The Boy Next Door

by ann anders

  From what she’d told him, she pretty much cut herself off from mankind the day she’d found her husband cheating on her.

  Halloween.

  It was an odd coincidence. It almost made his hair stand on end, and he wasn’t the type to buy into fate or destiny or other crap like that.

  But it was odd. The day her marriage blew up, his career – hell, his body – had practically been torn to smithereens.

  And both of their circumstances had led them to living next door to each other at the exact same time.

  Fuck this.

  He’d been taking too many painkillers.

  He picked up the prescription bottle, walked into the bathroom, and dumped the contents into the toilet.

  Penny was gone. It was over. He needed to get over it.

  The only good thing in his life right now was that his shoulder was starting to feel better. If all went well, the doctor would let him remove the bandage after his appointment next week and start doing some physical therapy. He might not be able to fly again, but he sure wasn’t gonna let himself go to hell.

  ***

  The job offer was exciting. It was something she’d always wanted to do, but she’d never dreamed she’d get the chance.

  One of the top literary agents in the country lived in Denver and she wanted Penny to work for her as an agency editor. The only catch was that she’d require Penny to work on site. She said she liked the firm’s authors to meet her staff, to know who they were working with, to know how much they cared. There would be travel involved. She’d be working with some big publishers in New York on various occasions.

  She couldn’t turn it down.

  She’d taken the call the day after Kent left and then dropped everything to go up for the interview. In dire need, Jane Sparks, the agent, had rented a room downtown for her and put her to work right away. It was to be a trial period, she said.

  Not only did Penny love the work, but it was a huge relief to not have to hang around Pine Springs watching Francine and Chaz take up where they’d left off.

  He was sweet. He was sexy. Of course, he wouldn’t want to pursue anything long term with an older woman. That just didn’t happen in real life. Men weren’t wired that way.

  They’d had sex, really great sex. She needed to be happy with that.

  She wasn’t going to try to hang onto something he wouldn’t want.

  She would leave. She’d put the house up for sale, cut her losses, and rent a loft downtown. She could afford it with this job. The pay was phenomenal.

  But she was going to have to go back to Pine Springs one last time. She needed to pack up her things.

  After accepting the job, and then working in Denver for two weeks, Penny made the drive back down one last time. At the thought that Chaz might already be gone, her heart sunk.

  Chapter Eleven

  Now What?

  S weat dripped into Penny’s eye as she taped shut the last box in her bedroom.

  The Wright house had been closed up tight. Not a soul in sight.

  Which was probably a good thing.

  Yeah, probably.

  Most likely.

  Just a few more loads and she’d be done. The movers would take care of the heavy stuff. She’d insisted upon packing personal belongings herself. The idea of strangers going through all that she owned in the world seemed distasteful.

  Walking to the other side of the bed, a piece of fabric caught her eye and her heart leaped into her throat.

  She should just throw it away, give it to Goodwill.

  The first T-Shirt Chaz gave her had somehow become wedged between the headboard and the wall. She’d wondered what happened to it.

  Not stopping to think, she picked it up and held it to her face. Mary, Mother of God, but it still carried his scent. She closed her eyes and inhaled again.

  This was stupid. Why torture herself? They’d had a good time. Some really great sex. No, it had been phenomenal sex.

  But she needed to get over it.

  She pulled the shirt she was wearing over her head and then slipped into Chaz’s.

  Biggest.

  Idiot.

  Ever.

  He’s gone. What can it hurt? She was moving forward, building a new life. She would be independent, a world traveler, editor extraordinaire.

  She crept out of the bedroom and across the hall. She’d packed the contents of the office earlier. There was nothing for her to do in there.

  The window drew her inside.

  She’d not once opened the drapes since coming back. She’d not once allowed herself to peer through the blinds.

  She wouldn’t do it. She’d promised herself.

  Until now, with the scent of him around her. She would remember one last time.

  The curtain was a little dusty so she covered her face with the bottom of the shirt. Ah, yes. Much better.

  And then she lifted her hand and pried open the blinds.

  His room, as she’d expected, was empty.

  Devastatingly so.

  No water bottle on the dresser, no flight suit hanging on the door. No masculine god for her to spy on.

  Feeling melancholy, she grabbed the string and tugged until the blinds stacked themselves tightly at the top of the window.

  It looked as though he’d completely moved out.

  And then the door opened.

  When Chaz entered the room, she stopped breathing. A suitcase sat on the bed and he looked to be making certain it closed properly. And then he stilled.

  He’d seen her in the mirror.

  His bandage was gone, and he wore cargo pants and a white T-shirt.

  Penny froze.

  ***

  Chaz had known she was home. He’d recognized her car. It hadn’t been there for nearly two weeks.

  And now he was leaving.

  He’d received orders two days after the doctor released him for P.T., and his parents had surprised him as well. They had temporarily moved up to Denver to take care of Grandma. She didn’t have much time left, and his dad wanted to be with her until the end.

  Chaz’s pride, at first, convinced him not to seek Penny out. She was the one who’d taken off. He had no desire to grovel; it wasn’t something he did.

  Except, now, seeing her, adrenaline poured through him. She was standing in the window, looking into his room.

  Wearing his shirt.

  That meant something to chicks. They didn’t wear a guy’s shirt unless they liked him.

  Or unless they really liked the shirt.

  He was willing to bet it wasn’t the shirt.

  Not stopping to think, he pointed at her in the mirror, mouthed the words ‘don’t move,’ and bolted out the door.

  It took him less than thirty seconds to make it into her upstairs office.

  He was a little surprised to find himself out of breath. But she’d done exactly as he’d said. She’d not moved an inch. In fact, she was still looking into his bedroom.

  And then she turned her head and stared at him over her shoulder. Her smile was bright. Too bright.

  “Hey, Chaz.” She was trying to sound breezy. “I thought you’d already left town.”

  She looked incredible.

  She didn’t look so forlorn as when he’d first met her. He’d kind of been hoping she’d pined for him.

  Except it was good to see a sparkle in her eyes.

  “I just got my orders. Vacation’s over.” Did she look disappointed at his words? Maybe a little?

  “I’m putting the house up for sale.” Her smile faded.

  “Yeah, I saw the sign.” He crossed one foot over the other and leaned against the doorframe.

  He’d flustered her. “Oh, yeah,” she kind of whispered. And then, apparently realizing what she was wearing, crossed her arms over her breasts.

  Too late, sweetheart, I already saw it.

  She’d been remembering.

  And missing him.

  But he needed her to crack. He pushed himsel
f away from the doorframe and took three steps toward her, cutting the distance between them in half.

  “Are you running toward something this time? Or away again?” He needed to push but not too far. He wanted her to be strong.

  He wanted her to meet him somewhere in the middle.

  She relaxed for the first time since he entered the room. “Toward something,” she said. “I got a great job up in Denver.”

  She was moving to Denver?

  And then she smiled for real. “The bandages are gone. How’s the arm? Better?”

  He raised his right arm halfway and made a fist. He didn’t have all his strength back but he would soon. It was great to just be able to pick things up again. “Much.” And then he couldn’t help himself. “Imagine the fun we could have now.”

  She glanced away from him but not before he could see that her eyes were almost entirely green. “It was fun, wasn’t it? I mean, it wasn’t ever meant to be anything more, was it?” She was trying to sound casual but her voice broke on the last few words.

  Chaz froze. “Penny, I’ll be working out of Denver, too. They want me to be a recruiter for this region.”

  “You’re gonna be in Denver?” Her eyes lit up for just a moment and then she shifted her gaze to the floor. “That’s great, we’ll have to go out for drinks sometime.”

  He wondered if that was it.

  Was that her move?

  The best she could do?

  But then she added, “I guess you can be closer to Francine then.”

  Ah… She thought he and Francine— Oh, hell, no!

  “I could have killed my mom for bringing her down. Took me nearly a week to get her to leave.”

  “You wanted her to leave?” She’d turned her body toward him, her arms still folded in front of her.

  Chaz nodded. “I’d love to have a drink with you in Denver. Where should we go?” He stood his ground. She needed to do this. She needed to have enough faith in herself reach for him.

  “Somewhere downtown. We can check out one of the new places.” She shuffled her feet a little and then took one step forward. “You weren’t happy Francine showed up? Really?”

  “Not even a little. What happened with the ex? He didn’t look like much of an ex when I saw him, his arm wrapped around my girl.” There, he’d help her out.

  She took another step. Her steps were smaller than his. She still had about two to go. “Kent wanted to get back together. I sent him away. I don’t know what he was thinking. We were done even before the divorce...”

  “So, it’s definitely over?”

  She laughed. “Yeah.”

  Chaz hooked his thumb through the belt loop on his jeans. “Francine and old Kent have horrible timing.” At his words, she took another step toward him. If he reached out, he could pull her into his arms.

  “So, a recruiter, huh? Are you happy about that?” Almost without thinking, it seemed, she reached out and skimmed her hand down his right arm.

  Chaz swallowed hard. “I’m good with it. Eventually they’ll want me to teach. It’s not permanent but it gives me something to do until the doc’s clear me. I’m glad about Denver.” He’d been surprised at how many options he had. “You know, I should take you out to dinner first, then we could check out some of those new clubs.” His skin burned where she’d touched him.

  And then she was there. In his arms. Her voice was muffled as she buried her face in his chest. “Chaz, I know I’m a lot older than you, but I’d love to…” She’d done it. She’d come to him. He tilted her head back and caught her lips with his.

  Her mouth was warm, sweet. Chaz took his time tasting her. He’d learned to not take things for granted. Not friends, not family, and not life.

  As he nipped at her lower lip, one of those little sexy sigh’s escaped her. He didn’t give a rat’s ass how old she was. He was just going to have to prove that to her. “Me too,” he growled.

  And then he threw her over his shoulder.

  On his way up, he’d noticed a perfectly good bed in the room down the hall.

  Denver be damned.

  They both needed a little more sexual healing right now.

  –The End –

  Acknowledgements

  To all the other authors in my life who have come to mean so much to me: Rebecca – the person who got me to write something as crazy as this in the first place and then challenged me every few hours to keep writing, D’Ann – a true inspiration, a lady as real as real can be, Mary – for the wonderful friendship you offered! I’m so very glad you moved to Colorado, and to Deb for your steady support and critiques.

  And to my sister Teri, for hanging out with me in the library while the rest of the world runs around in a frenzy.

  NOTE about this author:

  Ann Anders writes both contemporary and historical regency romance. Look for her contemporary work under the name ann anders, and regency works under the name Annabelle Anders.

  Contemporary Novella’s

  Peyton’s Kiss (Cowboy Kisses Boxed set releases Feb. 28, 2018)

  No one ever promised Stella Fairchild that life would be fair.

  If it was, then her best friend wouldn’t be dying. A little girl wouldn’t be losing her mother. And a lonely cowboy would be ready for love.

  Under the blue skies of Colorado, however, fate has it’s own ideas. And maybe, just maybe, silver linings can be found hiding in the storm

  Make it a Double (Curves Boxed set releases April 2018)

  Colorado native Noel Blake wants to finish her bartending shift and head home for a good night’s sleep. She’s not the kind of girl who dates hotel guests.

  Elliot Stafford wants to finish his business in town and fly back to NYC as soon as possible. He’s not interested in anything this small town has to offer.

  Neither of them planned on him becoming her knight in shining armor. Flying glass, blizzards, and an irrational attraction culminate into one amazing night. Only fools believe in love. Gotta be adult about this sort of thing.

  Even though it felt like magic…

  After unwittingly opening their hearts to each other once, might they be crazy enough to “make it a double?”

  Historical Regency Romance (Novels)

  Hell Hath No Fury (The Devil’s Debutantes, Book 1)

  Cecily Nottingham has made a huge mistake! She married an earl who, climbing out of her bed the next morning, admitted to only wanting her dowry. The rat loves another woman but won’t set Cecily free. To keep the money, he must keep her.

  Raised by a ruthless businessman, Cecily refuses to accept the hand she’s been dealt and vows to free herself from her marriage. She is nobody’s milksop and at this point has nothing to lose! Hoping to goad the earl into divorcing her, she sets out to seduce his older cousin, Stephen Nottingham. And heaven help her, Stephen is everything her husband is not: Honorable, loyal, trustworthy…

  Stephen Nottingham has returned to England to save his cousin’s estate from financial ruin but finds himself trying to save his cousin’s life instead. For the bounder betrayed his new countess something fierce and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned… Torn between strangling his cousin, and kissing his cousin’s wife, Stephen’s honor is in for one heck of a beating.

  Amid snakes, duels and a good catfight, Cecily realizes the game she’s playing has high stakes indeed. There are only a few ways to end a marriage in Regency England and none of them come without a high price. Is she willing to pay it? Is Stephen? A ‘Happily Ever After’ hangs in the balance, because, yes, love can conquer all, but sometimes it needs a little bit of help.

  Hell In A Hand Basket (The Devil’s Debutantes, Book 2)

  “Thus reads the Banns of marriage between Lord Harold Brooks and Miss Sophia Babineaux.

  If any of you know cause why these two should not be joined in Holy matrimony, ye are to declare it. “

  Would anybody declare it?

  Please?

  THE BRIDE wants to declare it. The heat
Sophia feels for another man has given her a bad case of cold feet! She’d never even been kissed, how was she to know the importance of sizzle? By the time she realizes her mistake it may be too late...

  THE GROOM never wanted to marry Sophia in the first place. His interests (ahem) lie elsewhere. Unfortunately, with a duke for a father, Lord Harold’s opinion makes no difference at all.

  So it’s up to war hero and rake, Captain Devlin Brooks to set matters right. He’s returned from war and ready to settle down, unfortunately the girl he’s wants is, well, ah… unavailable.

  But he has a plan.

  Once set in motion, one lie turns into a spiral of deceit and guilt. Was one shot at heaven worth a lifetime of hell?

  Because love endures but the heart has it’s limits.

  Or does it?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Married to the same man for over 25 years, I am a mother to three children and two Miniature Wiener dogs After owning a business and experiencing considerable success, my husband and I got caught in the financial crisis and lost everything; our business, our home, even our car.

  At this point, I put my B.A. in Poly Sci to use and took work as a waitress and bartender. Unwilling to give up on a professional life, I simultaneously went back to college and obtained a degree in Energy Management. And then the energy market dropped off. And then my dog died. I can only be grateful for this series of unfortunate events, for, with nothing to lose and completely demoralized, I sat down and began to write the romance novels which had until then, existed only my imagination. I am happy to have found my place in life. Finally.

  I loves to hear from readers! Please contact me at:

  AndersAnnabelle@gmail.com