Hero Next Door (Next Door Romance Book 2) Read online

  I’m shell shocked, if I’m honest. I did always think that it would be me down on one knee one day, but I’m not bruised or anything. My ego isn’t bothered by this switch around. It’s actually pretty sweet.

  “So, Theo, since you are the man who I love more than anything in the world,” she continues once I nod along and agree with her. “I want to know what you think about me spending the rest of my life making you the happiest man alive? Would that be okay with you? Because I know for sure that I would love it. You make me happy. Theo, you have helped me to come out of my shell, to see myself worthwhile when I didn’t before…” Oh my God, if I thought that I was close to emotional tears before… now she has me right on the cusp. “And I want to make you see how wonderful you are as well. I want to be Mrs. Landon, your wife, the love of your life.” Esme pauses for a moment while the emotion strikes her unable to speak for a second. “So, will you… you marry me?”

  “Of course I will!” There isn’t even a second of hesitation. “I want to be your husband as well, you know. I love you, Esme, and I actually love the engagement ring that you got for me. But I want to buy you one as well. Is that alright? Because I saw the engagement ring that I wanted for you a long time ago and I want you to have it…”

  She leaps up and kisses me hard. “I’m hardly going to say no to jewelry, am I? Of course you can.”

  But it’s her who slips the ring on to my finger, who seals our connection as fiancées now, who takes our relationship up another notch and I’m pleased. I’m grateful that Esme saw what she wanted and she went for it, and I’m even more pleased that thing she wanted was me.

  Now, we have our happy ever after to look forward to, starting with me buying Esme a ring and ending with us getting married…

  Well, actually it will end with us spending the rest of our lives together and that’s the bit I can’t wait for most of all.

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  I will keep my hands to myself.

  I will not stare at the guy next door.

  And I will definitely not have a one-night stand with him.

  But one single touch and my plan crumbled into dust.

  William was just too tempting to ignore.

  A billionaire with piercing blue eyes.

  Could you blame a girl for hooking up with a hot older man?

  But this is not why I moved to a new town.

  This not why I applied to a new job.

  I’ve got to focus.

  Keep my eyes on the prize.

  And forget about the billionaire who took my breath away.

  Except that there’s one tiny problem.

  The man I’m trying to forget is at my workplace.

  He’s sitting behind a mahogany desk.

  Staring at me with those same blue eyes that make me blush.

  Yes, it’s William.

  And yes, it feels like doomsday.

  Chapter 1 – Serena

  “Oh my God.” If one more thing falls out of my boxes, I am seriously going to lose my shit. Moving home to a completely new place is incredibly challenging, especially when your new apartment is up a massive flight of stairs and the elevator doesn’t work. But, what choice do I have? I can’t exactly have any help when I don’t have anyone in my life. I couldn’t have stayed at home either, I didn’t have anything for me there, so this is it. “Fucking hell.”

  I lean down and pick the lamp up, placing it gently on top of the boxes, hoping that it will balance carefully for the rest of the journey. If not, I’m going to have to leave it on the stairs and hope that no one steals it or trips over it. Luckily, it seems to stay where it is giving me the chance to get up a little higher. As I climb up, I think about everything that I have left behind, all that I want to escape from. Mostly, my awful step-father, David.

  Mom has been with him for as long as I can remember. I never had my own father around, so he’s the only male role model that I have ever been stuck with, and it’s safe to say that he isn’t a good one. Because of him, my life has been nothing but yelling and anger, violence behind closed doors, nothing that was hidden from me, at all. Because of David and what he’s done to tear my family apart, I never had a close relationship with my mother, although I would have loved to have one just like any other child would have it with his or her mother under normal circumstances.

  It also hindered all of my friendships. I wanted to have people around to give me comfort, but I couldn’t let anyone in. I had my walls up high which meant I never made proper friends with anyone, never mind relationships. Just as other people were starting to explore the opposite sex, I was still too closed off for words. I focused only on my studies and the chance of an escape. I knew that I need to have a good education to move on, so that’s what I have done. I missed out on a lot, but the sacrifice was worth it because I didn’t want to remain where I was with David in my life. Getting as far away from him as possible has always been my end goal. Of course, I would love my mom to be with me, I would adore to get her away from David, but she is stuck with him, head over heels, now isn’t the time.

  So, that is why now I am at a new place, all alone and focusing on the future that lies ahead for me. I will help Mom when she eventually comes to me, hopefully it should be soon, but for now I have to focus on myself. And, my education has been absolutely worth it because I have finally landed my dream job that I can’t wait to start…

  “Oh, for goodness sake.” I roll my eyes. Something else rolls out of the box. I can’t even see what it is. I’m starting to get pretty exhausted. I’m going to need a break in a moment. “Right, that can just stay there…”

  “Can I help you, miss?” All of a sudden I’m shocked by the sound of a chocolaty smooth voice behind me, making me jump. Of course, there have been a few more things cascading free from my boxes. “Are you okay?”

  “Er…” I try to turn behind to see who’s talking to me, but I can’t twist around at that angle in the middle of the small stair case. “I think I’m fine. Sorry about the stuff dropped on the stairs. I am moving in.”

  “Oh, well if you’re trying to do it on your own, I can help you,” he offers. “I have some time.”

  I’m just about trying to refuse his offer because it’s too embarrassing to agree, even though I would love some help from anyone right now. But he takes the box from me regardless, carrying it as if it weighs absolutely nothing. And, with the strong biceps in his arms, I suppose it isn’t much of a surprise. He is tall, strong looking, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. A perfect man that I could ever imagine and I am just lost in my thoughts, hardly able to get any words out, even to thank him. I step back so that he can pass me and I let my eyes hit the floor while the heat of humiliation stings my cheeks. Perhaps I was doing much better when I was all by myself. He might make it harder for me…

  “So, what number are you in?” he asked with a heart stopping smile. “Oh, I’m Will, by the way.”

  “Number eight two,” I practically whisper back. “Quite high up. I’m sorry about that.”

  “Oh right, you are in the empty apartment next to mine!” He sounds surprised but not half as shocked as I feel. I never even considered what neighbors I would have here, but knowing that it’s him is something else. “That makes it a lot easier. I can even help you with the rest of your stuff if you would like.”

  “Wow, that’s crazy.” I gulp back the thick ball of emotion. “And, I’m Serena. Thank you very much.”

  He’s like a knight in a shining armor, a desperately good looking one. The sort of man from the fairy tale books that I used to love as a child. I used to dream of being the princess in the tall tower with the evil troll trapping me, just waiting for my prince charming to come and get me. No prince rescued me, I got myself out of that situation, but it still makes me feel like the damsel in distress with the hero from next door saving my ass…

  “So, you are just moving here?” Will asks me as we get further up the stairs. “Any reason in particul
ar?”

  “I have just finished college and landed a job here which I am really thrilled about.” I can’t stop the giant smile from spreading across my face as I think about work. I am looking forward to the beginning of my real life now. “And as for this apartment block in particular… well, it’s affordable, isn’t it?” I let out a laugh. “So, that’s why…”

  But as I look at this man, I wonder if I have made a mistake with my words. To be perfectly honest, he doesn’t look like he would need to pick a place because it’s affordable. That tailored suit which is sculpted perfectly to his body just screams money. But then, he does live here and there must be a reason for that.

  “Yes, it is good.” He nods and smiles, clearly not offended by my comments. “I like it because it’s near my work…”

  “That’s true for me as well!” I interject, much too happily. “Yes, it’s within walking distance, which is important.”

  We finally reach my new apartment and I shove the door wide open. I try my best not to be embarrassed at the mess everywhere because he must know that it’s no fun when you are moving in. I’m sure I won’t be getting judged…

  “Oh, look… I love that book!” Will grabs a book off the top of my pile of books and smiles. “You have good taste, Serena. I like your movie collection as well. You might need to give me a glimpse of your music as well.”

  “Really? Oh, well thank you. Books have been my favorite things growing up.”

  “Me too.” His smile makes my heartbeat to stop once more. Does he have to be so damn handsome? It’s making it hard for me to breathe. He does seem to look quite a bit older than me, but he isn’t looking down on me. “I love reading…”

  We chat about our love of books for a while, connecting on a level that I certainly wasn’t expecting, and it seems that the more Will helps me, the more he seems to like similar things to me. I’m trying my hardest not to lose my head because this is the first person I have met since starting my new life and the first man at that, but there are definitely butterflies flapping around in my stomach, completely unnerving me.

  My brain keeps picturing all kinds of crazy things as well… things that I don’t think I should be day dreaming about. His lips, his hands, his tongue… oh God, I am not ready for that yet.

  “I bet you’re glad that the place is already semi-furnished?” Will asks as we set the final boxes down. “It means that you don’t have to spend hours setting up your bed just so you have something to sleep in.”

  “That’s true.” I nod emphatically. “But I am going to have to spend the rest of the week unpacking which isn’t a pleasant thought.” I rest my hands on my hips. “I don’t even know where to begin. I wish it was all just done.”

  This is why I had to move home before starting the job, because I know that my new work position will keep me incredibly busy. Too busy to get organized at the same time. I probably should get started now, but I’m not in the mood. I have to admit that I am far too exhausted for any of it and I just want to chill out…

  “You know, if I am the only person that you know here,” Will starts. “Then I feel like it’s my duty to take you out for dinner tonight. To get you a little used to your new place. Don’t you think?”

  He gives me a cheeky grin, letting me know that this is more of a real offer rather than just a duty, which of course causes my heart to race at the speed of light. I haven’t ever eaten with a man before, I’ve never even been kissed, much less gone on a date. This may well be more of a friendship thing than romantic, but it will be the closest thing to a boyfriend that I have ever experienced and it’s nerve wracking. Almost so much that I want to say no…

  But I can’t say no. I can’t turn him down. This is all about new experiences, about growing and becoming the woman that I have always wanted to be. Going on a semi date is a great start to that. And what else will I do? Sit inside, all by myself, wishing that I had agreed to go out with Will. Regretting the idiotic decision to say no.

  “Sure.” Oh God, did I really just say that? “Sure, that sounds good.”

  His eyes widen with either surprise or joy. I hope that he’s happy for me to agree. “Great, well I will just give you some time if you want to get dressed or whatever. I will just be next door. Come and knock for me whenever you are ready to go.” He rubs his belly. “I’m ready to eat whenever you are. I am starving after work. It’s been a long day.”

  I half wave like an idiot as he leaves and as soon as he closes the door behind him, I leap around all excitable, like a crazy person. This is madness, isn’t it? I’m going out on a semi date on day one. This may well have been the best move that I ever could have made. Now, I finally feel like I can breathe and grow at long last. Without the strain of David over my shoulders, I can finally become me. Whoever I am…

  “This is mental.” I clutch my chest as my pulse pounds. “This could well be the first day of the rest of my brand new life.”

  Chapter 2 – William

  I step inside my mostly empty apartment, basking in the joy of my weekday home. One of the first things I purchased when my business grew in its success was my mansion, but that’s quite far away from the office and since I work quite long hours, the commute can be a bit of a bitch. That’s why I rent this place for the week since my office is just around the corner. I don’t have any responsibilities at home anyway, so this is perfect.

  It gives me that much needed separation between work and weekends anyway. I’m not tempted to blend everything into one big mess. It’s for the work life balance that I need.

  But I haven’t ever spoken to another person from this apartment building before. Not more than just a causal greeting anyway. I don’t really have time to get to know people here, they aren’t really my neighbors. I don’t have any neighbors at my actual home. Just empty land surrounding me everywhere. But today… today is different.

  “Serena,” I whisper to myself as I think about the petite red head with hazel colored eyes who is moving in next door to me as we speak. The beautiful little fire cracker who has a lot hiding underneath the surface. I might not have seen it yet, but I know that it’s there. “What is it about you, Serena? What makes you so special?”

  She captivated me from the moment I first saw her struggling on the stairs. There was something about her which caught my attention and made me pause, and I don’t think that it was just the curve of her sexy ass. I knew immediately that I wanted to talk to her, that I needed to help her, and since it seems like she is alone here, I’m glad that I did. I’m even more grateful as I got to learn more about her and I see how much we have in common. She’s a lot younger than me, about twenty one years old since she has just finished college, where as I am twenty nine, but somehow, we manage to have a lot in common regardless. She intrigues me in a way that I wasn’t expecting.

  That’s why I impulsively asked her out to dinner, because I want to know more about her. She doesn’t seem like anyone I have ever met before, deep down there is something very different about Serena and I want to explore that. I want to see if the sparks that I feel with my next door neighbor could be something real. But I can’t forget that I need to be careful, that I have to protect my heart in every way possible, because I can’t get caught like that again. Not after what happened to me before. This would be worse as well because Serena lives next door. There will be no avoiding her, we will bump into one another in the hallways at all times, it will be extremely complicated.

  I didn’t want to think about Molly at a time like this, but I can’t help it. Of course, she was going to come into my mind as I considered the possibility of dating someone else, because she was the one who broke my heart and shattered it into pieces. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I married the woman who I thought was about to be the love of my life forever. I didn’t know that she only cared about one thing from me, but I found that out in the most heartbreaking way on our first anniversary, she only married me for my money and that she wanted a divorce.
Nothing from her side had been real, she never cared about me one bit, and she was done. Out.

  Sadly, I was pathetic and I tried to fight for her. I battled and battled even though I had lost before I even started. It took me a while to let go of Molly, and I still have scars on my heart three years after the divorce was finalized. I’m scared to ever let anyone in again and I don’t know if that’s something I will ever be able to recover from.

  But with Serena, I want to try. I want to give it a chance. I will just have to protect myself by not letting her know anything about me. If she only thinks of me as ‘Will’ rather than William Brent, owner of Brent Corporation, then there’s a chance that if she does like me, it will be for who I am and what I can offer her. I don’t get gold digger vibes from Serena but I didn’t get those with Molly either and that came back to bite me in the ass.

  “This will be fine,” I try to convince myself. “This is going to be good. Don’t let Molly wreck everything.”

  I didn’t know much about Molly these days. She had someone else lined up before the divorce was done, but I don’t know if she’s still now with that guy or if she took the cash from another divorce to give herself a brand new life again. I don’t have any intention of ever finding that out, it doesn’t trouble me any longer, but I can guarantee that wherever she is, she isn’t thinking of me. I doubt I ever cross her mind anymore, so I shouldn’t let her trouble me either.

  “Serena would be different from Molly, that much is already clear, so just go with it.”

  I have to admit that my gut has a good feeling, that this is going to go well, and my gut doesn’t always steer me wrong. I’m excited anyway, keen for Serena to knock on my door and for us to see where this can develop. I shouldn’t be getting too carried away anyway. This is only a dinner, not a marriage proposal…