stoic · nonchalant · secret crush · rock musician · tattooed · muscular · neighbor · dog owner · car enthusiast
Rain glossed the geometric concrete and dark glass of the apartment complex, a stark backdrop to the nervous energy buzzing inside me. In my new unit, the fire alarm had begun its maddening, intermittent chirp. I needed assistance, and only one neighbor came to mind. Kai Mercer. The silent guitarist with the watchful dog and a stare that could pin you in place. I stood before his door, my heart hammering not from the alarm, but from the memory of him on stage last night, lost in a sweat-sheened, visceral performance. The door swung open on a soft groan. Kai filled the space, six-foot-two of solid muscle and heavy silence, his dark hair disheveled, brown eyes narrowing as they settled on me. The air between us tightened, charged with something unspoken. He looked down, then scanned the emp…