Lovely Neighbor by Alexa Riley Page 0,15

back.” Maybe he could keep my security deposit and we can call it even?

“All right. I went ahead and took some pictures. I’ll email them over to you. Your insurance company might want them.”

“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.” I really don't want to see them, but it has to be done. “Oh, and Peter is worried about you. He wanted to call you, but I didn't feel comfortable giving your number out even if he is your neighbor.”

My stomach turns at the mention of his name. “Yeah, please don’t.” The last thing I need is him calling me.

“All right. I’ll send those pictures over tonight. If you need anything else, let me know.”

“Thanks.” I end the call as Grams comes outside.

“Late night sweets.” She hands me the bag. “Where to now?” I look down at my watch and it’s almost four.

“I think I want to lie down.” Really I need to do something with my hair and find something to wear. Do I dress up or will I look like I’m trying too hard? What if I think it’s a date when it might not be one?

“A nap sounds good. I need to freshen up before I go out tonight. It’s ladies’ night over at the Alamo. Do you want to come?” Gram shakes her shoulders like she’s dancing.

“I think I’ll spend the night in.” I yawn, playing it up.

“All right. If you change your mind you’re more than welcome to join us.”

“Thanks.”

Now I just pray Grams leaves before Devin gets back tonight. I’ll never hear the end of it if she catches us together. I don’t want to get Grams’ hopes up about the two of us. Devin is in a whole other league than me and I don’t only mean looks. His whole life is in another world and I’m not sure I could ever fit in.

Chapter Ten

Devin

It feels weird to knock on the door to my own place, but I decide this might be better than just walking in like this morning. It doesn’t take Erin long before she peeks out a little and sees me standing there.

“Would it be strange if I said ‘please come in’?” She laughs as she opens the door and I walk in with bags of food.

“Not as strange as me ordering everything on the menu.” I walk over to the dining room table and set all the bags of Chinese food down.

“Did you invite people to come with you?” She looks up at me and then quickly away and I wonder if that was the sound of disappointment I heard in her voice.

“No, I just wanted you to have a lot of choices.”

“I’m really just in it for the fortune cookies,” she laughs, but I grab a bag and hold it up.

“Good thing I got extra.”

“How many is that?”

“Twenty?” I shrug, and she puts her hand on her mouth as she keeps laughing. “I think it’s probably a fair number with all the food I got.”

A silence follows as she smiles at me, and I like it. It’s comfortable and although I was anxious all day for this moment to be here, I’m once again in her presence and feeling damn good about it.

“I’ll grab some dishes,” I say as I go into the kitchen and get the silverware and plates.

I watch her out of the corner of my eye as she opens a few of the Chinese food containers. She smells them before she places them on the table and I can decipher which ones she likes based on her expression at the scent. It’s cute watching her put the ones she wants on the left and the ones she doesn't on the right. It’s also cute as hell seeing her in my dining room looking comfortable as fuck.

She’s got on a white V-neck shirt that’s snug against her body and cut-off jean shorts. She’s also barefoot, which makes it look like she belongs here and for whatever reason that makes me hard. Her tits strain against the thin white material that hugs her chest when she leans over and for a second I get a long look down the front of it. Fuck, her tits are hot, and I have to force myself to turn around and take a breath. The image of her dirty-blond hair draped to one side of them is burned in my brain and I’m going to be thinking about that later tonight when I’m alone.

“Later,” I whisper to myself before I go back into the