d already

tely ...it li

ew neighbor. Not because he did anything in particular well, he sort of

illow over her f

ot my port

verse clear

ing. A delivery truck was parked by the duplex next door, the same one Adrian Cole had moved into. Boxes were being o

their doorways pret

pretending. Sh

does one person n

she had to step aside so he wouldn't drop

ande

r. "Okay. So he's not rich.

iliar voice came

rning, M

stiffened. She

rcoal button-down and dark trousers. No sweatpants. No

ed to look that put t

d a polite sm

pologies for the disturbance. My staff should

tual apology," she said bef

ightly. "Would you prefer

rtified by her own sarcasm

d once.

as again.

rp. Infu

ed not to let him ruin her d

a ride?" he a

ed. "A ride? No! No,

em in a

ays in a

s

-like he was observing a puzzle p

gher on her shoulder. "Ha

u t

quickly, refus

riosity poked at her, and she r

there, watchi

a cre

a roman

.. wa

derstand something about

wed and tu

ting at the counter with he

ds to spill before I combust

n her bag. "Not

he same face you had when you caught feelings for

"Nobody is cat

g the counter. "Now tell

didn't do anything

nked. "E

ly nonsense' expression, he talks like I'm an item in his schedule,

d. "And he

froze.

ry yet, but I know men. They

her stomach f

sn't no

you s

es

ou ver

, TO

me warn you now-men like that? The quiet, brooding,

es to avoid the conversation. "I

a feeling he's going t

rolled h

he complica

ds left her mouth,

wn Nu

acheal. I believe

f ID card... lying on the g

phone from her h

her fingers in

d not only

texting

he screen, her puls

ain, a man who moved with bodyguards and sent apology gifts worth a small

whispered dramatically beside her. "Next th

er a glare and

ch

you get

gined him reading it with that c

dots a

ppea

ppe

s reply

.

he house. I used the number on the

the ID card o

she wh

't bein

vant. Too

So he's attentive.

or me' here," R

message

.

now if you wan

omething tug i

rv

oya

bsolutely didn'

asn't

er forward. "Collect your d

said, slipping her p

r her. "Text me the moment he sa

didn't

eded t

holding her ID car

outside the bakery, s

car, ID card between his fingers. The morning sun hit his hair just right,

proaching and

e greeted, hol

she murmure

of leaving,

said quietly. "Someone els

. "Yeah. I know.

ften rush,

"You've see

atten

imple, but heavy enough to

suddenly flustered. "

k back, but his v

che

t time he said

most like he was testing how it fit on his

him slow

ckets. "I didn't mean to offend

blin

rying to be

ne," she s

od. "All

ck, as if giv

back toward the bakery, heart

ed the door open, he

to check it to

.

a goo

or a moment, star

e bakery window, mouth

exhaled

't just text

earning