Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
I had shit to do, but I wasn’t about to let two women move heavy furniture alone. I exchanged a quick look with Dom, his disappointment over missing out on a nooner written all over his face.
“We’ll help,” I said.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
I could tell from her tone that she didn’t mean it. Her gray tank top was already soaked with sweat. The fall weather in Denver was beautiful, but moving all your belongings from one place to another was hard work. I hadn’t moved myself when I came to Denver eight months ago; the Coyotes had paid for all my relocation costs. But helping out would take the place of my run, and it would allow me to burn off some of my nervous energy about tomorrow’s game. And hopefully, it would get me into my hot new neighbor’s good graces.
“I’m Ford,” I said, offering her my hand. “I live next door.”
She smiled, subtly checking me out as she shook my hand. “Hi Ford, I’m Elle.”
Our eyes locked, and awareness stirred in my chest. She had a fantastic smile, blue eyes and—
Don’t look at her tits again, dude. You’re not a caveman.
“Is it just you?” I asked, our hands still locked together. “Or is that your roommate?”
Her friend, Sam, snorted out a laugh as she walked past us to leave the apartment. “Are you serious? I couldn’t live with Elle. She’s a massive control freak.”
A flicker of annoyance passed over Elle’s expression. “Just me.”
“Welcome to The Pines,” I said, releasing her hand before things got awkward.
The Pines was a luxury townhome community. It had indoor and outdoor pools, and the surrounding grounds encompassed a lake, killer mountain views, and trails for walking and running. There was also security and underground parking. It was perfect for me. There was no lawn or snow maintenance, I could fish in the lake when I was in town and I could run or workout without having to leave home.
It was expensive, though, and I was curious what Elle did that allowed her to afford a place like this on her own. Probably a doctor or an attorney. She looked smart, and she was definitely closer to thirty than twenty. Her tank top wasn’t low-cut and her ass wasn’t hanging out of the back of her shorts, which made her classier than the puck bunnies I was used to.
“Let’s do this,” Dom said, clapping me on the shoulder.
“Oh.” Elle smiled and her cheeks flushed pink, the spell between us broken. “I rented a moving truck. It’s out front.”
I’d only gone on a couple of dates since moving to Denver, but Elle had immediately piqued my interest. Hopefully she didn’t have a boyfriend.
“Hey, I really appreciate this,” she said as we walked out to the moving truck filled to the brim with furniture and neatly packed boxes.
She bent over to get something out of the truck and Dom grinned at me after busting me checking her out. I shoved his shoulder and he shoved mine back.
“Behave, children,” Sam said.
Elle pointed at a large round bundle wrapped in moving pads and secured with what looked like an entire roll of packing tape. “That’s my kitchen table top and it’s solid wood so it’s really heavy. Can you guys carry that in?”
“Sure.”
I walked up the ramp into the back of the truck. Elle pretended to be focused on a box, but she was watching me out of the corner of her eye.
“Ready?” I asked Dom as I bent to pick up one side of the table.
“Ready, boss.”
We picked it up and I didn’t let it show, but the table was a lot heavier than I’d expected. Dom wasn’t so subtle.
“This thing’s heavy as shit. How’d you guys get it in here?” he asked.
“We rolled it,” Sam said, grinning up at us from outside the truck. “Like a wheel. Elle has it packed so well that I knew it’d be fine.”
Elle shook her head. “Please be careful. That was my grandparents’ table.” Looking over at Sam, she said, “I am going to be so pissed at you if that table gets dinged.”
“It was roll it or leave it there,” Sam said, shrugging. “We actually had to leave a dresser behind because we couldn’t even move it a foot.”
“We’ll go get your dresser,” I told Elle.
“Really?”
“Yeah, it’s no problem.”
Dom had to walk down the truck ramp backwards, Sam telling him how close he was to the ground. When we were out of earshot of the women, he looked around the table at me as we carried it.
“However will your smokin’ hot neighbor and her smokin’ hot friend repay us for this?”
“We’re not doing it because we expect something,” I said.
“No, but if something happens to be offered…I think a potential foursome trumps the team cookout.”
“Shut up,” I clipped. “We’re not having a foursome.”