Though…Summer and Charlie had made me promise I wouldn’t do that. They didn’t want to risk getting kicked out of our rented beach house. So even though I really, really wanted to call Silas right now, I didn’t. But as I started to drift off to dreamland, my cell buzzed from the nightstand.
The number wasn’t one programmed into my phone, but I definitely knew who it was. Sitting up, I debated answering.
I’d promised my friends I wouldn’t call and stir the pot.
But I hadn’t promised them I wouldn’t answer if Mr. Good Time called me.
I could just answer the phone and see where things go.
I’d keep my distance from any conversation that might be considered stirring the pot.
The call could be short, even…all I needed to do was hear his voice to be sure.
When my cell buzzed a third time, I grabbed it from the charger.
“Hello.”
“Are you wearing your pink panties again tonight?” he rasped.
My eyes widened. I wasn’t, of course. Because my pink panties were one of the items stolen today!
I cleared my throat. “No, actually. Tonight I’m not wearing any.”
Sadly, that wasn’t even meant to get him riled up. It was the truth. I hadn’t had a chance to buy more underwear, so I was conserving the few pairs I had left and simply not wearing anything under my pajama shorts tonight.
“Damn. I’m trying to be good here, but you’re not making it easy with that visual. Actually…you’re making it hard.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
That was all he needed to say. Not only was he turning me on with that one sentence, but now I was a hundred percent sure that Silas was also my landlord. That voice. It’s confirmed. It’s him.
And now I was sitting here, feeling moisture between my legs because I had the added unfortunate knowledge of what he looked like. What was once a harmless, anonymous flirtation now felt like a tsunami of desire inside of me. At the same time, I was a little annoyed at myself for liking our jackass landlord.
Needing to change the subject off of my bare vagina, I asked, “Wha…what did you do today?”
He sighed. “I had a shitty day, actually.”
I swallowed. “Oh? What happened?”
“A problem with some of my tenants.”
Crap.
And there it was. Final confirmation.
“You own properties?”
“Yeah. Two on the island. They’re right on the water. I rent them out.”
“What kind of problem?”
“If I tell you…you’ll probably think I‘m a dick.”
“Actually, I already think you’re a dick, so you’re good there. Hasn’t kept me from wanting to talk to you. In fact, I quite like your dick.” I shook my head fast. “That came out wrong. Meant to say, ‘I quite like that you’re a dick. You’re. You are.”
His raspy chuckle vibrated through my ear. “I think that was a Freudian slip.”
Feeling my cheeks heat up, I again tried to push the subject off of sex. “So what happened today?”
Of course I already knew the answer.
He paused. “These crazy ass girls are renting one of the houses for the summer. They like to hang their clothes out on the deck to dry—like underwear and shit. Yesterday I got fined from the town. They’d already issued me a warning, and I’d spoke to the tenants about it. But they kept doing it anyway. Today I passed by and saw that the wind had blown the stuff all over the property and into the road. So, I collected it all and sent them a message telling them I was donating it.”
“Wow, that is kind of a dick move. Although, I can’t blame you for being upset. I’m sorry that happened.”
I truly was—sorry.
He chuckled. “I’m not really donating their stuff. I plan to give everything back, but I’m waiting a few days to teach them a lesson about respecting property that’s not their own.”
I smiled. He really wasn’t a bad guy at all. I’d had the “landlord” pegged all wrong.
“How long have you been a landlord?” I asked, genuinely curious as to how he’d acquired the amazing beachfront place we were renting.
“Having to manage the properties wasn’t something I necessarily wanted. They meant a lot to my grandfather. He died of a heart attack a few years back and left them to me because he felt like I’d be the only one to take on the responsibility. Made me promise never to sell them. So, I’m honoring his wishes.”
That warmed my heart. “That’s so nice of you.”
“Yeah. It’s good money. And I give most of it to my mom and sister. It really helps them make ends meet. My sister is a single mother. But it’s a pain in the ass dealing with people who come from out of town and get drunk off their asses. In the off-season, I have to go in and repaint and fix shit that they break. There’s better stuff I could be doing with my time. It sucks.”
He was definitely giving me a new perspective. “I’m sorry that the tenants can be difficult.”
“Whatever. It’s par for the course with a summer rental. Pretty sure whoever wrote my phone number on that bathroom stall was probably some renter pissed off after I kept their security deposit to pay for damages. I stopped using my personal cell for business a while back, but apparently that slipped in before I switched it.”
That made sense. Now I felt even worse. I could totally see one of us getting stupid drunk at Salty’s and doing the same thing to the “bully landlord.” Except he wasn’t a bully. We’d been selfish in not adhering to the rules. He was just a guy trying to do his damn job, fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes.
“Well, the good thing about that pissed-off renter is that her actions led you to me.” When he didn’t immediately respond, I regretted my comment. Twirling a piece of my hair, I settled back into the bed and asked, “Why did you call me
