Seal Next Door

by Brooke Noelle

  “I wouldn’t say that,” she replied, suspicion lacing her voice. “I saw you playing a game with him and Darren a few weeks ago.”

  Did you hear us in bed too? My fingers curled around the rim of my wine glass. I shrugged my shoulders, because I didn’t know what else to say to that. They wanted information, and I wasn’t going to give it to them no matter how hard they pried.

  “It’s too bad though,” Natalie said. “I heard him telling Mr. Cooper that he’s going to find a new babysitter.” Those words washed over me coldly. “He said something about you having a commitment to going back to school.”

  “Excuse me,” I said sharply. “I have to—I have to get some air. This wine is hitting me a bit strong.”

  I set the glass down on the kitchen island. Before any of them could say anything, I slipped out of the kitchen door to the back patio. My head felt warm and fuzzy from the few sips of wine. I wobbled over to where Jake stood next to the barbecue with a few other husbands. He looked at me with an indifferent expression when I came to a stop in front of him.

  “It’s nice to hear that I’m fired from the neighbors,” I said, not bothering to hide the anger radiating from inside me. “Couldn’t face me?’

  Jake’s lips thinned into a displeased and uncomfortable line. He glanced over at the kitchen window, where Erika, Natalie, Carla, and Sally were looking out at us in avid curiosity.

  “Don’t do this here,” he said tightly.

  “I agree with Jake,” one of the husbands said, turning to look at the women in the window. They all immediately backed off when he waved the barbecue tongs at them. “My wife, Erika, can be so nosey sometimes. Go talk out of earshot and eyesight. I have enough gossip to deal with without you two causing more.”

  “I’m sorry, Ian,” Jake said, setting his beer down on the table. “We’ll go somewhere to talk.”

  He grabbed a hold of my elbow with tight fingers. I stumbled slightly down the porch steps as Jake guided me out of Erika’s backyard in the direction of my house. The second we were on the front porch step, Jake turned on me with a glare.

  “What is wrong with you?” he hissed. “We agreed to—”

  “I agreed to keep quiet,” I said hotly. “That was what we agreed to. You changed your damn mind about it.”

  “Because I’m trying to keep you from getting hurt.” He grabbed for my keys, but I danced away from him. The wine was giving me a shot of bravery. “I was going to tell you Monday about finding a new babysitter. Who told you about that?”

  “Natalie,” I said flatly, “the woman who is stalking you from across the street.”

  Jake rolled his eyes in exasperation. “That doesn’t surprise me that she told you. I told you those women can’t mind their own damn business.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” I waved a dismissive hand. “I just want to know why you’re pulling back from me after what we agreed to.”

  “Shit, Chloe,” he said, sighing in aggravation. “I was just trying to do the right thing. None of this is easy for me.”

  “So you don’t want me to go then?”

  “Of course not. I don’t want you to, but I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

  That answer satisfied me to a degree. The wine in my veins felt good, and Jake looked equally good in the pair of loose gym shorts he wore along with a simple white shirt. His hair was styled messily as usual. My fingers itched to run through the soft strands.

  A devious thought washed over me. There was no doubt in my mind that Erika and her gabble of women were watching intently from the living room windows. I knew Erika had set this up for a reason, and I planned on taking advantage of it.

  I brushed by Jake to unlock the front door. Pushing the door open, I turned to look at him. He was watching me with a heated look.

  “Come prove that to me,” I said as sultrily as possible. “Let’s give those women across the street something to really talk about.”

  I stepped inside and held the door open while I waited patiently for Jake to weigh his options. He stepped inside a few moments later. The second I let the front door close on its own, our lips were against each other’s, hot and needy.

  Nothing could ever replace the feel of Jake’s strong and hot body pressing up against mine, or the way his hands cupped and gripped me in all the right places. We stumbled up the stairs without breaking contact. Shivers shot up my spine in anticipation as Jake’s hands ripped my tank top up, followed by my bra a second later. He pinned me up against the upstairs hallway wall before dipping down to kiss and suck at my breasts until I could barely see straight.

  Hardness pressed against me through the fabric of my jeans. I reached between us to rub at the hotness there. That earned a throaty groan of approval from Jake against my right breast. His fingers smoothed down my back before slipping around to work at the button of my shorts. I reached around blindly for his shirt while Jake’s mouth came up to attack me again in a brutal and dominant kiss.

  We barely made it into my room before we were both dripping with sweat from the lust searing between us. Jake’s fingers brushed between my legs to set a rough rhythm there. A cry of pleasure escaped my mouth from the friction. I moved against his hand shamelessly for a release, but he pulled away to push me back onto the bed.

  A shiver went up my spine at the feeling of Jake slipping between my legs as though he belonged there permanently. I didn’t think of anything else when he thrust into me with a relieved sigh. All I could do was cling to his strong shoulders, feeling the muscles there work as he set a hard and deep pace that had us both dangling sweetly near a much-needed release. Tears pricked my eyes when my release came barreling down violently. I dimly heard Jake let out a deep groan before collapsing against me.

  His heart slammed into his ribcage against my own frantically beating heart. I stared up at the sunlight dancing across the ceiling of my room while I tried to calm my breathing. Nothing could replace the feeling of Jake cradling me in his strong arms. I felt protected. His nose nuzzled against the crook of my neck. I felt even a bit loved in a way, something I hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  It wasn’t smart to get involved, but I was beyond caring. This felt entirely too good to let it go.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jake

  The next two weeks passed by in a hot blur, with Chloe wrapped around me in the early morning hours. Whatever conflict I had fought against was long gone. I couldn’t resist Chloe even if I wanted to now. Both our defenses had come crumbling down in a lustful crash that had left us breathless and wanting more.

  “I think we’ve given the neighbors plenty to talk about,” Chloe said.

  She smiled mischievously at me while running a towel through the wet strands of her hair. I returned the smile as I rubbed my face dry with my own towel.

  “What makes you think that?” I asked, my voice muffled from the towel.

  “Because they see me over here with you and Darren more than at my own house. I don’t even leave here after Darren goes to school.”

  “I’m sure Erika is foaming at the mouth trying to get information from everyone.”

  Chloe laughed. “She is, actually. She tried to catch me yesterday on my way out to the grocery store.”

  That didn’t surprise me. I avoided her as much as possible by dropping Darren off at school quickly and pretending I was on an important phone call whenever she did get close. Why Erika had to get involved was beyond me. None of it was her business, but, as usual, she made it her business.

  “Natalie has been giving me the death glare too,” Chloe said, breezing by me to gather her clothes, which were sprawled out in my bedroom. “I think she’s under the assumption that I stole her prospective man from her.”

  I grimaced at the thought. Natalie could’ve been Sidney’s twin with their matching personalities and taste for expensive things. She walked by every day dressed in designer dresses that showed off her legs, sometimes pausing to pick at the rose bushes in my front
yard.

  “That’s why she picks my roses then,” I said. “She’s trying to lure me out of the house to come talk to her more.”

  I entered the room right as Chloe slipped into a pair of leggings. The first taste of fall had greeted us last night. A notable chill had clung to the air when I’d gone to work. The tips of trees were a dull yellow, a sign of a change in weather.

  “I’m sure she is,” Chloe said, slipping into a oversized T-shirt next. “I better let you go so you can get some sleep. I have to meet with my mother in Lone Tree.”

  “Important business?” I asked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

  I stifled a yawn with my hand when Chloe paused in front of me. She smoothed a hand over my damp hair with a smile.

  “Very,” she said. “Erika apparently is in touch with my mother, so I’m sure this lunch has everything to do with you. Oh, and I told her that we slept together too.”

  I arched an eyebrow.

  “I’m sure she loved that,” I said wryly. “You told your mother?”

  “I was upset at the time,” Chloe said, shrugging her shoulders. “Get some sleep. I’ll be over later tonight.”

  She pecked a kiss to my lips before exiting my room. I settled back against my unmade bed that now smelled like Chloe all the time. My parents would be doing the same thing too if they heard about Chloe. They had been adamant about Sidney not being a good woman to marry.

  A yawn escaped my lips. Fully sated from spending the past hour in the shower with Chloe, I fell asleep quickly. I didn’t wake once until my phone alarm trilled off a few hours later. My room felt pleasantly warm from the sunlight peeking in through the curtains.

  I dressed for the day before heading outside to check the mailbox. I was rifling through bills when the sound of bushes scratching against a window caught my attention. Turning around, I flicked a gaze over Chloe’s motionless house. Her car was still gone despite it being nearly three o’clock.

  The bushes vibrated before a tall man stepped out of them. Blood roared in my ears when he turned to look at me, having realized I was standing on the other side of the fence, clutching the mail tightly.

  “Hey, man. Is this Chloe Johnson’s house?” he asked.

  Shoving the mail into my back pocket, I crossed over the fence to look at him fully. He wasn’t that tall in person. He was smug, cocky, and I was tempted to punch him straight in the face just for being here. I resisted though. I had Chloe to think about along with Darren. I wouldn’t do either one of them any good if I was in jail.

  “That depends on who’s asking,” I said coldly. “Who are you?”

  “Luke,” he said, and he looked me up and down in distaste. “I’m her boyfriend. I’ve been trying to find her all day.”

  He still thinks she’s his. A possessive surge shot through me at that observation. I kept my face blank when Luke gave me a strange look.

  “She’s not here,” I said.

  Luke gazed at me with visible distrust. If only he knew… I kept my curled fists at my sides. If he knew, he’d hurt Chloe. There was no doubt in my mind. Things like that had a tendency to set guys like Luke off.

  “When will she back?”

  “I’m not her keeper,” I said flatly. “She’s a woman who can handle her own business around here. She doesn’t need you.”

  “Right,” Luke said in a tone that suggested he didn’t believe me. “Just tell her that I’m staying at a hotel across the city.” He flicked his sunglasses down. “She knows my number, so she can call me when she gets back.”

  He didn’t wait for my response. Crossing by me, he exited through the gate and walked down the street to a black Honda. I watched him speed away before letting out a harsh breath. Fumbling through my pocket, I pulled out my phone to call Nicholas.

  “I have a situation,” I said. Hot anger filled every inch of me. “I won’t be into work tonight besides to have someone come talk to you and a judge if needed.”

  “A judge?” Nicholas repeated, alarm evident in his voice. “What the hell did you do, Mason? I won’t bail you out if you did something—”

  “It’s for my neighbor,” I said, tapping a finger anxiously against the fence post. “She escaped an abusive ex by moving into the house next to mine. I don’t know how he found her, but I found him snooping around her house.”

  “Is there a restraining order?”

  “There has to be,” I said. “It may have run out, though, depending on what the judge said in California. There’s only one incident on file from what I looked at.”

  “That might explain why he’s there if you’re telling me the truth,” Nicholas said grimly. “Bring her into the station. These situations can end tragically.”

  “I’ll bring her in when she comes home. Thanks, boss.”

  I paced the fence line until I caught sight of Erika exiting her house ten minutes later. She saw me motion for her to come over.

  “You’ve been avoiding me for two weeks,” she said warily, “and now you want me to come over?” Her face paled at the expression on my face. “What is it? Is something wrong with Chloe or Darren?”

  “Chloe’s ex is here in the city,” I said. “I don’t want to leave this house until I can get Chloe to come with me to the police station to file a restraining order.”

  Erika’s mouth formed an “O” before looking down the street in the direction Luke had driven off.

  “That was him? I had no idea. I would’ve called the cops if I’d known.”

  “He came in the middle of the day for a reason,” I said darkly. “He was hoping to catch Chloe off guard. I don’t have to tell you that.”

  “No,” Erika said, “you don’t. I’ll pick up Darren from school. Don’t you worry about that. I’ll have Ian keep an eye out too.”

  I nodded.

  “Thanks, Erika.”

  I waited to call Chloe until after Erika drove off to pick up our children from school. I had no idea where she was, but I needed to find her fast. She answered on the second ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Where are you?” I barked out. “Don’t come back to your house. Just tell me where you are.”

  “What’s going on?” Chloe asked, alarm filling her voice. “You never call me on my phone. I’m just about to drop my mom off back at her retirement community in Lone Tree.”

  “Luke is here,” I said, and a heavy silence followed. “I found him outside your house while you were gone. He was trying to find you.”

  “Oh my god,” she said. “The restraining order. It must’ve—”

  “That’s why he was here,” I said. “Drive straight to the police station. Bring your mother if you have too. I’ll meet you there.”

  “What are you going to do? There’s nothing we can do, is there?”

  “You can file a stalking complaint. You’ll get a temporary restraining order from the police before seeing a judge. Just meet me there.”

  “Okay. I will.”

  Chloe pulled into the parking lot a few minutes after I arrived. I half expected her mother to be tagging along, but the passenger seat was empty.

  “I haven’t told her what’s going on yet,” she said when I looked at her in confusion. “Luke won’t mess with her, because he knows she’ll call the cops the second she sees him. He’s afraid of her.” Her lips curved up into a bitter smile. “Which is ironic because my mother is frail compared to me.”

  I took a hold of Chloe’s hand. “Everything will be fine,” I assured her. I pulled her in the direction we needed to go. “We’ll talk to my boss about this. He’ll give you the direction you need.”

  “What about Darren?” Chloe asked, clutching my hand tightly. “Where is he?”

  “Erika will watch him until I get back,” I said.

  An hour later, Chloe stepped out of the station to call her mother. Her face was pulled tight and visibly pale from the ordeal. Gone was her cheerful spark. A cold fear had taken its place.

  “She means a lot t
o you,” Nicholas said, coming to stand next to me by the window, from which I was watching her in the parking lot. “I’ve never seen you worked up over someone before besides Darren. Not even your ex-wife.”

  I shifted uncomfortably at the observation. “It’s different this time is all.”

  “Either way, I hope she gets some peace out of this situation. She lives next to you, so she should rest easy.”

  He clapped me on the shoulder briefly before returning to his office. I gathered my wallet and keys from where I had tossed them on the desk. I chatted briefly with a few coworkers before going out to the parking lot.

  “So, they’ll hand him the restraining order, right?” Chloe asked, chewing on the pad of her thumb nervously.

  “When they find him, yes,” I said, noting the frantic look in her eyes. “Come in my truck. Your car will be fine here for a few days. I’ll make sure of it.”

  Chloe didn’t argue. She sat rigidly in utter silence as we drove back to my house. I let Chloe inside before checking around her house for any signs of Luke. Nothing. Ian came across the street when I locked Chloe’s front door.

  “He drove by once an hour ago,” Ian said. “He’s a bit agitated too from what I saw. You got her over to the police station, right?”

  I rubbed at my face in exhaustion. “Yes, and he’ll be even more agitated after that. Thanks for watching Darren, too. Is he okay?”

  “Perfectly fine,” he replied. “Outside playing with Julie. We’ll keep him over too until things settle down.”

  “Thank you. I’ll call later to wish him a good night.”

  I found Chloe sitting on the edge of my bed, playing with her fingertips absently. I sat down next to her, wrapped an arm around her petite shoulders, and tugged her into me. She fell against me without a fight.

  “Everything will be fine,” I said. “I can promise you that.”

  “I hope so,” she said glumly. “I can’t ever seem to escape him.”

  “You will,” I said, rubbing her shoulders. “Even if I have to do something about it, you will get away from him.”