Thirty-Eight Days Read Online Free Page A

told her it made her look cheap and Clara listened, leaving it on the hanger in her closet.
    I could go see Annie for lunch.
    Clara gave it a thought, but she convinced herself she wasn't ready to let Annie in yet. She would wear the dress for herself. She would stay inside and watch the episodes of Hawaii Five-O she had recorded. Watching Steve McGarrette on her TV was nothing short of a good night ahead. It was a little past four once she dressed herself, put on a bit makeup, and watched the afternoon slots of Ellen and Dr. Phil .
    Out the kitchen window, Melbourne was offering a beautiful day. She was tempted to go for a walk, but the heat from the sun would tire her out easily. Instead, she decided to stretch her legs and go downstairs to collect her neglected mail.
    "Clara, you look amazing," she heard behind her. She quickly spun around to see Liam, her upstairs neighbour, standing behind her.
    A blush heated her cheeks at the compliment. The attractiveness of Liam's hazel eyes could literally make any girl fall to her knees. Her breathing spiked and her knees turned to jelly. Liam was dangerous to be close to. She had always composed herself around him since she had been Darren’s. But now, Clara was single, and she took in and enjoyed every little bit of Liam’s flirtatious ways.
    "Stop that, Liam!" she said once she controlled the sound of her voice. He made her uncomfortable, to the point where she couldn't stare at him for very long. Liam was ridiculously good looking, and ridiculously good looking men like him did not take a second glance at girls like Clara. Maybe it was the fact that she was no longer someone’s girlfriend that made him act the way he did. He was a playboy, and playboys brought with them trouble. Liam was definitely trouble, smooth-talking and without a hitch with women.
    "Why? You don't have a boyfriend.” He raised his eyebrows. It surprised her that his comment didn’t hurt like she expected them to. It caught her off guard more than it made her flinch.
    "Oh, if I remember correctly, itneverstopped you in the past," she replied as she headed for the elevator with mail in her hands. Clara liked her response, and by the sound of his footsteps running to her, Liam did too.
    It didn’t help that she found herself attracted to her neighbour. As Clara pressed the button for the sixth floor, she was inches from his arm touching hers. Liam stood at six-foot-two, and would have had to spend hours at the gym to have that broad shoulders and muscles that he did.
    Clara had once seen him shirtless, and that was when she watched him move into the apartment building. It had been thirty-seven degrees celcius, and the heat made her clothes stick to her skin. Clara had gone down to get some more ice from the convenience store down the road when she watched Liam take off his shirt. The beads of sweat that ran down his chiseled chest had her wanting to fan herself.
    She would have never cheated on Darren, but Liam made it very difficult with a body like that. At least Clara knew how to stay faithful even though the most attractive man happened to live upstairs. She watched as Liam leaned forward and pressed the button for the seventh floor. Clara stood there as she quickly shifted her gaze to the mail in her hand.
    "Have dinner with me next Saturday?" he asked, breaking the silent tension as the elevator approached the second floor. His voice went husky and it made her blush at his desire to date her. She looked up to see hazel eyes meet her brown eyes.
    Did he just?
    "Dinner?" she said, sounding bemused at his request. Her heart started to beat irregularly.
    "Yes, dinner. Think of it as a housewarming dinner, but with just you and me, and in my apartment," he said, raising an eyebrow to her. That smirk had her flustered, and Clara mentally cursed herself.
    "You moved in a year ago," she said matter-of-factly.
    "And the problem?" he asked. Liam reached over once more and pressed the emergency button of the