His eyes narrowed. “Faith Walters?”
So he knew her name. So he wasn’t so indifferent to her notes that he didn’t file away that little tidbit. Although he didn’t look thrilled to see her. But he was definitely seeing her. His gaze crawled over her face, leaving a path of fire in its wake.
“North Callaghan, I presume?” Did she actually say that? Like she was in some sort of Alfred Hitchcock movie?
He chuckled. “Great. So we know each other’s names. Glad we got that out of the way.”
“Yeah, well, how would I know anything about you? You won’t acknowledge the notes I left for you. Or answer your door whenever I knock.”
Serena laughed. The sound jarred Faith. For a moment she had forgotten her presence. “Oh, North? He’s not very social. He wouldn’t know the first thing about being neighborly. Or small talk, for that matter.” She staggered forward until she fell against him. Her hands made good use of the proximity, touching and stroking that delicious chest of his. The irrational urge to step forward and yank Serena’s hand off him seized her. She quelled the urge as Serena continued talking. “But you don’t need small talk with North. That’s the nice thing about him.” She giggled, her clumsy fingers sliding south on his chest. “Well. Not the nicest thing.”
He didn’t crack a smile, and she imagined she saw a flash of irritation in his dark eyes. He grabbed Serena’s wandering hand and stopped it from roaming.
Serena clucked her tongue and pulled a pouting face. “Aw, you’re no fun.”
Faith could well understand the irritation. Indignation filled her, bubbling in her chest like when she ate too many peppers on her nachos. Which was absolutely crazy that she should feel like that. She should not feel offended on his behalf. He was a rude, inconsiderate neighbor. If he was okay with being treated like a piece of meat, then who was she to care?
“Your friend Serena here has had a few drinks.”
“Yeah, I see that,” he said without taking his gaze off Faith.
“Yeahhh, so. It appears she drove herself here. Drunk.”
Serena’s head whipped around to glare at Faith. Apparently she wasn’t so out of it she missed the reference to herself. “I’m not drunk!” she protested.
North sighed and dropped his head back briefly to look skyward. “Christ, Serena.”
“North,” she whined. “Don’t be mad at me!” She turned to glare at Faith as though she were the one responsible for loverboy being annoyed with her.
“Sorry if she disturbed you.” He turned Serena in the direction of his door, guiding her away from Faith. “I got this now.”
Something snapped inside her. Her temper finally let loose. “Do you?” she called after his back. “Do you got this?”
Because clearly there were other things he did not get. Since the day she moved in there were several things he did not get.
He stopped and turned to face her. “Do you have something to say?”
It was almost laughable. He posed the question mildly. Only she felt like a line had been drawn in the sand. Actually that had happened some time ago. He simply didn’t realize it. Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.
“Norrrrrth!” Serena whined his name.
He turned around briefly to snap, “Go inside, Serena.”
She gave a huff and then disappeared inside his house.
He faced Faith again. “You were saying?”
Yes. She was saying. She was saying something. Exactly what she couldn’t put into words when he stared at her with such a steely gaze.
She sucked in a sharp breath and forged ahead. “For days I have wanted to introduce myself to you. It seems we are well past friendly introductions now though.” She swallowed, fighting against the golf-ball-size lump in her throat. “Aren’t we?”
He stared at her for a long moment, not responding.
“Hello?” she growled. “Are you listening to me?”
Finally he came to himself as if shaking off a daze. “I’m sorry. I was mesmerized by that green shit all over your face.”
Ohhh. As if she needed the reminder of how terrible she looked in front of him.
She mustered as much composure as she could and pointed at the door to his house. “I would appreciate it if you had a talk with your friend.” Now would be the perfect moment to insert that his friend needed to control the volume of her orgasms. The perfect moment. And the worst moment.
He arched dark eyebrows over deeply set eyes, waiting for her to finish.
She inhaled. “I realize your booty call is important to you. God knows it’s been a couple days.” Yes. Those words had come out of her mouth.
Something like humor glinted in his eyes. “Keeping track, are we?”
“Hard not to. Our walls aren’t very thick, you know?”