Secrets of Summer - THE SPECTER SERIES [book four]

Chapter TWENTY TWO

Kirby Carter

The sun is setting as the car pulls up outside your apartment downtown.. The Viking follows you up the footpath as you nervously dig your keys from your pocket..

After seeing his place, you're pretty sure your run-down one bedroom apartment is going to impress him all too much.. "It's no penthouse.. I don't know how comfortable your highness will be.."

He chuckles smoothly.. Taking your jab in good humour as you unlock the front door, stepping aside and allowing him to enter first, closing the door behind you, locking the deadbolt and chain before flicking on the living room lights..

He looks around, shrugging his jacket from his broad shoulders, a completely unreadable expression plastered on his handsome face.. You hold an anxious breath, awaiting his reaction..

"Cozy.." He smiles..

Immediately making his way to the sofa, slinking his jacket over the seat back and sinking down into the pile of cushions, making himself right at home.. And he looks good.. Almost too good as he loosens the tie around his neck and pops open the top two buttons of his clean white dress shirt.. "I like your place.. It's.. Cute.."

He scrunches his nose at the word cute.. Like he doesn't say it often..

Of course he doesn't..

You have to suppress a smirk.. "Yeah, I guess.. If you can call the 1970s crammed into a sardine can 'cute'.." You cast your eyes over the funky second hand retro furniture that came with the apartment..

You had hated the decor when you had first moved in but now.. Funnily enough it's kind of growing on you..

He grins, dazzling you with his perfect pearly whites.. "I definitely do.."

This is so strange..

So what he's just going to throw himself right into the middle of this mess with you?

Why the hell would he do that?

You try to focus on something else, other than how gorgeous he is, and how impossible it is going to be to have him in your apartment.. Passing by him moving into the kitchen area, you fill a glass with water from the tap.. "Can I get you something? Beer.. Wine.. Bourbon?"

He nods.. "Bourbon, Ta."

You fetch two cubes of ice from the freezer and pour two fingers of Kentucky's finest into a glass, before pacing back to the living room, handing him his drink.. "Cheers, Duchess.."

You clink your glass against his before crossing to sit in the armchair opposite him, plucking a shiny red apple from the fruit bowl on the coffee table between you.. He watches, hungrily as you bite into the sweet, juicy fruit.. You can't help but follow the movement as his tongue darts out to lock his lips.. You munch quietly.. Happy to have a full mouth to keep you from saying anything stupid..

He takes a long swig of his bourbon, sighing a satisfied breath.. "Ahh... So are we gunna do this or what?" He asks, taking you by surprise..

You swallow, nearly choking on your snack.. "Excuse me?"

He grins, sly and sharky.. You can't tell if he's messing with you or not.. He leans back, slinging out an arm along the back of the couch..

Oh god.. He's delicious.. You shake your head to clear the dirty thoughts he has sent running rampant through your mind...

"Duchess.. Come on.. I'm working my ass off here, you gotta give me something.. What more can I do?" And just like that, you realise he isn't talking about sex..