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.