I chuckled under my breath. “I can’t dance with you all day.”
She let out a sigh. “Don’t worry, I don’t intend to.”
A smile played on my lips. Wittyandattractive... damn.
She moved to the side and jutted out a hip, a mask of indifference replacing the heat that had flooded her eyes moments ago.
I swiped my hand over my jeans before stretching it to hers.
“I’m Tyler. You must be our new neighbor.”
She paused, and for a moment I didn’t know if she would introduce herself.
Finally, she replied, “Hi. I’m Morgan.” Her soft palm enclosed mine before quickly pulling away as she eyed the gas bottle still parked on my thigh. “I’ll get out of your way,” she mumbled, stepping aside.
My reaction to her presence caught me off guard, because ever since Ava’s death, I’d not given a single woman my attention.
“Thanks,” I said with a nod, moving past her.
I found the connection and ventured back to the man cave, hooking up the gas bottle easily this time. Watching the action inside, I grinned as Reid pulled a roundhouse kick on his sparring partner Colt, sending him hard into the ground with athud.
Cheers erupted around the basement.
“You’d better up your game, Colt,” I joked, and he swiftly responded with his middle finger.
From outside, I saw Wes talking to Morgan, catching the way his hand innocently brushed her arm. She would think he was being overly friendly, coming on to her even. She wouldn’t know his true intentions.
He caught my eye over her shoulder, subtly nodding his head to the side.
Human. I figured as much.
Reid threw me his classic cheese-dick smile. “Up for a tousle?” he challenged, his arms open wide as he beckoned me forward.
Colt eyed me from where he stood, still catching his breath. “Ty, get out there. Last time I looked, you were getting rusty,” he taunted.
I wasn’t big on fighting, but when push came to shove, I could hold my own.
“You wish,” I bantered back as I moved inside.
Approaching Reid, I didn’t think before pulling my top over my head and throwing it to Morgan. She caught it with wide eyes, her stare drilling nine-inch nails into my back as I walked away.
