by Joanna Blake
Maybe even meet someone worth introducing the the southie crew.
I stared out the windows over the beach. I’d just met with the designer to approve the last of the plans. Everything was permitted, it was more about finishes now. Now I could just relax, check out the progress.
Take in the scenery.
Speaking of which… hello.
My eyes got wide as a gorgeous girl jogged by.
A really, really gorgeous girl with curves that wouldn’t quit, a golden retriever and what looked like- yes- it was an ancient looking Ramones t-shirt.
And Chuck Taylor's.
Who the hell ran in Chucks?
Not to mention, the girl was bouncing out right out of her sports bra. I whistled to myself in appreciation. The girl was jiggling in all the right places.
Not just a little bit either.
I grinned. I just had to meet this girl. She had already run past the house. She had to come back this way didn't she?
I grabbed a bottle of water and strolled outside to casually 'bump into' her.
I watched her juicy bottom bounce out of view.
It was fine.
I could wait.
Chapter 3
Jenny
"Those are terrible for your arches you know."
I looked back over my shoulder. I’d been stretching my hamstrings when someone came up behind me.
I glared over my shoulder at the annoying stranger.
The very, very good looking stranger.
I stared at him. He had a chiseled face, wavy brown hair and a body that looked like it was straight out of a mens magazine.
Devastatingly handsome, really.
There was something familiar about him…
And smug.
My hackles started to rise.
I hated smug.
"What?"
"Your sneakers. They are terrible for your feet."
I glanced down at my shoes and then over at his.
He wore leather boots, expensive looking jeans, a soft black t-shirt and a leather jacket. And aviators.
So I couldn't see his eyes to see if he was being a prick or not.
I shrugged defensively.
"I tend to just use what I've got."
"Ah, so not a mindless consumer."
I stared at him, surprised.
"Yeah, exactly."
"I'm Slade."
He reached out his hand. His very large, tan hand. I took it, not really having another choice in the matter.
"Jenny."
He held my hand for a beat too long. He smiled at me warmly, finally releasing my hand.
"And who is this?"
He knelt down and shook paws with Basil. Basil responded by giving a loud yip and trying to lick Slade's face. I frowned. Basil didn't usually do that. He was usually as standoffish as I was.
Basil and I did not like strangers.
Maybe he liked the smell of money. It was practically wafting off the guy. Douchery squared.
Slade stood up again. I couldn't help but notice how fit he was. His shoulders were enormous, his stomach flat, and those legs… well, he looked a bit like a soccer player.
He probably had a great ass.
Not that it mattered. I had other things to worry about after all. Like an order of cookies for a birthday party, to be delivered later today.
“I have to get going. Come on, Basil.”
“It was nice meeting you Jenny.”
I gave him a half hearted wave and Basil whined, clearly not finished mauling the man.
I had to tug the stupid dog away with his leash.
He gave me a doleful look as I opened the front door. I just shook my head.
“Traitor.”
But I gave him a treat anyway.
Then I washed up and got to work.
Chapter 4
Slade
That is poetry in motion right there.
I watched Jenny jog away, practically drooling. She wasn't the friendliest little thing in the world, but looking like that, I wasn't so sure I blamed her.
She probably spent half her time beating off men with a stick.
My eyes widened appreciatively as her round little bottom flexed in those tiny shorts. Her long toned legs seemed to literally eat the ground as she ran. She looked graceful and determined, if a little curvy to make jogging practical. Her long honey colored hair swooshed back and forth against her back.
But it was her face that had startled the hell out of me. She was stunning. Not just beautiful. Certainly not just pretty.
No, Jenny was drop dead gorgeous.
High cheekbones, a strong jaw, stubborn little chin, pert delicate nose and the most luscious looking lips I’d seen in my life. And huge grey green eyes that completely dominated her face.
Hooded eyes that said 'keep your distance.' Her thick, sooty lashes and high arched brows framed a face that would stop traffic from fifty feet.
Jenny had a classic beauty that was impossible to hide, no matter how hard she tried to dress it down. And she did try to hide it, I could tell. She was unlike any of the many exceptionally good looking women I’d known over the years. Women who primped and preened themselves within an inch of their life.
This girl put them all to shame and she wasn't even trying.
Good lord.
I had a strong feeling I knew what I would be thinking about for the rest of the day. And the night. I reached down and adjusted myself.
I was getting hard just thinking about the girl.
That's when I noticed where she was going. She was turning into the ramshackle little beach hut that was right next door to my house.
In fact, it was so close I'd thought about trying to buy it. Make it into a guest house or something, or tear it down completely. But my lawyer hadn't had any luck so I’d let it go.
Oh boy.
With Jenny as a neighbor I was sure to have a lot of sleepless nights. That would be fine, as long as she joined me.
I smiled, feeling optimistic for the first time in forever.
I could think of a lot of interesting things to do with little miss hot pants in the dead of night.
Chapter 5
Jenny
A long, yawn and a stretch started my day. I rolled over and stared at the clock. It flashed at me a lovely, lazy day number. A number I hadn’t woken to in months.
10:08 AM
I blinked and pulled out my ear plugs.
Blissful silence.
I sat up and looked around. Basil was on his back in a patch on sunshine, sound asleep. He snorted and his little paws jerked in the air.
"Is it Sunday?"
Ever since the construction had started I’d gotten one day of silence a week. Sunday. But today was Friday.
Oh my God.
It was quiet outside.
Was there a power outage?
Was it finally over???
I rolled to my feet and stood up. Basil huffed and didn't move. I almost laughed. My dog was like I was, a light sleeper. And for once, he was asleep past the crack of dawn.
For the first time in forever, I felt well rested.
I pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and made myself a small pot of coffee. I had orders to fill for the weekend so I got to work immediately after taking the pup out for a walk.
For a new small business owner like me, I worked 24/7, just to break even. But I loved what I did. Besides, business was picking up. Word of mouth about my recipes and magic fingers was spreading quickly.
Next year, I’d be flush.
Hopefully anyway.
I was dusting a mocha crumb cake with powdered sugar when the knock came at the door. I jumped a mile high and ended up covered with a film of powdered sugar. I cursed under my breath.
I didn't like unexpected visitors.
I especially didn't like them when I was working.
Oh well, it wasn't the first time I’d been covered in powdered sugar.
I set dow my a
ccoutresments and went to answer the door.
Of course. It was him.
The slick, handsome stranger I’d met last week on the beach.
The one I hadn't been able to get out of my head.
It was twisted but whenever I had a quiet moment I found myself wondering about him, if I’d ever see him again. And promptly got pissed at myself for doing it.
Slade.
What a ridiculous name.
Yet somehow, it suited him.
I opened the door and stared at him through the screen door. He was wearing that same leather jacket and tight jeans. He leaned against the side of the door smiling at me, looking utterly at home.
He looked thrilled to see me, truth be known.
"Hi."
"Hey Jenny. Oh my god it smells good in there."
I shouldn't invite him in, I shouldn't invite him in, I shouldn't invite him in.
"Would you like to come in?"
“That would be great, thanks.”
I opened the screen door, feeling a bit like I was in one of those scary movies. One of the ones where the heroine just invited a vampire inside her house. I almost laughed. Now he was going to either seduce me or suck out all my blood.
Maybe both.
He ducked under the door and stepped inside. He was so tall that he literally had to duck. The old cottage was built in the 1940’s, where people had apparently been smaller than the ginormous man.
More like me.
Immediately Basil came over to say hello. They greeted each other like old friends, which I found annoying for some indefinable reason.
Really annoying.
He glanced at me and walked toward the kitchen. Not that it was far in the tiny beach house. But it was obvious he was intrigued by the set up.
"So, you are a baker?"
I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest. I’d forgotten to put on a bra and suddenly I felt naked. Exposed.
Way to go, Jennster.
The man was so damn virile that he made me feel tiny, weak.
Turned on as hell, which also annoyed me.
He grinned at me. The man seemed to be determined to wear me down. For some reason I found it enraging.
Mostly because it was starting to work.
"I'll have to buy a cake then."
"Sure. I can give you my menu or you can request something custom. I'm flexible."
He grinned wider, like I’d made a dirty joke. I groaned and turned away, riffling through the drawer for a menu. I found a relatively uncrumpled one and handed it to him. He was still grinning, damn him.
I just knew he was taking my statement as some sort of sexual innuendo.
Ugh.
"Thanks."
I shrugged and crossed my arms again. Had his eyes just skimmed over my tits or was I insane? It was impossible to tell through his sun glasses.
What kind of D-bag wore sunglasses inside?
"I'm glad you guys were in. The whole day has been madness really but I wanted to make sure I stopped by."
I cocked my head. What the hell was he talking about? He might be pretty, but I was starting to wonder if he was just a walking gonad.
"Oh?"
"Well, my big housewarming party is tomorrow night. I would love it if you came."
My jaw dropped.
“Housewarming?”
“Yeah, my house is finally done.”
I was glaring at him, steam ready to come out of my ears. The daft man didn’t seem to notice.
“Which house?”
He pointed out the window at the monstrosity next door.
"You are- the one who has been making all that noise for months now? You are the one who has destroyed my view?"
He looked a little bit alarmed as I stood up straight and pointed my finger at his chest accusingly. He held up his hands and backed away.
"Hey, I'm sorry it was loud or spoiling your view. I had no idea."
I scowled at him.
“Of course you didn’t! Because rich, d-bags like you never. Ever. Think. About anyone else!”
He was smiling at me now, like I was amusing. Like I was a puppy biting his sneaker. I was not a puppy dammit!
"You and your construction crew have ruined my life for months! I've barely been able to think straight!"
His hands were high in the air like it was a hold up. Hell, maybe it was. I sure as shit wished I had a gun at the moment. He was lucky I didn’t.
I definitely would have shot his cute little ass.
"Who are you anyway? Some slick investment banker? You are just the kind of person who is ruining this town!”
I yanked the menu out of his hands.
"I will not be baking you anything! Ever!"
He stopped backing away.
"The kind of people? Isn't that a bit prejudiced?"
I snorted. He was not leaving fast enough.
"What, scummy wall street guys are a protected class now?"
"I'm not a wall street guy. I'm a musician."
He pulled his sun glasses off and my jaw dropped. Huge golden brown eyes stared at me. I hadn’t been wrong about the gorgeous part. I’d just understated it.
The man was a greek god.
Now I recognized him. I must be an idiot for not catching that before. He was one of the most famous men in the entire world.
Slade Fucking Kinney.
Rock Star and scumbag extraordinaire. Dater of models and actresses. Partier. Womanizer. Scoundrel.
And now he was here, ruining my view and trying to get into my pants to boot!
Fanfuckingtastic.
He had an earnest look on his face.
"Hey Jenny, ease up. I'm not the enemy I swear."
I crossed my arms again and sighed.
"Are you going to start throwing loud parties every night?"
"What? No. Just this one. It won't even be loud. I promise. I came out here to get away from all that bullshit."
I frowned and looked at him, saying nothing.
A famous asshole had just moved in next door. My peaceful, bucolic life was over as I knew it. My family had lived out here for three generations and now it was as bad as Brooklyn or LA.
The cute little stretch of bay had just officially become part of the hamptons, with a capital H.
UGH.
And to add insult to injury, for some bizarre reason I found him attractive.
Really, really attractive.
I even liked his music. In fact, if he looked at my collection, he'd see not only his latest album, but a few of the old ones. Including his first.
Not that I listened to music much anymore. The sound of the ocean was the perfect backdrop to- well, anything.
But I didn't want him to see his disks in my collection. Ever. Even if they were gathering dust.
Goddamn It.
Well, I just had to get him out of here before he noticed that was all.
"Fine. Here. Take the menu. Have a cranberry scone."
I thrust the menu into his hand and handed him a pastry I’d been experimenting with.
"Thanks."
He looked utterly baffled as I hustled him toward the door.
"So you'll come? Tomorrow?"
"Uh huh. Sure. Whatever. No problem."
He was grinning at me as I shoved him out the door. The poor man seemed a little slow witted to be honest. Maybe all that loud music and partying had ruined his brain.
Or he just really liked me for some obscure reason.
"Awesome! Come by around six. Or anytime really. Stop by whenever you want. If you run out of sugar, or you want to talk.”
He grinned at me and it was like the sun came out. His teeth were perfect.
“Looks like you might need some more."
His finger brushed my cheek and he popped it into his mouth. My jaw dropped open. The sugar! This entire time I’d been coated in it.
I wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.
"See you later, neighbor. Oh, and thank
s for the scone."
He smirked at me and bit into it before walking away. I stood behind the screen door, watching him. He looked back over his shoulder and shouted through a mouthful of crumbs.
"Delicious!"
I shut the door rapidly and leaned against it.
Had I just agreed to go to his stupid party? I could always bail on it, I reasoned. It was doubtful he would notice if I wasn’t there.
He'd probably make it a habit of stopping by though. I groaned. I’d just have to be firm with him. Rude even.
Lord knows I was good at that.
At least he was gone now and I could hide the damn CD's!
Chapter 6
Slade
Fucking A, that was tasty.
I licked the last of the crumbs off my fingers. I’d much rather be licking my delicious, if cantankerous neighbor though.
Head to toe.
She'd been covered in sugar and almost certainly not wearing a bra. I’d been aroused from the moment I set foot in her house.
Hell, I’d been aroused since the moment I met her.
I glanced at the menu and smirked.
Her company was called Jenny Cakes. How cute. I’d definitely like to do something with her cakes…
Lots of filthy, dirty things.
I had a feeling she had never met anyone quite as creative as me.
The best part of it was that her phone number was on the menu. It was a cell obviously. So I could text her.
I was going to break down her defenses one by one. Little miss Jenny Cakes had no clue what was coming for her. I could be very determined.
It wasn’t by accident that I was one of the highest paid musicians in the world.
I’d start with dazzling her with the food and fine wines at the party. I’d make sure the whole thing was low key. I would prove to her that I would be a good neighbor to her.
Kind. Considerate. Attentive.
And more.
Much, much more.
For a moment I paused to wonder if it was just her obvious disdain that was making me so determined. But I didn’t just want to get into my feisty neighbors jogging shorts. I wanted more.
The girl was not star struck in the least. That didn't happen to me too often. It was like going back in time to when I’d just been another guy in South Boston.