Finally (Neighbor from Hell 12)

“Can we build a snowman?” Abbi asked, looking hopeful.

“Are you going to make us sing the Frozen song?” Charlie asked, unable to help but smile when she saw the devious little smile that Abbi was trying to hold back.

“Yes, I am,” Abbi said, nodding as she tossed her book on the couch and jumped off with a sigh and a, “Bath time?”

“Your Daddy is going to have to give you a bath tonight, sweetie. I have to get some stuff done before tomorrow,” Charlie said, sighing sadly because she looked forward to bath time every night.

“But…” Abbi began as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she threw her father, who looked really pissed right now, a worried look. “Daddy doesn’t know how I like my bubbles.”

“And he doesn’t give me double-kisses when he tucks me in,” Dustin mumbled sadly.

“I know, guys, but you’re just going to have to try to get through it for tonight,” Charlie said with a sad shake of her head that she knew would annoy the man that had been trying to get her alone all day.

She could have made it easy on him, but…

Where would the fun in that be?

“Do we have to?” Abbi asked, making sure to look appropriately pitiful as she glanced back at her father, but Charlie didn’t miss that devious look in her eye when she did it.

Biting back a smile, Charlie murmured, “I’m afraid so.”

Glare aimed at her, Devin bit out, “Bedtime,” only to narrow his eyes when the kids made sure to sigh sadly as they reluctantly made their way over to her for their goodnight kisses.

Once they were done, they sighed heavily and slowly made their way upstairs, pouting the entire way as Devin leveled one last glare at her before following them upstairs. Deciding to get some work done while she waited, Charlie headed into her apartment as she mentally calculated how long it would take Devin to give the kids baths, get them dressed, tucked in, and read them a bedtime story before he came down here to make her pay for tormenting him all day.

Not that she did it on purpose…

Okay, so maybe she’d tormented him a tiny bit on purpose, but that was only because she was nervous. She’d spent most of the night driving herself crazy thinking about that kiss until she couldn’t take it anymore. She found herself heading for her apartment door, wondering if that kiss was really as good as she remembered only to find herself cooking everything that she could get her hands on around seven this morning when the reminder of why they couldn’t rush this came walking into the kitchen wearing tighty-whities and an adorable smile.

Hoping to distract herself, Charlie walked into her office, unable to help but smile when she spotted all the drawings covering the walls that the kids had made for her, sat down at her desk, and turned on her computer only to stare at the letterhead that she’d created with the blank spot where the name of her business should go.

She really needed to come up with something soon, Charlie thought, sighing heavily as she leaned back in her chair and slowly spun around, looking for inspiration. Without a name, she couldn’t get a domain for her website, create her Facebook page, Twitter, incorporate, or do more than half the things that she needed to…

Dustin and Abbi, she thought as she took in all the drawings surrounding her and found herself smiling as she turned back around in her chair and started playing around with their names until she came up with Dabbi Digital Marketing and-

“That’s perfect,” Charlie said, smiling as she sat back in her chair and stared at the name of her new business.

Absolutely perfect, Charlie thought as she glanced at the time and realized how late it was. Deciding to call it a night, she clicked Save and turned off her computer before heading to her bathroom for a shower. A thousand ideas ran through her head as she stepped into the shower. She had to finish the incorporation paperwork, buy a domain, sign up for-

“Cold!” she gasped when the hot water suddenly turned ice-cold and-

“What are your plans for tomorrow night?” came the drawled words as her attention shot towards the faucet where the large tan hand was slowly turning the hot water back on.

“I’m not really sure yet,” she admitted as she sighed with relief when the hot water hit her.

“I see,” he murmured, sounding thoughtful from the other side of the dark curtain as she tried to remember if she’d hung her towel outside the shower or not.

“Is there something that I can help you with?” Charlie asked, hoping to keep him distracted as she reached through the opening at the other end only to wince when her hand found the metal hook empty.

“Go out with me tomorrow night,” he said, making her lips pull up into a smile.

“Well, I’d have to check my calendar to see if-Cold!” she ended up gasping when the devious man turned off the hot water.

“Are you going out with me, Charlie?” he asked, sounding bored as he slowly turned the hot water back on.

“I mean, that’s kind of short notice and everything,” Charlie said, only to end up pressing herself back against the shower wall when that large hand slowly turned the hot water off again.

“Go out with me,” he said, turning the hot water back on a few seconds later.

“Shouldn’t I consider my options?” she asked only to gasp when the evil man once again turned the hot water off.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes! That’s a yes!” Charlie gasped as she backed up as far as the shower would allow her, which unfortunately for her, wasn’t very far.

“You could have just said that,” he murmured, sounding thoughtful as the large hand slowly turned the hot water back on.

“Well, I mean, I didn’t want you to think that I was easy or anything,” Charlie said, only to yell, “Oh, my god! Stop doing that!” seconds later.

“Then stop driving me crazy,” Devin said, once again turning the hot water only to stop mid-turn and shut it back off when she said, “Do I really have to?”

“Alright, I’ll stop!” she gasped, laughing when he turned the hot water back on. “Are you going to leave so I can get out?”

There was a pause and then…

“Well, that depends…” came the murmured response that had her eyes narrowing on the large tan hand still holding the hot water faucet.

“On what?”

“On whether or not you give me a kiss goodnight,” he said, making her lips twitch.

Sighing heavily, she asked, “Do I have to?” only to yell, “Okay!” when the devious man that she’d underestimated shut off the hot water again.

When he turned the water off a few seconds later, Charlie glared as she watched his hand disappear only to reappear a moment later with a towel.

Taking the towel, Charlie continued to glare as she wrapped it around herself before she reached over and yanked open the shower curtain to find the incredibly handsome man that would pay for coming between her and her hot water leaning back against the sink counter looking a little too pleased for her liking.

“You went too far, sir,” she said, stepping out of the shower.

“Did I, though?” Devin asked as he pushed away from the counter.

“You really did,” Charlie said, nodding as she headed for the bathroom door.

“And what do you call tormenting me all day?” he asked, following her.

“Using my free time effectively,” she said, grabbing a pair of panties and the Bradford Creations’ tee-shirt that she’d helped herself to.

“Isn’t that my shirt?” he asked, reaching over to take it from her only to sigh when she pulled it back out of his reach and gestured with her other hand for him to turn around.

“Mine now,” she said, waiting until he was turned around before she quickly dried off and pulled on her underwear and the shirt that she felt was rightfully hers now.

“First you steal my children,” Devin said as he slowly turned around with a sad shake of his head and a heavy sigh, “then you steal my office and now you’re stealing my

shirts.”

“I mean, can you really say that I stole them when they came willingly?” Charlie asked, unable to help but smile as she took a step back towards her apartment door.

“True,” he murmured, looking thoughtful as he followed her.

“And since you made it impossible for me to go back to my office, you really left me with no other choice but to try to make the best of it,” Charlie said as she reached back and opened the door.

“Is that what you call taking over my office?” he asked softly as he reached over and grabbed hold of the front of her shirt and used the light hold to pull her closer.

“Yes,” she said, reaching up to wrap her arms around him.

“And my shirt?” Devin asked, releasing his hold on her shirt so that he could wrap his arms around her.

“It looks better on me,” Charlie pointed out, nodding solemnly as she ran her hand over the back of his neck.

“Yes, it does,” he murmured as he leaned down and brushed his lips teasingly against hers once, twice and then…

“You have no idea how badly I want you,” he said, breaking off the kiss that had her struggling not to pull him back down for more.