Page 18 of Cheap Heat

“And you blare that fucking music at night.”

He laughed. “Not a country fan?”

“No one should be a country fan at two a.m.”

Snickering, he glanced over with a smirk. “Anything else?”

My spine stiffened. “Yeah, actually. You throw way too many parties, and your friends are way too loud. And so are the people you—” I stopped and flushed. “Maybe you could shut your bedroom window when you have guests over, huh?”

He shrugged with a smug smile. “You’d still be able to hear it. Can’t help it if I’m a damn good lay.”

My belly squirmed, making me want to fidget in my seat. Instead, I drew my legs up and propped my heels on the edge, resting my beer bottle on my knee.

Just to get comfortable. Not for any other reason. Not to hide anything.

“And you should probably close your blinds,” I heard myself blurt.

Silence followed, and my face grew so hot that he would definitely be able to see the flush staining my cheeks a darker purplish grey. I could feel Ewen looking at me, and when he still didn’t say anything, I reluctantly lifted my gaze.

He was smirking, blue eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t decipher.

“Oh yeah?” He brought his bottle up to his mouth and took a swig of beer, then kept it resting against his lower lip.

My heart started thudding hard as I stared at it, transfixed for some reason. Suddenly, all I could see was his dick sliding between those lips. The flushed length glistening with his spit every time his hands pulled his head back. His tongue lapping at the tip, sucking greedily, like he really enjoyed the taste of his own pre-cum.

Ewen tipped the bottle to drink, and it seemed like he slid more of the neck than was necessary between his lips before pulling it back. His tongue emerged to lap up a drop of beer spilling down the side of the dark glass.

My pulse leaped, hand clenching tighter around my own bottle. I jumped and realised I was breathing faster when he finally spoke.

“Sorry.” He flashed me a wolfish grin. “I’ll make sure to close my blinds. Maybe.”

I couldn’t speak. My throat had closed up. My face felt too hot again.

Then he slyly asked, “Sure you want me to?”

My head snapped up, a scowl instantly forming on my face to mask the confusing feelings wriggling their way into my belly. And lower. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ewen chuckled, looking away and leaning his head back. “Nothin’.”

“Just… don’t be a dick,” I snapped, still feeling weird. Confused. Nervous. Then a hint of guilt crept its way in when Dan’s brows twitched into a tiny frown, but he didn’t look over. “I mean… you’re not being one right now, but come on, Ewen. You must know you’ve been a pretty inconsiderate neighbour.”

He shrugged helplessly. “I mean, you’re a ghoul. I just thought you’d be up most of the night anyway.”

I snorted. “You’ve seen me leave for work at eight a.m. for the last three years. You think ghouls can operate on no sleep?”

He looked sheepish. “Guess I never thought about it that much. Sorry. I’ll try and keep it down at night.” Glancing over, he offered me a hopeful smile. “Or, hey, now that we’re working together, maybe you’d want to come over after we—”

“I don’t do parties,” I interrupted flatly.

He paused, then huffed in amusement. “Yeah, I kinda figured.”

In an instant, my scowl was back. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothin’,” he repeated, lifting his hands placatingly. “You’re just pretty quiet. Only people I’ve seen going into your place are the same small group. Which is cool,” he rushed to add. “Nothin’ wrong with having a close-knit friend group.”

But now I was feeling edgy and defensive again, so I snapped, “Not all of us want to get hammered constantly and fuck a different person every night.”

His brows pulled down. “I don’t get hammered constantly. I don’t even drink all that much. No more than anyone else. I just like havin’ people around. I’m a social butterfly,” he added innocently, then chuckled. “The fucking though… Yeah, I’ll give you that.”