Holly's Crush: The Complete Trilogy by Bree Dahlia

Holly’s Crush
     
    Crush
    An intense, burning desire to be with someone you find very attractive.
    ***
    Holly had been living in her new apartment for nearly a week the first time she noticed the man who lived directly across from her. She was getting home late Friday night after a long day of work when she caught the first glimpse, and she knew that vision of him walking down the hall would forever be etched in her brain. He was absolute perfection – longish, dark hair with smoky grey eyes, chiseled cheekbones, full kissable lips. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off every muscle; such basic clothing, but on him it looked nothing short of amazing. He was simply…delicious.
    Her heart rate took on a mind of its own, accelerating and throbbing in her chest, driving an unexpected spark to electrify through her. Her cheeks flushed and she quickly looked away, although the chances of him even seeing her were unlikely. Since he was taking on the phone and seemed so preoccupied with his call, she was able to resume watching him walk to his door without him noticing. Her body buzzed at the realization of him living so close.
    “Damn, that man is hot,’’ Holly muttered as she let herself into her apartment. She dropped her keys on the table and immediately went to pour herself a big glass of wine.She plopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote, ready to watch some mindless TV, but her thoughts kept wandering back to the guy she had just seen. Never had there been a man to have such an immediate effect on her before and to say that it confused her was an understatement. A man is the reason I left to make a fresh start and I certainly don’t need to be thinking of a new one right now.
    She abandoned the remote for some music, hoping it would be more conducive for unwinding, and settled in for the night. Sipping her wine, she sat back and let her mind drift over everything that had brought her to this point. It felt exhilarating to be starting a whole new life, one that did not include her ex-fiancé, Brian. After three long years together, she had finally come to the conclusion that she just couldn’t do it anymore. They had seemed compatible enough; they rarely argued, so that wasn’t the problem. There was just something about him that she couldn’t put her finger on. He was well-liked, generous (to an extent), and God knows he had more money than he knew what to do with. He also could be arrogant at times and he had this way of making her feel that she was not quite good enough without ever saying a word. On top of all that, she didn’t feel any passion with him. When she began having panic attacks from the thought of spending the rest of her life with him, she knew she had to get out. Once the decision was final, and as soon as she was able, she moved out of their place. She didn’t expect a scene from him and that’s exactly what she got; no tearful good-byes or begging her to stay, but he was vain enough to tell her that she would never find anyone better than him and she’d regret her decision someday.
    The wine was starting to make her eyes droop, so she placed the half-empty glass on the kitchen counter and went into her bedroom. Holly lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. She was so happy, so full of possibilities that came with having a brand new job, living in a brand new city, having a brand new life that was all her own. She wanted to savor the experience of being alone for awhile and was definitely not ready to be thinking of another man, no matter how fine his ass looked in those jeans. If only her body would shut-up and do what her mind was telling her, she might be able to follow that plan.
    ***
    Holly awoke the next morning from the warm sun streaming through her window. She felt too cozy to get out of bed yet, so she reached over to grab her diary out of her nightstand.
    First Saturday in my new place – what a week it has been! Haven’t written in awhile since I’ve