Read Boy Next Door (Parkside Avenue Book #2) for Free Online Page B

turning away.
    “You can cook?” Her doubt was
evident.
    “Sure. I do a mean ham sandwich,
or cheese on toast.” I opened the refrigerator and glanced inside. As I’d
expected, it was full of healthy crap. “Or salad seems to be popular here. How
about some of that?”
    “I usually have cream cheese and
tomatoes on rye crackers, for lunch.”
    Ugh! I hated crackers; they
tasted like cardboard. But if she liked them, I would force myself to like them
too. “Perfect.” I grabbed two tomatoes from the salad box, along with the tub
of cheese and began opening cupboards searching for the crackers. Cora beat me
to it, and we both turned to face each other at the same time. Her hands
prevented full on body contact, connecting with my chest, and I automatically reached
up to grasp her waist. Our eyes locked for a second, before hers fell to my
lips and mine mirrored them. It was the sign I’d been waiting for. The look
that told me she was interested even if she’d yet to admit it.
     

 
    Chapter Seven
     
    She coughed. “Sorry. I … um …”
    “Don’t be.” I smiled, loving the
feel of her fingers on my skin so much I couldn’t bear to let her go.
    She pushed me away and removed
the crackers from their packet, laying them on a board. I didn’t miss the rise
and fall of her chest under her heavy breathing, as she retrieved a knife from
the drawer. “You … You’re flirting with me again,” she stammered.
    “I get the vibe you secretly like
it.”
    She swung to face me, knife
aloft. The tip would have grazed my chin if my reflexes hadn’t kicked in. “Johnny.
I’ve just ended a relationship of twenty years. My husband was the only man in
my life, and I’m not ready to be hurt by another one.” Her anger surfaced, but
as I tried to decide whether the cause of it was me or her ex-husband, it was
the crackers that suffered, with more of them crushed under the force of the
knife than ones that stayed whole. “And when I say man, I don’t mean boy,” she
added.
    “Is that what you see when you
look at me? A Boy?”
    Her eyes flickered over my chest
and back to the food. “No.”
    “I’d never hurt you,” I said,
swallowing a mouthful of cheesy cardboard.
    Cora nibbled on a tomato. “What
is it you want from me, Johnny?”
    A good question. I glanced down
at her curves hiding under tightly stretched material and started making a
mental list. I had no idea why my need for her was so strong. Insta-lust was not
a new concept to me, but this time it was fuelled by Cora’s vulnerable yet self-assured
spirit that could only be gained through experiencing life. Sure, I wanted to
fuck her brains out, but I knew that wouldn’t be enough for me. She was more
than just a roll in the sack. I needed her in my life. When I looked back to
her eyes, there was hint of sadness behind them which made it hard for me to
breathe, let alone tell her how I felt. Underneath her crispy exterior, she was
hurting. I wanted to heal her, prove that not all men are bastards, but how
could I put those feelings into words without coming across as a complete prat?
    She swallowed. “Just tidy up my
garden, as we agreed, and try not to complicate things.”
    “It’s only complicated if you
make it so. I’m single. You’re single. You really should start dating again,
and I’m happy to let you practise on me.” I licked spread from my finger as I
waited for her to say something. She didn’t. She leaned back against the
counter and stared into space as she ate. “Look, I’m guessing you haven’t had
much fun in your life, have you? So, I have an idea. Get the rest of those
crackers down you and change out of that dress into something more casual. I’m
taking you out.”
    Her head shook. “No. You’re not.”
    “Yes. I am. I’ll be back in ten.”
    As promised, I returned ten
minutes later, freshly clothed in a navy T-shirt and cargo shorts. Cora was
cleaning the counter top, dressed exactly as she was when I’d