Excerpt of Somebody Like You by Heatherly Bell

“It’s official. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Billy. What the hell? Brooke turned to find him leaning over the manor balcony, a mug in his hands. Grinning.

Brooke had too many expletives running through her mind at once, so when something finally came out of her mouth it sounded like, “Gah!”

She ran back inside and slammed the door shut. She should have considered he might be an early riser. But why get here so early? All the construction had been done. He could at least have given her a warning that he’d be here.

Well, they were going to have words. No one saw her in her panties without paying for dinner first. She searched for her fuzzy bathrobe, slipped it on and marched back outside.

He was still standing where she’d left him. Still smiling, this time biting his lower lip like he wished he could stop. “Sorry.”

“If you’re going to be here this early, you need to give me some notice.”

He raised his mug to her. “Brooke? I’m going to be here this early every day.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I live here too. What did you think all that construction was about?”

She’d had no idea. The property had an owner’s suite but to her knowledge no one had lived in it for decades. It also didn’t seem like much of a bachelor multi- millionaire’s lair.

“You should have told me!”

“I tried to tell you, remember? You said we’d talk later. It wasn’t a good time.” “You should have tried harder,” Brooke said, pulling her robe tighter. “I thought I was alone. I don’t usually parade around outside in my underwear.”

“That’s a real shame. Don’t worry, I didn’t see much. I’ve grown used to averting my eyes.”

“I don’t have business meetings in my bathrobe but we need to talk.” With that, she opened the door and slammed it again, probably waking the rest of the wild life.

Billy was again burrowing himself under her skin. It could have been a simple misunderstanding, a joke they’d laugh about later. But somehow the look in Billy’s eyes made her think twice. He wouldn’t soon forget he’d caught her half naked. Her own damn fault.

The worst thing about it was that she wasn’t even wearing her best panties. Her good fortune today was that she had worn her panties with the kites being flown by kittens.

Real sexy, Brooke.