Bad
Boy Next Door Excerpt
Bad
Boy Next Door by Melissa Blue
Copyright
2013
This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or
locales, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Cover Art by Melissa Blue
Jesus
Christ.
No
wonder Ryan had a thing for her. She'd coaxed her hair into big,
spiral curls that framed her heart-shaped face. Her rich, dark brown
eyes were lit with a laugh that tugged her full mouth into a smile.
Skin, just as dark brown as her eyes, looked soft and touchable. The
simple black dress gave more than a hint of the femininity beneath.
The silver heels elongated slender legs that had no end.
Tonight,
and any night she went out on a blind date, Penelope looked like
something he should bite just to have her taste fill his mouth. But
he never did. Never would.
He
spent a lot time with a lot of bad people. He always felt tainted by
his life whenever he was around her. Although she didn't look it
tonight, Penelope should be with someone who didn't own a set of
lockpicks just in case a closed door needed to find itself
conveniently opened.
Still,
he couldn't help but flirt back like he'd done for the past two
months. It was driving him a bit insane to not close the distance in
the hallway and kiss her already. He persevered, leaning heavily on
his doorjamb.
He
needed a damn medal, both for restraint and stupidity. “What did
the door do to make you go postal?”
“Not
a thing. I'm just a rage-aholic. You should see how I rip into paper
when I get on a tear.” She grinned at the intentional pun. “What
are you doing home this late at night and stalking me?”
“Got
a tip and was heading to a secret meeting. Stepped out and here you
were destroying property with your head. I decided to announce my
presence and make no sudden moves.”
“Oh.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I won't hold you up then.”
He
didn't want to leave. He never did whenever they had a moment alone.
“My source is always late. I've got a few minutes to help defuse
your rage.”
“It's
nothing really.” She shrugged. “My roommate is convinced I should
only date nice guys. I just came from another one of those disastrous
dinners. You caught me in a moment of pure frustration.”
“Frustrated
and angry.” He paused. “At yourself, your friend, or the date?”
She
shook her head and the curls brushed along her face. “All of the
above and I don't know why.”
He
scoffed at her answer. “Yes, you do.”
She
laughed softly. “Why do you think that?”
“Because
I know human nature.” And that was the truth. Ryan had witnessed
more than his fair share of it. “I see the seedier side, but it's
all the same.”
Penelope
made a noncommittal noise and then said, “Your job has left you all
noir.”
“Somewhat.”
Which was why Ryan kept his feet planted in his doorway. “Doesn't
change the fact you're probably angry at yourself for going on
another date. Angry at her for offering. And at him...don't know why.
Probably a jackass. It's not rational, but it's human nature.”
“It's
petty,” she argued.
“I
repeat—human nature.”
She
laughed as he'd known she would, and the sound did wonderful things
to his spine. Stay against the
doorjamb. Don't move. Not one goddamn step.
“Ah, are you feeling better now? Will it be safe for me to leave my
apartment, knowing it won't be torched?”
She
bit the corner of her mouth to contain the flirtatious smile. “Your
valuables will be safe from me.”
“My
work here is done.” He
felt safe that his craving for her had been fed and he wouldn't do
anything stupid.
Ryan
turned to close his door, and her heels clicked against the hard wood
floors of the hallway. She was going inside. He'd sighed in relief
from dodging another bullet, but when he faced her again, Penelope
had closed some of the distance between them. Enough for him to know
intimately her perfume had a light musk. The scent filled his head
with nonsense about leaning down and slanting his mouth over hers.
She
moved closer and her hand ate up the last of the distance. Light as a
feather, her fingertips rested on his arm. If she kept them there one
second longer, he'd do something dumb and irrevocable. It would lead
down a road where he wouldn't take her rough, but he'd damn sure
would take her every which way but loose.
She
glanced up at him, mouth parted, about to speak. His gaze fixated on
her bottom lip. Pink. Her mouth definitely looked like something he
should bite into. Just once to get it out of his system. Her eyes
widened and the sweetest, softest noise fell from her lips, but she
didn't step back. Yeah. He shouldn't close the distance.
But...one
time would be enough, right? He'd warn her off after that. If he had
to, Ryan would pick Penelope up, dump her into her
apartment, and make sure she'd lock the door tight to keep him out.
But...goddammit,
just this once, he'd kiss her.
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