Catch Your Breath

Chapter 2-3

Moira’s heart lodged in her throat before recognition hit. Jimmy? What the hell? Air flooded into her lungs and her heart steadied, but her blood boiled. “What the hell are you doing in my apartment?”

“You didn’t lock your door.”

“I certainly didn’t leave it open either. There was no invitation to enter.” Her voice rose steadily and she jabbed a finger in his direction. “You had no business coming in. I should call and have you arrested.”

He raised a hand in defense. “When you closed the door, I listened for you to lock up and you didn’t. I turned the knob and let myself in.”

“You scared the s**t out of me. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Me scaring you is the least of your worries. What if I was a r****t or murderer? You’re making yourself an easy target. This building has zero security. It is like an invitation for some creep to come after you.” His voice stayed quiet and strong, and was somehow way more menacing than her screaming rant.

She took a step back and crossed her arms again. She suddenly realized that she wore nothing but her bathrobe, which was currently gaping. Tugging it closed and pulling the sash tighter, she stared at her feet.

Could she get more embarrassed?

Jimmy’s hand holding a jar filled her field of vision. Her wax. “I think you dropped this.”

Yes, her night just got more embarrassing. She curled her fingers around the jar and tucked it into the pocket of the robe. His feet nearly touched hers and she focused on his scuffed dress shoes in front of her bare toes.

They stood in silence and Moira noticed that they breathed in rhythm. He stood close enough that the heat from his body permeated the thin material of her robe. Holy s**t. Jimmy O’Malley never got this close to her. If she leaned forward, she could rest her face on his chest.

She couldn’t look at him. It was bad enough that he scared her half to death, but now he’d seen her freak out while half n***d, all while he was holding her leg wax. And she might actually die if he realized she was just fantasizing about him.

“Hey,” he said softly. Nothing else. He waited silently until her eyes met his.

She expected to see his usual ridicule, but instead, there was something else. Kindness?

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He paused. “Well, I did, but only because I want you to understand how completely unsafe you are. I wouldn’t want something to happen to you.”

Her heart, which had been making its way back to its normal position, plummeted to her feet. Jimmy stood so close, mere inches separating them. How many times over the years had she dreamed of being in this exact position? And he was here because he cared.

She leaned forward and was certain she’d seen the look on his face shift. His eyes darkened and she knew he wanted to kiss her. The knowledge sent tingles through her body.

He suddenly stepped back, turned, and walked to the door. Opening it, he said over his shoulder, “Make sure you lock up.”

Then he was gone.

Moira stood frozen in place for a second.

“Now, Moira,” he yelled from the other side of the door.

She scrambled to the door, flipped the dead bolt, and collapsed against the wood. What the hell just happened? Moira closed her eyes and replayed the scene in her mind. When she’d first come out of her bedroom, all she saw was a hulk of a man standing in her hall.

Thinking back now, she should’ve recognized him immediately. Jimmy had a way of standing, he had this air around him that was a constant buzz of motion without having to move. He hadn’t been threatening, just leaning against the corner of the wall. And she had to go and throw wax at him.

But what happened after—now that she could work past the embarrassment—she hadn’t imagined. She could still feel the warmth of his body even though they hadn’t actually touched. And while she would never claim to be an expert on all men, and certainly not one on Jimmy O’Malley, she knew a lusty look when she was on the receiving end.

That was no one-way l**t.

Moira pushed off the door feeling lighter than she had in a long time. Jimmy O’Malley almost kissed her. She didn’t know how or why it had happened now, but she knew she wanted to be in that position again.

With the jar of wax thumping against her thigh as she walked back to the bathroom, Moira developed a plan. They needed each other. She could help with whatever investigation Jimmy had going on and he could help her get a story that was more than high society fluff. And if she was lucky enough to get lucky with him, well then, that would be all the better.