Falling for the Girl Next Door: The Fighting Sullivans, #2

By Melissa Schroeder

From the USA Today Bestselling author of The Santinis comes a story of another group of military brothers who are about to meet the women who will own their hearts.

 

Alyx Sullivan finds that opposites attract in the most delightful ways.

 

My siblings give me crap about being the one with the bad temper. I'm not denying it. I say I make it work for me. Especially with my neighbors. They've all stopped making eye contact with me in the elevator, and I like it that way.

 

Except for Lizbeth.

 

She's my next door neighbor, teacher of little people, and all around happy person. She probably wakes up smiling and happy. The first moment we met, I wanted her, but I am not a man made for happily ever afters.

 

So I've been as rude as possible to her, but she just doesn't care. And with each interaction, it's harder to resist the need I have for her. She's wholesome and pretty and I just want to do all kinds of wicked things to her and with her…just EVERYTHING.

 

And in one moment, I give into my desires and let's just say…MIND BLOWN…along with other things.

 

Only, Lizbeth has a secret she's been keeping, one that could have deadly consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HARMLESS PUBLISHING
• Release date: Sep 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781956633085

Melissa Schroeder

From an early age, USA Today Bestselling author Melissa loved to read. First, it was the books her mother read to her including her two favorites, Winnie the Pooh and the Beatrix Potter books. She cut her preteen teeth on Trixie Belden and read and reviewed To Kill a Mockingbird in middle school. It wasn’t until she was in college that she tried to write her first stories, which were full of angst and pain, and really not that fun to read or write. After trying several different genres, she found romance in a Linda Howard book. Since her first published book, Grace Under Pressure, Mel has had over 60 short stories, novellas, and novels published. She has written in genres ranging from historical to contemporary to futuristic and has worked with 8 publishers although she handles most of her publishing herself. She is best known for her Harmless and Santini series. After years of following her military husband around the country and world, Mel happily lives with her family in horse and wine country in Northern Virginia.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

ALYX

This prologue was the bonus epilogue in Falling for the General’s Daughter.

Itrudge toward my apartment, my body aching from all the work we did today. It was for a good reason because my little brother is in love. And, more than likely, engaged to the love of his life.

That makes two Sullivans down and three to go, but I will be the last one. I’m sure of it since I know I will never fall for that insanity.

Oh, there you are!

The happy sing-song voice should send irritation careening through me. It doesn’t. And the fact that it doesn’t really does irritate me, but I can’t help it.

I turn, preparing for the body that is attached to the voice. Lizbeth Adams, my next-door neighbor. Out of everyone in my building, she is the only one who has ignored my rules. There is really only one. Don’t talk to me, and I won’t hit you. Lizbeth ignores that rule. Case and point—I know Lizbeth’s name.

I pull in a deep breath. What do you want?

"What do you want, Lizbeth?"

She corrects me all the time on my manners. It comes with the territory, I guess. She’s a kindergarten teacher. And there is another thing. Ask me what Stan in 4B does? I have no idea. He’s lived there longer than I have. Also, his name isn’t Stan, or it could be, but probably not. That’s just what I call him in my head.

Although I know my mother would smack me upside the head, I cross my arms over my chest and stare at her. Her gaze falls to my arms, the colorful ink there, then her milk chocolate eyes rise to mine.

I just wanted to let you know that I made cookies.

Cookies. Seriously. This woman. I am a complete asshole to her, and she offers me cookies.

And?

She lifts her hand and a zipped plastic bag of cookies. You aren’t allergic to peanuts, are you? It’s the most common food allergy, and a lot of my kids are, so I try not to have anything peanutty throughout the week, but it’s Friday, so I decided to make some peanut butter cookies.

I blink at the verbal diarrhea that falls from her mouth. She’s smiling at me, holding the bag out to me. I want them so bad. My mouth is watering, and well, fuck, peanut butter is my favorite cookie. I would horde them when my mother would make them. Granted, when I had to fight my four other siblings for my share. And I wanted more than my share.

No…thanks.

My body rebels against me, but it’s bad enough she won’t leave me alone half the time. If I started accepting food, I would totally become attached. And girls like her, with bright eyes and even brighter smiles, are not made for me. They want forever and kids and all that crap. I’m not made for that.

Oh, are you allergic?

I could lie, and it would make it easier on her. But she would probably just make some other kind of cookie.

No. Just don’t want any.

She frowns at me.

I gotta go.

Then I slip inside and close the door. God, that was close. I wanted to take those cookies and the ones she has going on under that dress. Lizbeth is a walking wet dream. A cliche but a good description. She’s average height with dark blonde hair and those chocolate chip eyes. I don’t think I have ever seen a person who smiled as much as she does, but she does it all the time. Again, probably a habit since she works with kids all day.

The rest of her body was custom-made for me. I like a little more on a woman than skin and bones. A guy wants to have a healthy bit of meat to hold onto, and damned if she doesn’t have it. And her tits. Let’s just say there is more to them than my hands could hold, and I like that idea. A lot.

I hear her sigh, so I look out my peephole to see what is happening. She’s still standing there frowning at the door. I expected her to get pissed and stomp away, but instead, she leans down. She rises again, smirks at the door like she knows I’m watching her, then she dances away. And I do mean dancing. She skips to some beat in her head, humming beneath her breath. Once I hear her door close, I wait a second to see if she returns, but she does not. Curious as to what she did, I open the door and look down. She left the fucking cookies.

I want to leave them, but my mouth is watering, and my fingers itch with the need to grab that bag of cookies. I do that, then shut the door quietly like I was stealing something.

I look at the cookies and shake my head. I have got to figure out how to get that woman to stay away from me. I’m not built for friendship, and she just needs to learn that one way or another.

1

LIZBETH

Zipping up the bag of cookies, I sigh. Out of all my neighbors, Mr. Sullivan has been the hardest to win over. Most of the time, my cookies do the trick. Even the grumpiest neighbor can’t resist a well-made cookie. This is the third batch I’m making for him. It only took one batch for everyone else on this floor. They all love me. ‘Dark and mysterious’ next door still won’t crack a smile.

Don’t get me wrong. He eats the cookies. I’ve left two bags by his door, but he has yet to even acknowledge them. I can’t take the idea that I have a neighbor who doesn’t like me. I know it’s a sickness. Not being friends with my neighbors leaves me anxious. I guess it’s because it was always only Mom and me my whole life. We always made friends with our neighbors, but Mom was from Ireland, and she had been an only child like me.

My heart aches. She’s been gone for two years, and I still think about her every day. The only thing I have been thankful for is that she didn’t suffer long.

I push off those depressing thoughts. Not that I don’t love my mom, but Caroline Adams would be ticked off if she knew I was getting depressed over her death.

Just then, I hear someone walking down the hall, and I hurry to the door. I look out my peephole, and sure enough, the mysterious Mr. Sullivan passes by. I have found this is the easiest way to get to him. Stalking him through my peephole.

Jesus, Lizzie, you’re going insane.

I grab the bag of cookies, then hurry to catch my neighbor. He’s almost in his apartment this time.

Mr. Sullivan!

His shoulders fall like he’s disappointed, but I can’t fight the little thrill that zings through me. There’s something just so sexy about the man. I usually