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“Hey, man.” he said to the guy and gave him a casual dip of the chin. But the new neighbor was much friendlier and offered a hand to shake.
“You guys just moving in?” Blake asked with a genuine smile. I liked the guy’s vibe, but based on Carmen’s glare, he wasn’t as impressed.
“My wife is moving in today. I’ve lived here a few months. Thanks for the help, man. Looks like we got it from here.” He turned his back on our neighbor and strode forward to unlock the door.
The guy just looked at me, and I shrugged. Not sure why Carmen had to be a dick about it, but I could’ve used a new friend.
“Maybe I’ll see you around,” Blake said, and I just smiled.
“You coming?” Carmen nearly barked, and I swung my stare his way.
He stood with the door wide open and motioned me inside. With a quick goodbye to the nice neighbor, I stormed past my husband and stood inside the door.
When the panel clapped shut behind me, I sucked in a breath, ready to give my new roomie a piece of my mind.
“Listen, I don’t appreciate you flirting with other guys right under my nose,” he lectured before I could get a word out. “It’s really disrespectful, and you’re sending that guy the wrong message.”
With hands propped on my hips, I asked, “And what message was I sending him?”
“That you’re available. Need I remind you why you’re moving in here with me?” He held up his left hand so I could clearly see his green wedding band.
As if I’d lost sight of the damn thing since he put it on. Or I put it on. Still a bit fuzzy on that whole night.
“Let’s be completely clear. I don’t belong to you. You’re not my liege or my warden. Spare me all the caveman shit, too.”
When it first seemed like he was a little jealous, it was kind of cute. But once he launched into an actual lecture, I had to draw the line.
“Just act like a married woman, and we shouldn’t have anything to worry about,” he spat.
It took me that long, but I realized he was actually hurt by that whole incident.
I stepped forward and closed the space between us. With my hand on his forearm, I said, “Carmen, he was just helping me carry the bags. I mean, look at me. I’m the size of a schoolgirl. Any man with common decency would offer to help. It doesn’t automatically mean he wants to get in my pants.”
“You can’t really be that naïve. Can you?” he asked while looking down to where I held his arm.
“Don’t be rude on top of bossy,” I warned. “Very unattractive.”
He took a few deep breaths, and I just stood there watching the exercise. Was I that infuriating that he had to go through some calming deep-breathing technique?
Jesus, we were never going to make this work.
Trying to get past this nonsense, I asked brightly, “Which room will be mine? Give me the grand tour?” My tone was hopeful and as positive as I could manage after that little spat, and I hoped he wasn’t going to pout or storm around all night.
“Why wouldn’t we sleep in the same room? We’re married?—”
But I interrupted at once. “We’re practically strangers. You can’t expect me to just hop into bed with you because of some stupid paperwork.” I looked at him with disbelief, and a slow grin spread across his lips. “What’s with the smile?” I barked.
“Do I need to remind you about the one thing we do seem to have going for us?” His voice turned deep and seductive as he crowded into my personal space until I took a few steps back and thumped into the hallway wall.
He kept coming, though, until his very toned body was against mine.
Even though my body liked what was happening, I brought my hands to his shoulders to keep him at least a few inches away. Carmen slowly bent his head toward mine until our lips met.
Do I want this? Yeah, I think I want this.
The kiss was slow and soft, and I considered just how warm his body felt against mine. My stupid brain never stopped, even in intimate moments. Always an internal dialogue, always a personal commentary or debate. I wanted to just shut it all off and feel what was happening. Just enjoy the sensations.
It was a big reason I liked drinking. My brain slowed down then, and if I had the right amount, I could get it to shut up completely and still keep my wits about me to have a good time. It was a precarious sweet spot, and admittedly, I typically overshot the mark more than stuck it. But it was something I was willing to practice until I got it right.
