Arrogant Neighbor: A Navy SEAL Romance Read Free Page A

the pillow across the room and decided to get up. The truck needed an oil change anyway.
    I pulled on a favorite pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed my gloves and headed out. Almost the same moment I opened my door, the girl next door opened hers.
    Fuck me…She was gorgeous!
    She was dressed like one of those professional girls who often populate law offices, the kind who wear short skirts and proper suit jackets, like they’re trying to be sexy but prove they have a brain all at the same time. Her skirt was black and it had a lovely slit right up the front that showed off long, shapely legs. Her shirt—or blouse as I suppose someone like that would call it—was a light pink that made her pale skin shine like cream in a porcelain dish. And that contrasted with the dark of her jacket with its wide lapels and big buttons that added something of a chaste element to the whole thing.
    Under the clothes…I could just imagine the curves that were just waiting to be explored. And she had big green eyes that just popped at you from a face whose best feature was probably her little pixie nose. Her hair was a deep red, not the bright, orangey kind of red that looked like a clown’s wig, but a deep color that could only be compared to the mahogany of fine grain wood. She had it pulled back so it was impossible to see how long it was, but I could imagine... Long, sexy hair. I loved long hair on a woman. But I also loved the way the delicate sweep of her hair left her long, thin neck so perfectly exposed.
    Already, I was having thoughts I shouldn’t have been having about a woman I hadn’t even said hello to yet. But again, when had that ever stopped me?
    Her eyes moved over me after she locked her door and turned, made aware of me for the first time. I could almost see the judgment in her eyes as she took in the rips in my jeans and the tattoos that were visible on my arms. She probably assumed I was some blue collar punk out to make just enough money so that I could party my weekends away. And she wouldn’t be terribly far from the truth. That was me—in spirit, at least.
    “You must be Miss Graham,” I said with what I hoped was a charming smile.
    She seemed a little surprised that I knew her name. I could see the wheels turning in her head. But I guess she decided that I was okay because she stepped forward and held out the hand that wasn’t carrying an amusingly unprofessional backpack.
    “Sloane,” she said in a soft voice that was both sexy and shy.
    I love shy girls!
    “I’m Major. Major Rutherford.”
    A blush darkened the pale skin high on her cheeks. “Is that your rank or your name?”
    I’ve been asked that so many times, sometimes as a joke, but usually quite seriously as I was sure she meant it. I wondered what she would think if I told her I was a Navy SEAL, but never went higher than a Petty Officer First Class. They don’t even have a major rank in the Navy.
    But that was a little too much information.
    “It’s just my name. My mom thought it sounded strong.”
    She inclined her head so that I couldn’t see her eyes, but not before I saw them jump to my arms. She was impressed with the muscles that bulged out of my sleeves. For some reason, that idea made me want to flex them a little. But I resisted the urge.
    “So, I apologize for last night. I didn’t realize I had a new neighbor.”
    “The walls in this place seem to be super thin.”
    “Yeah, well, it really wasn’t built to be an apartment building.”
    A light seemed to come into her eyes as she looked up at the high ceilings and the crown molding. “Yeah,” she said with a satisfied sigh. “That’s kind of why I picked it. I love the Victorian feel of the place.”
    I glanced at the wide stairway that led down to the main floor and nodded in full agreement. Not many people appreciated old buildings anymore. But architecture was my field, so I loved everything about it: the wide banisters, the intricate carvings in the wood, the high