Sleet Sugar by S.J. Tilly
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
IZZY
My hands are reaching for my tray of cookies to put in the oven, when there’s a knock at my door. I dust off the flour off my fingers and go to answer.
Forgetting to check the peephole, I’m taken entirely off guard when I open my door and find Zach standing there.
His large frame is backlit from the streetlights, making his silhouette seem all the more imposing. His hair is a mess and his shirt is halfway unbuttoned. The disheveled appearance makes it look like he was just in a fight, with another person or himself - I can’t tell. But just the sight of him increases my heart rate.
“Can I come in?” Zach asks, as he takes a step towards me, not waiting for an answer.
His sudden presence is too much, and I’ve lost the ability to speak. I let the door open wider while stepping back, allowing him to enter.
As soon as he crosses the threshold, Zach slams the door shut. But he doesn’t stop. He keeps stalking towards me.
Without telling them to, my feet take me backwards. Matching his stride and his silence with my own. Though I’m sure he can hear my racing heart.
Without him telling me, I know why he’s come here. I know what he wants. And I want it, too.
“Sugar.” Zach reaches out and pulls on my apron string, releasing the bow. “I need you.”
My apron falls away and I let out a moan at the feel of his hand on my breast.
“My pretty girl.” His gaze trails flames down my body.
I glance down to see what he sees. But all I see is skin. I’m entirely naked.
Wait... what?
A blaring alarm startles me awake. It’s so jarring that I sit up in bed and clutch my chest, trying to calm the minor heart attack that I’m sure I’m having.
Looking around, I confirm that I’m not in my kitchen. I’m not naked. And Zach did not show up on my front step to screw my brains out.
“Damnit.” I huff, slapping off my alarm before dropping back against my pillows.
I’d be lying if I said this was the first time I’ve dreamt of Zach. But it was the first time that one of my dirty dreams started with me baking cookies. I never bake.
Groaning, I rub my palm over my face. Out of all the details in my dream, I’m going to get hung up on the fact that I don’t bake?
It’s been two days since the speed dating event, and I still can’t stop thinking about Zach. No real surprise there. I was already borderline obsessed with him before he crashed my “dates”. Okay, fine, I’ve crossed the border and have been living as a resident of Obsessed Town for a while now. But that just makes my determination to move on all the more resolute. I’ll break this curse he has over me even if it’s the last thing I do.
Unfortunately, the curse breaking won’t happen today. This evening is our first round of house showings. Emma really is my favorite realtor. She’s feisty, snarky, and gets shit done. And I swear she has a sixth sense about what people want, always finding the perfect home within the first few tries. After looking at the three listings she picked out for tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if she hits a homerun in the first go.
The only catch - the first two houses are in my neighborhood. The first one we’ll be touring is literally around the block from me. If Zach bought that house, I could go into my backyard, hop the fence into the yard next door, hop two more times, then hop the fence to the yard that butts up against that one, and I’d be in Zach’s yard. Yep, that’s right, it’s only three houses down, with it’s back to my house.
Luckily, my neighborhood hits Zach's wish list item of mature trees. With the amount of greenery surrounding the houses there’s no way we would be able to see each other. Unless someone was to use binoculars out their bedroom window, in winter, when the leaves are gone. Then there might be a glimpse or two. But that’d be crazy.
Needless to say, I won’t be telling Zach that I live so close. I don’t know if it’d fall in the pro- or con- column for him, and I really do want him to find his dream home without my address affecting his decision.
So even though I could walk there in about three minutes, I’ll be driving. And I’ll be arriving early so I make sure that Emma doesn’t say anything about me living nearby. Or about how my dad resides a few blocks in the other direction.
