Lovely Neighbor by Alexa Riley Page 0,5
lock the door before turning to face the beautiful home.
Yeah, maybe I should go check out that tub she was talking about.
Chapter Four
Devin
It’s the middle of the night when I get home and I’m exhausted. It took three days longer than I expected it to, but I’m glad to have the case closed. I didn’t want to chance having to go back for another mediation, so although it was longer, it’s finished.
I toss my keys on the table in the foyer and don’t bother turning on a light. All I want to do is face plant on my bed for a few precious hours until I have to go into the office. The time change is the worst part even though I wasn’t there for very long.
When I see my perfectly made bed, I nearly groan with relief and need. I quickly strip naked and toss my phone on the nightstand before I peel back the covers and pour myself in. The cool sheets, the soft mattress, and the silk pillowcase Renee got me for Christmas are like aloe on a burn. The comfort is instant and I breathe deep, settling my body into place.
As I lie there I have this feeling that something is off. It’s not the sheets or the mattress but there’s something different. I inhale again and there’s a soft scent I can’t place. I bury my face in my pillow and it’s strongest there. Is it lavender? It’s something floral but not pungent. I inhale once more and there’s a calming scent to it.
I put one arm under the pillow and one over the top as I hug it to me. My cleaning crew must have used a new detergent and I need to tell them to keep using it. The fragrance is so comforting, and it’s like I can’t get close enough.
I rest my cheek against the cool silk and close my eyes once more. Without another thought, I’m falling fast asleep.
The sound of my bedroom door opening has me jolting out of bed. Everything is blurry as the sun pours into my room and I see my sister come into focus.
“Thank god,” she says as she glares at me. “I’ve been trying to call you for the past hour. Jesus, Devin, I thought you were dead in the Atlantic Ocean!”
“I missed you too.” I use the heel of my hand to rub the sleep out of my eyes as I try and figure out what time it is. I grab my phone off my nightstand and then I’m wide awake. “Fuck, how is it lunchtime? I only meant to sleep for an hour or two.”
“Yeah, I know. I kept thinking you were just catching up after the time change, but then you didn’t answer your phone and I got worried.”
“I’m sorry, Nee, I forgot to set my alarm.” I unlock my phone and see ten missed calls and nearly three dozen missed texts.
She lets out a long sigh and visibly relaxes. “It’s okay. I just freaked out and got my heart rate up for no reason. Guess I don’t have to do my cardio later at least.”
“You’re welcome.” She rolls her eyes and then sets a coffee down on my nightstand, along with a note.
“Get up, asshole, we've got a meeting in an hour.” She starts to walk out of the room but calls over her shoulder. “Your neighbor left you that note. What’s her name again?”
“Betty,” I say as I sit up and grab the coffee.
“That’s right. I like her.” She closes my bedroom door and I throw the comforter off of me, thankful I wasn’t uncovered when she barged in here.
I walk naked into my bathroom, carrying my coffee with me. I’m already mentally rearranging my day and thinking about what I’ve got to push back because I overslept. How the hell did I do that? I never have a full night's sleep no matter how tired I am. Even if I didn’t set an alarm, my body should have gotten me up.
The glass shower door is open, which is weird, and the toilet seat is down. I need to check and see if the cleaning crew is on a new schedule this month, because they don’t normally come so close together.
I take a quick shower, and when I get out I grab my towel. Once again I smell that fragrance they used on the sheets and I bury my face in it. Damn, that must have been what conked me