Right Next Door

by A. J. Pryor

  She smiles.

  I can’t help but smile in return.

  She begins to walk away but looks back and catches me still standing there, my eyes firmly planted on her perfectly round ass. She’s tiny, maybe five foot two, and her dark brown hair, so dark it is almost black, is pulled up away from her face exposing the fine white skin on her neck. She’s got these green eyes the color of emeralds that are intoxicating. And her tits, damn, her tits would fit in the palm of my hand. I could sleep with those babies cradled between my fingers all night long.

  I wonder who the Calvin Klein wanna-be she left with last night was. That second glance she just shot my way tells me he didn’t show her much of a good time.

  Not that I had a stellar night, either. Moving out of the run down piece of shit home I shared with my best friend Harry Reed for the past six years was tougher than I expected. I should have moved out two years ago, but I had no reason to be on my own and prove myself to the world. Now gearing up for my twenty-ninth birthday, it’s time to grow up. Not normally a sentimental guy, I couldn’t help but feel a little melancholy at the idea of leaving the dude who’s seen me through some of my toughest moments. Heading to the bar and throwing back a few after all the boxes were packed and ready to go probably wasn’t my brightest idea.

  Until I noticed her.

  This tiny green-eyed beauty had been drinking out of beer bottle all night. Her lips encased around the rim of the glass, her eyes alive and content as she took in her surroundings. She’d instantly grabbed my attention. Standing mere inches away, I was about to approach her when some jackass with perfectly styled hair wearing a designer suit walked in. Her entire face changed, transforming from one of complete calmness to one of total disbelief, like the man had risen from the dead.

  But that was yesterday. Today she’s standing right in front of me, and for the second time in twenty-four hours, she’s caught my interest. Unstrapping my iPod from my arm, I pocket it and move in her direction.

  “Hey, wait up, I’ll walk with you.” For the past six years, my life has had some crazy highs and some bottomless lows. Watching her lips begin to curl up as I near her, I can’t help but grin in return, feeling a sense of calm settling over me and wondering what it is about her that’s drawing me in.

  “Where you headed?” I run up to her.

  “Just down the road.” She points in the direction of my house.

  “Me too.” She continues to smile and begins to walk. I take that as an invitation to walk beside her. I’m at least a foot taller and have to slow my stride so she can keep up. “New in town?”

  Her eyes widen. “Um no, I’ve lived here my whole life.”

  “Lucky girl.” My fingers tap my thigh continuously, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her, find out if her skin is as soft as it looks. I knew last night she was a local; it was obvious the way she and her friends were laughing at all the people who’d come back for a few nights of debauchery for UCSB alumni weekend.

  She sweeps her bangs away from her forehead, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, her dark lashes blinking and her pace slowing.

  Her smile fades a little. “Not really, just . . . circumstance.”

  Damn, I want to see that sweet smile back on her pretty face, but I’m also dying to know why she doesn’t think growing up in a beautiful seaside town wasn’t the greatest hand dealt to her in life.

  “Well, let’s hope your luck’s about to change now that you’ve met me.”

  Her face lifts with a sudden smile, and she begins laughing. “That may be one of the cheesiest lines I’ve ever heard.”

  “Hey, at least I’m honest.” I know I’m grinning from ear to ear, and I begin to walk backward so I can get a better look at her while we talk. Her smile vanishes, and her delicate, dark eyebrows instantly furrow in thought, until she realizes I’m right in front of her.

  “You’re going to trip,” she chides, “and I’m not big enough to catch you.”

  Her casual demeanor is back and she’s right. I am going to trip because I can’t focus on anything but her enticing lips.

  I stop abruptly, and she walks right into me. My arms circle her, keeping her steady as she gets her balance. She’s laughing. It’s coming from deep in her belly, and her whole body is shaking as she lets me hold her close, her forehead resting on my chest, my body feeling a slight jolt.

  “Why did you stop?” Her voice vibrates through me, and I gently tighten my arms around her.

  “Because, this is my street.” I’m rocking her back and forth in my arms, my bare chest lighting up with the feel of her so close to me. She’s not pulling away and it feels . . . natural.

  Pushing back on me slightly she scans where we are. Her eyes widen in surprise. “How did we get here so fast?”

  I shrug. “You were so busy checking out my abs you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings. Lucky for you, I knew where I was going.”

  Glaring at me, her arms across her chest, I can’t help but watch the way her breasts are pushed up higher by her arm placement. “I was not checking out your abs, boob boy.”

  “What the hell is that name for?” I can’t hide the amusement in my voice.

  “It means that my face is up here, not on my chest where your eyes keep wandering.” Her hand is moving around her breasts and for the moment, she’s right, I am staring at her chest because she has really nice breasts. But, that’s not what I’ve been staring at this entire walk home.

  Stepping into her personal space, I stop her flailing arms and immediately grab her attention. “While your tits are definitely worthy of a little gawking, it’s your mouth I’ve been infatuated with since the moment you wrapped it around that Corona bottle last night.”

  She visibly swallows, and I take another step closer, her face tilting up to look into my eyes. “And you were checking out my abs.” Watching her eyes fill with panic, I step back, and her shoulders relax at the distance I’ve placed between us. Interesting, I make her uncomfortable. Maybe it has to do with that douche she was with last night.

  Looking down the street, I’m wondering which building she could possibly live in, and hoping it’s at least across the street from mine. “Show me where you live so I know where to stalk you.”

  She continues to stand on the sidewalk and stare at me.

  “It was a joke. I’m not going to stalk you.” Well, maybe a little, I think.

  A sad look fills her eyes as a weak smile crosses her lips. Either this girl has a mood disorder or she hit her head harder than I thought. I’m about to ask if she’s okay, when she shakes off whatever demon she’d been thinking about and crosses the street.

  Stopping right in front of my new building, she turns and places her hands on her hips. I think I’m about to get a lecture when instead she shocks me with her next statement. “This is my stop.”

  Well fuck. This scenario can play out just one of two ways, and I’m not sure I like either one of them.

  I smile and look up at the place that is now my home. “We’re neighbors.”

  She nods and I get the feeling this is something she already knew. “Yep. Right. Next. Door.” She flashes a brilliant smile that settles somewhere deep in my chest. “I’ve lived here five years, and I kind of figured you must be the new guy in apartment 2B.”

  Apartment 2B. I find it odd that our apartments have a number and a letter to mark them. I’m tempted to ask, but she keeps talking, and I’m really into watching her lips move.

  “If you don’t have plans later today, I’m cooking dinner for a few friends. You’re welcome to join us.”

  Perfect. “What ti—”

  “Damian!” Reed is standing on the landing outside my front door. “Dude we’re late, and we need to get your car.”

  Fucking Reed. His red hair is a wild mess and his blue eyes are clearly laughing at me, with the knowledge he just ruined my game.

  If I wanted Reed to die, the look I shot him would have done the trick. His l
ips turn up in a mocking smile, his eyes land on Addison, and that smile turns into mischief.

  “Reed, this is my neighbor, Addison Peacock. Addison, this is my idiot friend, Harry Reed.”

  “Hey, sorry dude. Don’t mean to piss on your rainbow, but we’ve gotta go. If you want to be at Emily’s before lunch, you best put a fire under your ass.” He turns his attention on Addison and starts to walk down the stairs. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I don’t live here, but I’ll be crashing on the couch a lot. So if you need anything, new neighbor, don’t be afraid to ask.”

  Addison can’t hold in her laugh as I smack the asshole in the head. “Give me five and we can go.” I turn my attention back to her. “I’ll have to take a rain check on that dinner and don’t worry, I won’t invite the redhead.”

  “Who’s Emily?” It’s an innocent enough question, and I can sense her disappointment that I’m not staying.

  “She’s a friend.”

  She doesn’t push for more, despite the curious look in her eye.

  We walk up the stairs together and part ways at the top. I’m walking into my apartment when she stops me.

  “Hey Damian.” I turn, drawn to the sound of her soft voice. “Welcome to the building.” A smile crosses my face as she disappears behind her front door.

  “Let’s hear about the chick.” Reed is driving his beat up monster truck to College Hospital where I left my 4Runner.

  “She’s my neighbor.” The gas stations and diners on the side of the road blur by as we make our way north.

  “That’s all you’re giving me?” Reed looks at me incredulously.

  ”Not much to say. I barely know her.”

  Shifting my focus on Reed, he’s working his mouth back and forth contemplating something.

  “Spit it out.”

  He shrugs.

  “Don’t shrug. What’s on your mind?” I ask.

  “She’s hot.”

  I belt out a laugh. “Why are you pointing out the obvious?”

  “Because you seem interested, and it’s been a long time since a woman’s caught your attention.”

  I look out the window. “Like you said, she’s hot. It’s impossible not to notice. But she’s not really my type.”

  He taps the steering wheel with his thumb. “Right, like I believe that one. Just watch yourself; you tend to get caught up in the moment when your dick is doing the thinking for you.”

  I flip my head in his direction. “Shit, Reed. I’m not some hopeless romantic.”

  “No, you’re not. But you’re also blind when it comes to a nice piece of ass. Samantha Martin? Ashley Woodsmoke? Carrie Sanders? Robi—”

  “Stop, I get it. We’re neighbors, that’s all.”

  We drive into the parking lot, and I pull my beanie over my head. I hadn’t planned on getting involved with anyone right now, but recent events have made me take a hard look at the life I’ve lived. I almost died six years ago in an accident that could have been prevented. And while the accident stole my soccer career, my heart, and almost everything else important to me, I still haven’t lived a life I can be proud of. Addison is no doubt a beautiful woman, and she has definitely caught my attention. But if going home with men who look like they stepped off the pages of a designer magazine is her idea of a good time, neighbors is all we’ll ever be. My life is complicated, I don’t do casual, and I don’t play games. I won’t be giving myself away piece by piece. When I find the right woman, it’s going to be all or nothing.

  “You’d do him?” Paige is staring across my balcony to Damian’s, taking in the items that litter the small space. A few T-shirts are hanging out to dry, there is a soccer ball and a pair of cleats, and an unused surfboard lies in the corner. An abandoned coffee cup with a half-naked girl dancing on a pole decorating the white ceramic sits on the outside table. Typical male.

  “Paige, is sex the only thing you think about?” Mia asks.

  I’m on my balcony with my two best friends as I re-hash my Matt fiasco and hopefully get a glimpse of my sexy new neighbor. So far, he hasn’t made an appearance since he dropped me at my door last night.

  “Mia, get with the program. Addy needs to rid her memory of all things Matt, banish him permanently. A sexy new neighbor may be the perfect answer.”

  Mia pushes her glasses further up on her nose and scowls.

  I’m enjoying this. Sitting back and watching my friends duke it out over what’s best for me. I love that they care so much, but really, I’m not a charity case.

  “His name’s Damian Walker.” I take a sip of my own coffee as we eat breakfast and enjoy the view of the ocean in front of us. They had both cancelled on me last night, and I was left hashing out my Matt disaster on my own. That’s never a good scenario.

  Luckily, I had the mental image of Damian’s body to distract my mind from obsessing about how I was going to spend the next five years extracting Matt from my memory. There’s no question, someone like Damian would do miracles for erasing ex-boyfriends, but dipping my toes in that water would only complicate my life further. While having a casual fling with my sexy neighbor would be a great addition to check off my bucket list, it’s not the best idea for keeping up neighborly relations.

  Well, maybe it is, but not the type of long term relations I’m looking for.

  The fact that my mind had been vividly running through every detail of Damian’s bare chest since yesterday morning is a small fact I’d like to keep to myself. I had absolutely been checking out his abs and his sweaty body. He’s built, really freaking built, with the abs of a warrior. I hadn’t noticed at first, but he has a scar that trails the length of his torso, from his armpit down to his hip. It’s blended into his skin and must have been there a while, but it makes him look fiercer, sexier, and I want to touch it, somehow soothe the jagged marks on his skin.

  He has a small amount of dark hair on his chest, a real man, not some metro sexual who likes to get his nails done. No, Damian Walker is all male, with flexing muscles, dark olive skin, and a sexy as sin grin that had my panties melting right off my body. But he’s also my neighbor and needs to stay in the look-don’t-touch category.

  “Hey.”

  The deep masculine voice catches me off guard, and I look around for the owner until my eyes land on the abs I’d spent the night dreaming about. “Hi.”

  Damian is standing on his balcony, and as luck would have it, our balconies are adjoined with a small iron railing separating them.

  He’s sporting that grin, the one that lights up his dark eyes and has me grinning in return. Those dark eyes dart to my coffee mug, and suddenly, he’s tilting his head in confusion. “What’s on your mug?”

  I’m perplexed for a moment until I realize the coffee cup I chose this morning might shock and horrify my new neighbor. It’s pink, well flesh color really, the handle is thick, and curves up to the rim of the cup, the top looking very much like the phallic symbol that it is. “It’s um . . . it’s a penis.”

  Getting a closer look, his eyes squint, and his nostrils slightly flare. “I guess I could have figured that out on my own.”

  “Yeah. My dad owned a collection of the world’s most inappropriate coffee mugs.” Scratching the back of my head in a somewhat horrified wonder, I continue to try and grasp for a reason why a sane woman would be drinking coffee out of a penis-shaped mug. “Luckily for me, I inherited them when he died. I’m so used to them I don’t pay attention to which one I grab anymore.”

  “I’m sorry.” His grin is gone, and he’s looking intently into my eyes, it’s slightly intimidating.

  “Oh, it’s fine. The mugs really don’t bother me.”

  Shaking his head and gently laughing, he continues to hold my stare. “I was talking about your dad. I’m sorry he passed away.”

  All humor is gone. I’m sorry he passed away too, but after the weekend I just had, discussing the devastating loss of my father is not high on my agenda. Nodding at his genuine sympathy, I quickly change the subject.r />
  “These are my friends, Mia Sanders and Paige Donahue. Guys, this is my new neighbor, Damian.”

  Paige throws her long blonde hair over her shoulder and stands, shaking his hand. She eyes him curiously . . . slowly, up and down her eyes travel. She turns and gives me a thumbs-up. “Yep, he’s what I’m talking about.”

  Kill. Me. Now.

  He flashes a knowing grin as his eyes stay locked on mine. Heat begins to crawl up my neck and into my cheeks. Throwing a towel over his shoulder, he pulls a phone from the pocket in his running shorts. “Addison, give me your cell.”

  “My phone?” Why would he need my phone?

  Paige rolls her eyes and grabs my phone off the glass table handing it to him. I’m watching him—we’re all watching him as he begins to play with the screen on my cell. His phone starts to ring. Just as quickly, it stops, and he holds mine out to me.

  Slowly, I lift my hand and begin to reach for it, our fingers connecting for a brief moment, his thumb sliding gently over mine.

  But that’s all it takes for my mind to want more.

  It’s a slight touch, almost an accident, but there’s no mistaking the lingering caress as his hand slips away from mine.

  My breath catches for brief second and my heart slightly jumps.

  Lust is the strangest emotion in the world. I don’t know this man standing in front of me, but clearly, my body wants to get to know him personally. The smallest contact, the slightest grin, and I instantly want him. All he’d have to do is ask.

  “You have my number . . . in case there’s an emergency . . . or something.”

  “Like maybe she needs help extinguishing the fire you just started?” Paige questions.

  His eyes lower at her comment, and an amused chuckle leaves his chest.

  “I’ll catch you later, Green Eyes,” he says, before turning and taking off.

  “Did he just call you Green Eyes?” Mia asks.