“Let’s do this,” Dom said, clapping me on the shoulder.
“Oh.” Elle smiled and her cheeks flushed pink, the spell between us broken. “I rented a moving truck. It’s out front.”
I’d only gone on a couple of dates since moving to Denver, but Elle had immediately piqued my interest. Hopefully she didn’t have a boyfriend.
“Hey, I really appreciate this,” she said as we walked out to the moving truck filled to the brim with furniture and neatly packed boxes.
She bent over to get something out of the truck and Dom grinned at me after busting me checking her out. I shoved his shoulder and he shoved mine back.
“Behave, children,” Sam said.
Elle pointed at a large round bundle wrapped in moving pads and secured with what looked like an entire roll of packing tape. “That’s my kitchen table top and it’s solid wood so it’s really heavy. Can you guys carry that in?”
“Sure.”
I walked up the ramp into the back of the truck. Elle pretended to be focused on a box, but she was watching me out of the corner of her eye.
“Ready?” I asked Dom as I bent to pick up one side of the table.
“Ready, boss.”
We picked it up and I didn’t let it show, but the table was a lot heavier than I’d expected. Dom wasn’t so subtle.
“This thing’s heavy as shit. How’d you guys get it in here?” he asked.
“We rolled it,” Sam said, grinning up at us from outside the truck. “Like a wheel. Elle has it packed so well that I knew it’d be fine.”
Elle shook her head. “Please be careful. That was my grandparents’ table.” Looking over at Sam, she said, “I am going to be so pissed at you if that table gets dinged.”
“It was roll it or leave it there,” Sam said, shrugging. “We actually had to leave a dresser behind because we couldn’t even move it a foot.”
“We’ll go get your dresser,” I told Elle.
“Really?”
“Yeah, it’s no problem.”
Dom had to walk down the truck ramp backwards, Sam telling him how close he was to the ground. When we were out of earshot of the women, he looked around the table at me as we carried it.
“However will your smokin’ hot neighbor and her smokin’ hot friend repay us for this?”
“We’re not doing it because we expect something,” I said.
“No, but if something happens to be offered…I think a potential foursome trumps the team cookout.”
“Shut up,” I clipped. “We’re not having a foursome.”
“Okay, square, how about two twosomes?”
I grunted in response. I wasn’t opposed to getting to know Elle a lot better, but it wouldn’t be tonight. I’d threatened every member of the team with bodily harm if they didn’t show up to the cookout tonight, so I sure as hell couldn’t miss it.
“Can you pick it up, granny?” I snapped at Dom. “You’re slow as shit.”
“Easy to say when you’re not the one walking backward.”
We’d reached Elle’s doorway, and Dom stepped up and inside. I followed, and we set the table top on the kitchen island.
“I’m canceling on Sadie, you cockblocker,” Dom said, typing into his phone.
“Your cock could use a day off,” I muttered.
“You know what they say—carpe diem,” he said, grinning. “That means have as much sex as you can, while you can.”
I shook my head at my idiot teammate. “It means seize the day, dumbass.”
“Right, and what better way to seize the day than a daily trip to Poundtown? You should try it sometime; it might mellow your grouchy ass out.”
I wasn’t like Dom. I couldn’t fuck women I didn’t know at all. Attraction, for me, was based on knowing someone and knowing they wanted you, too. Letting it build while you exchanged secret looks. Kissing a woman within an inch of her life, until she was desperate for more, and then letting the desire build some more.
Elle was walking toward us with a box stacked on top of another box, and she peeked around the tall stack to see where she was going. When I reached her, I took the top box.
“Hey, wh”
“You need to be able to see where you’re going,” I said.
We walked a few steps in silence before she said, “So how long have you lived here?”
“Eight months.”
“How do you like it?”
“Love it. Pretty quiet, great views.” I walked into the townhouse, remembering the box I carried was labeled “office.” “Hey, where’s the office?”
“This way,” she said, leading me toward a hallway.
“Are you new to the area?” I asked.
“No, I just wanted more space. I was living in a downtown apartment close to work, and I realized I hadn’t seen grass in a while. I’m hoping putting some space between me and the office will help me…” She shrugged. “Work a little less, I guess.”
I smiled at her as she set her box down next to mine. “You sound thrilled about that.”
She met my gaze and I felt the tug of an invisible string, urging me closer to her, but I kept my feet planted.
“I’m hoping my friends will let me count working from my home office as self-care,” she said lightly.
I could easily picture her in this room, wearing glasses with her hair pulled back, dressed in pajamas as she curled up in a chair and read something. But what did she read for work? Probably dry legal documents. I was pretty sure she was an attorney.
“And what do you”
“Hey, Elle,” Sam said, appearing in the office doorway. “I’m going to pick up some drinks; I’m dying.”
“Oh, I’ve got stuff,” I said. “Beer, water, fruit juice?”
“Water,” Sam said, wiping the back of her hand over her brow. “I’d love some water.”
“I’ll go grab it.” I looked back and forth between the women. “Anything else? I’ve got fruit, stuff for sandwiches, cheese, nuts…”
“Lies!” Dom yelled out from another room. “He does not have nuts. I’ve seen him naked! It’s freakish.”
I shook my head as both women laughed. Dom never knew when to take it down a notch.
“Just some water would be great,” Elle said. “I’m ordering pizza later. You guys are obviously invited to stay.”
“Wish we could, but we have a work thing to go to this afternoon,” I said. “And he’s kidding. I have testicles.”
Elle smiled, her blue eyes lighting up with amusement. “Good to know.”
“She’s single,” Sam blurted from the hallway. “Just FYI.”
Elle closed her eyes and shook her head, her face flushing pink.
“Good to know,” I said, grinning.
She opened her eyes, the corners of her lips tugging up into a smile. Our eyes locked and I felt that unseen string tugging me toward her again.
Yeah, I definitely wanted to get to know my new neighbor better.
CHAPTER TWO
Elle