Chapter 2

2

VIOLET

R eturning home after grocery shopping shouldn’t be a big deal. But here I was, doing my best to walk down the hallway as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, I realized my efforts proved useless when my neighbor’s door flung open when I was still a good fifty feet away from it.

I was too far away from the elevator to turn back but not close enough to my apartment to avoid talking to him. I barely held back an audible groan at seeing Jeff step out of his apartment.

He seemed to have an internal radar when it came to me. No matter how hard I tried to avoid him, he always seemed to be lurking anytime I left my apartment. Or returned.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he had a tracker of some kind on me.

“Hey, Jeff,” I muttered, hefting one of the bags high enough to cover my chest so he couldn't leer at my boobs.

“Hi, Violet. Do you need some help carrying that stuff?” he offered, his gaze raking down my body, sending a cold shiver along my spine.

I shook my head and grimaced. “No thanks, I have it.”

If he had been any of my other neighbors, I would have taken him up on the offer, but I learned quickly that Jeff was the kind of guy who took a mile if you gave him an inch. Which was probably why he was single even though he was handsome enough to attract plenty of feminine attention with his blond hair, blue eyes, and runner’s physique.

I didn’t understand why he was so fixated on me unless it was because his good looks had never pulled me in. Maybe he was one of those guys who liked the challenge. Whatever the reason, I’d give just about anything for him to forget I existed.

“Oh, okay.” His shoulders slumped. “Let me know if you ever need anything. I’m right next door, only a wall away.”

“Yep, I know.”

His proximity was the only reason I was considering not renewing my lease for another year. My apartment was perfect for me in every way but one—Jeff.

I loved the balcony looking over the woods that lined the back of the complex. And the walk-in closet in my second bedroom had been easy to convert into the vocal booth where I did my voiceover work, mostly recording audiobooks. The kitchen was also great, with granite countertops and more cabinet space than I knew what to do with.

Finding another place with the same amenities without a huge hike in rent would be tough, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend another year afraid to leave my apartment. Working from home meant that I didn’t get a lot of interaction with people during the day, so it would’ve been nice to be able to get out more often without having to worry about running into Jeff. Having him as a neighbor had turned me into a hermit instead of just an introvert.

He stepped closer as I struggled with sticking my key into the lock while holding two overly full bags. “Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“Whatever Violet needs, I have it covered.”

My head swung up at the deep voice, and I was stunned by who I found walking toward us. If I had asked my favorite client to write the description of my fantasy guy, she couldn't have done any better than the man standing in front of me. He looked as though he had come to life from the pages of a motorcycle club romance book.

Except for the fact that he was a ginger because I didn't often run into book boyfriends with red hair. I would definitely need to search them out from now on, though, because he was sexier than any man had the right to be.

He was tall and muscular in a way that made me think he earned his build outside of the gym. His hair was a deep red, and his close-cropped beard was the same color. His blue eyes reminded me of the ocean when I took a snorkeling trip in the Bahamas. With his short sleeve shirt under his Hounds of Hellfire cut, I could see most of the full sleeve of black ink on his left arm.

I’d never seen him in the building before…and he was definitely someone I’d remember. That was probably because I hadn’t done a great job of getting to know my neighbors since I tended to rush through the lobby in my attempts to avoid Jeff.

But that didn’t stop me from going along with him when he tugged both bags out of my arms and flashed me a sexy smile. “Sorry it took me so long to park the car, baby.”

“Who the hell are you?” Jeff demanded, glaring at the guy.

He turned to my neighbor, juggling the bags so he was holding them in one arm while he slid the other behind my back to pull me against his side. “I’m her boyfriend, Echo.”

“Violet doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Jeff argued, his eyes going wide.

Echo quirked a brow. “Not sure why you think you’re close enough to my girl to be in the loop on what’s going on in her life.”

“I keep an eye out for her. Make sure she’s safe.” Jeff puffed out his chest. “And I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“Unless you’re watching her twenty-four seven, then you’re bound to miss shit. Like me being in her life.” Echo shrugged. “Appreciate you looking out for my girl, but I have her covered from here. You can consider yourself relieved of duty.”

I shoved the key in the lock and yanked open the door before Jeff had the chance to reply. Then I tugged Echo into my apartment and slammed the door shut behind us. Turning to the sexy biker, I pressed a trembling hand against my chest. “Thank you so much for stepping in like that. Jeff was being even pushier than usual. I’m not sure how I would’ve convinced him that I didn’t need help getting my door unlocked while trying to juggle my groceries. And the last thing I want is him inside my apartment.”

“Happy to help.” His lips curved into a grin as he shifted one of the bags to his free arm. “Where do you want ’em?”

“Oh, um…just in the kitchen.” I was about to offer to take them from Echo when I glanced at the door and realized that if I rushed him out of my apartment, Jeff would get suspicious about him being my boyfriend. “Thanks.”

I followed him through the living room, relieved I’d cleaned this morning before heading out to run errands. Since I spent most of my time at home, the place usually looked very well lived in, but I had put most of the clutter away.

Echo’s biceps flexed as he placed the bags on the island and started to pull out the items I’d purchased. “You don’t need to do that. I have it.”

He stepped to the side, making room for me in the narrow space between the island and the stove and fridge. His focus remained on me while I emptied the bags and put everything away. “You a good baker?”

“I like to think so.”

My cheeks heated at the timing of him being in my apartment. Of course it had to happen when I did my quarterly restock of my baking supplies. A lot of people would’ve said something snide about how I didn’t need to eat stuff with the sugar, chocolate chips, and butter I’d bought. But Echo’s blue eyes heated as his gaze traveled down my curves.

“You know how to make brownies?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yup, but I’m a purist when it comes to them. They have to be fudgy, without anything extra like nuts, chocolate chips, or frosting.”

He chuckled, the deep sound sending a shiver of awareness down my spine. “I like ’em however the chef wants to make them.”

“I should bake you a batch as a thank you for rescuing me, Echo.”

“I wouldn’t turn them down,” he assured me. “But call me Brodie. Echo’s my road name.”

“Then I guess I know what I’ll be doing this afternoon, Brodie.” I padded over to the door and peered through the peephole. “The coast is clear. You should be good to head back to your apartment without Jeff seeing you. Just let me know which number you are so I can bring you those brownies later.”

“Appreciate you looking out for me.” His lips curved into a grin as he shrugged. “But I don’t live here.”

“You don’t?” I asked, my brows drawing together.

“Nope,” he confirmed with a shake of his head. “I was just in the right place at the right time to swoop in and rescue you.”

“Lucky me.” I probably should’ve felt at risk having a strange man in my apartment, but something about his presence was comforting.

“Glad you think so since I’m in this for the long haul. I hope you’re ready for our relationship to move to the next level because I’m moving in.”