Free The Troublemaker Next Door by Marie Harte

that. They couldn’t at least be friends? After all, he’d been the one to demand she leave, not the other way around.
    Well…in theory.
    She wondered why her few relationships had devolved from new and exciting to okay sex to the big breakup. A definite pattern, she thought with resignation. Like most relationships, once the newness wore off and her partners no longer felt like king of the mountain for having conquered her, they demanded too much.
    Her roommates hadn’t been fortunate with Cupid either. So why did Maddie continue to dwell on relationships lately? It seemed like every time she turned around she thought about that amazing kiss on Sunday that had gone on forever but still hadn’t been long enough. She found herself staring at the bouquet he’d brought her, making stupid excuses to visit the kitchen just so she could see evidence Flynn had been there.
    What was it about him that nagged at her? She’d asked herself that question over and over, and after today she thought she’d come up with the answer—they had sexual chemistry. A natural connection and no big deal.
    But she couldn’t remember any of her past lovers having such an effect on her. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t make herself forget how good Flynn’s lips felt on hers.
    Biology was such a bitch.
    Once home, she stepped onto her porch when a familiar voice called out to her. She turned to see Mike and Colin approaching. Mike walked, Colin skipped, and she couldn’t help smiling at the pair.
    “Hi, guys.”
    “Hi, Maddie.” Colin looked much more cheerful than the last time she’d seen him. He also seemed to be missing a tooth.
    “Colin, I think something’s wrong with your mouth.”
    He smiled, displaying a gap in his upper teeth. “I lost a tooth! I got two whole dollars too.” He dug into his pants and pulled out two crumpled dollar bills.
    “Wow. I think the most the tooth fairy ever brought me was a new toothbrush.”
    “Sorry to hear that.” Mike smiled.
    He stood a few inches taller than Flynn. They looked a lot alike, but whereas Flynn made her pulse race, her appreciation for Mike ran more to aesthetics. A handsome man with raw appeal and muscles on top of muscles. He also had that soft side to him, apparent whenever he looked at his son. But there was that same bland safety she’d felt earlier with Vanessa’s friend. She liked that.
    “Would you guys like to come in? I’m in charge of dinner tonight.”
    “What are you eating?” Colin asked and took a step forward.
    Mike grabbed him by the collar. “Colin.” He shook his head. “We just ate hot dogs. Actually, I wanted to invite you and your roommates to a barbecue this weekend. My parents like to have them, and it’s past time we welcomed you proper. McCauley shindigs aren’t to be missed. Plus, we owe you a public apology. Your first dealing with Flynn without the rest of us to keep him in line. I’m sorry for that.”
    She laughed. “He’s not that bad. Besides, I think I was the one who scared him. It wasn’t a good day to be a man in my house.”
    Mike nodded. “I’ll bet.”
    “Anyway, I already told Flynn we’d love to come. I talked to Abby and Vanessa, and they have nothing going on Saturday. What should we bring?”
    Mike didn’t answer.
    “Mike?”
    “Sorry. I was thinking. If you have a favorite dessert, bring that. Otherwise, just bring yourselves.” He paused. “So when did Flynn ask you about this weekend?”
    “Sunday, and I just saw him half an hour ago at Starbucks. Why?”
    He shrugged. “No reason. I just thought I’d nag him about communicating with the rest of us. Boy has no head for sharing information. Never has.” He sighed.
    She tried not to laugh again. The notion of Flynn as a boy didn’t fit. She could see his stomach and that chest in her mind’s eye. The scent of oranges over his lips… It was as if her memory had stuck a picture of him on a Post-it note and tacked it to her brain. “If it’s a