Page 3 of Beauty and the Cop
"I just wanted to introduce myself. Uh, I can come back later if it's not a good time?"
"Crap," I mumble, not sure if I'm talking to him, to myself, or to Alice. I quickly run a hand through my hair, trying to tame it, but who am I kidding? I've been unpacking all day. I'm wearing sweats that have actual writing across my ass and a T-shirt with paint stains that vaguely resemble baby poop. My hair is the least of my problems.
"What?" Alice demands.
"You got me busted." I'm definitely talking to her this time. Maybe for the last time, depending on how the rest of this conversation with my neighbor goes. I may have to disown her, change my name, and move again. I'm going to be cranky if I have to repack everything I just put away. I didn't even want to put it away the first time! "I gotta go."
"If you don't call me back in ten minutes, I'm calling the cops. The real cops, not the fake one at your door."
"Oh my god," I groan, hanging up on her before I attempt to smooth my hair again. I shoot a rueful look at my outfit, decide there's nothing I can do about it now, and then unlock the door.
The hot neighbor is even more gorgeous without the distorted peephole between us. He towers over me, still grinning.
"Hey," he smirks.
"Um, hi." I grimace, pretty sure my cheeks are volcano red. "Sorry about…all of that."
A wicked laugh rumbles from his lips, striking against my womb. Lord, have mercy.
"It's all good, sweetheart. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself. Noah Kirk. I live across the street from you." His green eyes dance with humor as he nods in the direction of the tidy Craftsman across the street. "You can tell your friend that I'm a detective."
"Elsie Cameron, nice to meet you, Noah. And she'll be disappointed to hear that," I mumble. "Reading is making her delusional. I'm fairly sure she was hoping you planned to kidnap me into the mafia so I could become a crime boss."
Another loud rumble of laughter spills from his lips. Jesus. That sound is sexy.
"Do not recommend," he chuckles. "Prison is a bitch, and since you just moved in, you probably don't want to have to move into a cell and become someone's prison wife right away."
"I don't know. I think I'd make a pretty good prison wife."
His gaze runs up and down my body before he grins again. My heart turns a flip in my chest when he doesn't even linger on the paint stains. He does linger on my boobs, though.
I'm not mad about it. They deserve a little love after the mantle rudely abused them.
"Um…" I drop my gaze to the plate of cookies in his hands. "Not to be presumptuous or anything, but…cookies?"
"Ah, fuck." He thrusts the plate toward me. "Forgot I was holding the motherfuckers."
"They look delicious." I take the plate from his hands, fighting a shiver when our fingers touch, and a little jolt goes through me. "Wait. These aren't raisins masquerading as chocolate chips, are they?"
The right side of his mouth quirks up. "I said I was a cop, not the spawn of Satan, sweetness."
"Thank God. Only a monster brings oatmeal raisins as a welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift."
He throws his head back, laughing loudly.
"Oh, God. That probably sounded so entitled and rude. I'm sorry." My cheeks flame with mortification. This is all Alice's fault. Somehow. "I promise I'm not a heinous bitch. I actually think it's really sweet that you brought me cookies."
His gaze drifts down my body again, his lips still curled into a smile. "There's nothing heinous about you at all, Elsie Cameron."
My stomach does a flip this time.
"Um, I…"
His phone rings, cutting me off before I can think of a suitable response that doesn't involve explaining that those stains aren't actually baby poop, I don't have a baby, and my boyfriend runs on batteries. That's probably too much information for a first meeting, right? Right.
"Shit," he growls, pulling it from his pocket with a grimace. "I gotta go. But if you need anything, feel free to knock on my door any time. I'm right across the street."
"Thanks, Noah. Same to you."
