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“Babe,” a deep voice rumbled from behind me. “You can’t just go around doing shit like that to people.”

I sighed.

Why didn’t I shut the front door? I knew better.

Chapter Three

Quinton stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and his shoulder against the doorframe. He looked the same as he had the last time I’d seen him, only a whole lot more amused.

Quinton Alexander was a dangerously beautiful man. Tall, broad shouldered and slim-hipped. He wore his dark brown hair buzzed close to his scalp. His eyes were so dark brown they were almost black, and they were always, always burning with something I couldn’t quite read but was almost positive it wasn’t ever anything good.

Today he’d switched out the small, silver hoops in both his ear lobes for black ones.

The black, long-sleeved button up shirt he wore hid the orange and red flames he had inked into his skin. They started at his wrists and slithered up his forearms. I wanted to see the ink and wished he hadn’t hidden it away.

He had on a pair of dark, blue jeans tucked into black, scuffed up cowboy boots.

The cowboy boots were a nice touch.

He looked hot.

My face smoothed out, the smile now entirely gone, and I tried my hardest to look innocent. When he smiled at me, I’m pretty sure I failed.

“Shit like what?” I asked sweetly. “I didn’t do anything.”

Funny thing, lying to Quinton made me feel like crap and my stomach started to hurt. I fought the urge to rub at it, and I won.

He chuckled as he shook his head. I think I amused him. I didn’t like him laughing at me. Not at all.

Instead of calling me out on my lie, he turned those dark, dark eyes on Chucky, his smile fading as soon as he locked eyes on him. I was thankful not to be on the receiving end of Quinton’s scary look. He could be one downright frightening man when he wanted to be.

“What the fuck are you doing here at Ariel’s house, boy?” Quinton growled.

Chucky shrugged his shoulders casually, seeming to not care about Quinton’s growling, and said, “That’s not really any of your business. Man, it’s not like it’s your house or anything. And, I could ask you the same thing.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

Boys were so stupid. Especially Chucky. One look into Quinton’s dark eyes should have been enough to let him know how dangerous he was. Any smart person would have kept their mouth shut.

Quinton laughed. I jumped, not having expected it. I stared at him with big eyes. What was he playing at here?

“Uh, hey, Chuck,” I said loud enough to be heard over Quint’s laughter. “I think you should be leaving now. Like, right now.”

That made the laughing stop.

“Ariel,” Chucky whined. “I’m so sorry. You just make me so crazy that I can’t help myself when I’m around you. You haven’t been to school in weeks. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen you last and I feel like I’m lost. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. All I think about is you. Morning, noon, middle of the night. It doesn’t matter. You’re always on my mind. Please, please don’t kick me out. I’ll be nice, I promise. Just don’t kick me out.”

He sniffled and wiped at the wetness under his eyes. Good God, he was crying. The big football player was crying. Again.

I couldn’t take it. Fearing it might set him off if I laughed at him, I quickly looked away, hiding my face from his view.

Quinton caught my eye and he made a rough noise in the back of his throat when he saw the look on my face.

It wasn’t funny. It really, really wasn’t funny. So why did I want to laugh so badly? I could tell Quinton wanted to laugh too.

“Who are you?” Chucky asked as he sniffled again.

“I’m the neighbor,” Quinton told him.