Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set

by Misty Reigenborn

  Carlie was lonely. She also got rather horny watching her neighbor. She felt like a dirty pervert. The thought that what she was doing was wrong hadn’t stopped her though. She figured that she justified it in the same way that many people who had watched others undress without their knowledge did. If he didn’t want anyone to watch him, he shouldn’t undress in front of his windows. The way he went about the whole thing intrigued her. There were blinds on his window. He seemed to lower them after he returned from the shower or whatever else it was that he got naked to do, but he always raised them before he undressed.

  Carlie decided against trying to read. She was too tired tonight she thought. She felt old and tended to take naps during the afternoon to make sure she wouldn’t miss what had quickly become her favorite show of the day, but today had been an especially busy day at the shop.

  Carlie closed the blinds on her own window and got ready for bed. Thoughts of Mr. Mysterious drifted through her mind as she fell asleep.

  The next morning Carlie woke up before her alarm clock went off. She turned her alarm off and got out of bed. She used the bathroom and washed her face and hands and brushed her teeth. She made a face at herself in the mirror. She had never liked the color of her eyes. Her brother and her sister had both inherited their father’s blue eyes but she had inherited their mother’s brown eyes. She brushed her hair back from her forehead and saw that another pimple had popped up. And she saw several snowy hairs mixed in with her strawberry blonde.

  She opened the medicine cabinet, wondering if she had time to rid herself of the white hairs. But she knew that if she did that, she’d probably just find more and still be standing in front of the mirror, deconstructing her appearance when she should be at work. She sighed and closed the door, trying not to catch another glimpse of herself in the mirror before she turned away.

  She dressed quickly and pulled her hair back into its usual loose bun and headed out the door. She glanced at the house next door, but saw no movement. She hid another sigh as she backed out of her driveway.

  Tanisha was forever trying to set her up with some friend of her husband’s but Carlie just wasn’t interested. Brandt was the only man she’d ever been with. They’d been high school sweethearts. She was beginning to wonder if she’d ever have sex again.

  Tanisha was already at the shop when she arrived. Her friend looked up and gave her a teasing smile. “You’re late.”

  “I am not.”

  Tanisha laughed. Carlie had always found the sound of her laugh to be almost musical. “Okay, so maybe you’re not, but we’ve got a lot of work to do today. Dozens of cookies that need to be made and two cakes that need to be ready by closing time. Are you ready to work your decorating magic?”

  “It’s hardly magic Nish. I learned everything in that class you made me go to.”

  “It is magic Car. Why are you so down on yourself all the time? I know that it’s been hard for you since Brandt took off with that tramp, but honey the world hasn’t come to an end. He never loved you the way you deserved anyway. Get over it and move on. There are other fish in the sea.”

  “This isn’t about a man Nish. I don’t need a man to make me feel good about myself. I feel like my life went off the tracks somewhere.”

  Tanisha laughed. “Mine’s done that four or five times already. And I’m still here to tell the tale. Garth’s friend Evan was asking about you again. He really wants to take you out. He’s a nice guy. Even if there are no real sparks between you two, you could at least sleep with him.”

  Carlie shook her head. “You sound like a man. I’m not going to use some poor guy for sex. I’m obviously not that good at it anyway since Brandt felt the need to sleep with so many other women. And you told this guy that I was still thin or showed him an old picture of me didn’t you?”

  “You’re not that big sweetie. No one would ever look at you and think you weigh as much as you do.”

  “Thanks Nish. So I don’t look like I’m as fat as I really am. I don’t want to go out with Evan or any other man for that matter. I think I was meant to grow old alone.”

  “You were not. And you’ll always have me. We’ll terrorize the nursing home together.”

  “Do you really believe that your kids will stick you in a nursing home?”

  “You think I want my kids to take care of me? Do you not remember who their fathers are? None of their daddies besides Garth ever bothered to even try to take care of me.”

  Tanisha had been married three times. She had four children with three different fathers, but she’d been married to Garth for six years now and seemed content.

  “Why do women think that they need men to take care of them anyway?”

  “It’s not about that. Well, maybe for some women it is. For me it’s about taking care of each other. You need a man to take care of you sexually. Have you heard of friends with benefits? Maybe you should find yourself one of those. You’d certainly be less uptight.”

  “Oh, the politically correct term for a fuck buddy. No thank you. What do you think vibrators are for?”

  Tanisha laughed. “It’s not as good as the real thing. Sex is a normal part of life Car. You don’t always have to be in love or expect to spend the rest of your life with someone to have sex with them. Live a little before you really do get old.”

  “Do you know how many white hairs I saw when I looked in the mirror this morning? We are getting old Nish. Your daughter is almost grown. I don’t even have a child. We’ll have our twentieth high school reunion in three years.”

  “So what? We both look better than we did in high school. You’re tall. When you’re really thin you look like a damned skeleton. Curves look good on you.”

  “I just wish I didn’t have so damned many.”

  “Maybe you should go to the gym. Find yourself a guy who’s in great shape or is working to get there.”

  “No more talk about men. As if I don’t think about them enough already. This guy came in the other day when you went out to get lunch. He smelled so good. I wanted to reach over the counter and grab him and pull him closer to me so that I could really smell him. The sad thing was, I didn’t even find him attractive. I would still have had sex with him though just because he smelled that good.”

  Tanisha shook her head. “I told you that you needed to get laid. Has there been anyone since Brandt left?”

  “You know there hasn’t been Nish. We see each other every day. You would have talked me into telling you even if I’d just had a one night stand. I certainly heard enough about yours when we were younger.”

  Tanisha grinned. “Some of them were fantastic. If I managed to have fantastic sex between husbands, you can let go and take some guy from the bar home with you at least once.”

  “I can’t stand the taste of alcohol. The last thing I need is to embarrass myself in public. Besides, guys don’t come on to me the way they do with you. You’re gorgeous.”

  “You’re oblivious to the fact that men find you attractive, that’s all.” Tanisha took two sheets of cookies out of the oven and put another two in. “There was something I wanted to ask you.”

  “Okay.”

  “I got my kids a dog from the shelter because they’ve been bugging me forever to get one. He’s a good dog, but Garth says he has to go. Will you take him? Please. I don’t want to take him back to the shelter. And I don’t like to think of you all alone in that big house. Why don’t you sell it and move? Then you’d really be leaving your life with Brandt behind.”

  “I love my house. It’s big enough for a family if I ever get around to having one before it’s too late. I don’t know about the dog. I loved them growing up, but as an adult my feelings kind of changed. They seem to be more trouble than they’re worth.”

  “C’mon Car. My kids are already upset enough as it is that Garth said we had to get rid of Mitty. If they knew he was with you and that they could still visit him, they’d take it a lot better.” Tanisha gave her a pleading look.


  “You named the poor dog Mitty?”

  “The kids named him. Or the older ones were nice enough to let Leela name him. Please Car. I’ll be your best friend forever.”

  Carlie shook her head. “You’d better be my best friend forever anyway. But yes, I will take the dog.”

  “Thank you. Now let’s get to work. Can you start on that birthday cake for the Potters?”

  “Sure.”

  The rest of the day went quickly. Tanisha told her she would drop the dog off later that evening. Carlie went home and took a shower and then a nap. She made herself a salad for dinner and felt like she hadn’t eaten anything. She made herself a bowl of low fat yogurt with organic fruit and granola. She felt a little less hungry after she’d finished.

  She was curled up on the couch with her book when Tanisha showed up. Mitty was a huge dog. Carlie was suddenly glad that she had a big backyard. She actually had a doghouse in the shed that the previous owners of the house had left behind. She reminded herself to dig it out the next day after she got home from work. Tanisha left her with a leash, dog dishes and a huge bag of dog food. She assured her that Mitty was house trained and would scratch at the door when he wanted to be let out.

  He scratched at the door a few minutes before eleven. Carlie groaned. She’d been on her way to the bedroom to watch Mr. Mysterious. She let the dog out into the backyard and then went to her bedroom. The blinds were open next door, but he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and went back to the living room.

  She was half asleep on the couch a few minutes later when the dog scratched at the door. She opened the door and Mitty came inside. She had turned and was ready to close the door when a deep voice said “He’s beautiful.”

  Carlie turned and looked right into the eyes of her neighbor. He was standing at the fence that separated their yards, shirtless and barefoot. He had on a pair of faded jeans that hung low on his hips. The very edge of his boxers was peeking out. She had to swallow hard before she could speak.

  “Thank you. My friend’s husband said she couldn’t keep him so I got stuck with him. Well, not stuck with him exactly.” She trailed off, feeling like an idiot.

  He chuckled. “I know what you mean. It’s nice to have a companion sometimes. I know I certainly get lonely myself. You’re Carlie Cooper aren’t you? You own the cake shop downtown with Tanisha Landry.”

  Carlie licked her lips since they had suddenly gone dry. “I am. I don’t think I know who you are. Well, other than my neighbor that is.” She laughed, but it felt forced. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her palms were sweaty.

  “Connor Blakely. It’s nice to formally meet you Carlie.”

  “Yeah. You too.” Not knowing what else to say and suddenly wanting to escape back into her house since she had a terrible feeling that he knew she’d been watching him undress every night, she turned away from him.

  “Goodnight Carlie.”

  She didn’t turn. Her face felt like it was on fire. “Goodnight Connor.”

  When she was back inside and the door was locked behind her, Carlie breathed a sigh of relief. Then she laughed at herself for thinking that Connor knew she’d been watching him. Well, she mused as she headed to bed; at least she had a name to add to her fantasies now.

  Two weeks later she was standing beside her window at eleven o’clock at night. Mitty was asleep on the floor by the foot of her bed. She was glad that she didn’t have to work the next day. Caring for Mitty was beginning to feel like caring for a child. She walked him twice a day. While she knew the exercise was good for both of them, it sometimes felt like he was walking her.

  Connor appeared in front of his window. He was standing closer than usual. Carlie was more than a little disappointed. Granted, he usually turned away when he took his pants off, but she loved to look at his ass almost as much as she loved to look at his chest. He lingered by the window and was still standing there several minutes later when it finally dawned on Carlie what he was doing. His eyes were closed and with the movements of his arm, she suspected that he was pleasuring himself.

  She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and turned away. But she wasn’t halfway to her bed when she turned back. The movement of Connor’s arm was slow and steady. Any doubt in her mind of what he was doing quickly left. Carlie swallowed and stepped back slightly. As she watched him, she grew more and more turned on until she felt as if she couldn’t take it anymore. Finally, after watching him for what felt like an endless minute, she moved her hand into her panties.

  Her eyes drifted closed. She was close to orgasm when she heard the movement of Mitty behind her. She opened her eyes and realized that she’d moved closer to the window. She chanced a glance across her yard and found herself looking straight into Connor’s eyes. He gave her a slight smile. She removed her hand from between her legs and hastily shut her blinds. She was humiliated and was glad for the first time since Connor had moved in that he seemed to rarely leave his house.

  Carlie took a cold shower and then went to bed.

  The next morning she called Tanisha. “Hello.” Carlie thought that her friend still sounded half asleep.

  “I need to ask you a favor Nish.”

  Tanisha yawned. “Yep. You got it Car. Now let me go back to sleep. The kids were gone last night. Garth kept me up late. I still have three hours before Leela will be home. I plan to make good use of it.”

  “I’m sorry. When are your older kids coming home?”

  “This afternoon. Why?”

  “I need someone to walk Mitty for me today.”

  “He’s not that bad is he? I thought you were starting to enjoy having him around.”

  “I am. There’s another reason Nish. One that I’m way too embarrassed to tell you.”

  “Huh uh girl. You wake me up out of a dead sleep and then you tell me that you’re too embarrassed to tell me something. Are you forgetting who you’re talking to? We’ve been friends since kindergarten, when you ate glue and sniffed the fruit markers so much I swear you got high and I got paid by little boys when I let them look up my skirt. You had sex didn’t you? Oh Car, wasn’t it any good?”

  “It wasn’t that. I really can’t tell you Nish. You’ll laugh at me.”

  “I will not. I have four children. Believe me, sometimes when they get upset over really silly stuff I want to laugh at them. Not that it means I love them any less. I guess you’d have to be a mother to understand. Fess up. You’ll feel better after you tell me anyway.”

  Carlie sighed. “You know that guy that moved in next door to me?”

  “The hot one that never comes out in daylight? If I believed in vampires, I’d think he was one.”

  “He doesn’t come out after dark much either. I actually talked to him a while back. His name is Connor. He has this habit of undressing in front of his bedroom window. It’s right across from mine. He’s got such a nice body. I know that I shouldn’t look, but he stands there with the blinds open. He actually raises them before he undresses.”

  Tanisha laughed. “So he wants you to watch. Maybe he’s lonely too. Have you started undressing in front of your window Car? Did you catch him watching you?”

  “Not exactly. It’s worse than that.”

  “Spill it. I hope to be able to go back to sleep.”

  “Thanks Nish. He was standing in front of his window last night. He stood there for a really long time. After a while, I figured out that he was pleasuring himself.”

  “Damn. That’s kinda creepy but kinda hot too. So he caught you watching him jerk off?”

  “Did you have to say it like that? We’re not in high school anymore remember?”

  “It’s jerking off whether they’re thirteen or sixty. Did he catch you?”

  “Um, well I got really turned on and started to touch myself. I moved in front of the window without thinking about it. I opened my eyes and he was watching me. He smiled at me.”

  “Go get yourself a piece. He wants you, you want him. Simple as that. Walk Mitty your
self. Maybe you’ll run into him.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of Nish. It was humiliating.”

  “How was it humiliating? He knows that you’ve been watching him and he likes it. But he’s too shy to do anything about it. So he thought he’d push it a little further and see how you reacted. I’m thinking that your reaction was probably better than he’d hoped for.”

  “Why would he want me?”

  Tanisha let out a sigh that was full of frustration. “I love you Car, but sometimes when I talk to you, I feel like I’m talking to one of my kids. You’re not that big. You’ve always been much more attractive than you’ll admit. This guy has a thing for you. Admit it to yourself. Enjoy it. Take advantage of it. Go get laid and let me go back to sleep. And don’t ask me a question like that ever again or I’ll let Leela kick your ass.”

  Carlie laughed. “She’s five.”

  “My girl can kick some butt. She can take her brothers down.”

  “They’re twice her size.”

  “Yes they are. Now I’m going back to sleep. Go knock on Connor’s door and get yourself laid. Call me this afternoon and tell me about it. Then I’ll forgive you for waking me up.”

  “But Nish. . .”

  “No buts. Talk to you later Car.”

  Tanisha hung up. Carlie groaned as she hung up her phone. She couldn’t believe that she’d told Tanisha about what had happened the night before, let alone that her best friend seemed to think her problem had such a simple solution.

  She got dressed and took Mitty for a walk. She usually walked past Connor’s house, but that day she went in the opposite direction. She avoided her bedroom window like the plague and tried to pretend she didn’t have a neighbor.

  Tanisha teased her about Connor at work. She threatened to tell Garth about what had happened if she didn’t do something about what seemed to her to be an obvious mutual attraction, but finally shut up about it when Carlie begged her.