Blind Spot - Katana Collins Page 0,5

His hair looked even more messy, as though he’d spent the whole day running his hands through it. The black dress pants from earlier now hung lower on his slim waist, and the button-down shirt was loose at the collar and untucked on one side. His tie was slung carelessly beneath the popped collar, and he looked like he stepped out of an Armani ad. Wait—did she just call him—

“Tate,” she pouted, running her hands down his arm. “I missed you all summer.”

He looked up, and I knew the moment he saw me by the way his grin spread across his face, still creating those two delicious dimples. My nerves prickled, and the air between us crackled to life like a roaring fire.

Not only was this guy not my doorman, but he was the boy next door…or in this case, the boy above. The rich boy above. And if I wasn’t careful, I was gonna throw up all over his rich boy Kenneth Cole shoes.

Chapter Two

TATE

When I looked away from Chrissy, I found myself face-to-face with Shelby, AKA, the new girl, AKA, the girl I wanted to lift over my shoulder caveman style and throw down on my bed.

She still wore her retro Nintendo shirt that she’d worn moving in, and jeans that fit nicely around her slim curves. I followed the line down those jeans to strong legs and…no shoes? Huh. That was weird.

“Well, hey again.” I made my way over to her, and she glanced up through a veil of thick lashes, all furrowed brow and stern frown. “Whoa,” I said on a chuckle. “Rough day?”

“You live here?” She looked around my apartment as I shrugged off her disbelief. Jesus, people, get over the apartment already. Yeah, it’s nice. But it’s not mine. My parents might as well own the damn place along with every item inside. Buddy, my golden retriever came barreling down the hallway and landed both paws on Shelby’s shoulders. He was nearly taller than her, stretched up on two feet like that. “Buddy, down. Off.” I snapped, and he quickly leaped off of her, sitting between us and wagging his tail.

“And you have a dog.” She shook her head as though she were trying to make sense of everything. Her blond ponytail swung with the movement, and I found myself wanting to run my fingers through it. To take the elastic out of her hair and let those long strands fall over her shoulders. “But, pets aren’t allowed in the building,” she continued.

I shrugged. They are when your dad’s the governor. But I didn’t say that. I doubt it would have bothered her, though. Almost every student who lived in this building was here because of an affluent parent. Or an “heiress,” as she put it earlier. It was the only way you could get into the damn building, let alone afford it. And being that it was the most secure apartment complex available in Charleston, you found a lot of celebrity students and kids of politicians here.

“Shelby,” I said, remembering the name her friend called her earlier. I finished my beer and dropped it into the recycle bin next to the kitchen counter as Brad handed me a shot glass spilling over with some sort of brown liquid. I sniffed it and my stomach turned. I sat it on the counter instead of shooting it down.

“You said you were the doorman,” she snapped, and I couldn’t help but grin at the edge in her voice.

There was a teeny part of me that felt guilty for the lie. I hadn’t meant to leave without telling her the truth, but her friends ushered her away, and I had to get to the basketball luncheon. “No, you said I was the doorman. I just didn’t correct you.”

Her mouth fell open. It wasn’t until that moment that I noticed the guy behind her—the one that helped her move in. I knew him—we’d had some class together the year before. Economics, maybe? I gave him a short nod. Damn, I hoped he wasn’t her boyfriend. “Hey, man, what’s up?” I looked to her girlfriend—the redhead in the miniskirt. “I’m Tate,” I said to her.

“Tate,” Shelby repeated, practically spitting my name back in my face.

“You say my name like you’re cussing,” I said.

She rolled her eyes. “Well, Tate is a four-letter word.”

“It’s really nice to meet one of Shelby’s neighbors,” the redhead cut in, shooting her a look.

“Yes,” Shelby said. “My very loud neighbor in the penthouse.”

I slipped my