Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
I had thought a male tenant would be simple. I could ignore them. I wouldn’t smell fancy scented candles being burned. Or hear love songs being played. I grimaced as another thought hit me. What if she was a headbanger? I liked my quiet time.
I ran a hand through my hair. I would simply set the ground rules, and we would go from there. Hopefully it wouldn’t be for long.
I could do that right?
I could treat her as if she were nothing but a tenant. Because that was all she was.
Flashes of her creamy skin and long, dark hair flitted through my mind, and I pushed them away.
They weren’t factoring into the situation at all.
Nope.
Chapter Two
JESSE
Aknock at the door startled me, and I opened it, finding Casey standing there, holding a pizza box.
“What?” I growled, not in the mood to deal with her right now.
“I brought dinner. As a thank-you.”
I paused, the aroma of the pizza wafting through the air. I was hungry, and I had nothing planned for dinner anymore. Those ideas had gone sideways with her appearance.
“I’d have you to my side, but it’s a mess,” she said with a droll wink.
I hid my smile, not wanting to encourage her.
“Come in.”
She walked in, looking around. I indicated the table. “Sit. I’ll get plates. You want a beer?”
She shook her head. “Water, if you have it?”
I grabbed a bottle from the fridge and set it in front of her. “Enjoy.”
She flipped open the box, and the scent hit me harder. I looked over the cheesy pie. “What’s on it?”
“Pepperoni, bacon, onions, sausage and hot peppers. Extra cheese.” She lifted a piece, the cheese pulling as she did. “And chili flakes. Hope you like it hot.”
I picked up a piece, taking a huge bite, letting the heat hit me. I chewed and swallowed, taking another mouthful and chewing before I answered.
“Hot isn’t a problem.” I refused to tell her those were my favorite toppings.
“Good,” she hummed around a mouthful.
I took a swig of beer, letting the cold soothe the burn. We chewed and sipped in silence, the pizza slowly disappearing.
“You don’t talk much, do you?” she asked.
I shrugged. I spoke when I had something to say. The truth of the matter was I hadn’t been expecting a dinner companion. Especially one who looked like her. She was incredibly pretty.
“I didn’t expect you.”
“You mean the fact that I have boobs instead of a dick? Or in general?”
I withheld my chuckle. “Both.”
“What did you mean, unwanted tenant?”
I sighed, realizing I wasn’t going to have any peace while she was here. I drained my beer, getting up and grabbing another one. I sat down, twisting off the lid. “I didn’t want to be a landlord. I agreed as a favor to Lou, and yes, I heard the name, the job, and mistakenly thought you’d be a guy, which I thought would be easier. Sims didn’t correct me.”
She shrugged. “I get that a lot, to be honest. My name is actually Katharine Casey. My dad thought it was funny. So, my initials are my name since I prefer Casey to Katharine. I sign most things KC,” she explained, signing the letters in the air. “And Lou always signed my cards the same way. It’s fast in my business too.” She finished her pizza and wiped her fingers on a paper napkin I had stacked on the table. “It probably never occurred to her to say I was a girl.” She looked at me sadly. “I know her mind wasn’t as clear the last while since she fell.”
I nodded, thinking of Lou. “Are you related?”
She paused, her eyes unfocused as if lost in the past. “Through blood, no. But family isn’t always that way.” She shrugged. “It’s just a last name sometimes.”
I hummed in agreement as I sipped my beer.
“Why would a male tenant be easier?” she asked.
I paused, the bottle partway to my mouth. “Dunno. More independent. Less chance of them bothering me if a tap dripped or a door squeaked. No romantic music being played all the time.”
She crossed her arms, looking annoyed. “First off, I like classic rock. Plus, I’m independent, and I assure you I can fix my own damn tap or door.”
I couldn’t help the smirk. “But not break in to a place through a window.”
“I would have been fine if the counter had still been there. By the time I realized I had nothing to pull myself up with, it was too late. The casement fell, and I was stuck.”
“I remember,” I replied tersely, trying to block out the image of her creamy skin on display. Or her curvy ass. I needed to get a grip. Or get laid.
One of them.
“Why is the kitchen pulled apart?”
“There was a leak. We had to open the wall to get to the old plumbing. Seemed a good time to replace the cupboards since they were in pretty bad shape. I planned on having it all done when you arrived.”