She winced inside. She’d had worse? Not the best method of measurement. She willed the heat, the sparks to race along her nerves. She deepened the kiss, tracing his lips with her tongue. His breathing picked up, hot air rushing from his nose to moisten her face.
His hands shifted from her back to her shoulders, as though he wasn’t sure where to put them. She grasped them herself, put his hands on the small of her back and leaned her body against the long line of his, pressing her breasts into his chest.
He worked out. There was that. Nothing soft about him and yet . . .
Sudden music blared on the air, making them jump apart. Her hands flew to her ears as Guns N’ Roses welcomed them to the jungle.
Her wild eyes went to her kitchen wall. Her framed picture of coffee mugs rattled against the wall—the shared wall.
Brendan shouted unnecessarily, with one hand over his ear and the other hand pointing to North’s place. “Your neighbor is playing music really loud!!”
North! That jerk! He was trying to ruin her date.
She nodded, murder pumping fast in her heart. “Do you want to move into the living room?” she shouted.
He nodded.
She took his hand and led him to her couch, determined that North would not wreck this night for her.
Unfortunately, the music followed them. She forced a smile. “Who doesn’t like Guns N’ Roses?” she yelled.
“What?” He held a hand up to his ears.
She tried a second time as she sank down on the couch. “Who doesn’t like Guns N’ Roses?”
“What!?” He shook his head and pointed to his ears like some elderly man trying to convey that he was hard of hearing.
Oh, never mind. She grabbed him by the shirt and leaned over him again, intent on continuing. North would not be right about this.
Suddenly a loud motor revved to life directly in front of her house.
“What the—”
The loud spray of water hit her living room with hurricane force. She squeaked and lunged off her couch. Brendan stood beside her. “Sounds like a power washer,” he shouted. “You hire someone to do your windows tonight?”
“No,” she fumed. “I did not.”
She marched to her front door over the loud screeching of Axl Rose, the roar of a power washer and water blasting her living room window. She wrenched open her door and marched outside, managing to get caught directly in the water hose’s line of fire.
She hopped and yelped, flailing her hands as if that might ward off the stinging spray. It was strong enough to peel the skin back from her bones. “Stop!” Her gaze found North. North looking casual, his expression mild as he directed the hose at her house. As if it was the kind of thing he did all the time. “Turn it off!” She pointed to the motor parked behind him.
He obliged, moving to the motor and flipping it off. He turned a polite smile back on her. Half the volume decreased but there was still the music blasting from his house.
“What are you doing?” she shouted, blood rushing to her head.
“Just being neighborly. Was gonna power wash the driveway and house this evening like we talked about, remember?”
“Liar,” she hissed, her fingers flexing wide at her side, itching to take a swipe at his face. They had discussed no such thing!
She spotted Brendan, watching them uncertainly from inside her door. She must look like a woman about to come unglued—which would be an accurate assessment. She took a bracing breath, trying to compose herself.
“Would you mind doing it another time?” she asked between clenched teeth.
“Aw, won’t take but a little while to finish, and I’ve already started. You said tonight would be okay, remember?”
Her composure snapped. She stomped her foot. “No! I said no such thing! Stop lying! You’re doing this on purpose!”
“Doing what?” His eyes glinted. He was enjoying himself.
She marched closer and stabbed a finger in his chest. “Don’t act all innocent. You know what you’re doing! I know what you’re doing!”
“Uh, Faith?” Brendan stepped fully outside. “I think I’m going to go. It’s getting late and we have work tomorrow.”
Oh God. She must look deranged to him. She moved away from North and hurriedly blocked Brendan, waving her hands. “No. Don’t leave yet!”
Okay. That didn’t sound desperate.
She shot a look over her shoulder, catching North’s smug expression before it was masked again by a look of innocence. This was all his fault, damn him!
Brendan was talking now, but she barely heard a word over the roar in her ears. She only caught the gist of what he was saying. He had a good time, thank you, blah blah blah. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll text you later. Enjoy that tiramisu.”
Then she watched helplessly as he walked down her driveway and got in his car. She stood there for a moment, her frustration and anger bubbling over.
Inhaling through her nostrils, she turned and leveled a glare on the man waiting behind her.
North stood there, arms crossed over his broad chest, looking calm and satisfied. Ready for her.
“You,” she growled.