by Seton, Cora
“Charlie, this is Jesse Richter. His family lives next door.”
“Richter?” I repeated. We hadn’t gotten to last names the night before. I stared at Jesse, who just smiled. There was deep “ha-ha!” in his eyes, like Nelson from the Simpsons.
Neighbors. We were neighbors. Just perfect.
“Nice to meet you, Charlie,” Jesse said, his voice purring over me. Nice to meet me? Did that mean…? He hadn’t told them about the night before. He couldn’t have, or my dad would be going crazy. Yeah, I was nineteen and legally an adult, but my parents worried about me, and the truth was, after the years of me being with Brent as a child, I didn’t blame them. It had taken them over a year to stop me from pickpocketing the general population, but that didn’t mean I stopped conning people out of them. As Brent had said, pickpocketing was for amateurs. Charming the cash out of their wallet was an art form.
“Yeah, you too, Jesse.” I stepped over to my dad and sat down next to him. “You here visiting?”
“Yep. I’m on leave from San Diego.”
“Jesse here is a Navy SEAL.”
“Oh, really?” Oh, that was even better. He wasn’t just military. He was a damned SEAL. He really was a damn hero. Vaguely, I remembered the town all abuzz about how they had one of their own make it into the SEAL program. I’d just started going to public school then, as a junior in high school, and I hadn’t cared one whit about anyone else but me.
“He’s offered to help your mother with the porch.”
“Well, it’s my brothers and me, actually,” Jesse amended. “Mom had mentioned it had a few holes.”
Thanks to my brother, the porch had several holes where he’d played Thor when he was younger. And with that, an image of Jesse in a nice tight shirt wielding a hammer burst into my mind. Great. Now I was having the Thor fantasies.
“Oh, really?” I gave Jesse a suspicious glare. It was too inconvenient that I’d turned him down last night and suddenly he was here doing things for my parents. There was a mischievous grin on his face, or maybe I just interpreted it that way. “Why would he do that?”
“We’ve been friends with the Richters forever,” my dad said. He frowned at me, like I should have known that. And I did, kind of. But I’d only moved in with my foster parents six years ago, a scrawny fourteen year old who had a head full of cons and scams. I’d been too self-absorbed to think of much else at the time, like who my new parents were friends with. “Anyway, Jesse is home on leave for the next two weeks, and he said he needed something to do so he offered to help fix that porch.”
“If it’s not too much of an imposition, Mr. Morgan,” Jesse added.
“And refuse free labor? No, sir,” Dad replied. The phone rang in the other room. “I’ll get that. Charlie, why don’t you talk to Jesse for a bit?”
He didn’t wait for an answer, but Dad never did. So I was sitting in my living room, wearing a sweatshirt and mismatched yoga pants, with no makeup, in front of the guy that saved my hide the night before. Not that I’d let him know that was what he did.
“So…” Jesse nodded his head in that awkward fashion I’d only seen in movies.
“Do you always go around saving people?” I asked. “First me, now my porch.”
Jesse shrugged. “Actually, I’m here because my mother sent me.”
“Did you tell him?”
Jesse tilted his head in confusion.
“About last night? Did you tell him?”
“No. It’s not my story to tell.”
Relief didn’t begin to tell it. “Then what are you doing here?”
“Ma sent me over with that box of cookies. Also? Did not know you were the mayor’s daughter.” He seemed tickled pink that my dad was mayor. “I get why you’re a little apprehensive.”
I rolled my eyes. “Apprehensive doesn’t cover it.”
“So, why didn’t you tell them?” He asked. “Seems like being attacked in the middle of the night is something a family would want to know about.”
“I can’t.”
“I mean, that’s why the police are there. To help people who get knives pulled on them.”
“You don’t understand.” Jesse’s face had taken on an accusing and scary expression.
“Try me.”
“I’m not doing this,” I replied. “I know you mean well, but these are my parents. They saved me from a life on the streets, wondering what the next scam my fa—Brent—was going to pull.” I didn’t say that CPS had to come find me, drag me kicking and screaming from him, who simply waved goodbye and let them take me away. “I’m not going to tell them that some jerk is after my biological father and came after me. They’d lock me away for the rest of my life.”
“Well, Curtis is ex-police… and he’s the mayor… He could have connections you could use—”
“My dad is the last person I want to involve!” I hissed. Had Jesse moved closer? His knee was touching my thigh and I didn’t remember that happening before. “What are you doing here, really? I thought I made it clear I wasn’t interested last night.”
“I didn’t know this was your house, if that’s what you’re asking. We’re neighbors, how about that?” He grinned, showing off two rows of pearly white teeth. I wondered if he bleached. Or how my tongue would feel running over the surface of them.
Shit. Where did that thought come from?
His thigh was touching mine. Did he move? No, he was still sitting in the same spot, which meant I’d moved. Traitorous body. His right hand moved, resting on my right thigh so he was facing me on the couch. Was it hot in here? My body was burning up, feverish with want.
“I can’t believe I missed you all these years, that we’ve never seen each other before now. Sugar Falls isn’t that big.”
“I… Well, we didn’t live here until a couple years ago,” I whispered. Was I really explaining this? It was like I was having an out of body experience. I was watching us get closer and closer, and I couldn’t stop it from happening. Worse, I didn’t want to stop it from happening.
His hand slid up my thigh to my hip. I lost my breath.
“I… What are you doing?”
“Flirting. I thought that was obvious.” God, he was so damned close. What was I doing? I should have pushed him away. I should have yelled at him that he was being way inappropriate. But I couldn’t. Because I wanted it.
I swallowed. “This is not flirting. This is a full coming on.”
“I’m not coming on to you.”
I pressed my head back against the couch, but that might have been a mistake, because it exposed my neck. His lips touched my neck, sending an aroused shudder through my body. “This is definitely coming on. Your lips are on my neck.”
“Okay,” he agreed. He leaned in close, his mouth so close to mine. “Then I’m coming on to you. That kiss last night was not enough. You’re even sweeter the second time.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. My dad’s in the next room.”
“You’re driving me nuts,” he said. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I wanted you so bad I went to bed with blue balls last night.”
“That’s not my problem,” I said. I placed my hands on his chest to push him away but my resolve vanished as soon as I touched him. God, every inch of his body was hard. His chest was like granite, chiseled like a Greek statue beneath that t-shirt. He leaned in closer. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to kiss you, but I’m taking my time so you can push me away.” He paused over me, his eyes concentrated on mine. “Last chance, Chuckles.”
“Stop calling me that.” Before I knew what I’d done, I licked my lips.
He grinned. “Time’s up.” His lips crashed down on mine, strong and firm and oh, so warm. I stiffened at first, but the way his lips moved against mine, my body relaxed against his, melting into submission.
Goddamn, but that kiss was electrifying.
All too soon, he pulled away, and sat back on the couch. “So… how about
dinner?”
Stunned and out of breath, I stared at him, unable to speak. “Huh?”
“A date? I’ma take that as a ‘yes’, Chuckles.” He propped his left ankle on his right knee, looking so proud of himself and leaned back against the couch.
I touched my lips, and suddenly, anger bubbled inside. “What the fuck did you do that for?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been waiting to do that again since last night.”
“You’re a pig.”
“And you apparently kiss pigs.”
“Wha—” I didn’t get to finish that, because my dad came back in.
“Okay, that was your mother. She’s going to be a little late from work today.” He stopped and tilted his head at me. “You okay, Charlie?”
“What, me? I’m fine,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t just squeak like I thought it had.
“You just look a little… flushed. Are you sure you’re okay? You coming down with something?”
“It’s just… I just woke up. I’m… going to go… uh, get dressed.” I stood up, attempting to make my escape.
I made it to the stairway before my dad added, “Oh, good. I thought you and Jesse could take a look at the porch before it got hot since your mom won’t be home for hours yet. You could show him the problem areas.”
Oh, crap. “If you want, Dad,” I told him. I didn’t want to be alone with Jesse right then. I was whirling from the kiss, and dying to do something more. “I have to work tonight.”
“It’s just a few minutes. It’s not even ten yet,” Dad said. “I have to go to the office for a few hours to straighten out something with the police department.”
Ugh. Trapped.
“Fine,” I sighed out.
“Excellent,” Dad replied. “I’ll leave you to it.”
I glared at Jesse, sitting in quiet smugness while my dad left the room. Did he have telepathic powers? Did he secretly plant that idea in my dad’s head so he and I would have to be alone, far from prying eyes on the other side of the property? If so, he was an evil mastermind and I’d grossly underestimated him.
Chapter Five
Jesse
‡
Charlie all but pushed me out of her house as soon as her father left the room. She opened the door and shoved me through, slamming the door shut behind us.
“Thanks for coming by. You can go now.”
Here’s where it got fuzzy for me. I didn’t get why she should be upset at all. It wasn’t like I knew she was my neighbor when I kissed her. Actually, hitting on my neighbor was way down on the list of priorities. Of course, I supposed she wasn’t actually my neighbor. I didn’t live here. She was my parents’ neighbor.
Ugh. Because that made it better. Not.
“What’s your problem?” I asked. I’d never been so affected by a girl before. It wasn’t even sex, though I wouldn’t have refused her. Even that fact, that I wanted her like that, was something incredible. I hadn’t wanted to be with anyone like that in forever.
“You’re my problem, at the moment,” she replied. “You come over here, all flirty and shit, and then you kiss me while my dad’s right there!”
She was so gorgeous, and feisty, and everything I’d ever wanted in a girl. Or thought I’d wanted.
“You liked it.”
She growled. Like really growled. “It doesn’t matter if I liked it or not—”
“But you did.”
“Would you shut up? I liked you better when you were all shy and silent.”
Girls were always this weird other gender I didn’t understand and didn’t try to. At Thirteen, I hung out a lot with Dylan, who had always been after the females, but I’d never been an active participant in it. It wasn’t who I was. I couldn’t be with girl after girl like that. I knew what I wanted, and I was going to get that or nothing else. But Charlie didn’t fit that mold either, so what was going on in my head?
“You are immensely entertaining,” I told her.
She stamped her foot and grunted. “I hate you.”
When I’d considered who would be my perfect Other, I’d imagined blonde, and quiet, and someone who was as driven in their goals as I was. Not this beige-skinned creature who was probably more trouble than I’d considered. And yet, she was pretty much perfect for me.
I turned around, and met her deep mocha-colored eyes. Slowly, I took steps back toward her. She tensed, but didn’t back away. “Come have dinner with me.”
“No.” The word wasn’t convincing. She crossed her arms, hugging herself.
I pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Please?”
She made a half-hearted attempt to push me away, but she stopped as soon as her palms made contact with my chest. “I don’t do relationships, Jesse. I can’t.”
I assumed it had something to do with her upbringing. I imagined being in that position, always moving, and then being taken away from what you knew… Surely she was as skittish of actually being intimate with someone as I was.
Which made me start thinking of the way I was acting. I’d been thinking about what my body wanted, what I wanted to do with her, but I hadn’t thought about her at all. I liked you better when you were all shy and silent. That was what she’d said. I was being aggressive in a way that was almost uncharacteristic to me.
I let her go. “Sorry.”
A couple of silent beats passed. Finally, she cleared her throat. “Look, Jesse, I know that you’re probably a nice guy. I just… I don’t want to date anyone right now.”
“Have something against military guys?” That wouldn’t be the first time I’d come across that. Some people couldn’t handle a military life. It was too nomadic, too unpredictable. Me, it was exactly what I’d needed.
“I’m not a nice girl,” she replied. “You’re a good guy, and you deserve a nice girl.”
I touched my fingertips to her chin and pushed up, so her eyes rested on mine. “I’m just asking for dinner. Not marriage.”
“And you’re leaving after Christmas. Back to San Diego, right?”
“You’ve been checking up on me.” I grinned.
“What?”
“I didn’t tell you that. You’ve been asking about me.”
“No, actually. Jason and Kyle said you were in from San Diego last night. I put two and two together.”
I ignored the wave of disappointment that ran through me. I’d forgotten that.
“So, what? What harm will a little dinner do?”
She pulled away from me, and stepped backward until she hit the door handle.
I stepped close, intentionally crowding her until our lips were inches apart again. What was it about her? I couldn’t stop wanting to taste her. “I’m giving you another warning.”
“Warning?”
“That I’m going to kiss you again.” Her eyes widened. I swooped in and reveled in the electricity that flowed between us. I’d kissed lots of girls in the past, even if I’d never took any of them home with me. None of them affected me quite like Charlie did. Her soft lips parted and I darted my tongue inside her mouth. My tongue slid along hers, and my mind translated that into our bodies sliding along each other’s, slick and hot. I moaned into her mouth, my dick responding to the new stimulation, even if it was just mental.
Slowly, we parted. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly apart and kiss-swollen. I brushed a loose strand of her hair from her face lightly. “So…” I whispered, my lips mere centimeters from hers, and my palm cupping her cheek. “How do you feel about Chinese?”
She sighed, but it was more contentment escaping her. Inside, I wanted to jump up and down with satisfaction and elation. I won, I knew it.
“Tomorrow? Seven?” I prompted, waiting for her answer. Long moments of quiet passed between us. She didn’t move, or reply.
“Charlie!” The shrill sound of a prepubescent boy broke the quiet we’d enjoyed. We jumped apart. “Where are you?”
She sighed again, but this time it was annoyance. “Dam
n it. What, Damien?”
The door behind her opened, which she apparently was expecting because she didn’t even stumble with the open door behind her. A young boy, too small for the length of his arms and legs stepped out. “Oh, didn’t know you had a boyfriend here.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Charlie rolled her eyes. “What’s your problem?”
“Oh, nothing. Just, Dad needed to see you.”
“Fine. I’ll be in in a minute, okay?”
“Okay,” Damien replied. He shot a look at me, and it was a cross between “wow, dude…” and “asshole, that’s my sister!” I couldn’t tell which way he was leaning. “Are you going to bang my sister?”
Charlie whipped around to face her brother. “Damien, you little turd!” He laughed and ran inside the house. She growled her frustration and turned back to face me. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I was kinda wondering that, too.”
“We just met,” she replied. “I didn’t even agree to dinner yet.”
“Yet? So… you’re going to?”
She glanced back at the house. “My life is a little complicated for dating right now.”
“It’s just dinner, Chuckles.”
She groaned. “Really? You latched on to that name?”
“Yep.” I grinned. “It’s cute.”
“Yes, because cute is what I was going for.” She rolled her eyes. “I gotta go.” She turned to leave, but I grabbed her hand.
“You didn’t answer me.”
She glanced back at me. “I can’t. I’m sorry, but dating just isn’t what I had in mind right now. I just… I can’t.”
“Okay,” I tried not to sound disappointed, but I really was. I liked her, even what little I’d seen of her.
“You wouldn’t try so hard if you knew me at all,” she added.
“Try me.”
She sighed and pulled her hand back. I let her go, because it was obvious she was done. “Goodbye, Jesse.”
And then she was gone, and I was left alone on the porch. She could try to avoid it all she wanted, but I could tell she was attracted to me, maybe even liked me. There was something holding her back, and if I could discover that, then maybe I could convince her to give me a try.