The Soldier Next Door: A Forbidden Romance

by Cassandra Dee

  I look into those chocolate brown eyes, my heart in my throat.

  “I love you, Susie Monroe. I adore you and I want to be with you forever. You can live here, and you won’t ever be talked to again like that, not even by your parents. I promise you that. You belong to me, and no one treats my woman that way. Do you hear? You belong to me.”

  She starts crying again, smiling as tears fall down those round cheeks.

  “I love you too, Brady. I’ve loved you for months and I don’t care if we’re been a million miles away from each other. I know who you are, and who I want to be with. Our age difference doesn’t matter, and my parents don’t matter either. All that matters is you and me.”

  I pull her in for a hug, smelling her hair and enjoying that sweet hint of vanilla that always dances around her.

  “We can make this happen, sweetheart, and don’t you fret, everything will work out with your family. I know you feel stressed because they expect you to be a perfect daughter, but that’s not realistic. No one is perfect, and you’re a woman now, with a woman’s needs and wants. I want you to know that I treasure and accept you, and that we will work this out with Jackie and Jim.”

  I feel her start shaking again and her tears soak into my shoulder. I continue holding and rubbing her for what feels like forever. Her skin is so soft, and our bodies fit together perfectly. Even crying, her face is incredibly beautiful with that pink pout as lush as ever.

  But this is right because I’ll protect her from anything that makes her feel less than the wonderful woman that she is. I’ve known for a while, ever since our correspondence became deep and meaningful. The sexy pictures and photos were fantastic, but what made the difference was getting to know her: the ins and outs, the significant and the mundane, and the things that made her happy and sad. Susie is the one that I want, and I can’t let anyone disrespect her.

  Plus, last night confirmed everything. Our physical connection was perfect and her body responded so eagerly to everything I did. Every stroke elicited a moan. Ever caress made her cry out and shiver. And when she came, I came too, just from the wonder of it all.

  Now here we are, embracing each other and finding our center together. She sits back and wipes the last few tears off her face. Then, Susie leans in, ever so slightly, and kisses me lightly on the lips. I kiss her back, slow at first, gently rubbing the side of her face with my thumb as my fingers gently grip the back of her neck. But the need is too strong. I pull her close to me and we start kissing passionately.

  I slide my hands up and down her legs, making her moan slightly in my mouth. Then I put my hand up her shirt and start massaging her breast. She’s not wearing a bra and her nipples are hard and perky for me. I immediately start to stiffen, my body yearning to dominate hers. She puts her hand over me and starts rubbing my erection, slowly and sensually. I try to go slow, but it’s impossible given how much she turns me on.

  I lower the curvy girl down on the couch and push her shirt up to her chin. I work my tongue around her nipples and lightly bite at them, making her squirm under me. Then I kiss down her stomach and unbutton her shorts. Sliding them down, I expose another pair of cute little black panties. After taking them off, I flip her over and smack her bubble butt. She shrieks in pleasure and pokes it up at me, as if taunting me.

  I slide my shorts and briefs off, my erection standing at attention. I rub her mound a few times, but she’s already soaking wet and ready to go. I slide inside her, slowly, knowing she’s probably sore from the day before. Sure enough, Susie lets out a long and low moan as I fill her. I gently tug at her hair, wrapping it around my wrist, and stroke her a little harder.

  “Oh, Brady,” she calls out. “Brady!”

  I shudder, hearing my name on her lips. Slowly, I push into her again, filling her with every inch of my hardness before pulling back out. I do this for a few moments, driving both of our bodies crazy with the anticipation of orgasm. Her pussy grips me with every stroke, driving me insane with pleasure. I bite my lip, trying my hardest not to explode early.

  I put my face in her hair, and the smell of vanilla fills my senses. I start pumping her harder and harder. Her moans turn to pleasure-filled yelps. I hear the sound of our bodies smacking together, driving me closer and closer to a climax. We are both breathing heavily and beads of sweat start forming on my forehead. I keep slamming into her over and over until we both peak at the same time. Her body closes in around me, contracting and squeezing my erection as I fill her with my warm seed.

  I collapse on top of her, still sheathed inside her sweet wetness. Neither of us says anything as we just lie there, living in the moment. I kiss her back and shoulders, sending shivers down her spine. Finally, I stand and slide out of her and she rolls over and looks up at me with those enticing brown eyes again.

  “How did I get so lucky, Neighbor?”

  I chuckle.

  “Kid, I’m definitely the lucky one. I love you, Susie from Next Door.” I bend over and kiss her gently.

  She kisses me back, and then whispers against my lips, “I love you even more, my soldier.”

  And with that, our destiny is sealed.

  Epilogue

  Susie

  * * *

  Two years later.

  “Baby, what do you want for dinner?” Brady asks me from the kitchen while I sit in our living room.

  “Um, how about some spaghetti? And your homemade garlic bread!” I suggest. He smiles and walks over to me before pressing a kiss to my lips.

  “Fantastic suggestion. I’ll run to the store and pick up what we need. Text me if you need anything while I’m out!” he says.

  “Okay I will. Be safe,” I tell him. With another kiss, he grabs the keys off the hook and heads out the door.

  I turn back to my laptop, trying to find the motivation to finish this paper that is due next week. I’m near the end of my second year of junior college and have one last paper for my English Lit class. Ironically, it’s an analysis of Cyrano de Bergerac. Brady smiled wickedly when I told him about our final assignment, and suggested that I write something about our love story.

  Although slightly out of scope, I decided to incorporate a few themes from our relationship while answering the required discussion questions. School is amazing, and I’ve been doing really well. I’ve already been accepted as a junior transfer at Duckworth University, a small college not too far away. It’s perfect, because our new house is only a fifteen minute drive from campus.

  After all, I couldn’t stay in Remford. After my mom found out about us, we tried to all have a sit down with my parents to explain that we were in love and in a real relationship. But they just weren’t buying it. They felt like Brady took advantage of me and was a “sicko” that liked little girls. No matter how hard we tried to explain it to them, Jim and Jackie wouldn’t budge.

  I moved all my stuff out and into Brady’s house the very day, but living next door to my parents was too weird. I dreaded going outside and seeing them, and it was as if everyone in the neighborhood knew of our forbidden love. We were treated as pariahs. Even Ankle Weights Joe had the audacity to turn up his nose at us while he ran around the neighborhood in those ridiculous short shorts.

  It became unbearable, so we decided to move and start over, and it was the right decision. We’re so happy in our little home together, and sometimes, I work in the yard planting begonias. Brady has quite the green thumb too, and he’s working on a few fruit trees so that we’ll have our own fruit next summer.

  I finish typing the last few paragraphs of my essay and submit it right when Brady walks back in the door. He has a handful of groceries that he sets on the counter. I go and sit at the island, watching him work magic in the kitchen. He does most of the cooking because he’s the better chef, while I do the bulk of the cleaning. It’s a perfect set-up.

  “Done with your paper?” he asks me with a smile.

  I nod.

  “Yep, finished it right when you were walking through the d
oor. I think I’ll land an A in this class and get another four-point oh,” I tell him, smiling at my accomplishment.

  He grins brightly and gives me a fist bump across the counter. “Great job, honey. I’m so proud of you. I told you, you’re amazing.”

  After all, my boyfriend has been my biggest supporter. He stays up late with me when I need to study and is more excited than I am when I land an A.

  “It’s perfect. Only two more years before I finish my English degree and can start teaching!” I say excitedly.

  He winks while chopping some vegetables.

  “I can see it now. Mrs. Firestone, ninth grade English teacher, Kleinfeld High School,” he says.

  I pause, hardly believing my ears.

  “Mrs. Firestone? Is there something I need to know?” I ask him coyly, raising my brow at him.

  He grins. “When there’s something to know, you’ll know. Until then, don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

  I roll my eyes. We have talked about marriage, and I’ve been waiting for him to propose to me. I know it’s going to happen, and it’s just a question of when.

  “Okay, but I don’t want to be married to someone who leaves me for months at a time,” I say in a serious voice. “Deployments are really difficult.”

  He nods, and then smiles. “I definitely get it. I know it’s hard for you to be here all by yourself. It’s definitely hard for me to be across the world, wondering about you and wanting to make sure you’re okay. I was going to wait to tell you this, but I actually applied for a desk job at the nearby base, so I won’t have to be deployed anymore.”

  I stop.

  “But will you be happy? A desk job? Brady, you’re a soldier. Will you be happy staying state-side, doing paperwork all day?”

  He smiles.

  “I know, sweetheart. But I think it’s time. I’m getting older, and no match for the young guns on tour. It’s time for me to focus on my family, and that family is you.”

  He puts down the knife and walks around the island to me. Taking both of my hands in his, he pulls me close, his strong jaw line pronounced and his piercing blue eyes overwhelming.

  “Susie, nothing tears me apart like having to leave you. I thought the first time was hard, but it’s gotten worse with time. Pictures and letters just don’t do it for me anymore. If I’m not with you, I’m antsy and grumpy and fucking mean. So yes, I’m serious. I already turned in my application and have an interview with them on Monday.”

  I jump off the stool and into his arms. Tears run down my face, and yet I’m happy.

  “I feel the exact same way, Brady,” I say in a choked voice. “I need you, now more than ever.”

  He pulls me in close and holds me. “I know, and I’m sorry to put you through that stress and worry. I know your anxiety goes sky-high when I’m not here, but I don’t plan on going anywhere anymore. You don’t have to worry, baby girl.”

  He sits me back down and cups both sides of my face, kissing me passionately, lingering on my lips.

  I wipe my tears, nervous about what I’m about to say next.

  “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t have to worry about you anymore because we’ve got someone else to worry about now.”

  He looks up at me suddenly, curiosity all over his face. “What was that, sweetheart?”

  I go to my purse and pull out the ultrasounds I got from the doctor’s office this morning. “You’re going to be a father, Brady. We have an addition to our family coming in about seven months!”

  He drops the knife and pauses for a second, taking everything in. Then in a swift motion, he’s back to the other side of the counter and embracing me in a hug so tight, the baby has to be feeling it too.

  “Thank you, Susie,” he murmurs in my ear, his voice choked. “A father? It’s exactly what I want, and what I’ve hoped for for a while now. You’re going to be an outstanding mommy, and I can’t wait to see you round and heavy with our child.”

  I smile at him gently.

  “I know, Brady. This is my gift to you, and our gift to cherish together forever. I love you, Brady Firestone.”

  With that, our lips meet and our passion flames once more. This soldier is mine, and maybe we were once neighbors, but now, we are so much more.

  * * *

  THE END

  * * *

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  Sneak Peek: The Billionaire’s Pet

  Jessalyn’s sold by her dad to become billionaire Cameron Purcell’s pet.

  * * *

  The next morning, I wake my dad up for our meeting with management. I make Randy a good breakfast of eggs and pancakes to soak up all the beer he drank last night, and try to get him to dress in something other than his saggy work pants and crumpled work shirt. Sadly, he doesn’t listen, and looks like a gaunt scarecrow with dirt under his fingernails and an unshaven chin.

  I wear a nice red skirt and white blouse in hopes of making a good impression, but I also pack my work uniform in my bag so that I can get to my shift afterwards. Purcell Development, the company that runs our trailer park, has an office in town about ten minutes away from the diner, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get to work. On our way to the meeting, I look over at Daddy in his truck and beg him to let me do the talking at the meeting. It’s our only chance at getting the extension we need.

  “What, you don’t think I’m capable?” Randy asks. I can detect the hurt in his voice. I roll my eyes.

  “Dad, calm down. I just think I’ll have a better shot at getting an extension. You know, being a young girl and all,” I say, somewhat truthfully.

  After all, Randy doesn’t know how to talk reasonably to others or how to talk to others in general, come to think of it. If we have any chance of getting the extension, it falls on me, and if my dad opens his mouth, who knows what will happen? They might kick us out on the spot if he says something really stupid.

  Once we pull into the parking lot of Purcell, my nerves increase by a million. I’m blown away by the building. Located in a nicer section of town, the office is a gorgeous white stone building with a dark grey roof and an imposing sign out front. The lawn is a perfect shade of brilliant green with fresh mown stripes and all of the cars parked in the lot appear to be luxury sedans. I gulp at how corporate the building looks. I can only imagine the kind of people I’m about to encounter.

  With Randy by my side, we walk into the building where a lady in her mid-fifties shoots us a tight smile at her neat reception desk. We’re obviously the last people she wants to help today. I watch as her eyes pass over my dad with a small grimace before settling on me.

  “How may I help you?” she asks in a barely courteous tone. I look past it and try to appear confident for my twenty-two years of age.

  “We’re here to speak with management about a late notice. My father called this morning to make an appointment.”

  “Name?” the lady asks.

  I clear my throat, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

  “His name or mine?”

  She shoots a look at Randy.

  “His.”

  I take a deep breath.

  “My father’s name is Randy Lane, and I’m Jessalyn Lane, his daughter.”

  The woman, whose name is ‘Janice’ according to her name tag, types at her computer before smiling back at me.

  “Oh yes, I see your appointment here, Miss Lane. Just for the record, could you specify where you live? Purcell Development owns many properties,” she says in a sugary sweet voice. I grit my teeth and smile.

  “At the Sunrise Residence Park on the west side of town.”

  She licks her lips nastily.

  “Oh I see. Sunrise, the trailer park?”

  I grit my teeth and smile again.

&nbs
p; “Yes, the trailer park.”

  She goes back to her computer and clacks loudly on the keyboard while studying the screen.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Lane, but the person who usually handles Sunrise is out today. There’s been a grievous error, and again, I’m sorry for this mix-up. Would you like to leave a message?”

  What I’d like to do is to slap her across the face, but I merely smile tightly again.

  “Is there someone else we could see then? Rent is due today, and I’d like to talk to management about it.”

  Janice pretends to look at her screen again before shaking her head in mock disappointment.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Lane, but no one is available. I’ll have to ask you to leave a message.”

  I stare at Janice, and then at my father. Clearly, I’m getting the brush-off from this woman. Randy and I don’t look important to her, so she doesn’t want to waste her time, or anyone’s time, on us.

  “If you don’t mind, Janice, my father and I will wait right here until someone’s available,” I say.

  The woman looks puzzled.

  “In the lobby?”

  “In the lobby,” I affirm. “We’ll just sit here until someone’s ready to see us.”

  With that, I gesture to Randy, who shuffles along behind me to a luxuriously appointed seating area. There’s a bouquet of flowers on a side table, and my dad leans over to smell the white calla lilies, sniffing appreciatively. Of course, at that moment, his gaping plumber’s crack also becomes visible, and I see Janice grimace at the sight.

  “You know what?” she asks, typing once more at her keyboard. “I see here that there’s a note on your file. How did I miss that before? Interesting.” Then she looks up from her computer with a fake polite smile. “In fact, Mr. Purcell himself is available. He’ll be assisting you today. Let me call him to let him know you’re here.”