urgency to leave pressed upon her. If Greg answered the door and invited her in, she might not be able to turn him down. No, not a good idea to see him again in her sex-starved condition. Carefully, she angled the broom handle so it wouldn’t slide again. As she took a step back, she heard movement from inside the home. Footsteps and a beating heart drew closer. Running now would seem rude and she didn’t want to give that kind of impression, so she waited to explain the disturbance.
Alexi stiffened as she stared at the door and listened to the clicking sound as someone unlocked it. She’d apologize for waking him and promptly leave. Her simple plan would work, unless he appeared in front of her half naked.
She bit her lip as the door swung open. A stocky man with tussled, sandy-blond hair stood near the frame wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“I was awake.” He grinned.
Her gaze lowered. She couldn’t help it. “Do you always answer the door in your underwear?”
He glanced down at his blue-stripped boxers. “No, not usually. Do you like them?”
“Uh, sure.”
Doubt pricked at her mind. Did she have the right house? Though she hadn’t seen Greg walk to or from the home, she believed he lived here. She glanced at the window to the side, and pictured him standing with the curtain in his hand.
“Does Greg live here?”
“He’s in bed.” The stranger’s gaze scanned her body from toe to breasts. “Would you like me to get him for you?”
She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Was Greg gay? Why would this man say he was in bed instead of saying Greg was sleeping? It was a small detail, but one none the less. Come to think about it, Greg had stared deep into her eyes the entire time they conversed. Not once did she notice him looking at other parts of her body as regular men tended to do. But the stranger in the doorway had checked her out. Were they lovers? Guilt slipped into her head. Had she interrupted them?
Alexi took a step back. “No, that’s okay. No need to bother him.” People’s sexual orientation had no influence on her. She hoped she hadn’t accidently halted their playtime. For another matter, she didn’t want give him any wrong signals.
“I’m Corey Fleming.” He took a step closer with his arm outstretched.
She glanced at his hand and for a split-second she hesitated to shake it.
“Alexandria Cartwright.” Gripping his hand, she gazed in his green eyes and slipped into his mind. Nothing was there. She probed deeper for a memory and found emptiness, similar to what she’d discovered with Greg. She suspected Corey was either a werewolf or warlock and placed her bet on the former.
“Would you like to come inside for a drink?” He let go of her hand and pointed his thumb behind him, toward the inside of the home.
The only drink that could quench her thirst was warm blood. Her mouth watered, tempted by the idea of tasting the rich fluid of such a robust man. Then she bit her tongue and pushed the thought out of her mind. For God’s sake, she couldn’t bite her neighbor.
“No thanks. I came by to bring back the trash can and broom Greg brought over earlier.” She extended her arm toward the items near the door.
He glanced down and found the items. “Greg told me you were having trouble with the moving company. Were you able to work everything out?”
“Yes, but I’m still going to contact the owners.”
“If you need any legal assistance, let me or Greg know. Either one of us can answer any legal questions you have.”
“Are both of you lawyers?”
“Greg specializes in child-support law. I work with domestic violence cases. Andy handles burglary and other petty crimes. But we often help people with other issues.”
“Andy?”
“He’s our roommate. You probably won’t see him too much.”
“Have the three of you lived together for long?” The niggling desire to find
Bwwm Romance Dot Com, Esther Banks