Neighbors (6 page)

Eight

Sunlight
shines through the opened slats of the window blinds, saturating the room with light. I blink a few times before I realize where I am. Stretching my arms past the blanket, I turn my head to see Dylan sleeping next to me. A peaceful expression covers his face. I revel in how wonderful I feel. Doubt barges into my head in a panic.
What if this was a one-night
occurrence
?
Now that he’s gotten what he wanted, will he even talk to you when you see him from across the street? Will I have to look out the window every time I want to leave the house, just to avoid him? This was a bad idea.
I look at Dylan. His peaceful expression is blissful.
But it was incredible, wasn’t it?

It certainly was, but
I need to proceed with caution. What’s going to happen now? I don’t need another failed situation. I still haven’t completely recovered from the last one.

Trying
not to move too much so that I don’t wake Dylan, I ease myself out of the bed and scurry to the bathroom. On the way, I pick up his tee shirt from the floor and put it on. Meshed in the fibers of the cotton are the scent of his cologne and him. Mmmmm!

While in the bathroom, I look in the mirror. The features on my face are relaxed, happy, but my hair is wild. I search the cabinet for a hairbrush to tame the haystack on top of my head. Then use
my finger with some toothpaste to make my breath less offensive.

Upon my return Dylan is lying with his head propped up on his elbow. Big brown eyes greet me. “Good morning.” His voice jump-starts
my desire.

“Good morning,” I return
.

“You look much better in that shirt than I do.” A devilish grin
spreads across his face.

The comment makes me
feel sexy, wanted, playful. “Are you sure? I could take it off if it doesn’t suit you.”

He smiles.
“Well then, it doesn’t suit me.”

With my fingertips, I grab it from the bottom and
pull it off my body. His breath hitches as I stand before him soaked in the rays of the morning light that filter from the window. He reaches out to me. I take his hand. When we connect, the energy between us hums to life. He pulls me onto the bed and before I know it, his mouth is on me and we begin a replay of the previous night.

Warm water ru
ns down my back as I cover my body in soap. I don’t want to wash him off of me, but I’m sweaty. I pour a small amount of his shampoo, the smell that causes my heart to flutter, into my hand and lather my hair. A tingle ignites the flame inside me as he presses his firm body up against my back.

“Let me do that.” His voice is stimulating in my ear.
I want to turn to face him, but his hands are on my shoulders, massaging them.

I
close my eyes and roll my head to the side to allow him broader access as I try to harness the myriad of sensation that’s taking over. He kneads the tension out of my muscles. “Mmmmm,” I moan. “That feels good.”

Gentle lips replace his hands and
he trails kisses down my soapy neck. My blood begins the coaster ride. Slippery hands glide down my body and cup my breasts. My back is against his chest and his erection presses against my behind.

I reach for the bottle of shampoo. Squeezing an ample amount
into my palm, I rub my hands together, causing it to lather and foam. Then I turn toward him and massage my fingers through his hair. Suds slide down his shoulders, back and chest. My hands move over the bubbles, following their path. He leans his forehead into mine. Our eyes lock.

My hand lowers and reaches around him. He’s firm. A low moan escapes him. I tighten my grip slightly and his breath hitches. And slowly
I move up and down his impressive length. His eyes close and his mouth opens to accommodate his heavy breathing. Water sprays over us, causing the suds to disappear down the drain
.
I sink to my knees and grab his hips. Using my tongue I follow the hairline from his belly button down to his erection. The water is beating down on us. I look up at him through my lashes. He’s staring at me, waiting. He moans as I place my mouth over him.

I tighten my lips around
his generous size before I pull back. He gasps and I cover him again. His fingers mesh in my hair as I move him in and out of my mouth. The muscles in his legs tighten and his hips rock. I pull him deeper, rolling my tongue around the tip and down the shaft. He groans. I suck harder and harder, pushing him deeper. 

He holds my head steady
and his hips still. Warm, salty liquid oozes down my throat. I swallow quickly.

He pulls me up and presses his nose against my cheek
as the water rains down on us.

Nine

Wrapped in a towel, I watch as Dylan ties
the other one around his waist.
It’s a shame to cover up such a perfect body
, I think. Dylan cradles my face in his hands. His lips are on mine, soft, sweet kisses. “I’m so glad I moved here,” he says.

“Mmmmm, me too.”

With great reluctance, we get dressed. Unfortunately, I have to put on the same clothes I had been wearing yesterday. After I have my sandals on, I walk down to the kitchen, my hair still damp from the shower.

“How do you like your eggs?”
Dylan asks.

“What?”

“I’m going to make you breakfast.”

A glance
at the clock tells me it’s eleven-thirty. “How about lunch?” I suggest.

Dylan
looks at the clock too, and smiles. “Whatever you want.”

I walk
to him and place my arms around his waist. “Whatever I want?” my voice is playful and suggestive.

“I thought you’d be sick of me by now.”

“Oh, no. I don’t think that could happen.”

“No?”
There’s a lilt in his voice.

“No,” I confirm
. My pulse jumps and my neurons are revving.

Shutting
the flame on the stove, he pulls me close. The warmth of his tongue invades my mouth. Yay!
He wants me again!

Altho
ugh he’s just gotten dressed, he takes his shirt off then reaches for my shorts. We take turns removing items until our clothes are on the kitchen floor. A package of napkins is haphazardly swiped onto the floor, next to the paper plates that were evicted previously. Dylan lifts me onto the table and then he’s on top of me. I can’t believe he’s ready again so soon. But he is, and I don’t complain. He mounts me then eases inside, filling every inch.

I ge
t dressed for the second time. Dylan makes us both omelets because he’s afraid if we have to wait any longer for food, we’d get distracted again. Aside from being a wonderful lover, he makes a very good omelet.

“So why is it you don’t have a social life?” he asks before shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

That caught me off guard. “Um, well, I guess when I found myself single again the thought of dating anyone didn’t really appeal to me. My brother let me use his house and I didn’t know anyone around here. I still don’t, except for you.” I smile at him. “ And up until this past week, I worked a lot of over time.”

“Was that because you had to or because you wanted to avoid not being busy?”

Man, he was good. Instead of construction, he should be a psychologist. “Maybe a little of both. The ER had been busy, but coming home to an empty house where the only thing to look forward to was a load of laundry and a TV dinner wasn’t very exciting.”

“What about your friends?”

I thought about that but don’t answer until after I chew and swallow my eggs. “Tracy is always asking me to go out, but then she met her boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend. They were inseparable at first. Then he started hanging out with his friends more. Tracy caught him cheating the other day and now he’s out. She’s always telling me how we should go out and have a good time.”

“So will you?” He stares at me. This is an awkward conversation for me and I chose to answer with only a shrug. Then I continue to eat my eggs.

I help him clean up and then I’m not sure what to do. Should I stay or should I leave and break the spell?
If you leave it will be over. You’ll be a one-night stand. A notch on his bedpost.

“Will you go
food shopping with me?” he asks.

“Food shopping?”

“Yes, well if I’m going to cook you dinner tonight, I need to know what you like to eat.” His arms wrap around me. My head is floating.
Whew! I’m not just a notch.

“Can I go home and change first?”

“Can I go with you?”

He wants
to be with me
. “Of course you can go with me.”

He grabs
his wallet and keys, and we leave for my house. As we stroll across the street, I mentally chant,
Don’t break my heart. Don’t break my heart. Don’t break my heart.

Tracy i
s sitting in her car with the window rolled down, waiting for me. Her smile is almost as wide as mine when she sees us. We walk over to the car.

I mak
e the introductions. “Tracy, this is Dylan, my, um, neighbor.” Tracy notices our interlocked hands. “Dylan, this is my best friend, Tracy.”

“It’s nice to meet you,”
Dylan says with a smile.

Tracy eyes
Dylan up and down. “It certainly is…nice to meet you.” Her smile is more sinister. “I just stopped by because you didn’t answer your phone last night.” Her smile morphs into a promiscuous grin.

“Oh, I
uh…wasn’t home last night.” I know she picks up on where I was.

“I figured.”
Her eyes twinkle, indicating she understands and I don’t have to share…yet. “Well, I’ve got to get to work. Just wanted to make sure you were all right. Talk to you later, Mel. Nice meeting you, Dylan.” She holds her fist up next to her head and mouths the words ‘call me later’ as she drives away.

I offer
Dylan a seat as I go change. “I’ll just be a minute,” I say as I walk into my bedroom. I search through my dresser drawers, looking for something to wear. I feel him before I see him. My body is aware of him. Electricity hums through my core. His arms circle my waist. Heat flows over me.

He swipes the hair
from my neck to the side and replaces it with small nibbles, starting at the base. “You have the sexiest neck.” There’s a pull in my groin. The little nips continue up to my ear. A cyclone of lust fills me. I turn to face him and my mouth connects with his. Grabbing at his clothes I undress him quickly and push him onto my bed. In rapid movements, I peel my own clothes off and I’m on top of him. He’s a drug and I’m the addict.

He rolls me over and takes command. I surrender
willingly.

“I can’t
get enough of you,” he whispers in my ear and my heart races. With his knee, he moves my legs apart. I greet him with a moan of pleasure as he takes me…again.

Dylan stretches my arms out to my sides and locks his fingers in mine as he grinds into me. He wants me
. I’m intoxicated with his need. Intense sensation overcomes me. It builds. And builds. And builds. And then I reach the pinnacle and unravel.

My libido is satisfied when he screams my name and
lets go.

He rolls onto the side of me and he pulls me into his arms. My
cheek is against his chest. I listen as his breathing slows and it makes me happy that he’s here with me.

Ten

The supermarket is crowded. Dylan holds
my hand as we walk up and down the aisles. My mind works over time to evaluate all that has happened since yesterday. Things are moving quickly.
What if this is all temporary? By tomorrow he’ll be done with you.

Dylan smiles
at me and tightens his grip on my hand. My brain is still in panic mode.
Enjoy it now. Don’t get used to it. He won’t stay.

I help
him put the groceries away. Now that I know where all of his food belongs in the cabinet, I wonder where I belong in his life.
Ask him, before you get hurt.

“
Dylan,” I say, taking things out of one of the bags. “I just want you to know that I don’t sleep around. I don’t usually have sex with guys when I first meet them.” I look down at the can of corn in my hands. “I mean, I haven’t been with another man since… since before I got married to Greg.” I look up at him to read his expression. “And even then I can count them on two fingers.” Better to get things clear now. “And Greg and I hadn’t…”

He steps in front of me. H
is fingers curl under my chin. He tilts it up so that our eyes meet. “I don’t do this either. It’s just that I felt the chemistry between us the minute you brought those cookies over. I know it was a lame excuse to use your shower that first night, but I couldn’t think of another reason that would let me get close to you. I wanted to…Well, it was the first time you met me. So I talked myself out of calling you into the shower with me.” He gaze shifts down to the floor between us. He’s embarrassed. But I’d felt the same way. “I know I only met you two days ago, but I want to be with you.”

I feel my jaw drop open.
Wow, I didn’t expect that. He doesn’t even know me, my mistakes…my flaws.

Even if he doesn’t mean it, it’
s all I want to hear. Greg never told me he wanted to be with me and then he proved he didn’t by sleeping around. He made me feel worthless, unattractive, and unwanted…and trapped because I was married to him. Dylan made me realize that all men aren’t Greg. At least he wasn’t. The small gap between us gets smaller. Our noses touch. He strokes my hair. His touch courses through me. Cradling my head, he tilts it back and kisses me passionately. I melt in his arms surrounded by unpacked groceries.

Dylan cooks
a wonderful chicken dinner and I help wash the dishes afterward.

“What made you want to be a nurse?” he asks as he soaps up a glass, rinses it,
and then hands it to me.

“My aunt is a nurse for a pediatrician.
When I was nine, she brought me to work with her one day. There were charts of the human body on all of the walls. It was fascinating to see the different parts of the ear and the eye. She let me use her stethoscope to listen to my own heartbeat, and then hers. She even let me look into her throat with a tongue depressor. When Dr. Bill came in—his real name is Dr. Greene, but all the kids called him Dr. Bill—he showed me how to use the scale and the blood pressure cuff. He told me I was very good at using them. He even let me hand out the lollipops to the children when they were done with their examinations. I asked him why he was a doctor for children and he told me it was because he liked it when children felt healthy. From that day on, I was hooked.”

“Do you have t
o go to work tomorrow?” he asks with a pout.

“Yes, I didn’t plan on meeting you and, well, it is the emergency room. There are sick people who need me.”

“I need you.”

“You can come to the hospital to see
me, as a visitor, not a patient,” I clarify.

A
sly smile flashes across his face as he takes my hand and pulls me toward the stairs.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m very sick, nurse. I think I need to get into bed.” He walks backward up the stairs, never letting go of my hand to make sure I’m following.

I like
his train of thought and I play along. “Well, you’ll have to get undressed for a complete examination.”

At this suggestion,
his shirt is off and thrown onto the steps. “Oh, I have no problem with that.” His grin is mischievous.

At the top of the stairs, g
entle kisses cover my lips as his fingers rake through my hair. That delicious feeling builds inside me again. My blood is like the Indy 500 racing through my veins. He leads me into the bedroom. His stare is intense, looking deep inside me, as he unbuttons his pants. He wiggles them down his legs before kicking them to the side.

I’m panting, trying to harness my thoughts.
I feel that “thing” that’s between us.

He
lifts my shirt and eases it over my head. With one finger, he pulls the cup of my bra down. It trusses up my breast. He moves to the other side and does the same. He leans his face in, and gently blows on my nipples. They harden. It’s so erotic. My heart thrums and I can hear it pound against the inside of my ears.

He moves around me, my back to his chest.
He cups my breasts and I arch my back pushing them into his hands. Then, using his thumbs and forefingers, he rolls my nipples, elongating them. I gasp. Every sinew below my waist reacts. I want him inside me.

His
hands glide down my stomach and he pops the button of my shorts. His skilled fingers make quick work, and within seconds my shorts are on the floor next to his pants. I try to harness my breathing.

Skimming
down my body, he stops and rubs the front panel of my panties. I rock my hips under the pressure. A finger slips under the lace and circles my clitoris.

“You’re so wet,” he breathes into my hair.

His finger sinks inside me and he continues to circle. I can’t form a coherent thought as he rubs against the inside wall of my vagina. His thumb presses on my clitoris and I can’t hold back. I’m at the edge and suddenly he stops. My body convulses.

“U
h, uh. Not without me.” His voice is playful as he teases me.

His hands
slip across to my hips. He peels my panties down my thighs. He presses against me and I feel his erection against my behind. I’m ready, so ready. I want him.

He
turns me around fast and pulls me toward him. His hardness is now pressed against my pubic bone. His tongue is in my mouth. It moves urgently, demanding my attention. It’s exhilarating.

Despite his force, he
softly lowers me onto the bed. The muscles inside me clench with anticipation. My eyes beg him. He obliges. He places himself at the peak of my legs. I lift my knees and he moves his hips forward. I groan as he fills me.

And
then he moves, an alternating combination of fast and slow. I’m affected. My breath quickens, my heart rate pounding, my desire climbing. I buck underneath him.

“Feel it,” he says. But I feel so much. I’m building, and building. I can’t hold back. “Come for me,” he says, and I hav
e no choice, I let go, calling his name as I give in to my orgasm.

He thrusts hard twice more
. Then presses into me as he reaches his own climax. He rolls onto the bed next to me. Our bodies covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Dylan wraps
the blanket around us as we listen to our panting slow before we fall asleep.

* * *

The clock reads five twenty-six. I stretch and get out of the bed. The sun is trying to get past the closed blinds. It isn’t as bright in the room as the first night I slept here, but I find my clothes and get dressed. Again I use Dylan’s toothbrush and hairbrush. Then I go down to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. I rummage through the drawer with the paper and pens and write him a note: “Had to go to work. I get off at three. Will see you later.” I sign it with a heart and “Mel.”

Checking in both directions for nosy neighbors,
I walk across the street and shower before I put my uniform on and drive to the hospital. I’m not happy that I won’t be with Dylan today. I call Tracy to deter my sadness.