Page 3 of Undaunted

“Hold the doors!” a woman’s voice calls from somewhere in the garage and I bring my hand in front of me to stop the doors from closing. They slide open just as she comes into view, a tote bag slung over one shoulder, a string of dried red peppers hanging from one corner.

My breath hitches as her face registers inside my mind, my heart suddenly racing.

I know her.

A noisy bar. Fire pits. A hotel room. Rumpled sheets. Her throaty laugh in the morning as I nudged her hips with mine, kissing her shoulder, my fingers tracing the smooth skin of her belly.

“Claudia,” I murmur as the doors slide closed behind her. “Claudia Romero.”

She stares at me, her face turning pale. “Trevor? You… you live here?”

“Yeah. What are you doing here?”

“I’m… I’m visiting a friend. Actually, I’m staying with her.”

“Your friend from that night? Leigh?” They could easily have been sisters except that her friend preferred her hair short.

“Yes,” Claudia replies.

“How long are you staying this time?”

“Three months. I’m here for my internship.”

“Physical Therapy. I remember, yeah. You were stressed out over an upcoming clinical.” I reach for the panel. “What floor?”

“Four.”

I grin as I withdraw my hand. “Now that’s weird because that’s my floor, too. I’m in 4G.”

“Wow. Leigh’s in 4D,” she says as I take a step back and for the next few moments, we don’t speak.

What’s there to say? We had a one-night stand a year and a half ago and as much as we both enjoyed each other’s company, the night turning into day until the moment we had to say goodbye eighteen hours later, I didn’t ask for her phone number.

I knew she was disappointed, our goodbye marked by a soft kiss on the lips, our foreheads touching as I whispered, “Thank you.” It was an asshole move but I was deploying in two days while she was finishing a clinical doctorate in Philadelphia. At the time, it was the best thing to do, yet here we are, a year and a half later.

We’re neighbors.

“How long have you lived here?” she asks as the elevator stops and the doors slide open.

“Six months.” I step out of the elevator behind her. “And your friend? How long has she lived here?”

“She moved in two months ago,” Claudia replies as her phone rings and she glances at the display. “I’m sorry, but I have to answer this. It’s nice to see you again, Trevor. Weird, but nice.”

“Likewise.”

As she walks down the hall, I take my time, not wanting to crowd her since I’m heading in the same direction. With her phone sandwiched between her ear and her shoulder, Claudia stops in front of an apartment two units before mine, opens the door, and with a quick wave of her hand in my direction, disappears inside.

Once inside my apartment, I close the door behind me and drop my backpack on the floor. Still holding the bag of groceries, I lean against the door and exhale.

Claudia Romero living in my building?

No freaking way.

I remember how mesmerized I was by her the night we met. Dark hair, soulful eyes, full lips. It felt like I’d been hit by lightning that night. Nothing else mattered but her. When our eyes met, I knew then I had to get to know her.

She was deep in conversation with Leigh when I approached, but I didn’t care. I said hi and forgot how to be cool. Fortunately, Quinn, Bennett, and King were there to help me out, making sure I wouldn’t make a fool of myself by letting me go at it alone.

And when Claudia and I ended up in that hotel room, how could I forget her soulful brown eyes up close? I remember her laughter, her whispers, her throaty voice. And the sex. Oh, the sex followed by cuddling and the spilling of secrets, mine more than hers simply because I needed someone to think of me while I was gone.

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