“How long ago did he pass?” Jay asked carefully.
“Three years ago,” she said.
“Sorry?” Jay asked. “Three years?” His eyes were wide and confused.
“Yes. Three years. You can't put a time limit on grief,” she said, feeling on the defensive again.
“No,” he said. “I guess not.”
Alex could see he was disapproving, although he didn't exactly say as much. Well, she didn't care anyway. “Losing someone makes you focus on what's important. I choose to focus on doing what I want, when I want, and letting my boys do the same.”
Cute, Jay thought. “Okay. I get it. Your house, your rules. I will say this though. You keep the boys out of the pool unless you're watching them.”
“Your house, your rules,” she said.
“Exactly,” he said.
“Thank you, Jay. I'll keep an eye on them.”
“And no more jumping over the fence,” he said. “Someone could have broken their leg.”
“That's why I put the mattress there.”
Jay's eyebrows just about shot to his forehead. “You put that there?”
“Of course,” Alex said. “I wasn't going to let my kids jump over the fence straight onto the ground.”
“Well, no more!” he barked with exasperation. “Use the gate.”
* * *
Alex wanted to be angry at him for being so high-handed, but she found she couldn't. There WAS the fact that he was very good looking. There was something very attractive about his bossy persona. “Okay,” she said with a silly grin that landed on her face without warning. And will you be there too? she wanted to ask.
* * *
Jay had been about to leave when a thought occurred to him—a solution to the question of how he was going to get to spend more time with his cute blonde neighbor and her unruly entourage. “Why don't you bring the boys over for dinner tonight? We'll get some pizza, and we'll talk.”
“Please can we, Mom?” the boys chorused from the top of the stairs.
Alex took a deep breath. She was so confused. She was feeling an attraction she hadn't felt since her husband died.
“Please? Come have dinner with me? We can all have a swim after dinner if they mind their manners,” Jay asked pleadingly. He knew playing to the audience at the top of the stairs was his best bet at getting her to agree.
Alex narrowed her eyes at him. “Okay. I guess.”
“Well, good,” he said with a smile.
“Bring your manners boys and your best behavior,” he called up the stairs.
Alex glared at him, and he held his hands up in mock defense.
“Your house, your rules.”
“Thank you. Glad you get it,” she said cheekily.
“Oh, I do,” he said. “And at my house it's my rules,” he said with a grin. “I'll see you three tonight, about six o’clock?”
“Six is fine,” she answered, attempting to bite back the giant smile that was trying to escape.
“Good. See you then,” he opened the door and finally left.
Panic flooded through Alex. She had to move and fast. Did he say they would all go for a swim? That would mean her too. Geez. She ran up the stairs to bribe the boys into staying inside for a while.
* * *
Jay couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he crossed his yard and headed to his front door. This was the most excited he'd felt about meeting someone in a long time. She was a smart ass and disorganized and she came with two challenging kids, but she was adorable, and he couldn't wait to see her again.
* * *
Alex checked that the boys were engrossed in a video game, and then she headed to the bathroom. If it was possible that she was going to actually put on a suit, she was going to have to do some general maintenance. It had been a while.
She turned the taps on and squirted some bubble bath into the water. She was lucky that this main bathroom had a bath. It'd be nice to soak in a relaxing tub when she was finished. There was a full length mirror in there as well, one that she hadn't used for a long time. Oh well, she may as well take an honest look at herself, so she could see what she actually looked like in a bikini. After stripping naked, she turned to look in the mirror. Good God! Just as well she hadn't felt too hot and bothered down there in a while. She could start a forest fire. General maintenance nothing, she needed an overhaul. She'd never shaved before, but she used to get waxed when Steve was alive. After, well, she just hadn't bothered. Luckily, her sister had insisted she buy some supplies just in case. She gathered the things she needed from the cabinet, put them on the shower ledge, and then went to stand in front of the mirror again. Damn. Why couldn't she be taller. When you're taller the weight kind of spreads out a bit. Doesn't get so concentrated on your ass and thighs. She really needed to go on a diet. Still, she wasn't going to be able to lose her love handles in a couple of hours. Back to the forest—at least she could fix that.
What exactly should she do about it? The whole hog or a landing strip? Hmm. She really only needed to neaten up what would escape from her bikini bottom, but while she was there she may as well get a little creative. She'd seen pictures online the other day. A heart would be pretty, she thought with a smile.
The lid on the ladies’ new can of shaving cream was a very pretty pink, she'd thought when she bought it. Shame they'd worked more on the color than making the lid actually easy to come off, though. She pulled, she tugged, she did everything but throw it at the wall. No dice. The lid was stuck on so tight, it was never going to move. She could use soap, she thought. This though, was specially for the job, and she didn't want to take any chances, not down there. She dumped it down on the counter with irritation, and it was then that an arrow caught her eye.
“Oh, you turn it,” she said with a scoff. “Why didn't they just say so.” She squeezed a liberal amount of delicate foam into her hand and spread it all around the area she was going for. She propped one leg up on the ledge in the shower stall so she could get the scary part out of the way first before she worked on the artsy portion. Satisfied that she was clean down there, she turned on the shower and rinsed.
Now for the difficult part. It would be hard enough to draw a heart upside down on a piece of paper with a pencil. Trying to shave a heart in overgrown pubic hair that was gummed up with shaving cream was like trying to mow a heart with a lawn mower on a snowy mountain. Impossible. How were you supposed to see what you were doing anyway? Alex wiped off the cream to have a look at her efforts and sighed. That was the saddest looking heart she'd ever seen. It would detract from her wide ass maybe, but not in a good way. Another handful of shaving cream and a new razor and she was finally squeaky clean. She'd forgotten how good it felt to be so free.
Her freshly shaved pussy tingled as she sank down into the warm bubbles. She lay her head back against the back of the tub. Wow. Why didn't she bathe more often. It was always a quick shower in the morning or one before bed. This was divine. She picked up the sponge and ran it over her body. Her nipples tightened, and excitement flooded through her as she ran the sponge across her chest, across her navel, and down between her legs. She dropped the sponge and allowed her fingers to explore her freshly shaved lips. Her clit swelled and hardened under her exploring fingers. Tiny frissons of pleasure rippled across her rapidly heating skin.
She closed her eyes and pictured her husband's face. He was there, but he wasn't right there like he'd always been. She squeezed them shut tighter and tried again to conjure up the vision of her husband. The naked one that always came to mind when she lay in her big bed alone at night. The one that she thought of as she brought herself to a lonely climax, when the house was silent. That one. She couldn't see it. Steve's face was there, and he was smiling, fading, changing. She blinked her eyes as her fingers flicked at her now swollen nub. Her senses were on hyper alert, waiting for the vision that always stirred things up. Nothing. She closed her eyes and sighed, and there was another image. Her breath caught in her thr
oat and blood rushed to her lady parts, and they began to thump wildly as her fingers worked furiously of their own accord.
She was standing between Jay's firm thighs. His leg hair was tickling her flushed skin, and he was frowning at her. He was displeased. He was lecturing her, but she didn't know why. She looked down and watched as her fingers traced a path along the edges of his cut-off jeans.
Jay's hand slapped her bottom hard, and she pulled her hand back. “Pay attention,” he said sternly.
Her tummy flipped, and she felt his fingers on her upper arm before he bent her over across his knee. His hand left a sharp tingling impression even through the denim of her shorts, and she sucked in a breath as she waited for his hand to fall again.
Alex was shocked. Where had this come from? But she didn't care at this point. She ran her fingers over each of her nipples as the other hand circled her swollen nub with long, slow circles…
She yelped as Jay's hard hand smacked her left bottom cheek. “Oh!” she gasped as he followed it up on the right. Then it started. It was all she could do to catch her breath as the hard spanks bounced off her wriggling backside. She kicked and she squirmed and did everything to get off the hard knee, but she was held tight. His heavy leg had swung over to hold her two legs in place.
She didn't understand it, but her body was racing. With every imagined smack her body felt a jolt of pleasure, and her breathing quickened. She was going to cum, and she couldn't stop it. She didn't want to stop it, but she didn't want the fantasy to end. She wanted more.
Jay hoisted her to her feet and his hands were on the button of her shorts. Her eyes widened when she realized his intention. The sound of the zipper as it slid down rang in her ears. Then they were pooled at her ankles along with her panties, while she stood there, embarrassed and naked from the waist down. Her face heated, and she hung her head, her hands trying desperately to cover herself.
Even in the warm, soapy water Alex imagined the feeling of the cool air as she stood there, exposed, waiting for what she knew was coming. She needed to come so badly now it was painful, and she closed her eyes, to take herself back, to feel his hand on her naked skin.
She was tipped back over Jay's knee. Time seemed to stop while she hung there, waiting for that first smack, that first touch of his hand on her now unprotected skin. When it finally came the sting exploded across her right cheek and then again on her left. The spanks moved rapidly from right to left, up and down and all around, and they burned, making her wriggle and squirm. The hairs on his legs were rubbing her at her clit, and it felt so good, but her ass was on fire.
“Stop! Please!” she begged.
When the spanks finally stopped, he rubbed her burning cheeks, and she sighed with relief until the rubbing and the squeezing started another fire. It built so quickly…
Alex's body stiffened, and she shouted out as spasms of intense, hot and cold pleasure rippled through her body, pounding every one of her senses, until she sagged, totally spent, into the water.
“Wow,” she whispered into the bubbles. Where had that come from?
Chapter Two
“Mom?” Thom shouted through the bathroom door.
Alex shook herself out of her post orgasmic state and squeaked an answer.
“Yes, honey?”
“It's almost time to go to dinner.”
“Shit,” Alex said as she leapt out of the bath. “You boys get ready. I'll be out in a minute.”
“We're already ready,” Thom said.
“Then go watch TV. I'll be as quick as I can,” Alex sighed. We made a great first impression, and it looks like I just blew the second impression as well, she thought. She scrubbed her body with a towel and let down her hair. It was still a mess, but there wasn't much she could do about that now. She tamed it the best she could with a brush before heading to her bedroom in her robe to find some clothes.
“It's twenty-five after six, Mom,” Thom said grumpily when his Mom finally appeared in what he hoped was the last outfit.
“Okay. We're going now,” she said. “Aaron, please be good,” she said.
“I'm not the one who's late, Mom,” he said.
“Hey,” she said with a frown.
“Sorry, but it's true. Can we go?”
“Yes,” she said. “Please be good.” But they were gone across their front yard and into Jay's in a flash.
* * *
“Hi,” Aaron said when Jay opened the door.
“Mom's gonna be here in a sec,” Thom said from right behind his brother.
“Yeah, she changed her clothes like four times already,” Aaron giggled.
Jay smiled. “Did she now?” he said with a grin.
Thom rolled his eyes. “I don't think Mom wanted you to tell Jay that,” he said.
“Why not?” Aaron said. “She did.”
Alex bustled up the path, obviously worried that the boys had gotten there before her. “I told you boys to wait for me,” she said. She really hadn't, but she still wished they had—a lot could have been said with these two in a couple of minutes.
“You was takin’ too long,” Aaron said. “We wanted to swim,” he attempted to whisper.
“Swimming is after dinner, if you mind your manners, remember?” Jay whispered back.
“Can we see inside your house, Mister?” Thom asked.
“Well, I wasn't planning on making you eat outside,” Jay chuckled. “And stop calling me ‘Mister’. You make me feel old.”
Aaron opened his mouth, but he shut it when his brother glared at him.
Alex was finding it hard to meet Jay's eyes. She felt like he could see into her head, and he knew what she'd been doing to make them late and what she'd been thinking about. “They do know how to behave you know,” she said a little grumpily. She hadn't meant it to come out that way, but she was seriously flustered.
“I'm sure they do,” Jay said, subtly glancing at his watch. “Come on in. When you all tell me what you like on your pizzas, I'll order.”
While Jay was ordering on the phone in the living room, the boys went outside to play. This left Alex time to roam a little and try to calm herself down.
The house was nice, though a little dark, she thought. It needed brightening with some lighter paint, and the heavy red drapes could go. This whole area of the house needed the light to come in. She ran her hand over the obviously new leather sofa. Nice. He had good taste.
“Done,” Jay said. “I ordered garlic bread. I thought I'd just make a salad to go with the pizza. I went to the market this morning after I left your house, so I have fresh vegetables, and I prefer home made.”
“Sure. Sounds good,” she said. “I, um, guess I should check on the boys.”
“Okay, you do that, and I'll start the salad. Would you like something to drink?”
“Diet coke would be good please,” she said. She enjoyed watching him move about the kitchen. He was wearing old pale blue jeans. Eyes up, she thought. Focus on the white shirt. His arms were muscular and well-tanned. Hmm. Maybe look at the salad, she thought.
He turned from the fridge to find her staring at the salad. “Ice?” he asked with a smile.
Damn, he's fine, she thought as she reluctantly looked up. “Thanks.” She made a pointing gesture towards the back door. “The boys. I'll, um, just go see what they’re doing.”
“Good idea,” he smiled. “I'll bring the drinks out in a minute.”
* * *
“Finished the salad?” Alex asked as Jay joined the others outside with a tray.
“Yes, and the table's all set. All we need is the food,” he said.
“Can I have a drink?” Aaron asked.
“Sure can, champ. I think you missed something though.”
“What?”
“The magic word?” Jay asked, waiting expectantly.
“Abracadabra?” Aaron said with a grin.
“Funny boy,” Jay said. He stood with the jug of lemonade and an empty glass but made no move to start pouri
ng. “Aaron?” he said.
“Please,” Aaron said.
“Better,” Jay said ruffling the little boy's head as he passed him his drink.
“Thanks, Jay,” Aaron said breathily as he just about finished the glass in one continuous gulp. “Can I go inside and watch TV?”
“Sure,” Jay said. “You can tell us when the pizza guy arrives. Thom, there's a drink here if you're thirsty,” he said.
“Thanks, Jay.” Thom said, already leaping up the steps.
“There's some pretty flowers here,” Alex said.
“Can't really take credit for that,” Jay smiled. “I haven't had a chance to do anything with the place yet.”
“I know. The man that owned the house before you liked to garden,” Alex said with a smile. “So where've you been anyway? The for sale sign went up a while ago, but no one moved in.”
“I had to help out on the family ranch for a while.”
“Oh,” she said. “I wondered.” Great, now she was picturing him on a horse, tight jeans, no shirt, hot tanned body drenched with…
“Pizza's here!” Aaron called from the patio. “The man wants money!”
Thank God, Alex thought. She had never been more pleased to see her youngest child.
“You okay?” Jay asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “I'm just a little hot.”
“Do you need a drink?” he asked.
“We need you to come pay the guy,” Aaron insisted.
“Tell him I'll be right there.”
“I'm fine,” Alex said. She was better than fine. This was the closest thing to some adult fun she'd had for a while.
“Come on then,” Jay said breaking her from her trance. “I'm starving. I don't want the kid to change his mind and take our dinner away.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her up the steps.
My House, My Rules Page 2