Tall, Dark and Handsome Neighbor: A Friends to Lovers Romance

by Lauren Wood

  It wasn’t long before Betty was starting to move underneath me, testing out the new intrusion and by the look of need on her face, she was quickly getting over the initial pain. It was over a few moments later when she was asking for more.

  How could I say no to that?

  I pumped in slowly at first, allowing her time to get used to me. Betty was quick to come again and insisted that I let her get on top. Her adventurous ways kept us up most of the night. I couldn’t take it long the first time, hearing her cries and pleas of pleasure. The third and fourth time, though, I really think we found our rhythm.

  “What in the hell is she doing in here! Tell this strumpet that she needs to go!”

  I was rudely awakened to my father’s voice and I instantly looked over to the woman in my bed, the one he was name calling. I got so mad, that I got up out of bed and told Betty I would be right back.

  “Dad, come with me please.”

  We walked into the kitchen and I didn’t bother with clothes. This wasn’t going to take long.

  “Where is your dignity, Nick? Put some damn pants on!”

  “This is my house, Dad, and I’ll wear what I want to. You do not own this, I have since my trust bought it years ago. You will not walk in here like this anymore. Say one more word about Betty in there, and I will make sure that you never set foot in this house again. Do you understand?”

  “You bought it? With what money?”

  “The money our band makes. We just signed a huge deal and that is pennies to what we just made. I told you that I would make it my way and I have. Now leave and don’t come back until you can apologize to my fiancée. She will be your daughter in law, so you better hope that she takes your apology. I don’t know if I would or not.”

  He wanted to yell, rail, I don’t know. But I was naked and now the door was open. I think the only course of action there was, was for him to leave. It was the first time I’d ever told him off and it felt good. Really good.

  It took me a minute to realize that I was still standing naked in the door like an idiot. I went back into the bedroom, hoping that Betty hadn’t heard us. I didn’t want to explain.

  “Fiancée?”

  “What do you think?”

  She smiled and agreed, pulling the sheets back, coaxing me back into bed. Betty didn’t want to talk about it just yet and that made me love her even more. We could get to the more important parts first.

  I hope you enjoyed “Tall, Dark and Handsome Neighbour”! If you did, I would love if you could leave a review HERE to help other readers find it.

  * * *

  Sign up for my newsletter to stay updated with all my new releases, and free giveaways!

  * * *

  If you want to read more sizzling fire breathing romance?

  * * *

  Turn Your Page

  The Billionaire’s Surrogate (SNEAK PEEK)

  A Small Town Billionaire Romance Series

  1

  Angel

  My senses went into overload as my eyes slowly opened. I rapidly took in the throbbing pain in my head, followed by the realization that I was not in my own apartment. The silky gray sheets wrapped around me were much nicer than anything I owned, and the giant window overlooking my hometown of Cherry Falls next to the bed was completely foreign from anything that existed in my tiny efficiency apartment.

  I rolled over, trying to remember the events that transpired the night before. That’s when I felt the slab of warm bare flesh beside me—one that awakened a renewed surge of arousal. I looked over slowly, taking in the sight of the delicious body that rivaled the stunning view of our city.

  Joey Williams. It had finally happened. I had finally landed in bed with Joey Williams, the obsession of all my fantasies from the moment I first met him at my best friend’s boutique.

  He had olive-toned skin that matched the slight Bronx accent. He had that whole Italian, bad boy, New Yorker vibe that was enough to slay any woman. His gym-rat muscular body certainly helped, with its chiseled curves and a six-pack unlike anything I had ever seen outside of a magazine or billboard, much less next to me in bed.

  I couldn’t help but smile and let out a quiet squeal under my breath. He was still sleeping soundly, giving me the chance to feel around the nightstand for my phone. But it wasn’t there. I looked around the room, spotting my handbag thrown off into the corner.

  Flashes started coming back to me. I remembered how we burst into the room with my legs wrapped around his waist, him effortlessly holding my entire body weight. I didn’t realize my purse was still draped over my arm until he went to take off my shirt. It was kind of a miracle that I had managed to hold onto it for so long since we had been making out with a passionate fury from the moment we found ourselves alone in the back of his limo.

  I had tossed it into oblivion, not caring at that moment where it landed. Its contents were scattered across the plush carpet of his bedroom, and I couldn’t resist taking the risk of slipping out of bed to creep over and snag my phone. I winced, trying to be as quiet as humanly possible as I climbed back into the sheets next to him. Thank goodness that expensive mattresses rarely creaked or made a peep.

  I opened my phone’s camera and snapped a picture of him sleeping like a baby, making sure to catch the way the light shone across his bulging muscles in all their glory. Those arms… Those pecs… I followed each curve right down to the V-shape beneath his stomach. Everything below that was covered in the sheet that clung to his hips, which made me feel a lot less guilty about the picture. Him being shirtless and sleeping was one thing. I was not about to go so far as to snap a pic of some guy’s dick without his permission.

  I needed a souvenir to remember all of my pent up fantasies finally becoming a reality, but I also needed proof. I flipped to my ongoing group text with my two besties, Del and Lizzy, and sent them the photo of Joey followed by a plethora of emojis communicating a wide range of emotions, covering everything from heart eyes and a drooling face, to a wide-eyed freakout and a scream.

  I wouldn’t have expected them to be awake, considering we all had a late night out drinking for the opening of Damon’s new club. That is, all except for Lizzy, who was pregnant and due any day now. Of course, she had still come to support her fiance’s newest venture. I was surprised when the phone immediately started dinging back in rapid-fire responses, each one indicating a freakout on par with my own.

  Me: How are you guys even awake right now!?

  Lizzy: Uh, girl…it’s noon.

  Oh shit, I thought, glancing at the time in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to confirm it was true.

  Del: I’ve been up with the baby since six. Glad we made the call to close the show today.

  Me: Ditto. Way too hungover for work.

  Lizzy: Right, but… Can we talk some more about the fact that ur in bed next to JOEY WILLIAMS right now!

  Ding. Ding. Whoosh. Bloop. Ding. My phone continued lighting up with the incessant messages, each one threatening to make me burst out into a roar of laughter. I got so caught up in the screen that I didn’t notice Joey had been woken up by the messages and was staring me down.

  He cleared his throat, startling me into rapt attention. I chucked the phone back down to the carpet like a kid that had just been caught red-handed stealing from the cookie jar.

  “Something funny?” he asked, stretching out his perfectly sculpted arms, making my mouth water.

  “It was nothing!” I smiled innocently, with maybe a little too much guilty desperation.

  He jumped out of bed and grabbed his boxers. “I’m going to hop in the shower. Want me to call you a cab?”

  My heart sank. It wasn’t like I expected anything to come out of our hook up. I was a big girl and understood the concept of a one-night stand, even if it was with someone who played such an integral role in my closest group of friends.

  Joey had come to Cherry Falls, North Carolina, with his real estate partners, Nick, Damon, and Ben. When our little sm
all town became the newest up and coming destination, they couldn’t resist relocating from New York to get a piece of the pie. They wanted to be big fish in a small pond, rather than face all the competition back in the Big Apple. It had proven to be a smart move for them, and not just for the sake of their business. Nick had coupled off with my best friend, Del, almost instantly. They had since gotten married and had a kid. Then it was Damon and my other best friend, Lizzy, who paired off and were now expecting their own baby.

  It was only a matter of time before one of the guys got together with me, the last remaining single member of my girlfriends. Ben and Joey were the only two left, but I only had eyes for Joey. I had finally found my way into his bed, and now he was in a rush to get in the shower and send me off on the walk of shame.

  “Angel? Did you hear me?” he asked, popping his head around the corner of his bedroom door with a towel thrown over his shoulder. Those gorgeous brown eyes and kissable lips made me ache inside—all things of the past for me now. “Sorry, I’ve got to get into the office. I have a meeting at two. Did you want me to call you a car?”

  I did my best to hide the hurt expression on my face. “No, that’s okay,” I answered finally. “I don’t live far. I’ll walk. I could use the…” Joey had already nodded and slipped off into the bathroom with apparently no interest in what I could use. “Fresh air,” I mumbled to myself.

  I sat up in bed, looking around the room. My stupid phone was still blowing up on the floor. I didn’t have the heart to tell Del and Lizzy how unceremoniously I was being dismissed from Joey’s bed. A happily ever after like what they found was not exactly what I hoped to get out of this. But morning sex? Breakfast? Was that too much to ask? The excitement I felt when I first texted them had already dwindled into nothing but the glaring symptoms of my hangover.

  I hadn’t felt this cheap since my random drunk hookup phase in college. I found myself feeling angry as I crawled out of bed and scrambled to find my clothes. I wasn’t a prude by any means, but I was still a small-town girl and didn’t think having casual sex meant that there was no room for a little chivalry. I guess Joey had other ideas.

  With all of my clothes back on and the contents of my purse put back where they belonged, I headed for the front door. I paused by the bathroom, where steam was billowing. I could hear the water running inside and see Joey’s silhouette through the curtain.

  My lips parted to yell over the sound of the gushing water to let him know that I was leaving, but I stopped myself. He obviously didn’t care, and I was not about to chase him around like a lost puppy. All of my giddiness over the night before was yanked right out from under me and replaced with a scornful rage.

  With my fists clenched, I spun on my heels and marched right out the door, making a point to slam it loudly behind me. It wasn’t until I got in the hall and found myself face to face with an elderly woman who lived next door that I realized I had never checked my appearance in the mirror. Judging by the stunned, judgmental look on her face, it was safe to assume that my kinky black spirals were frizzed out in every direction and that my eyeliner was smudged all around my eyes. Maybe that was part of what turned Joey so cold, though no guy from my past had ever complained about my morning-after look.

  I blushed and smiled, offering a polite wave before jetting off to the elevator. I only felt a little better by the time the fresh afternoon air hit me outside. I took my time walking home, kicking pebbles along the sidewalk as I went.

  In between Joey’s place and mine, I stopped outside the old Italian restaurant that had shut down in recent months, unable to keep up with the rapidly changing economy and clientele since the infamous Cherry Falls population boom. I was sad for the owners. Nick, Joey, and the other guys worked hard to make the changes in our town as kind to natives as it could be, but not everything was immune to gentrification.

  I looked longingly at the boarded-up windows and noticed a sign saying it was for lease posted out front. Cooking had always been a passion of mine, and I dreamed of owning my own restaurant. I noticed the Ransom Realty logo in the corner of the lease sign. It was one of Nick and Joey’s properties now. Too bad, I was broke. I sighed to myself. After the way Joey had just treated me, I imagined I could have leveraged my way into a good deal on the place if I only had the means.

  Oh well. I tried to shrug off my dream of ever owning that place right along with the ridiculous notion that anything could have come out of my night with Joey. Not even a simple, “Last night was fun. Hope you have a great day.”

  I started back down the sidewalk to my place. Luckily, I knew the best recipe for a banging hangover cure breakfast—one that I would have cooked for him if given a chance. His loss. That just meant more for me once I got home and started cooking.

  * * *

  Continue reading the FULL version of “The Billionaire’s Surrogate”, the third book in A Small Town Billionaire Brothers Series. Each book in the series can read as a standalone too.

  * * *

  Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited - CLICK HERE!

  Also by Lauren Wood

  If you enjoyed Tall, Dark and Handsome Neighbor then you are in for a treat! See below for a list of boxsets that contain most of my books. All FREE on Kindle Unlimited!:)

  * * *

  Bundles full of irresistible alpha males who are naughty and dirty.

  * * *

  Latest New Release Standalone Books

  My Best Friend’s Brother

  Knocked Up By The Boss

  * * *

  Next Door Daddies: A Contemporary Romance Series Boxset(Book 1 - 4)

  * * *

  Second Chance Delight: A Contemporary Romance Series Boxset(Book 1 - 4)

  * * *

  The Hot Bad Boys: A Bad Boy Romance

  The Complete Collection(Book 1 - 4)

  * * *

  Accidentally Met Him: An Accidental Marriage Romance Series Boxset(Book 1 - 4)

  * * *

  Mountain Man’s Fever: A Mountain Man Romance Series Boxset(Book 1 - 4)

  * * *

  First Love: My Best Friend’s Little Sister Romance Series Boxset(Book 1-4)

  * * *

  Billionaire Daddies: A Billionaire Romance Series Boxset(Book 1-4)

  * * *

  All Mine: A Bad Boy Next Door Romance Series Boxset(Book 1-5)

  * * *

  Be My Forever: A Billionaire and Virgin Romance Series Boxset(Book 1-4)

  * * *

  One Last Chance: A Second Chance Romance Series Boxset(Book 1-4)

  About the Author

  Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed my book! If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? Your reviews will help other loyal readers.

  * * *

  In fact, if you liked this book, you can also check out my full Amazon Book Catalog HERE!

  * * *

  If you are OBSESSED with bad boys, you can find him here of all kinds.

  How to connect with me –

  Sign up for my newsletter to stay updated with all my new releases, and free giveaways!

  I care about quality, so if you find something in error, please contact me via email at lauren@authorlaurenwood.com

  Exclusive Offer

  * * *

  Your Exclusive FREE Bonus Book!

  His Secret Baby: A Bad Boy Romance

  * * *

  GET YOUR COPY NOW!