*
Reaching out, Austin grabbed Tracey’s hand as she jumped from the bed. Every time was the same, and it was starting to wear on his nerves. Yes, she was one of the greatest lovers he had ever known, but afterward she was also quicker to dart than anyone he’d ever seen. He couldn’t remember the last time they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms or spent quality time talking.
“Where are you going? Why the rush?” he asked.
Removing her hand from his, she walked around the room, picking up her clothes from the floor. Sliding into her skirt, she looked over at Austin as he lay on the bed, a frown stretching across his face.
“Please don’t start this again, Austin. You know how busy I am. The caterers will be at the Johnson’s in one hour to set up for the wedding reception, and I still have to round up more staff since two called in sick. These clients are very important to me. You know that.”
Falling back onto the bed, he ran his fingers through his hair as he watched her finish dressing. It was useless to have this conversation. It was the same one he had been trying to finish for four months now.
“You’re always busy doing something,” he remarked.
After slipping on her shoes, she walked over to the bed and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the mouth.
“I promise, after this wedding is over we’ll take off somewhere, just the two of us. We’ll hole up in some cabin and spend a couple of days doing nothing but having unadulterated sex like a couple of heathens,” she said with a gleam in her eyes.
Sitting up on the side of the bed, Austin pulled her into his arms. Resting his cheek against her stomach, he caressed her back and hips, pulling her close.
“What about after that? Will you stay in bed with me all day? No cell phones. No e-mails. No client talk. Just us?”
With a roll of her eyes, Tracey pulled away from his embrace and leaned over to kiss the top of his head.
“Yes, I promise. Now, I’ve got to get going. I’ll come over tomorrow night and we’ll talk more about it. I’ll even stay the night if you want me to.”
Letting his arms fall to his sides, he nodded and watched helplessly as she picked up her purse from the dresser and walked out the door. He could hear her heels clicking against the hardwood floor as she made her way downstairs. The front door opened and closed. And just like that, she was gone…again.
Chapter Two
The following night, Kristen woke, startled. As her heart raced, she sat upright in bed and quickly scanned the empty room as moonlight streamed through the window. After listening closely for the voices she could’ve sworn she heard, she realized it must have been a dream. There was nothing, just silence.
No. Wait. There it was again, only this time it was louder. Frightened, she sprang from the bed and rushed over to the window. It was still opened halfway and she pulled back the curtains.
The light from Austin’s bedroom was blinding and she squinted as she stumbled backward. It was evident where the voices were coming from and she drew in a breath. They were at it again. Good grief, did these people ever rest?
At first she considered closing the window and going back to bed, but something kept her there just as it had the day before. As much as she hated to admit it, watching them was addictive. Knowing she couldn’t be seen from the dark confines of her bedroom, she remained where she was. Much to her surprise, Austin lay naked, bound to the bed by his wrists and ankles. Focusing on the restraints, she determined they were neckties.
The woman was also nude, except for her red panties, which were pulled to the side as she hovered above his face. The heels of her black stilettos dug into the mattress as she moved back and forth over him. She grasped the headboard tightly and rolled her head from side to side as if in a trance.
“Oh, Austin. That feels so good, baby. Yes. Oh yes!” she moaned.
Kristen felt her loins tighten and release as if it were she riding his tongue instead. Her gaze traveled downward to his cock, fully erect and huge. Her mouth watered once more at the thought of tasting him.
The woman moved quickly, her cries of passion steadily climbing, and Kristen braced herself for what she knew was coming.
“Oh…oh…fuck! Yes!” the woman screamed as her body began to tremble. She continued to grip the headboard for several seconds. Kristen’s pulse raced as the woman slid back on her hands and knees toward his cock. She had a perfect view of her pussy. Closing her eyes briefly, she could almost taste her and it made her ache. It had been a long time since she’d been with another woman. What she wouldn’t give to be able to slide her tongue between those beautiful wet lips the way Austin had just done.
The woman reached behind her, pulled her panties roughly to the side, and guided his cock into her wetness. The massive crown of his cock disappeared inside the swollen folds and she leaned back until she had taken him all inside.
Austin tore wildly at the restraints, his moans resonating in the small distance between them. By the way she threw her head back and laughed each time he struggled, Kristen could tell the woman obviously loved being in control.
“Tell me what you want, baby!” She rocked slowly, painstakingly, back and forth on his cock. “Tell me!”
Austin’s voice was low and almost a whisper. She couldn’t tell if he was speaking or moaning.
“Louder! I want to hear you yell! If you want me to fuck you hard, then tell me!” she bellowed.
Kristen flinched.
“FUCK ME! FUCK ME HARD!” he screamed, pulling at the ties that bound him.
Obviously it was all she needed to hear as she began to ride his cock like a woman possessed. The bed shook and bounced as she rose almost completely off his cock and slammed herself back down on top of it repeatedly. Kristen marveled at the way the small blonde could take the enormity of him so ferociously.
After several minutes, she began to wonder how much longer the woman could continue to ride him before giving out completely, but just then Austin came in one loud yell that shook the window and startled her.
Once his body stopped shaking, the woman removed herself from him and untied his restraints. Kristen expected the woman to collapse from exhaustion by his side, but instead she leaped from the bed again.
Taking it as her cue, Kristen walked back to her bed. Her body still reeled from the previous night she had spent in Sam’s arms, but seeing the couple next door made her ache all over again. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to sleep.
*
“I thought you were going to spend the night,” Austin said, disheartened, as Tracey began dressing.
Looking around for her shirt, she gave him a sideways glance before looking up at the ceiling and groaning.
“Here we go again,” she remarked. “I told you I have an earlier day than I expected tomorrow. I have a client to meet first thing in the morning, and I can’t be rushing from your house to my house to get ready before I head to work.”
Frustrated, Austin got up from the bed and put on his robe. He’d had enough, and he wasn’t about to put it off any longer.
“I can’t do this any more, Tracey.”
Rolling her eyes, she got on her knees and looked under the bed for her pants. “You can’t do what?”
Throwing his hands up in the air, he tried to remain calm, which was harder to do than he expected.
“This! I can’t keep doing this! The only time I see you anymore is when I’m fucking you. That’s all it is, too. I don’t remember the last time we had a normal conversation when you weren’t trying to claw my skin off.”
Slipping on her pants, Tracey gave him a bewildered expression.
“I’ve never heard you complain before.”
Walking over to her, Austin tried to take her in his arms, but she continued moving around the room, gathering her things.
“I’m not complaining about the sex. You’re an amazing lover, Tracey. I tell you that all the time. Sometimes though, I wonder if we would have anything to talk about if
it wasn’t for the sex.”
Smirking, she looked at him again, bemused.
“You sound like a woman. So I enjoy the sex more than the snuggling. Does that make me a horrible person? Honestly, this is one conversation I can’t believe we’re having. It seems very backward if you ask me.”
Resting his hands on his hips, he took a few deep breaths as she finished dressing. As usual, she had turned things completely around.
Coming to stand in front of him, she tried to look into his eyes, but he kept his head down. Annoyed, she turned and walked toward the door.
“We’ll talk about this more tomorrow,” she said.
Finally looking up, his gaze determined, he shook his head defiantly.
“No, we won’t. I’m done. It’s best that this ends right now.”
Stopping and turning on her heel sharply, she glared at him.
“Are you kidding me?” she exclaimed.
Noticing the unwavering expression on his face, she laughed under her breath and shrugged her shoulders.
“Whatever. If that’s the way you want it. Goodbye, Austin.”
As he watched her leave for the final time, he expelled a long breath. Honestly, he was glad it was over, but still he was saddened it had to come about in such a way. He had hoped they could at least remain friends, if nothing else. Walking over to the window, he placed his hands on each side of it, and gazed longingly across the side yard.
He had been awakened the previous night by noises coming from his next-door neighbor’s house. He had seen the striking brunette disappear inside the house earlier that evening with a tall, stocky gentleman. Both of them had been laughing and carrying on, unaware of anyone else who might be listening or watching.
A couple of hours later he had been reading in his bedroom when he overheard the obvious sounds of lovemaking coming from her bedroom window. Her curtains had been closed so he hadn’t seen anything, but he had laughed when he noticed her window opened halfway. She obviously must have forgotten about it. Opening his own window, he’d sat on the floor and continued eavesdropping, even though he knew he shouldn’t have. It had been late at night, so he doubted anyone else had heard them as the neighborhood slept.
He was instantly struck by the beautiful sound of her voice when she moaned. It was tantalizing. For over an hour, his cock throbbed and his stomach muscles twitched each time he heard her cry out. It was nothing like Tracey’s loud and obnoxious yelling. This was the sound of a woman deep in the throes of passion, intent on giving and receiving completely.
He hadn’t heard anything like it since before he met Tracey, and he missed it. Lost in thought, the sound of his neighbor’s phone ringing had startled him. Listening more closely, he gathered from bits and pieces of her conversation with the caller that it concerned work. Having learned from several of their neighbors that she was a hard-nosed newspaper reporter, he wasn’t surprised when he overheard her telling her companion that she had to leave to follow up on a tip for a story.
Several minutes later he caught a glimpse of the two of them outside on the sidewalk where they held each other and kissed one last time before getting into separate vehicles and leaving.
Closing the curtain, Austin had sighed deeply as he walked back to the bed, which suddenly loomed bigger…and emptier…than ever before.
*
Late the following Wednesday afternoon Kristen was busy multitasking when the doorbell rang. Her cell phone pressed haphazardly between her shoulder and ear, she tried to listen to her boss while steadily typing on her computer. With her deadline approaching, every spare moment she had was spent either typing or researching information for her upcoming article. Lost in thought, she first thought she might have been hearing things, but the second chime rang loud and clear down the long hallway to her office.
Who could that be? She made her way to the front door. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Squinting, she peered through the thin curtain on the door window and froze. There, just a few inches away on the other side of the door, was Austin.
What could he possibly want?
“Mr. Clayton, I’ll have to call you back. Someone’s at my front door,” she said quickly before closing her cell phone and shoving it inside her jeans pocket.
Her first thought was Austin might have caught her spying and had come to confront her about it. Suddenly immobile, she first considered acting as though she wasn’t home, but she knew that wouldn’t get her very far, especially with her car sitting in the driveway.
Catching a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror, she fluffed her hair, pinched her cheeks for some color, and straightened her clothes before opening the door.
All thoughts of keeping her composure flew out the window the second he smiled. He looked as if he’d just walked out of the shower. His hair was still slightly damp and he smelled good. Damn good.
His jeans and T-shirt were faded and worn, and his work boots looked as though they’d seen better days. He looked comfortable, adorable and downright sexy. Knowing what was underneath the rugged exterior made the heat rise in her neck and cheeks.
“Hello. Kristen, right?”
Once Austin removed his sunglasses, she was taken by surprise when she gazed into the most mesmerizing hazel eyes she had ever seen. Cursing her suddenly weak knees, she finally smiled, and forced all thoughts of him and the gorgeous blonde to the back of her mind.
“Yes, I’m Kristen. Can I help you?”
“I received these two magazines in the mail today and they belong to Mrs. Lorna. I called the forwarding number she gave me when she moved out, and she told me I should give them to you. Something about how the two of you used to exchange magazines when she lived next door.”
She smiled at the mention of the elderly woman’s name. They’d been next-door neighbors for many years until Mrs. Lorna’s husband passed away in the spring and she decided to move closer to her daughter in Atlanta.
They both shared a love of reading and they had spent many mornings sitting across Mrs. Lorna’s kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking about books and such before Kristen left for work. Whenever Mrs. Lorna finished reading one of her many magazines, she would always save it for Kristen to enjoy.
“No sense in you buying them when I have more than I know what to do with,” she would always say. Kristen sighed. She truly missed her company the past couple of months. They still spoke on the phone a few times a week, but it was no replacement for her presence.
“Thank you. I’d forgotten about these.”
She took the magazines from his outstretched hand. When her fingers accidentally grazed his, a shiver raced up her spine and she tried unsuccessfully to shake it off. If he noticed her discomfort, though, he made no mention of it. Instantly she scolded herself for acting like a silly schoolgirl.
“Oh, Mrs. Lorna also mentioned something to me about you having air conditioner trouble. I work in construction so I know a good bit about it if you’d like for me to take a look at it. I’d be happy to.”
Slightly taken aback, she gave him a quizzical look.
“It sounds as if our friend has told you a lot about me.”
He laughed, which made her smile, even though she was still wary of what information Mrs. Lorna might have shared about her.
“All good things, I promise,” he replied, his hand over his heart to seal his conviction. “Would you like me to take a peek at your air conditioning unit? Really, I don’t mind at all.”
She hesitated momentarily before stepping to the side so he could come in. When he walked by, the faint scent of his cologne made her hands start shaking and she gripped the magazines tighter to control herself.
“Right this way.” She led him to the opposite end of the hallway and into the laundry room on the left. “I’ve had it turned off since yesterday.”
Opening the closet door that housed the air conditioning unit, she stepped back so he could inspect it. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I could call a repairman if it’s too m
uch trouble. I’m sure you must stay busy with your job and all.”
He removed the front panel of the unit, set it on the floor, and gave her a lopsided grin.
“You shouldn’t have to fork over a lot of money for something that might be an easy fix. I won’t charge you anything. That is, if you’ll agree to come by my house sometime for coffee,” he said with a wink.
Not knowing whether to be appalled or aroused, she gave him a questioning look while fumbling for the right words to say.
“I don’t think your girlfriend would care for that too much.”
He leaned in closer and whispered, “You mean the woman you saw through my bedroom window?”
The minute the words rolled off his tempting lips, she gasped and her whole body flushed from embarrassment. She’d never been as mortified as at this moment.
“I…I didn’t mean to…” she faltered.
The fact that he seemed to revel in her discomfort didn’t help matters any. She couldn’t even bear to look in his eyes, and he seemed to take the most enjoyment from that. It was annoying.
“It’s okay. Really.” He snickered under his breath. “I’m going to the truck to get some tools. I’ll be right back. Oh, and by the way, she’s not my girlfriend anymore. Just so you know.”
As soon as he walked out the front door, Kristen looked around for something to kick. Hard. How could she have been so stupid? She should have known he would catch her spying. It was apparent it didn’t bother him one bit, which agitated her even more. Hearing his footsteps, she took one last deep breath. However, when he entered the room with his toolbox he never once looked her in the eye.
Kristin’s cell phone rang, startling her. Digging it out of her pocket, she looked quickly at the phone number. It was her boss…again. Frustrated, she shoved it back in her pocket without answering it. He would just have to wait. Taking a flashlight from the box, Austin fumbled around with the air conditioning unit while she looked on from behind him. She had no idea what he was doing or what he was looking for, but she had to do something to keep her mind occupied.
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