Sinfully (14 page)

I ended up staying in Vegas for another night in hopes of her texting or calling me to meet up.  When I didn’t hear a thing from her, I decided to head back to Los Angeles to resume living my normal life, determined to find a new author.  Lorelei had run everything so smoothly while I was gone that I didn’t have much to go through before diving into the handpicked manuscripts she had laid on my desk.

“There are three authors I really think you should take a look at.  One is a steamy new adult book with a billionaire and a librarian and the other two are love triangles of sorts.  This is the stuff people are reading these days.  The sex scenes in them are hot!  I mean, they are very well written, sir.  Please let me know if you need anything else.”  That was why I loved her as my assistant so much.  She knew what was trending and jumped on it.  She also had a habit of being brutally honest with things she liked or disliked, which I found amusing.

The new stories were good and would sell.  The librarian one caught me off guard when the male character turned her on to a whole new world in the bedroom.  I liked the idea of a shy yet beautiful woman becoming comfortable in her skin and exploring new desires.  It would be my next concentration but I couldn’t get Payton and Reece’s story out of my damn head.  
I’m talking as if there are two of them now.  
I was starting to slowly lose my mind.

*****

Three weeks later, I still hadn’t heard a word from Payton.  I held on to hope thinking that maybe she just needed some time apart to see that I’m not a horrible guy.  Granted, I was known for being a dick at times and
did
call her out about her sex book while having sex with her.  I wasn’t the worst of them out there and wanted to prove it to her.  The problem was that I had already run to her twice and wasn’t about to again.  If we ever saw each other again it would have to be on her terms.

I was walking out of my office for the day, my mind already set on hitting the gym, working a bit at home, and then crashing early.  I had been up late the last week working until my eyes stung and I was forced to go to bed, alone.  I had too much time on my hands and the distraction work gave me was necessary at the moment.  Once I was alone, my mind would wander to thoughts about Payton and how her beautiful body felt against mine.  I was running myself sick and needed a night to catch up on sleep. 

I had been looking down at my phone, checking how my stocks were doing for the day, and didn’t even see the blonde at the bottom of the stairs.  I ran straight into her, sending us both off balance but her being the unfortunate one to fall.  She cursed as she landed on her ass, purse falling right along with her and the contents spilling onto the cold marble. 

I apologized profusely, quickly trying to gather the contents of her bag without being too nosy.  I picked up her wallet, wintergreen mints, pink pepper spray, and a couple business cards that noted “Kylie James- Realtor” in addition to her company and personal information.  “Kylie, I presume?” 

As I helped her off the ground, she looked up and I then realized how hot she was.  She was young for a realtor, maybe twenty-five.  My normal vision of a realtor was a woman who clearly looked like a mom or grandma with stuffy clothes.  She had on black dress pants, black peep toe heels, and a white silk blouse.  It was simple yet sexy and it worked on her.

“Yes, have we met before?”

“Your business cards gave me a hint.  I’m Ryder Strom, Warrington Strom Publishing, on the tenth floor.”  She looked at me for a moment, as if she was still processing our encounter.

“You live in the same building as me—off Pearl Street and Jefferson.  I’ve seen you jogging in the morning.”

“Small world!  I need to pay more attention to my surroundings apparently.  Were you headed that way?”  She was cute and could be a new type of distraction that I could find myself taking a liking to.

“I’m waiting on a buyer to show him some new construction right now, actually.  I’m in 14A if you ever want to stop by.  I wouldn’t mind getting to know my neighbor a little better.”  Her smile was genuine as she turned to walk further into the lobby.

“See ya around, neighbor,” I called out as she walked away, those heels making her legs look a mile long.  She was definitely worth taking a shot at. 

I headed home after doing some cardio and legs at the gym, feeling a little more optimistic in general.  Payton knew who I was and could find me if she wanted.  In the meantime, I had plenty of options waiting to keep me company. 

Lorelei had offered to have a drink with me if I ever wanted to and I couldn’t forget Kylie who was apparently my neighbor.  I usually didn’t go out with coworkers but Lorelei was innocent.  I could see her being a good friend and figured I’d be able to help her make a name for herself in the publishing world.

After sending a text to confirm meeting Lorelei for drinks at the bar down the street, I showered and decided to Facebook search Payton/Reece to see if I could find out how she was doing.  Reece’s page had generic posts about other books releasing soon but nothing personal on there.  I wasn’t sure of Payton’s last name but looked through Reece’s fans and found a Payton Davenport and the picture was definitely her.

“Who knew spending a few weeks at a beach across the world could make such a difference.  Glad to be back home <3”

She was back in San Diego.  I felt a little better knowing where she was and that she was safe. 

Lorelei was easy to talk to but was more on a little sister level than any of the girls I talked to.  I think she knew since she didn’t think twice when she brought up her fiancé and how they wanted to start a family within the next few years.  She was also the only girl I didn’t mind talking to about my one-night stands and relationships. She knew about Payton, but not that Payton was also the author I was trying to sign. 

“So, what gives?  You’re back here and from the sounds of it, aren’t getting any.  So what happened and how did you fuck it up?” Lorelei questions as she takes a sip of her long island. 

“I didn’t fuck it up—technically. I mean, I found out some stuff and confronted her about it.  She didn’t take it so well.”  I rub my neck, looking anywhere but at Lorelei.  She knew my expressions too well and she’d know that I was torn up about not having Payton.

“And you’re giving up or just giving her time?” 

“Both?  She got the wrong impression, and I know I need to fix it, but she ran from me.  She needs to figure her shit out before we talk again.  Plus, I don’t think she’ll want me even if I
do
try to get her back.”  I finally looked up and saw understanding in her eyes. 
Thank fuck.
  I didn’t want her trying to persuade me to go after Payton. 

“Just go with it.  If she comes back, great.  Don’t stop being you while you wait, though.  When you aren’t getting any, we
all
know about it.”  Seeing her cheeky grin caused me to smile as well.  She was probably right, I was an even bigger dick at work when I wasn’t getting laid.

 I left the bar looking forward to whatever was planned for me in the future.  Whether or not it had Payton in it, I wasn’t sure.

My mind kept wandering back to my earlier encounter with Kylie.  Her nipples were erect and visible through her silk blouse, just begging to be licked.  I considered walking up to her door and asking for a cup of sugar but came to the conclusion that it was too lame.  I needed a reason to talk to her.  Real estate?  I wasn’t planning on moving anytime soon but maybe I could ask for a friend of mine who wanted to move closer to the area.  It wasn’t the most creative way to talk to a girl but it was normal enough that if she wasn’t interested in me I wouldn’t have to avoid her in the future. 

I ended up waiting three days before making my way to 14A.  It was enough time for me not to look desperate but not enough time for her to forget about our encounter.  I waited until a little after seven to give her enough time to get home from work and errands and crossed my fingers that she was home.

I was about to leave after knocking twice with no response when I heard shuffling from behind the door.  She opened the door with her elbow as she finished throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail.  She had on black capri yoga pants and a loose neon orange tank top over a black sports bra.  Even in workout clothes she was sexy. 

“Sorry it took me so long to get to the door.  I was just about to take a shower from working out and had to get redressed.  Ryder, right?  What’s up, neighbor?”  She still seemed pumped up on adrenaline from whatever workout she had just finished.  Her cheeks were flushed and she was bouncing lightly on her feet.

“I was just thinking I could ask for some advice on real estate in the area for a buddy of mine.  I didn’t mean to interrupt you, though.  I can come back another time.”  I still had no idea if she was into me or if she was even available.  I wasn’t ready to fully hit on her until I got a better feel for what I was dealing with.

“I’ll only be a few minutes.  Come on in and make yourself at home.  I’m sure the layout isn’t too different from yours.  Feel free to grab a beer or water from the fridge; I also opened up some wine a little bit ago if you want.”  She was quick with her words but at least welcoming.  She had a bright smile that showcased those dimples I had thought about so often.  She held the door wide open, waiting for me to make myself at home and I figured it would be alright whether or not we ended up as friends or more.  Any girl who stocked her fridge with beer was okay in my book.

“You’re place looks nothing like mine, but I’m pretty sure it has to do with the décor of yours.”  I walked around her living room, mesmerized by the black and white photos that were similar to the ones directly above or below them.  The first one I noticed was of a middle aged couple walking along the beach.  Above it was a much older couple in the same type of pose on the beach.  Below both photos was a photo of two children, maybe five or six, that were also walking along the same beach.  Were they related to her?  I made note to ask her. 

In the kitchen, there was the same set up of photos but of two women baking what looked like a cake or possibly cookies.  One of the women had powdered sugar or flour on her cheek and both women were laughing.  It was the same in the other two photos as well.  

After browsing through a few other sets of photos and grabbing a beer, I went to make myself comfy on her loveseat but got sidetracked when I saw her bookshelf beside the TV.  The books weren’t classics by any means, some of them being self published by the looks of it.  I didn’t take Kylie for being a reader but was impressed by her collection.  She had multiple books by SE Hall and also a handful from Jillian Dodd.  I added their names into my phone to check them out later.

She dried her hair with a towel as she walked back into her living room, heading toward the bookshelf to meet me. “You found my stash I guess.  I’m glad you haven’t found my kindle yet!  I have hundreds on there but those are some of my favorites.  I’ve met some of the hottest, most perfect fictional boyfriends in those books.”

“Really now?  How excited you just got telling me about them shows how much you love reading about them.  They must be pretty amazing.  I may have to go to you when I’m looking for a new author I guess.  Are you sure I’m not stopping you from any other plans?”  We had both made our way to the sofa and were sitting in a way that each of one of our knees were touching.  She seemed comfortable with me and it was nice to feel so trusted after just meeting each other. 

“No plans, I promise.  I try to have a night or two each week where I have nothing planned and have a ‘me’ night.  No rules, no schedules, just go with the flow.  It usually ends up with me in shorts and a t-shirt catching up on reality TV or shopping online but it’s totally worth it.  You were lucky enough to catch me on one of these nights.”

“I’m glad I have luck on my side then.  Am I lucky enough to find a beautiful woman in my complex that doesn’t have a boyfriend also?  If that’s the case, I may need to go buy a lottery ticket.”  I couldn’t help but add the cheesy lottery ticket phrase.  She was smiling which in turn caused me to as well.  I took that as a good sign.

“Buy me one while you’re at the gas station since I, said beautiful woman, also found herself a handsome man a few doors down.”  Yep.  We were both cheesy but it was fun. 

“What kind of reality TV were you planning, or not planning, on watching tonight?  I don’t want to mess up any of your non-plans for the night.”  I scooted a little closer to her and made myself comfortable. 

“One where there are a bunch of models living in the same house, competing to see who’s best.  It’s fun to see the competitions and photo shoots.  Girls are always having meltdowns which can be entertaining too.  I can make some popcorn and make a night out of it if you want to hang out a bit.  Then we can totally talk about anything real estate related for your friend.  I just need to unwind a bit first.” 

It wasn’t on my normal list of shows to watch but I think I could handle watching models on TV for an hour.  I mean, it would be difficult but I was up for the challenge.

After the show was over, I tried to come up with questions that I didn’t need the answers to about real estate.  I could tell she had a real passion for selling homes as her eyes lit up and she couldn’t get a breath in when she was going over what was hot and why it was such a good time to buy.  I went along with it, but after two questions, she just started going off on tangents so I sat back and ogled her.  When she was excited about something, she would touch the back of her head, like she was fluffing her hair in the back.  I counted and she did it a total of nine times that visit.  We all have our quirks, and I didn’t mind hers so far.

“Why’d you really come over here, Ryder?  I know you aren’t that excited about what I do for a living.  There are a thousand different realtors in LA and San Diego I’m sure that could have helped your friend.  Wanna spill?”  I gave her credit for being observant.  I also needed to work on my pretending-to-act-interested skills.  I used to be able to get away with that shit with girls.