Tales of Darkness & Sin - Pepper Winters Page 0,13

her nipples peeking through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.

The former head cheerleader’s body is still every bit as banging as it was back then.

“Right.” She gives Nutmeg kisses and snuggles before focusing on me again. “Thank you for bringing her back.”

“No problem.”

With that, I turn, intending to head back home.

I’m not sure if I should be happy she doesn’t recognize me or disappointed.

Then again, whereas she hasn’t changed at all in the last six years, I’ve changed plenty.

Not only have I managed to pack on forty pounds of muscle, I got rid of my braces and acne.

I also ditched my glasses for contacts.

“This might sound weird, but you look really familiar,” she calls out behind me. “Do we know each other?”

I bite back a smile.

“We do actually.” Spinning around to face her, I utter, “We went to high school together.”

Her eyes widen as she appraises me from head to toe. “Holy shit. Zander Sinclair?”

In the flesh.

“The one and only.”

We stand there, smiling at one another like a couple of idiots for the better part of a minute before she finally speaks again.

“You look so different.” Catching herself, she quickly adds, “In a good way.”

Notice that, did you?

A smile pulls at my lips. “Thanks.”

Laughing, she shakes her head. “I can’t believe we’re neighbors.”

“Small world.”

Chewing her bottom lip, she shifts Nutmeg in her arms. “It’s good to see you.”

The feeling’s mutual.

However, I don’t want to come off as some kind of creep, so I have to be smart.

If I push too hard, too fast I’ll scare her off.

I have to play my cards just right.

“Have a good night.”

Giving her a small wave, I excuse myself for the second time.

Then I start the silent countdown in my head.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

I’m on the last step of her porch when it happens.

“I was just about to pour myself a glass of wine. Do you want to join me?” She draws in a quick breath. “I mean it’s totally okay if you—”

“I’d love a glass of wine.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Tuesday

Violet

Holy freaking crap.

Zander Sinclair got super hot. When the hell did that happen?

I can’t seem to stop staring at him and I wonder if it’s totally obvious. He seems to be at ease, sitting on the sofa as he waits for me to pour the wine. When I join him, there’s a lingering note of that same scent I remember from high school. I used to wonder if it was cologne, but now I’m pretty sure it’s just Zander. He smells so insanely good I want to lean into him and take a long, deep hit like a fiend.

I can’t tell if there’s an awkward tension lingering between us or it’s just my racing heart. He’s watching me watch him, and I can’t seem to break the spell. His eyes are as intense as they’ve always been, and it would be so easy to get lost in those dark orbs all over again. We were friends once. Or at least I thought we were. He was magnetic, even when he didn’t look like an MMA fighter sitting in my living room. I remember how he made me feel whenever he looked at me. Like I was the most beautiful thing in the world, even on my worst days. But then one day, he took his dark, angsty eyes and his poetic smile and he walked right out of my life. He never spoke to me again, and I could never admit to anyone just how much that broke my heart. I still don’t know why he quit me like a bad habit. I racked my brain for the next few years, trying to figure out what I did to piss him off. But sitting here now, it seems as if all that history between us has been wiped from his memory.

“So what have you been up to these last few years?” I choke out the words.

A smirk plays across his lips and he shrugs. “I’m a detective for the special victims unit. It keeps me busy.”

“Oh, wow.” I take a sip of my wine, praying I don’t spill it on myself. “You got your dream job after all. I’m so happy for you.”

“I’ve heard through the grapevine you’ve been pretty successful in your modeling career as well,” he observes.

“You have?” I blink, wondering where he could have heard that.

It’s not like we have any real mutual friends. Zander was always the broody loner in high school. He didn’t hang out with anyone that he’d specifically call a friend. Except for