The Right One - Felice Stevens Page 0,10

to do now?”

An idea popped into his head. Obviously, if only his circuit was blown, the switch would be the only one in the wrong place.

Energized by his deductive reasoning, he ran his fingers down the rows from the top, and sure enough, found three consecutive switches in a different position than the others.

“Aha! There you go.” He flipped the switches and closed the box. “All done.” Feeling pleased with himself, he brushed off his hands. Anxious to get out of the musty, feebly lit room, he quickly crossed the space, when the door burst open.

“What the fuck is going on in here?”

The light from the hallway silhouetted the figure of a man, and from the snarl in his voice, an extremely angry one. Morgan scurried away, but the beam of a flashlight hit him straight in the face, half blinding him. He covered his face with a hand.

“Ow, can you not? I can’t see.”

“You? What the hell are you doing here?” Leo stomped closer to him, eyes blazing. “Did you mess around with the breaker box?” Morgan inched away from the furious man until his shoulders hit the wall.

“I-I…” His throat seized, and spots whirled in front of his eyes. God, he was going to pass out if he didn’t regain some measure of control. He tried to center himself. “The electricity in my apartment went out, and I thought I could find the circuit box and flip the switch.”

Beneath the stubble, a muscle worked in Leo’s jaw. Long ebony hair lay in damp waves, its glossy strands clinging to his cheeks and brushing the lobes of his ears. Leo stood close to him, and Morgan inhaled the hot scent of his skin and caught the gleam of sweat on his brow. Compared to Jeffrey’s neatly tailored suits, well-trimmed hair, and smooth jaw, Leo projected a raw wildness. Morgan’s breath caught. He was shocked by his body’s unexpected response, by the long-forgotten desire curling deep in his belly.

Oh, my God. This can’t be happening.

“You’re a tenant.” Leo’s low, dark growl twisted Morgan’s insides. “You’re not supposed to touch that.”

“I…I’m sorry,” Morgan whispered, trembling not with fear, but with something far more dangerous. “I d-didn’t mean to do anything wrong.” He swallowed. “I just wanted to get the AC back on in my apartment.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

Morgan licked his lips, and something flickered in Leo’s eyes. “I didn’t want to bother you. I thought I could handle it myself.”

At those words, Leo snorted. “You? What the hell do you know about electrical boxes or anything when it comes to a house?”

“Nothing.” Morgan hardened his jaw. “But considering how pleasant you are, knocking around in a dark, clammy basement seemed preferable to taking a risk on you.”

Icy-blue eyes narrowed before a wicked grin curved Leo’s lips. “Maybe you’re not as foolish as I thought.”

God, he was gorgeous. Morgan could sense the restrained power in those biceps and almost feel the rough glide of that jaw against his skin. If Leo so much as touched him, Morgan would shatter.

Weak-kneed, he gulped as panic joined the desire dancing on the edge of his jangled nerves. His fingertips dug painfully into the dirty cement wall behind him as he struggled to maintain his composure. From their first meeting, this man had set him on edge. He swallowed and punched through his nerves.

Never let them see your fear. They can smell your weakness.

He’d spent the past few months reading self-help books and almost a year in therapy. He wouldn’t let himself be caught with his guard down. Not again.

“Gee, thanks,” he pushed himself to respond. “Did something happen with the electricity?”

The grin vanished, replaced by the angry, taut face from when Leo first entered the room.

“Did something happen…? Of course it did, you damn fool. You cut off the electricity to my apartment.”

Morgan’s jaw dropped. “Yours? Are you sure? I thought—”

“Yes, I’m sure. Are you stupid? Why do you think I came here in the first place?”

“Stop yelling at me.” His temper flared. “And don’t call me names. None of this would’ve happened if you’d put in overhead lighting so I could see the writing inside the box. Treat your tenants better.”

Where the hell he’d gotten the courage to speak like that, Morgan had no clue. But he shouldered his way past a stunned Leo and out the door, not stopping to think until he’d reached the safety of his apartment, which was when he realized Leo was right. He was pretty fucking stupid.

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