THICK(4)

I wait to see if she’s going to say anything else, but she just looks up and down the hall before her eyes come back to my door.

“Okay, I guess that’s it. Nice to meet you, um, what was your name?”

“Bull.” My voice sounds like I’ve been eating nails and I hate that I’m not smooth or able to play it cool.

“Bull?” she asks, and I nod, but she can’t see me. “That’s funny. I’ve always loved bulls since I was a kid and read Ferdinand.” She smiles and shrugs. “Anyway, have a great night.”

“Bye, Teeny,” I say, but it’s so soft I don’t think she hears it.

I watch her go to her apartment and look back one quick time before she goes inside and closes the door. I stand there staring for another few minutes just to make sure she doesn’t run back out and want to talk to me again.

I sigh as I push away from the door and go back to my living room. Why would she want to talk to me? I didn’t even open the door.

When glance outside I see that the sun is beginning to set and it’s time for dinner. I think about what I want and then it dawns on me that Teeny might not have had a chance to get any food from the store with moving all day. It’s been a long time since I moved, but I remember that it gets hectic and then before you realize it you've skipped a meal and you’re starving.

I go into the kitchen and grab a menu from the Chinese place down the block. I don’t know what she eats, but everyone likes Chinese, right? I call and order a couple of things for her that I think she might like and then order some food for myself and explain to them that they are two orders across the hall from one another.

After I hang up I pull on some shorts and then go to my office and try to pull up any documents I can on Teeny and who she might be. I did security for a long time because it was the easiest job in the world for me. My size alone would deter criminals and I did some bodyguard work for a few celebrities. I just got tired of all the looks I got when I went out, and since I already had a list of high-profile clients I decided to do private online consulting. I’ve made a ton of money doing this all from the comfort of my home. It also allows me to have access to a lot of things that most people don’t. Like Teeny’s lease agreement, for example.

Our building is comprised of just a few residences and I happen to own mine. The one across the hall from me is owned by a man with a large investment portfolio who leases this one out on occasion. I pull up all the paperwork he filed with his business. I want to know who everyone is around me even if I never meet them face to face. So when I found out who he was I got all the information I could on him.

There isn’t much to go on other than a credit check and a co-sign on the lease that looks like her parents. I was right in my first assessment that she looked young—she’s just turned eighteen. I think about her soft features and how delicate she was, and then I think about her curves everywhere else. She might be barely legal, but she’s got the body of a woman.

I spend the next hour scouring the internet to see if I can find her on social media or any job application sites. But when I hear a knock at my door I remember the food I ordered. I grab my wallet off the counter and take out the cash for a tip when I hear another knock.

“Coming,” I call out as I hurry to the door and pull it open.

“Oh.”

There stands Teeny with two big bags of food as she looks my half-naked body up and down. My initial reaction is to slam the door closed, but I’m afraid it might scare her even more.

“Sorry,” I mumble because what else do I say? She’s been stunned into silence and I’m reminded of why I don’t interact with people.

“No, I’m totally sorry. It’s my fault. They just dropped all this food at my place and tried to tell them they had the wrong address but they insisted.” She holds up the bag and smiles so sweetly at me it feels like she kicked me in the gut. “I think these are yours.”

“I um, ordered you food,” I mutter in a low voice. I feel completely naked even though I’m just without a shirt. Why do I always sound so unsure of myself?

“There’s no way this is all for me.” Her eyes are wide with shock as she looks down at them.

“Well, it’s for both of us, but they forgot to give me mine,” I say quietly, closing the door just a little bit to try and hide my size.

“I can’t believe how sweet you are.” She looks up at me with her dark brown eyes and they are so honest and sincere. “Do you want to just eat together since they got it mixed up?”

Why is this young woman not running for the hills? She’s too unaware of how small she is and how easily she could be kidnapped and murdered. She’s inviting me to have dinner with her when she doesn’t even know me. But maybe I’m the kind of person she needs in her life to look out for her.

“Let me put a shirt on,” I say quietly as I stare down at my chest then close the door. I curse myself and then open the door. “Would you like to come in?”

She laughs a little as she nods and then steps inside. What the hell am I doing?





Chapter Three





Teeny





I try not to stare at Bull, but it’s hard not to. He’s big—really freaking big. I’ve never seen someone as big as him, and to top it off he’s the hottest man I’ve ever seen. This much hotness should not get to take up this much space. No wonder he didn’t want to answer the door. He probably gets mobbed by women. I have to fight to not to reach out and touch him. I wonder how hard he is in other places.