Making his way to the back, he noted Terri and Bjorn’s porch door was standing open. Coming out was Caitlyn, her arms full with a large box. “I’ve got these!” she called over her shoulder, looking back into their apartment.
Just as he was getting ready to let his presence be known, she turned and startled, her foot missing the next step. “Shit!” she yelled as her body pitched forward.
Griff leaped forward, his hands shooting out, latching on to both Caitlyn and the box she juggled in an attempt to keep it from falling. The box wasn’t heavy, and he easily shifted it to the back deck, his left arm still firmly wrapped around Caitlyn’s waist. Her chin lifted and her wide eyes looked up at him.
“Oh, I didn’t see you! Lordy, that could have been a disaster,” she gushed.
Grinning with her still in his arms, not embarrassed to admit he loved the feel of her pressed against him, “Disaster averted,” he quipped. He shifted, making sure her feet were steady underneath her, and regretfully loosened his grip.
Terri rushed out, her eyes darting between Caitlyn, Griff, and the box on the porch. “Are you okay?”
Strangely, her gaze was on the box when she spoke, but obviously, it was Caitlyn that replied. “Yes, I’m fine. Thankfully, Griffin was here to keep me from tumbling off the porch.”
Terri’s concern melted from her features as her face relaxed. Walking over, she picked up the box and said, “I’ll reopen this just to make sure everything’s okay.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is. Griffin retrieved that as well, and he’s the one who set it on the porch. It would have more shaking in the mail truck.”
Terri hesitated, then smiled again. “You’re right. That’s why we pack things so tightly before they go into the mail.” She walked down the porch steps and placed the box into the back of a pickup truck parked on the side street.
During this, Griff stayed right next to Caitlyn with no excuse other than he wanted to be near her. Now in shorts that showed off a great length of tanned legs, with her feet encased in red sneakers that matched her red T-shirt, showcasing her curves without being skintight, it was hard to keep his mind on his original task.
As she looked up, her smile beamed at him. “I should get back to work.”
“Work?” He cocked his head to the side as he glanced behind her toward the door she’d come through.
“I had some free time, so I’m helping Bjorn and Terri pack up some of the items they sell.” Her nose crinkled. “Well, sometimes I pack, and sometimes I do labels. It all depends on what they need.”
“I’d think after a week of wrangling teenagers, you’d be ready to relax and kick back with your friends.”
Her nose crinkled again, but instead of saying anything, she simply sucked in her lips, pressing them together for a moment before sighing then offering a smile. Stepping back, she glanced to the side to see his crew peeking around the side of the porch and grinned, tossing a little finger wave before turning and walking back inside the house.
With his hands on his hips, he glared at his crew again. “You all gonna work or gawk?”
“I don’t know, boss,” Andrew tossed out. “With those legs that just disappeared back into the house, I’d rather gawk.”
Stomping closer to the side of the house so that his words wouldn’t be heard, he shook his head. “Cut that shit out. No talking about clients or residents. And anyway, she’s off-limits.”
Jack’s brows lifted as his smile widened. “You claiming, Griff?”
“I live here, man. She’s a neighbor, and the last thing I want is trouble where I live.” He wasn’t surprised when the crew kept their smiles on their faces as they got back to work. They were good men, and he knew they might privately enjoy looking at Caitlyn when she was around, but they’d never disrespect her. Continuing around the house, he snapped more pictures, but his mind drifted to the woman living across from him.
Living near the gorgeous woman was either going to be torture or heaven… right now, he wasn’t sure which.
9
“He’s so virile!”
Caitlyn snickered at Terri’s description. “Virile?”
Terri looked over, a crinkle between her brows. “Yes. Virile. Manly, masculine, sexy—”
Laughing, she said, “I know what virile means. What I don’t know is anyone else who uses that word!”
Caitlyn had stepped back into the bohemian-decorated apartment, something Terri called creative chaos. Now, hearing Terri’s description of Griffin, she glanced over her shoulder to see that her friend’s face was even more illuminated than before. Terri’s glee at the looks of their new neighbor caused Caitlyn to grin in return. Nodding, she looked down at the label she was currently working on. “But then, I guess virile is as good as any other word to describe him.”
“So, he’ll be living right across from you.”
“Uh-huh.”
Huffing, Terri walked over and plopped onto the silk patchwork cushioned chair at the table where Caitlyn was working. “You can’t tell me you’re not interested.” Bjorn walked over and sat down as well, his attention focused on her.
Looking into her friends’ faces, she rolled her eyes. “I’d have to be dead to not notice that he’s exceptionally gorgeous, but interested? Come on, guys. Seriously? He lives right across from me.”
“Yes!” Bjorn exclaimed. “Think how easy it would be to date someone that lives so close.”
“Date?” Shaking her head, she said, “You two are delusional. I think you’ve been smoking your incense!”
Terri’s brow lowered. “And just why would we be delusional? You’re gorgeous and single. He’s gorgeous and single—”
“You don’t know that,” she retorted.
Terri’s mouth opened and closed. “Well, easy enough to find out.” She stood and started to the door.
“No!” Caitlyn rushed forward and grabbed Terri’s arm. “You can’t go out there and ask.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’ll know you’re not asking for you since you’re with Bjorn. He’ll know you’re asking for me.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Bjorn asked.
If there was one thing she’d learned from getting to know them during the past year that she’d lived over them, they were almost innocently honest. Drawing a deep breath into her lungs, she let it out slowly. “First of all, Griffin and I got off on the wrong foot and we’ve just now straightened out an earlier misconception. Second of all, while he’s certainly eye candy, I don’t know anything about him. And thirdly, even if he was Mr. Perfect, dating someone in the building could have disaster written all over it.”
Seeing Bjorn’s crinkled brow, she elucidated, “If it ended badly, I’d have to run into him all the time. How awkward.”
“Oh, yeah, I see what you mean,” Terri said, her hound-dog expression holding sympathy. “He’d bring his dates over, and you’d be right across the hall seeing the parade of women come and go.”
Caitlyn sucked in a quick breath, hating the idea of seeing a parade of women going in and out of Griffin’s apartment… even if we never go on a date first. But she knew it was inevitable. She may have given up on dating for the foreseeable future, tired of being disappointed, but there was no way a man as breathtaking as Griffin would not have lots of women interested if he wasn’t already seeing someone.