Sneaking a Peek

by Eden Summers

  Contents

  ~ Look for these titles from Eden Summers ~

  Copyright Warning

  ~ Dedication ~

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  ~ About the Author ~

  ~ Coming Soon ~

  ~ Also by Eden Summers ~

  ~ More Erotic Romance from Etopia Press ~

  ~ Look for these titles from Eden Summers ~

  Now Available

  “Phantom Pleasure” (Halloween Heat V)

  Coming Soon:

  Concealed Desire

  Sneaking a Peek

  Eden Summers

  Copyright Warning

  EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Etopia Press

  1643 Warwick Ave., #124

  Warwick, RI 02889

  http://www.etopia-press.net

  Sneaking a Peek

  Copyright © 2012 by Eden Summers

  ISBN: 978-1-939194-19-0

  Edited by Rachel Firasek

  Cover by Annie Melton

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: November 2012

  ~ Dedication ~

  To my own spunky fireman—you are my heart, my soul, my everything. Your faith is unwavering, your love unrelenting, and I am so glad you are my happily ever after.

  To my parents who shock me with their encouragement even though they know I write naughty things.

  To my crit partners—Fiona Druce, Jennifer James, Sarah Cass—and my cheerleaders—Delilah Raines, Megan Root, Carolyn Wren, and Sheryl Wheeler—without your guidance, help, and support, I never would have written “The End.” I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.

  I love you all.

  Chapter One

  “Please, please, please, don’t let me be too late,” Tarney Jensen whispered.

  Work had been manic, filled with over eager customers, tight deadlines, and little old ladies who thought her graphic design business provided a free counseling service. The only thing that pulled her through the loco moments had been the excitement of the upcoming night. After weeks of missing out, she deserved the next forty-five to sixty minutes.

  With her free hand, she shoved open the front door, darted outside, and rushed for the solitary chair at the end of her porch. She placed her goodies on the small table and released a lung-relaxing sigh. Woot! She wasn’t late. With a smile on her face, she settled into the darkness and went through her checklist to make sure nothing had been missed.

  Alcoholic beverage—check.

  Cheese and crackers—check.

  Pretense of sitting outside by herself to enjoy the peace and quiet—check.

  The only thing missing was the entertainment—Ethan Reid—but she expected him any minute now.

  On cue, the light in her neighbor’s side room lit up. Ding, ding, ding—winner.

  The bright, orange glow made her squint, but it didn’t stop her from watching with intent while he played with his stereo, the heavy beat of music soon blaring from the speakers. The song selections never changed. He began with Guns N’ Roses and moved into Def Leppard. If he wanted to be a real hard ass, he would throw in a bit of AC/DC. Not that she had to mark off reasons for adoring her Friday night indulgence, but she did love his old school taste in music.

  She shifted her lawn chair, placing it at the perfect angle, needing to maintain a constant view without appearing like the Peeping Tom she most definitely was. If anyone noticed her in the dark, it would seem as though her focus was on the street…the completely lifeless street, instead of dreamily staring into her neighbor’s room.

  Glancing around the neighborhood, she prayed no one could see her from the hidden position in the shadows. Even if they did, it wouldn’t matter. She was merely enjoying Friday night drinks. Alone on her porch. In utter darkness. They didn’t know she had the best view in the city. They didn’t know that their polite, graphic designer neighbor was really a Peeping Tom. And hopefully they never would.

  A contented sigh broke the silence as Tarney watched Ethan move around his house. Damn, he was fine. No, not just fine, ripped-to-Greek-god-perfection fine. Not an ounce of fat on that delectable body. She loved the molded planes of his chest, his hard, toned thighs, and his muscled arms, which all fit together in a package of warm tanned skin.

  Her girlie bits already tingled, practically pulsating, wanting to high-five her with enthusiasm. Time between sessions had been too long. All she needed was a few more minutes of visual man candy and the wait would be worth it.

  As Ethan started his usual warm up exercises, Tarney opened the bottle of wine—thankful for the silent screw top—and poured a glass. She sipped, savoring the sweet flavor on her tongue while she imagined tasting something else entirely.

  “Oh, hell yeah. Bend over just a little more, honey.”

  He dropped out of her view to do his floor routine. No worries, as soon as he stood back up she would be rewarded with more decadent flesh. Each time he finished his warm-up, he made the heavens sing by removing his shirt. And holy hell, after having a dry spell because of Ethan’s work roster, he not only made the heavens sing with his partial nudity, but her whole body too.

  He moved on to the door frame and the bar he used for pull-ups. Tarney moaned into her wineglass, already anticipating the flex and contract of muscles.

  “Work it, baby. Work it till it hurts so good.” She kept her voice lowered, but grinned at the husky tone. Damn, she had it bad.

  All that sweaty, rippling flesh. All that tight, tanned skin. She wanted to reach out and touch. She wouldn’t be greedy. She wasn’t a greedy person. A touch would probably be enough to make her eyes roll back in orgasm.

  Then he began. Muscles contracted and rolled. One pull-up…two…

  With a shaky hand, Tarney swiped at the strands of loose hair tickling her sensitized neck, never letting her eyes leave his rigid flesh. The combination of warm, summer air and the heat in her blood had a thick layer of perspiration covering her skin.

  The mere touch of her fingers sent a spark of awareness along the arch of her neck, down her chest, to pool between her heated thighs. Tight and needy, her breasts ached, her nipples now straining against the molding of her bra. What would it feel like to be touched by Ethan? To have his large hands moving over the contours of her body?

  Five…six pull-ups…

  Her fingers moved of their own volition, drifting away from her hair, skimming her bra, and sending an electric volt through her core. She was too worked up, too eager and excited to ignore the jolt of pleasure created by her own hand.

  Eight…nine…

  Ethan’s body rippled. Hard flesh contorted in a
mix of beauty and unwavering appeal. Each drawn out motion of his muscles moving up and down—up and down—sent her heart rate to a new level. When her hand moved farther south, over her quivering belly to the edge of her shorts, she couldn’t stop its progression—didn’t want to. It was too easy to imagine his weight over her, his stiff thighs resting on top of hers.

  Up…down…up…down…in…out…in…out.

  Dipping beneath the waistband of her shorts and her panties, she applied pressure to her throbbing clit, her mouth opening to release a sigh.

  “Oh God, Ethan,” she whispered softly into the night.

  Her hand descended. His repetitions slowed. She mimicked his movements, twelve…up…down, her fingers drifting lower, in…out. Never before had her sexual appetite demanded such relief. Normally she would enjoy the show, slink back into the house once the work out was over, and row-row-row her boat gently down the stream, but tonight her body begged for instant gratification.

  Soon she would need to muffle her soft cries of pleasure.

  Fifteen…up…down…in…out.

  She startled at the buzz of her phone on the side table. “Shit!”

  Ethan paused, his body still hanging from the bar, his gaze focusing outside for a moment, casting a glance in her direction. Tarney held her breath, sunk farther into the chair, her two fingers suspended at the opening of her heat, until seconds later his attention returned to his work out.

  She exhaled in a burst of hot air. Her body immediately threw on the brakes, the deep throb of her impending climax disappearing in a flash. Repulsed at her lack of restraint, Tarney pulled her hand away from the cookie jar as if she’d been caught red-handed.

  No need to check the caller ID, she’d been expecting the call. She’d just forgotten about it once she’d focused on Ethan. Cringing in disgrace, Tarney wiped her slick fingers on the hem of her shorts and picked up her cell from the side table.

  “Hi Krist, how are you doing?” she asked softly, trying to disguise her panting.

  “Don’t bother askin’ how I’m doing, just tell me how Erotic Ethan is looking tonight.”

  Tarney gave a quiet laugh, her eyes never leaving the man in question while she tried to ignore the dampness in her panties. Six months ago, Kristen had been in town and over for a visit when they first discovered Ethan’s scorching workout. Every week since—unless Ethan was on shift at the fire station—Krist would ring and share the experience with Tarney.

  “He’s looking delicious. All hot and dreamy with his big muscles flexing everywhere. His hair is in a tangled mess too, you know how it gets when it slants down over his eyes.”

  Kristen answered with a moan of her own. “You know Jenna will kill you if she ever finds out you’re perving on her brother like this.”

  Tarney winced at the thought. Not only was she shamelessly perving, she had sunk to a lower level by beating her own drum while she watched. Yeah, her best friend would most definitely kill her.

  Jenna had never appreciated Tarney’s interest in her older brother. She still remembered the brain explosion at her sixteenth birthday party. Ethan had been kind enough to give her a sweet peck on the lips for her gift.

  Her first kiss.

  It had meant a hell of a lot more than a simple kiss to Tarney, but on Ethan’s behalf it had been entirely innocent. Jenna hadn’t seen it that way. Apparently Ethan was being a bastard of a brother, trying to steal her away and ruin their friendship. Tarney had laughed away the whole ordeal. She may have been sixteen, but she wasn’t naive enough to think her friend’s older brother would have the hots for her. It was typical family bullshit, and Tarney had made the decision to hide her interest in Ethan from her best friend ever since.

  These weekly indulgences were her reward for keeping her feelings in check. If Ethan was off limits, at least she could enjoy the show. In all honesty, she wouldn’t know how to stop even if she wanted to. The sight of his addictive body held her entranced. At first she had willed herself to stay away, to keep the doors locked and curtains shut. Her self-control had lasted five minutes. Now, it was an event she catered for with wine, crackers, exotic cheeses, and a big bucket of drool.

  “Yeah, I know. What Jenna doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

  Tarney had been playing the laid-back neighbor role since she moved in next to Ethan. Who would have guessed that the first house she fell in love with after returning from college would be the one beside his? Either she was one lucky lady to have her high school crush living next door, or fate was one teasing bitch.

  Leaning her seat back on the hind legs of her chair, she tried to see into the far corner of his room, still mentally cursing Kristen’s interruption. She’d only needed two minutes more to finish her self-service.

  Ethan disappeared. If only he had floor to ceiling windows. The downside of the muscle-mania show was the limited view. If he did exercises on the ground, she pretended to stretch her legs and stand up to see. When he did weights at the front of the room—like now—she leaned backward to watch.

  “So what’s he doing? Come on, I need the visual.”

  Tarney leaned back farther, testing the laws of gravity, trying to see him on the bench press. She moved her feet to the porch railing, balancing the chair and wineglass while keeping a tight hold on the phone.

  “Umm, he’s on the bench press, lifting that bar thingy with the big round weights on the ends.”

  Damn, this was the part of his workout she loved to hate. His pecs and arms were her favorite muscled areas. The problem was the restricted view. She lifted her chin, tilting her head at an angle to see better. His face was taut with strain, shiny and red from exertion, the same way he probably looked when he blew his load.

  Her body hummed to life again, her core convulsing with the need to be filled. What she wouldn’t give to be his towel girl, to slowly wipe each bead of sweat off his lovely body…with her tongue.

  “He’s ah…” she leaned a little farther back, “he’s—”

  Her scream pierced the night as gravity decided to bite her in the ass. Ethan’s head snapped up, and she swore their gazes met. Dropping the phone, she grasped frantically for the chair arm, trying to stabilize herself.

  Too late.

  She fell backward, and the shrill noise continued to leave her throat. The sound of smashing glass registered seconds before her head hit the hard floor, snapping her jaw shut with a jarring thud. She groaned through the pain of impact and cursed under her breath. A burning sensation in the back of her hand also demanded attention.

  Damn it.

  Her ears began to ring, the screaming sound increasing along with the throb of her brain. The inside of her head hissed like television static only high-pitched and annoying as hell. The crack of a door slamming in the distance gave her a slight sense of relief. At least she wasn’t deaf.

  Tarney laid there, the wood of the chair digging into her back. She closed her eyes, her heavy muscles refusing to move, and resigned herself to lying there a little longer. Her own defeated exhale barely registered over the bells ringing through her head as she relaxed her limbs and opened her eyes.

  “Holy shit,” she squeaked.

  Her heart stopped dead. Ethan’s large body overshadowed her porch, his face looming above her. She hadn’t even heard him approach.

  “You OK, Tar?” His words broke between gasps.

  She lay in silence, blinking at him like a stunned mute while she took pleasure in the close up view. The distant light from his room and the street lamps gave his masculine features a devilish appeal. The darkness made his stubble-covered jaw all the more alluring.

  Fierce with concern, he frowned down at her and in a panic, crouched on the wooden deck. His firm hands traveled over her arms, her hips, her thighs. She wanted to moan, to move into his touch, but instead she ground her teeth together, hoping they didn’t break.

  “Can you move?” His tone made her nipples tighten harder than before, their demand to be brushed almost pain
ful. And dear Lord his gaze dropped. Ethan was staring at her chest, a confused expression marring his brow.

  Here he was playing the role of rescuer, checking for spinal injuries, and her mind wouldn’t divert from the image of his fingers slipping between her thighs, moving her panties aside, and sinking deep. She wanted that orgasm, damn it. Her body was so heated she could even smell her own arousal in the air. She prayed Ethan hadn’t noticed too.

  Her brain may be pounding, but it sure wasn’t broken. She wasn’t damaged enough to ignore the naked skin stretched tight across his chest. The proximity of all that exposed flesh made her heart jump, the pulse deep and throbbing all the way up her throat.

  She groaned in response to his question and pushed against the wood flooring. His fingers slid under her neck, the warm touch sending a shiver through her, slowly dissolving her aches and pains. The smooth mounds of his pecs rippled in front of her face, taunting her while he lifted her chair, placing it in the upright position.

  Sweet mother.

  Would it be wrong to place her hand on his hard chest? To stabilize herself, of course. Not for any other reason.

  He gripped her knees, holding her steady. “What the hell happened?”

  Warmth flooded her cheeks as she self-consciously glanced out the corner of her eye toward his window, then back to the waistband of her shorts to make sure they were sitting properly. Hopefully he wouldn’t figure out what she’d been doing.

  With shame she fought to hide, Tarney focused back on Ethan. Unfortunately his gaze had already begun following where hers had just been, to the window, then her shorts, and when he looked up at her, his eyes gleamed with understanding.