Just One Kiss (Very Irresistible Bachelors #2) - Layla Hagen Page 0,6

home. On the train, I tipped a busker generously when she sang one of my favorites from Whitney Houston. It made me think about Ryker and wonder what they’d played after I left the bar. I hadn’t built him up in my mind; quite the contrary. Some delicious details about him hadn’t registered that first night, but there was no forgetting them now.

I hurried from the station to my building. Even though it was March, the wind was still cold and cutting, seeping into my flesh and bones. I had a thick jacket over my dress, but I wished I’d had on an extra layer of clothes. Brrr. If I could, I’d hibernate from November to April.

When I reached my apartment, Natasha, my neighbor, gave me the rundown of how the evening went before going back to her apartment. She was a friend from my spin class, and she was the one who’d told me this unit was free. A single woman who loved kids, she was the perfect resident babysitter for the occasions when I needed someone.

Avery was sleeping already, so I was on my own for the rest of the evening. Of course I couldn’t stop thinking about Ryker. Just remembering the way his eyes had glinted when he’d asked for my number was enough to make me shiver—as if he was silently making me promises. Sinful promises. Nope. Won’t go there. And I was supposed to see him on Monday? That just spelled danger... of the hot and sizzling variety.

Before going to bed, I riffled through my mail, and my heart nearly stopped when I discovered an envelope from my landlord. With shaky hands, I opened the letter.

Please don’t let this be what I think. Please, please, please.

It was exactly what I’d feared. My landlord was asking for proof that I can afford the apartment on my own.

The rent contract had been in both mine and Gerald’s name. I’d texted Gerald yesterday, asking him to hold off on contacting the landlord until I could find a solution. He’d done the exact opposite.

I crumpled the paper in my fist, before taking my anger out on it, ripping it into tiny, tiny little pieces. That piece of shit.

Finding a new place to live in the size I wanted would be difficult. Most landlords find it too risky to rent a large apartment to a single-income household. What if one gets fired?

As a reporter for a national newspaper, I made excellent money. The problem was that half of my income came in the form of a bonus paid at the end of the year, so the actual salary wasn’t the least bit attractive for a landlord. The other problem was that the living costs in New York were ridiculous.

Tendrils of panic crawled up my throat at the prospect of apartment hunting all over again. Sighing, I dropped onto my couch.

This was a setback, all right, but I only needed a minute to regroup. Just one minute, and then I’d kick ass, as usual. I closed my eyes, leaning against the headrest. An image of Ryker popped in my mind.

No, sexy-as-hell guitar player. You can absolutely not hijack my thoughts. I need to focus.

Aha, that didn’t help. Not one bit. That wicked smile, the dangerous allure surrounding him were just branded in my mind. Every time he’d leaned closer to me tonight, he’d looked as if he’d had every intention of kissing me.

A shiver ran through me. I pressed my thighs together, trying to gather my wits. I blinked my eyes open. Yup. Much better. I couldn’t daydream about Ryker if I stared at my TV console. Clearing my throat, I grabbed my laptop. I could get us through this! I’d done it before, when the odds had been stacked against me: finding out I was pregnant had been a surprise, as had been Avery’s father bailing on me... I’d gotten through that, and I would get us through this too. I wouldn’t lie to myself though, I was daydreaming about a future where I wasn’t one bonus away from financial disaster. At twenty-eight, I still wasn’t quite there, but I knew I’d reach that point one day.

Opening my laptop, I sent an email to my editor, Danielle, right away, pitching her ten ideas. I was assigned stories, but initiative was encouraged. I finished the email by explaining my situation and that I needed at least half the bonus paid now. Her bosses had promised they’d raise my base salary this