My Beautiful Neighbor (The Greene Family Book 1) by Piper Rayne (phonics reading books TXT) 📕

As if I really want to talk about my high school girlfriend right now. “Just give Presley a chance. I think she’ll surprise you. Adam really likes her.”

Speaking of, Adam enters the room with his AirPods in. He’s singing “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes. Jed shakes his head at him.

At least Adam’s in a better mood than before.

“Fine.” Jed points at me. “I’ll give her a chance, but I’m not making any promises.”

I chuckle. “Okay, good enough.” I pick up the tray. “I’m taking these up to her.”

“Try not to let your dick accidentally slide into her while you’re up there.”

I stop short at the door, then walk through it, not wanting to get into it with him. I just hope Fisher keeps his mouth shut.

I knock when I reach the top of the stairs, and Presley answers. She’s wearing another pair of tight jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt.

“‘Morning,” she says. If she’s upset I left last night, she’s not showing any signs of it.

“I knew you didn’t have anything here.” I hold the tray a little higher.

She nods. “Thank you.”

I place the tray on the counter, and she goes back to putting on her makeup in the bathroom.

I stare at her reflection through the mirror and work up the nerve to say what I came up here to say. “I think you should stay here longer than you originally intended.”

She stops mid-stroke with her blush brush but starts back up again. “Listen, I had a great time last night and I’m all for continuing that, but me staying here is just going to complicate things.”

“Why? If anything, it gives us more opportunity to do what we want to be doing.” I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her neck.

“Because of this. I’m not sure our arrangement should include you bringing me breakfast. I actually think our arrangement ends much like it did last night. After we’re satisfied, the other party leaves. Anything to do with morning is usually off-limits.” She swivels in my arms, and since she’s yet to put on lipstick, I kiss her, my tongue sliding into her mouth. Her breath is minty as though she just finished brushing her teeth.

The minute our kiss deepens, her arms wrap around my neck and I grab her ass, spurring her to straddle me as I prop her up on the counter. Damn, I wanted to be inside her last night. My morning wood wasn’t nearly satisfied with my palm. It wanted Presley wrapped around it tight.

“Hey, guys!” Adam yells, knocking after he announces himself.

We dislodge so fast you’d think we’re world-class sprinters. I fall to my knees as though I’m looking at something, and one glance at Presley and I see that she looks as if she’s wearing too much blush.

“Hey, Adam.” She leaves the bathroom first.

I follow. “I was fixing the toilet. Something’s up with it. Keeps running.”

Adam seemed okay minutes ago, but he’s got that depressed expression again as he takes in the apartment. “Looks nice up here.”

Presley’s hand runs down his arm as she passes him and she picks up half the bagel I made for her, biting into it. What have I missed? I’m used to being jealous of Jed from time to time, but I’ve never had to be jealous of my youngest brother.

“What did you need?” I ask Adam, grabbing a yogurt on the tray.

“I thought you could drive me today since I’m at the store.”

I had plans of driving Presley and maybe pulling over outside the city limits for a quick make-out session. At the very least, I had high hopes it wasn’t Adam’s day to help at the store and I could sneak over and we’d christen The Story Shop. But I suppose that’s not happening now.

“Sure.”

“Don’t sound too excited.” He pats me on the back. “Just grab me when you two are ready.”

He jogs down the stairs and I watch him go. How is he not in the anger stage of his grieving yet?

“You can drop me off at the rental car place. It’s about time I get a car,” Presley says.

“I can take you back and forth.”

Her shoulders falter. “No, you can’t, and I’m not staying here long-term either.”

She’s so damn stubborn.

“Fine, I’ll take you after work. And we can hit up the grocery store too.” I finish my yogurt and throw it away.

“You really are pushy, you know that?”

“And you’re hot.” I corner her and place my hands on her hips, thankful we came to this arrangement that gives me permission to touch her. Although I’m quickly becoming addicted to having her lips on me and my hands on her.

She gives me a chaste kiss. “Come on, we should go.”

She abandons the rest of the food. I grab my bagel, tossing everything else in the trash. I follow her down the stairs of the apartment, wishing we were climbing the stairs instead because I’m about to spend my entire workday with a raging hard-on.

It’s lunchtime before I get a break from phone calls and handling the end-of-the-month paperwork. Jed is out on site visits to some of the places that carry our beer. I’m happy for the alone time since he hates paperwork and just complains the entire time. Easier for me to do it myself.

A replay of Nikki’s segment from earlier today comes on the radio and I groan. Part of me wants to turn it off, but the other half of me wants to make sure she’s not talking about me. Or Presley.

“You know what I hate about living in the same town as my siblings?” she says to her co-host, Chip. Chip’s in his fifties but seems more interested than he should be in the gossip she spews out. She doesn’t even wait for him to answer. “I hate hearing about their sexual escapades. It makes me imagine them.” She makes a gagging sound into the mic.

“What hot news do you have for