Free Boots and Lace by Myla Jackson Page B

drinks, dropped a bottle when she’d been flipping it and tripped over a pair of men’s size-twelve boots. By the time midnight rolled around, Audrey cornered her and told her to go home before she put her out of business. She did it in a nice way, but it still hit home that Lacey had let a man get under her skin. 
    As she pulled up to the apartment house, she noted that the light was on in the living room of the downstairs apartment. Cory’s invitation echoed in her head. At least one of the McBrides wanted her to stop in. Lacey had half a mind to do just that and to hell with Nick’s warning to leave Cory alone.
    As she entered the building, her feet slowed in front of their door and her hand rose to knock.
    At the last second, she changed her mind. If he wanted to see her, he’d have to come to her this time. And she wasn’t so sure she wanted him to.
    Halfway up the stairs, she realized what she’d been thinking and which he she’d been thinking about. Damn. She was doing exactly what she’d promised herself she’d never do again. She was obsessing over a man.

Chapter Five
    Nick stood on the other side of the apartment door. Though he’d sat in the recliner pretending to read a book, he couldn’t deny he’d been waiting for the sound of Lacey’s car pulling into the drive.
    “You can relax, she’s home.” Cory emerged from his bedroom, smiling.
    “She who?”
    “Come on. You told me yourself that you normally hit the sack before midnight.” Cory glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s one in the morning and you get up at seven. Why else would you be awake?”
    “I was reading.” Nick nodded toward the book lying open on the end table, his ears cocked for the sound of Lacey’s car door slamming shut.
    “You have to be the slowest reader ever.” Cory crossed to the book and lifted it. “You’ve been on the same page for the past hour.”
    Busted.
    Nick shrugged. “I have a lot on my mind.”
    “Lacey is a lot of woman.”
    “I’m not interested in her.”
    “Then why did you show up at the Ugly Stick for the second weeknight in a row? You’ve been an old man since the day you graduated college—going to bed at a decent hour, only going out on weekends, and living the life of a saint. No wonder you’re conflicted. Lacey’s got your boxers in a knot, hasn’t she?”
    “No, that’s not it at all. The contractor is dragging his feet on the house, and I hate imposing on you.”
    “Uh-huh.” Cory moved the curtain aside. “She’s on her way up the steps. I wonder if she’ll take me up on stopping by.” Cory crossed the room to the front door.
    Nick frowned. “That’s crazy. She was here last night.” They’d had hot sex at lunch that day. His cock twitched at the memory. Why would she stop by for more?
    Cory’s hand reached for the doorknob. “Should I ask her in?”
    Nick headed him off, leaping for the door. “No.”
    Cory chuckled. “Afraid of the woman?”
    “Don’t you have some studying to do?” Nick glared, standing between Cory and the door, his arms crossed.
    “As a matter of fact, I do.” Cory winked. “Maybe your problem is that you don’t like to share. Therefore…I’ll leave you two alone.”
    “She’s not coming in.”
    “I’ll let you handle that one.”
    Cory entered his room and closed the door behind him.
    Footsteps sounded on the wood flooring in the hallway outside the apartment door.
    Nick reached for the doorknob, his hand curling around it, his hearing picking up on the slowed footfalls. 
    He could sense her on the other side of the wood paneling. Nick’s heart raced, his palms sweated and he could almost feel the soft touch of her skin against his, smell the fragrant herbal scent of her hair. He closed his eyes and waited for the soft knock. Behind his zipper, his dick swelled in eager anticipation of another encounter with Lacey.
    After several seconds, the knock didn’t come and footsteps moved away from the door, fading up the