Page 161 of The Neighbor Wager

With those beautiful sharp edges.

After I go through my morning routine, I move into the main room. I take in the sight.

As an artist—

The diagonal line of the high ceiling, the light flowing through the wide windows, the angular woman, navy blue against the sand decor.

As a man—

This beautiful, powerful, tough as nails woman in her silk pajamas, inviting me into her life.

“Are you going to stare all morning?” she asks.

“I might.”

“I might start stripping.”

“Don’t stop on my account.”

She shakes her head.

For a moment, I hold steady, then I copy hercome heremotion.

She laughs as she rises, meets me in the middle of the room, wraps her arms around my neck.

She kisses me softly.

Tenderly.

She pulls back with a sigh. “Sit. Eat. The food will get cold.”

There’s so much to say, maybe too much. I sit across from her, fill a mug with tea, pick up my Eggs Benedict.

“Thanks,” I say.

“I owed you breakfast,” she says.

“For the entire weekend. I appreciate it.”

“Thank you.” She brings her mug to her lips and takes a long sip. “For last night.”

Why are her manners so sexy?

“But, uh, before you go gushing about the weekend, I have to ask you something. And I want you to promise you’ll tell me the truth.”

“About what?” I ask.

“Promise.”

“I’ll be as honest as I can.”

She nods, accepting the answer, but not necessarily liking it. She starts to talk, stops herself, starts again. “Do you still have feelings for Lexi?”

Chapter Thirty-Four

River

Do I have feelings for Lexi? The question belongs to another world, another universe, another version of myself.

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