One Perfect Touch (Very Irresistible Bachelors Book 3) Read online

  Holy shit, I could barely handle this. How could we possibly be neighbors?

  Chapter Six

  Rob

  The paperwork was completed quickly. Honestly, I was astounded at the speed, but it was much appreciated. I liked it when people were fast, efficient, and didn’t waste my time. On Saturday afternoon, I was ready to move in.

  Since there was no furniture except the kitchen, my assistant arranged for my LA stuff to be brought here. A team packed everything in one day, and the moving company brought it across the country in three. They’d delivered everything yesterday. Things were going according to plan.

  I’d just brought a suitcase with me from the hotel. When I got out of the Uber, I took a good look at the house, with its limestone façade and green roof, satisfied with the purchase. In a flash, I realized what had drawn me to it, despite it not ticking off all the architectural boxes I’d wanted. It reminded me of my grandfather’s house in France. Anne and I had spent a few weeks there every summer as kids. They were the highlight of our year, and we only grudgingly returned to New York in the fall.

  Taking out my phone, I snapped a picture, sending it to my grandfather.

  Rob: Kind of reminds me of your old house in France.

  Grandpa: Ha! That old thing was falling apart.

  That was true, especially since it had been his childhood home. It had been old as shit when Anne and I were there and had looked like it. But we’d loved going to France every summer nonetheless. Our grandfather was in France now too, with my parents. They had a different house, large and modern with all the comforts, but I still missed Grandpa’s old one.

  At least now I understood what had drawn me to this house... aside from a certain sexy-as-hell neighbor. I surveyed the surrounding area for Skye, since she had the keys.

  I spotted her two minutes later, just outside her house, crouched next to a bunch of roses. Her place was a smaller version of mine, and I liked that our houses were so close. There were no more than forty feet between the outer walls. I could see myself coming up with reasons to knock at her door.

  She was wearing a simple red dress that barely covered her ass, especially because now she was lowered on her haunches. I could just imagine how she’d look with that dress hiked up to her waist. How she’d react if I peeled it off her.

  Fucking hell, what was I doing?

  I was in no position to start up a relationship. With the business, Lindsay and Anne, and deciding how to handle the scum she used to call her husband, I had no time for the dating scene. And Skye was someone you’d date. I barely knew her, but she deserved more than a fling. I was supposed to behave, but all I wanted was to cross the distance and kiss the hell out of her. When it came to this woman in particular, I just didn’t seem to have any control over myself.

  Walking up to her, I said, “Hello, neighbor.”

  She straightened, eyes wide. She licked her lips, smiling nervously. I liked surprising her. She wasn’t able to compose herself, and I saw her unrestrained reaction to me.

  “Hi! I was just checking the sprinkler system. I checked yours earlier too. Everything seems to be working.”

  “Why are you doing this yourself? Didn’t the plumbing company take care of it?”

  I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I didn’t want to see her take on even more than she already had.

  “No, they don’t do that. Gardeners take care of the outdoor area, but the previous owners are trying to cut costs as much as possible. It really is a tough time for the family. I don’t mind helping them out. I worked in a real estate company back in college, so I know a few things.”

  I was caught off guard again. Her concern for others was not necessarily an unexpected trait, but I personally valued it. Why did it surprise me though? When had I become so cynical that I expected people to only be looking out for themselves? The truth was, I hadn’t come across someone who just did things for others without any expectation in a long time. It didn’t help my determination to stay away from her.

  “I can pay someone to check all this out, Skye. It’s my responsibility anyway.”

  I usually liked delegating any organizational tasks, but Skye already seemed to have enough on her plate. Judging by her dress and the flats, she’d hurried here from the lingerie store to do this check and give me the keys.

  On the other hand, if it meant I had an excuse to get her to come here....

  “All good.” Her smile was infectious.

  “You came directly from the store?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Saturday is a busy day, but we have a sales associate helping us out.”

  “So, you and Tess are there seven days a week?” I understood hard work, and my upcoming weeks would be just as packed, but I also knew you had to take time for yourself.

  “Six. Our family is helping out on Sundays.”

  “Your family?” Now that was interesting. I liked the fact that she was close to her family.

  She nodded. “I have two brothers, plus our mom. But we’re looking into just handing the reins over to one of our sales associates on Sunday, so we can truly take time off.”

  “And you mentioned before that the two of you are also managing your online store?”

  “Yes.” Skye looked so proud when she answered. A hardworking woman was intriguing to me, on top of all of her other assets. That determination to keep my distance was just not working.

  The more I was around her, the more I wanted to know this woman.

  I whistled appreciatively, impressed by the sisters’ work ethic. “I’m guessing you don’t have many dull moments.”

  She laughed. “You could say that. I don’t have much free time either. Or when I do, I’m so unaccustomed to it I never know what to do half the time.”

  “Lucky you have a neighbor who can help out with that.”

  “Oh, really?” The questioning look on her face was adorable.

  “I’m the king of making the most out of free time.”

  “Modest much?”

  “Not one ounce of modesty in my bones, I promise you that.” I took one step closer. Skye licked her lips. I wanted to trap her against the side of the house and just not let go. It was impossible not to flirt with her, especially when she reacted like this to me. The sexual turn this conversation had taken was palpable. She cast her gaze away, blushing just the way she did that first night when I overheard her phone conversation. Which reminded me...

  “You still didn’t give me an answer,” I said. “To my question about returning the compliment. You said I was smoking hot or fucking gorgeous. If I return it, will that clear the air between us?”

  Her blush intensified. “I thought the question was rhetorical.”

  “It wasn’t.” I let my gaze wander down her body slowly. “I can add some more. Stunning, sexy, beautiful.”

  I heard her inhale sharply. The tension between us was strong. I couldn’t explain this impulse to get to know her: the store, her family, her life in general. I wanted to know everything.

  Yes, she was a beautiful woman, and I wanted her in my bed, but that wasn’t all.

  “Robert....” She’d only called me Mr. Dumont before.

  “Rob. I only go by Robert in my work life.”

  “Robert,” she insisted.

  Her voice was a bit shaky. Instead of flirting back, she pressed her lips together, smiling but averting her gaze. She was fighting to keep herself in check, but her body language was intoxicating. She had goose bumps on her arms, and her breath was becoming more labored.

  “Skye....”

  I’d always lived by the credo I see something I want, I do everything in my power to have it.

  And I was going to have Skye.

  ***

  Skye

  I was undeniably attracted to this man and didn’t have a prayer of hiding it. His direct way was taking me by so much surprise that I didn’t have time to compose myself.

  My sexy-as-hell neighbor was doing his best to flirt th
e panties off me... and he was succeeding.

  “Here are the keys, before I forget them.”

  Before I forgot my head altogether, that was. I’d tucked them in one of the pockets of my dress. Taking them out, I handed them to him. The second our fingers brushed, my whole body just hummed. Holy hell!

  He chuckled, taking a step back before looking over his shoulder as someone called his name. I followed his gaze. A knockout blonde and a young girl who seemed to be the spitting image of both Robert and the woman stood on the pavement in front of the house.

  “Home, sweet home,” the woman said, grinning. The girl ran straight toward Robert, hugging his middle.

  Robert moved toward the blonde. I followed suit, even as a weight landed in my chest.

  “Skye Winchester,” I said, holding out my hand to the woman.

  “Hi! Great to meet you. Thank you for finally convincing this stubborn mule to decide on a house. He kept us all on our toes.”

  After dropping her hand, the woman affectionately pinched Robert’s arm.

  “Nice to meet you too. Well, I’m done here, so I’ll leave you all to get settled in,” I said before walking toward my house. I inhaled deeply several times, trying to make sense of this. Once I was inside my house, I paced around, unable to sit or even stand still.

  I couldn’t believe it. He was actually flirting with me seconds ago before his wife and daughter walked up. At least, I thought that was his daughter and wife? It wasn’t totally impossible, even though the status on his application said single and that it would be a one-person household. So maybe not his wife but a very steady girlfriend. It had to be; the uncanny resemblance between him and the young girl was evident.

  I’d flirted with him, and he’d flirted right back!

  I pressed a palm to my chest, trying to calm down and be rational. Was I being naive again?

  It had happened once before, before we opened the store, when I was still working full-time. This guy who’d recently started there had flirted with me like there was no tomorrow. I’d then found out from a coworker that he had a girlfriend. I still remembered the humiliation and that deep ache at knowing I’d just been a joke to him. Not to mention the guilt. It was nagging at me now too. I would never, ever intentionally—knowingly—date someone who was involved in a relationship.

  How was I supposed to face Robert now? Or his... partner? Actually, I didn’t have to face them at all. My involvement was over. Except for that tiny little detail that he lived next door.

  Well, I’d handle it somehow.

  I had shit luck when it came to dating. The last guy I went out with, Dean, broke up with me after Tess and I had had a horrendous week. The investor we were talking to had dropped us. Since we’d already budgeted the money, it forced us to go back to the drawing board. It had been intense, and I’d felt completely defeated. Instead of comforting me, Dean said life was too short for him to waste time with someone who moped around all the time. Jackass.

  Yeah... I hadn’t been on a date since. Honestly, I didn’t mind. With everything going on with the business and helping my neighbors with their house, I’d been crazy busy. I’d been varying between being single and dating for a few years anyway and hadn’t been in a real relationship since college.

  I wasn’t exactly a romantic, but was it too much to ask to meet a guy who was decent and loyal? Someone who didn’t make me feel small and meaningless?

  I shook my head, focusing on all the great things I had. My life was full as it was, with my family, the business, and the Ballroom Galas. I liked having complete freedom. I was so comfortable now with doing what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it, that I wasn’t totally sure I’d like to be in a full-on relationship anyway.

  After we lost our investor, Tess and I decided to grow the business at our own pace. With an investor, we could pour more money in product development, even open more stores, but for now, we were grateful that our store was bringing in solid sales and profits, enough for us to live comfortably on.

  To take my mind off everything that had just happened, I called Mom while sitting on my indoor swing. It was one of those modern ones with a half-moon metal railing and a rattan cocoon hanging off it. They were meant for outside, but I’d brought it in once during a storm, and it had looked so stylish and cozy that I left it here.

  It went well with my white furniture and pale pink couch. My bedroom was upstairs, in white and pink tones too. Several friends had mentioned that I had a “girly house,” but well, I was a single woman renting the place of my dreams.

  This house was very small compared to the others on the street, which was lucky for me, because the owner had had trouble renting it out. Most people who moved to the suburbs had kids and needed more space, so he’d lowered the rent enough that I’d thought it was a mistake when I first saw the listing.

  My mom didn’t answer, but the second I disconnected, I saw a notification from the WhatsApp group I had with my family (well... except Mom, because some things were not for parental eyes to see).

  Ryker: Anyone else dying for the weekend to start?

  Cole: Hell yes. How are my favorite ladies doing?

  I loved how the roles in our family had reversed. Tess and I used to fuss over our younger brothers, even after they finished college, so they wouldn’t burn out with all they were doing. Now they were the ones fussing over us, checking in on us regularly, making us take breaks.

  Tess: I’m now indulging in an ice cream.

  Skye: I’m already home.

  Ryker sent a few pictures of a gorgeous view of a lake surrounded by green. I knew what that was before he explained: he’d gotten engaged recently, and he and his fiancée were planning a wedding in December. The venue was at a restaurant located on a lake outside New York.

  Skye: Ooooh, that is beautiful.

  Ryker: Wedding location looking good. Now I just need to convince the wedding planner to side with me on a few issues. Muahahah.

  Cole: Is she hot? I can put my charming skills to use... all to help you, obviously.

  Ryker: Cole... do NOT hit on our wedding planner. The last thing we need is for her to bolt.

  Cole: Is it just me, or is Ryker becoming more intense by the week?

  Tess and I responded at the same time: It’s not just you.

  Cole: I think we need a strategy to help him... relax.

  Ryker: Still here, folks.

  I grinned widely. The fact that Ryker was now engaged was such a surprise to Cole that he kept teasing him about it. He hadn’t seen it coming, and honestly, neither had I. My brothers had declared a long time ago they’d be bachelors for life—just like our cousin Hunter... who was now married. Yeah, things were changing fast in our family. Tess and I took turns teasing each of our brothers, depending on what the situation required. Right now, I was definitely siding with Cole, but only because Ryker did seem to need the teasing to relax a little.

  I bit my lip, looking at that gorgeous picture. Ryker definitely had enough going on, organizing the wedding on top of everything. It was paramount for Tess and me to find someone to man the store on Sundays.

  I laughed, sitting in my swing again when Cole wrote Tess and me in a different group message.

  Cole: Best strategy to tease Ryker?

  Tess: I have something in mind. Maybe we can tell him that we’ll have strippers at the bachelorette party.

  I burst out laughing. Ryker was very possessive when it came to his fiancée, Heather.

  Skye: Are you crazy?

  Cole: We should at least consider the possibility.

  This was just what I needed. A Winchester conspiracy/strategy to sink my teeth into and forget about everything else.

  Chapter Seven

  Rob

  “You’ve got yourself a great place,” Anne said.

  She’d inspected the house in far more detail than even I had. I’d promised Lindsay we’d get ice cream, and we’d just gotten back now, eating it directly out of the carton with plas
tic spoons. We were sitting on the couch demolishing our dessert as Anne gave me her opinion on everything.

  “Thanks. It was the closest I found to you,” I commented between bites.

  “You’re a good brother,” Anne said.

  That was debatable. I should have realized something was off with Walter way before he left her and Lindsay—at least known more, done more to protect her better. But I couldn’t change any of that now. What I was going to do was concentrate all my efforts on doing my very best for her going forward.

  “When are you unpacking the rest of the boxes?”

  “I’m going to start later tonight.” Not that I wanted to, but it needed to get done at some point. When I’d moved to LA, I had stuff sitting around in boxes for weeks. I hadn’t wanted the movers to open the boxes because I didn’t like strangers touching my things.

  Anne put her hands on her hips, surveying the room.

  “Well, Lindsay, what do you say? Should we stay a little longer so I can help Uncle Rob? He might live out of boxes for a month otherwise.”

  And that wasn’t too far off from the truth.

  “Yes!” Lindsay exclaimed. Done with her ice cream, she was playing with a set of small figurines.

  Rising to her feet, Anne inspected the stack of boxes. “Let’s start with your kitchen boxes.”

  I’d forgotten that my sister was far more organized than I was.

  “By the way, I think I sort of know your neighbor,” Anne said.

  “How?”

  “I knew the name Winchester rang a bell. From the Winchesters behind the Ballroom Galas. I googled her, and she’s one those Winchesters.”

  I knew Anne received invitations for each one of the events. They were quite the charity and did excellent work.

  “Did you go to any?” I asked.

  “No, but I send a check with my RSVP every time. They’re good people, the Winchesters. At least, that’s what I hear. They put all that money they raise to great use.”

  “That’s good to know. When’s the next event?”

  Anne grinned. “Why, eager to see your neighbor in an evening gown?”