I stand up and get ready to walk to his jacket, but he grabs my arm to stop me. His thumb brushes over my bare skin, causing my heart to speed up before he quickly lets go. “Just wear it home and meet me at my house later tonight. I have to go.”

Before I can say anything he’s out the door, saying goodbye to the guys in passing as he rushes outside in a hurry.

What is this guy doing to me . . .

SINCE LANDEN AND THE BOYS have to work late Bailey and I have spent the last three hours drinking wine and looking through old pictures from when I first moved here. I still can’t get over half the shit we have done. I guess that is part of being nineteen and immature.

Memphis wasn’t home when I got back from work, so I figured I wouldn’t worry about bringing his jacket to him unless I happen to hear him return, but so far—no sign of him. So this is what my night has become. Awesome!

“Oh . . . what the . . . this was hilarious.” Bailey holds a picture about two inches above my face as she curls up in hysterical laughter, spilling wine all over my foot. “I still remember when we gave Landen that ridiculous haircut. I swear I peed my pants a little.”

I snatch the picture from out of her reach and hold it away from my face so I can actually see it instead of taste it. I choke on my wine a little at the sight of him. One side of Landen’s hair is buzzed off in patches to his scalp and on the other side, it’s got chunks missing from where I took the scissors and in my drunken state, said that I knew what to do with them and started hacking away at his hair. I totally lied my ass off and he ended up having to get his hair shaved off completely.

Attempting to catch my breath, I grab onto Bailey’s shirt and pull on it. “Holy shit! I can’t breathe. Oh shit,” I mutter between quickened, short breaths. “I have to admit that was a fun night.” I toss the picture down, grab my wine glass, and stand up. “Okay, I’m done. I can’t look at these ridiculous pictures anymore. They’re etched into my brain by memory now and most of those pictures were horrible anyway. Just saying.”

“Fine. Whatever you say. No more pictures then.” She pushes the pile of photographs aside and jumps to her feet. “I hate the way I looked back then. Seriously. If you were a better friend you would have told me how horrid I looked. I mean, look at my eyebrows. It looked like I had two caterpillars stuck to my forehead. Not hot at all.”

She follows me to the door and stops behind me, peeking over my shoulder. “You waiting on our sexy neighbor or something? Jeez, you’ve looked out that door like twenty times over the last few hours. Take a break and hang with the most awesome chick you know. That’s me by the way, just incase you were wondering.”

I laugh. “What if I am waiting on Memphis?” I hold my wine glass against my lips and lean against the doorframe, trying to hide my grin. “Call me fucking crazy, but I like a bit of a challenge once in a while. You know?”

She nods and grabs my glass away, waiting for me to say more. I roll my eyes before sighing and continuing. “I’m so damn tired of just having to look in a man’s direction and his pants drop to his ankles. It’s like every man out there will practically sleep with any woman that walks in his path. Memphis . . . he seems different. It’s like he’s afraid to touch me. There’s something buried deep inside him that has me wanting to know more. Is that weird?”

Bailey downs the rest of my wine, shaking her head like a lunatic. “No.” She wipes her chin off. “Not weird at all. He’s gorgeous and mysterious. I mean who wouldn’t want to get inside that man’s head, or to get that man’s head inside them? You know what I’m saying?” She winks at me and tries wiggling her eyebrows at the same time: epic fail.

“You dirty bitch.” I flick her lip ring and she yelps. “I don’t think you’ve been cleaning that mouth of yours enough.”

“What? Don’t act innocent.” She shrugs her shoulders. “You and I both know you have thought about how big that man’s dick is.” She runs her tongue over her lips before pretending to give a blowjob with her hand. “Or how it tastes?”

We both look out toward the road when we hear the sound of Memphis’ bike. All laughter stops and everything around us ceased to exist. Suddenly—we’re just standing by in silence, watching him as if he were about to give us a damn strip show while covered in chocolate. Did I mention I love chocolate . . . a lot?

“Well damn,” Bailey whispers as he disappears into his garage and closes the door behind him. “Now is your chance.”

She shakes her body as if she’s got a chill. “Mmm . . . sign me up for that. Holy hell does that man look sexy on a motorcycle. Landen would kill me if he knew the thoughts this man could put in my head. You definitely need to sample that. I can live through you.”

I snatch my wine glass from her and walk over to pour another glass that I’m definitely in need of. “Maybe I already have,” I say teasingly and lick my lips. “Mmm . . . and maybe he was fucking delicious.”

Bailey opens her mouth in surprise. “Who’s the dirty bitch now? You damn tease. You better not be holding out on me.”

I take a few sips of my wine while looking over at the wall that’s facing Memphis’ house. Should I bring him his jacket? I have been drinking for the last what . . . three hours. Holy shit, that’s a lot of wine.

I set my wine glass down and smile at Bailey as I walk past her. “I’ll be back.” I can handle him; even after one, two . . . seven glasses of wine.

“Wait! You can’t leave me yet. Landen won’t be here for another hour, you hooker.” She gives me a puppy-dog face that I just roll my eyes at. It’s a good thing I’m not a softie or I’d possibly cave in, stay here, and down wine until I can’t breathe. “Where are you going?”

“Next door.”

“Why? For what? Oooohhh . . . Maybe I should go too.”

Once I get to my room, I turn behind me to face her. “I’m taking his jacket back to him. That’s all.” I reach for his jacket and drape it over my shoulder while walking past her. “And I don’t think it’s a good idea that you come. He’s not really a people person, so no. Stay here and wash your mouth out, you lush.”

“You suck!” She yells after me as I leave her behind.