Chapter 4

Shepherd

I caught her off guard and I'm relishing in that. Her smug little face turns red as she tries to hide her smirk in the coffee mug I just gave her. She's too damn cute for her own good. Yet, she also screams sex by the way her hair falls over her shoulders in waves. Makes me want to wrap it up in my fist. Watch her take my cock deep down her throat.

I shake my head. Where did those thoughts even come from? I haven't been interested in a woman in a long time. Almost feels like I never would ever again.

However, here she is, awakening a part of me that's been dead for so long.

She takes a sip of the coffee and nearly spits it out. "Wow, that's strong."

"What? You don't like it?"

She shakes her head and looks into the mug, "No, it's fine, thank you for bringing some out." She takes a seat in my chair, and I stare down at her. "I'll just wait here while you gather my decorations."

I scrub a hand at the back of my neck. "You need to promise me one thing first."

"What's that?"

"You won't put the lights next to my window. I can't sleep at night."

She takes another sip of the coffee and sets it down. "Ok, deal."

"So you're really not gonna ask Bill for his leaf blower?"

"No," I sip from my mug, "I'm not. It's almost winter anyway. The snow will come and the leaves will be a good insulator for the grass."

"The grass is already dead, Shepherd."

I look around. "Oh well. They'll crumble and blow away when it gets colder."

She's still looking around my lawn. "I could help out too."

"You?" I'll admit, the thought of her on my front lawn raking up my leaves in some tight little yoga pants and her bouncy hair in a ponytail kinda gets me going.

"Yeah, I have a rake. I did my own leaves."

"Did you now?" I continue to sip my coffee.

"I didn't have anyone else to do it for me after…" She trails off.

There's a hint of sadness on her face, and I don't like it. As annoying as she can be, her bubbly personality is like a fixture I've come to rely on in the years we've been neighbors.

"After what?" I ask her.

"After Karl and I broke up."

Wait. Stop the presses.

"You broke up?"

She nods. "Yes." She steps further away from me. "It's nothing," she says, waving off her statement. "It's fine. I'm over it."

"Are you?"

Her eyes crash into mine. "Yes. I'm over him. And well…I need a favor from you."

I shift on my feet. "Name it."

"I need a date."

"What? And you think I know someone?"

"No, I think you'll look good in a suit."

"You're joking."

"I'm really not."

I let a moment of silence sink in as I think about this. She tries to pretend she doesn't hate the coffee as I do. On the one hand, I have to mingle with strangers at an office party. On the other hand, she's cute and I'll get some free drinks out of it.

"Come on, Shep, will you do it?"

"This weekend?"

"Yeah, Saturday at seven."

"What's in it for me?"

She can't hear my thoughts, might as well see what else I can get out of this. Free drinks are great and all, but I might need a little more incentive. She reaches the coffee mug toward me, handing it back. I'm surprised to see she's actually finished half of it.

"I'll rake the leaves." She smiles.

"I thought you were gonna do that anyway."

"Maybe, but now you know I will because I'll owe you." She winks.

I take the coffee mug and put it on the table next to mine, then hold out my hand to her. "Deal."

She places her tiny hand in mine. "Deal. I'll meet you outside at six-thirty."

"Fine, but I'm driving."

"Oh, you do have a suit, right?"

I raise a brow. "Yes, I have a suit."