My brows shoot up. “Oh, yeah? I lived in Alaska once.”
“Really? Where at?”
“Anchorage. We were only there for a few months when my brother and I were three.”
He walks over to the table and sits in one of the chairs. I’m honestly surprised it doesn’t buckle under his weight.
“Twins, right?” he asks and I nod.
“Yeah, his name is Theo. You have any brothers or sisters?”
He nods, rubbing his hands down his legs repeatedly. “I’ve got two sisters.”
“What are their names?” I ask, studying him as he continues to withdraw into himself.
“Nora and Rowan.”
“Pretty names,” I mutter and decide to drop the subject. “So, you interested in the apartment?”
“Yeah,” he answers before clearing his throat and brushing off whatever emotion crashed down on him. “I think we might be. I texted the photos to my boss and as soon as he gets back to me, I’ll let you know.”
“Well, you know where to find me but if I don’t hear from you in forty-eight hours, I’ll need to put the ad back up.”
He nods, standing. “You need help getting these boxes downstairs?”
I nod, hopping down off the counter. “Yeah, that’d be great. I need to get the truck back to Roger before two.”
“Who’s Roger?” he asks with a slight growl in the back of his throat and I arch a brow.
“Why do you care?”
He takes a step back, shaking his head. “Oh, I don’t. It’s just…uh…”
“He’s my boss,” I say, putting him out of his misery.
“Oh, right.” He turns toward the boxes and picks up one full of books. “Jesus. What the hell is in here?”
“Books,” I reply, sheepishly. “Do you need some help?”
I try to grip the other side but he moves it out of my grasp, shaking his head.
“No, I got it. I don’t need you falling down the stairs and breaking your neck.”
My cheeks heat and I turn to hide my smile as he walks out of the apartment with the box in his hands. I grab one of the lighter ones and follow behind him, ready to get this over with. It takes us fifteen minutes to get all of the boxes downstairs and loaded into the truck. As I close the tailgate, he pulls out his phone.
“Blaze approved. Looks like I’ll be taking over the lease.”
I pull the truck keys out of my pocket. “Okay. How about we meet at a coffee shop on Saturday with the paperwork and I’ll hand over the keys then?”
“Sounds good. Did you lock up?” he asks, pointing to the door to the apartments. I nod.
“Yep. It’s all good. I’ll text you the address and see you Saturday.” I turn toward the truck when he wraps his hand around my arm. Sparks race across my skin and I suck in a silent breath as I turn back to him.
“I should probably get your number. You know, so you can text me.”
Nodding, I grab his phone out of his hand and program my number into it before handing it back to him. “Seems like you made me a liar.”
“How so?” he asks, leaning against the truck and getting closer to me. Oh, Lord, I can’t take this.
“I told you that you couldn’t have my number the other night and now you’ve got it.”
He takes a step forward and his mucky smell fills the space between us. “Purely a coincidence.”
“Is it?”
With a smile teasing his lips, he reaches down and grabs my hand, bringing it to his lips. His gaze stays locked on mine as he kisses my knuckles and I struggle to breathe, my heart pounding in my ears.
“See you Saturday,” he promises then turns and walks away without a word.
* * * *
My teeth sink into my lip as I scan the street through the coffee shop window, watching for Lincoln’s Camaro and trying not to hyperventilate. For the past three days, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him or the way he made me feel when he pressed up against me outside my apartment. And if I did find a moment where his charming smile and alluring eyes weren’t at the forefront of my mind, he would text me and bring it all rushing back. His messages were mostly friendly and a little flirty, sending a rush through me each time I heard my phone beep. As much as I’m enjoying it though, I’m so out of my element that it’s not even funny. When I broke up with my high school boyfriend three weeks before graduation, I had just been through the scariest time of my life and I swore off men for a while. Once I felt like I was ready to date again, I just wanted to wait for someone special but it’s hard to meet people when all you do is work.
The deep rumble of an engine draws my gaze back to the window and my lips part as Lincoln pulls into a parking spot on the back of a sexy black chopper. God, he’s lethal. From his ripped up jeans and black boots to his freshly fucked hair that I’m starting to think he just wakes up with, he screams bad boy and it’s definitely doing things for me. He stands, the bike between his thighs and I fidget in my seat, all sorts of fantasies playing out in my mind. What the hell is wrong with me? My mom just died and here I am, imagining straddling his hips and losing myself for a few hours. Swinging his leg over the bike, he pulls off his helmet and runs his fingers through his hair, giving it that sexy messy look and as he glances up, he meets my gaze in the window, flashing me a smile before walking toward the door.
Butterflies zip around in my belly as he opens the door of the coffee shop and directs his gaze toward me as he maneuvers through the tables.
“I got you a coffee,” I say when he reaches me, pointing to the to-go cup sitting in front of the empty chair across from me.
“Thanks.” He sits down and takes a sip before humming in approval. “You remember how I take my coffee?”
“Occupational hazard, I guess.”
Yeah, right.
I’ve never remembered another customer’s coffee order unless they were a regular. It’s just him. He nods, oblivious to my lie, and takes another sip before leaning back in his seat.
“So, do you have the paperwork?”
Nodding my head, I set my cup down and grab my bag off the floor, digging through it for the contract I had Mr. Wiley draw up for me and a pen. I was so focused on him that I almost forgot the reason for our meeting, which is strange since I’m so eager to be done with this apartment. I set the contract and pen on the table before turning them to him.
“I’ve let the landlord know that you’ll be taking over the lease so he’s expecting payment from you from now on. It’s seven fifty a month with an eight hundred dollar deposit. February is already paid for so don’t worry about that. As soon as he gets the deposit from you, he’ll give me mine back.”
He lays his hand on top of mine on the table. “Wait. I’ll pay you for February’s rent, too.”
“It’s not a big deal. I really just want to be done with all this.”
He shakes his head, an adorable scowl knitting his brows. “I insist. It’s your money and I highly doubt you’ve even spent a single night there this month.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say and sigh when I see the stubborn expression on his face. “But okay. You need to sign here, here, and here.”