One Good Man (2 page)

Andie moaned, lying in bed imagining the scene. The fingers of one hand drifted down between her legs while her other palmed a breast. She skimmed her wet lips then zeroed in on the part of her aching to be touched. Her fingers whisked over her swollen clit, and she pretended it was Matthew touching her.

In her fantasy she spread her thighs wide around his hips as he rocked against her, pressing the bulge in his jeans against her. The ache grew and grew as he rocked and rubbed, holding her lower body against his. Her lips grew plumper, her eyelids drooped, her breath rasped in her chest.

Close, she was so close.

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One Good Man

by Nona Raines

Andie touched herself one more time and she came, her pelvis arching off the bed as the waves of pleasure crashed over her. Prickles of delight raced along her nerves, to her fingers, her toes, even her tender, swollen lips. All sound was drowned out by the rush of blood in her ears and the pounding of her heart. The contractions tightened and released until it was almost painful.

When the climax subsided she released a long breath, exhausted and completely satisfied. Well, as satisfied as possible all by herself. She rolled to her side and smiled, then frowned as she remembered her fantasy lover had been left unfulfilled.

Oh, well. There was always tomorrow night.

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14

One Good Man

by Nona Raines

"Need one of these?"

Andie glanced at the paper napkin her friend offered.

"Excuse me?"

Tania Talcott grinned. "I thought you might like a napkin."

Andie took it quickly and patted her lips. "Why? Are there crumbs...?"

Tania shook her head and chuckled softly. "No. I meant you might need it to catch the drool." She inclined her head slightly to the right. It wasn't cheese and crackers that had Andie licking her lips. She'd been watching Matthew trimming the hedge in his yard.

"It's impolite to stare," Tania added.

Andie knew she was busted and sighed, snagging another cracker from the platter. It had been Tania's idea to sit on the deck and enjoy the spring sunshine while they sipped their wine. Andie would have preferred hiding inside the house with the curtains drawn. And now she was finding the "scenery"

far more interesting than her snack.

She still couldn't believe Matthew caught her staring last night—and where the fantasy led her in the privacy of her own bed.

But there was no way to explain that to Tania, so here they were. Andie's embarrassment was unfounded, because Matthew Vostek didn't react to her with disgust or anger. In fact, he didn't appear to notice either woman as he continued his chore. Andie almost had herself convinced the previous 15

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evening had been her imagination. Maybe he really hadn't seen her. Maybe he didn't care.

Those thoughts brought no relief. Now she felt depressed.

What was worse, being a peeper or being invisible?

"He
is
hot, I'll give you that," Tania turned her head to take another quick peek. "Man, look at how those jeans hug his—"

Andie cleared her throat. Though she'd done no more than fantasize about the man, it was enough for her to feel proprietary about his—whatever. Tania rolled her eyes. "I was going to say his backside. You give me no credit."

"You don't deserve any." She frowned and pushed the plate of crackers and cheese aside. "Don't let me have any more of those. Anyway, what are you doing noticing his backside? Aren't you supposed to be in a committed relationship?"

"Hey." Tania shrugged a shoulder. "No harm in looking."

She nibbled a slice of cheddar. In spite of all the snacks and junk food she consumed, Tania remained as slender as a fawn. A tall redhead, she was so attractive grown men wept when they found out she was gay.

"I didn't think guys were your thing anymore," Andie remarked.

Tania put her hand to the heart lying beneath her impressive rack. "Too true. I'm strictly a one-woman woman since Latisha rocked my world." She sliced a look at Andie.

"But what's your excuse?" Tania lifted her eyebrows and once more inclined her head in the neighbor's direction.

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A hot flush worked its way up Andie's neck. If her friend only knew the naughty dreams that had danced through her head last night. "Knock it off."

Andie glanced at the subject of their conversation again. At that very moment, he was bending over to lay down the hedge trimmer, giving a gorgeous view of his
backside
. Oh man. Andie's heart bumped against her ribs and heat flooded her face.

When she turned back, Tania gave her a knowing smirk.

"Mmmhmm. Just as I thought."

Andie's face grew hotter. Without thinking, she began to reach for a cracker, then pulled her hand back. "Stop it, Tania. You know I'm with Douglas."

Tania crossed her arms. "How can you be
with
someone who packed his shit a week ago and moved out?"

Andie frowned. "He's just...he's a little...confused." She winced as she realized how lame she sounded, defending him.

Or was she defending herself?

Tania's brown eyes looked at her sadly. "Andie, honey...when a guy takes all his clothes, his expensive stereo system, his computer, and 52-inch flat screen, he doesn't

'need space.' That's code. He means it's over."

Andie shook her head, not because she didn't believe her friend, but because she simply refused to accept the relationship she'd invested almost two years of her life in had blown up in her face. "I don't get it, though. I mean, I thought we were fine. We weren't arguing. Yeah, we'd gone through a bumpy patch when my mom was sick, and I was spending a lot of time away—"

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Tania rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that was real selfish of you.

Wanting to be with your mother when she was so sick. Come on, Andie."

"I'm only saying, maybe he felt neglected."

"Oh, please! He's a grown-ass man. He should have been trying to make things easier for you instead of pouting like a crybaby."

"He wasn't like that." Andie wanted to be fair. "He was sympathetic."

Douglas was an accountant. It wasn't his fault he was more comfortable with numbers than with emotions. She wished he was the kind of man able to take her in his arms and let her cry out all her fear and grief after her mother's death, all her worry for her father, but it simply wasn't in his makeup. Strong emotions frightened him. She couldn't blame him for that, could she?

"All I mean is we were actually getting along better than we had in months." Andie's forehead furrowed. Yes, they'd been getting along. They'd been very polite to each other.

Maybe too polite. They'd been as courteous and as distant as strangers.

"And even my father's doing better. He really fell apart after Mom..." Andie shook her head. Her dad's grief had given her a scare. She didn't want to let Tania know how bad it had been. "He e-mailed his old college buddies and planned this trip to New York with them. Why should Douglas want to pull the plug now when things are finally starting look up?"

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One Good Man

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Andie cringed at her unconscious choice of words.
Pull the
plug
. He'd moved out for a while to get his bearings, but that didn't mean things were over.

"Andie." Tania's tone was that of mother explaining some unpleasant facts of life to a rather slow child. "That's exactly why he's leaving. If he left when your mom was dying, he'd look like the world's biggest prick. Even he's not that stupid.

That's why he's bailing now." She shook her head. "But I'm sick of talking about dumbass Douglas. I'd rather hear all about your father's new neighbor." She took another sip of wine. "Come on, give up the goods. Tell Mama all about it."

"His name is Matthew Vostek."

"Uh-huh. Well, you know his name. What else do you know about him?"

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning, is he single?" Andie could practically hear the gears in Tania's brain turning.

She cleared her throat. "He moved in about a month ago.

He and his fiancee bought the place."

At the word "fiancee," Tania's shoulders slumped and the corners of her lips turned down.

"But they broke up," Andie added. "So he moved in on his own."

Tania perked up again. "Did he tell you this himself?"

"No, my father mentioned it, and I heard things around the neighborhood. I barely know him. Just to say hello, that's all."

"Well, what's holding you back, girl? The man's available, not to mention
hawt
. You're exactly what he needs to mend his broken heart."

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One Good Man

by Nona Raines

Andie snorted. "As if. Give me a break, Tania."

"What?"

Andie let out a long breath. "A guy like that doesn't look at a woman like me."

She confronted her reflection in the mirror every day, and what looked back at her was not impressive—a completely ordinary-looking brunette who carried an extra fifteen pounds around her hips. After years of starvation diets, yo-yo-ing, and spending hundreds of dollars on self-help books, she was finally trying to accept and love herself as she was. But Andie was a realist. She knew she did not fit the current standard of beauty—size two hips with big plastic Barbie doll breasts. No, she was not the type to catch the attention of her father's new neighbor.

"How do you know if you won't even give it a try?" Tania asked.

"The man's a player," Andie told her, dismissing him. "He broke his girlfriend's heart. He probably had another woman on the side."

"You don't know that."

Andie sucked her teeth. "Of course it's true. Look at him."

They both looked, and this time the two women caught a front view. What Andie saw made her heart race again and her breath catch. Matthew wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The body she'd coveted last night was more impressive in broad daylight. The jeans that displayed him so well in back fit every bit as beautifully in front. His arms were well defined. Andie swallowed hard as her gaze followed a large vein running from his shirt sleeve 20

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down the length of his arm. She pressed her thighs together to ease the pulsing.

"You don't know it was his fault," Tania repeated, being reasonable. "You're condemning the guy without proof.

Anyway," Tania continued, her words a buzz in Andie's ears,

"I'm only talking about a few hot nights of fun. Why not treat yourself? All you need is one good man. Maybe he's the one."

At Andie's continued silence, she added, "You know what they say. If you don't use it, you lose it."

Ouch.
Andie compressed her lips. Tania had scored a hit.

In truth, "it" hadn't been getting any activity at all lately.

Andie chalked it up to the precariousness of her relationship with Douglas. During her mother's illness and death, Andie had been too depressed and exhausted to think about sex.

Later, when she'd made advances, Douglas had shut her down with any number of excuses. Although they'd been getting along, their bedroom activities had consisted of nothing more than sleeping—
just
sleeping—in the same bed.

Tania continued to watch the neighbor. "Poor guy, he's working so hard." She gave Andie a look. "I bet he'd really enjoy kicking back with two good looking gals and a nice glass of wine."

Andie frowned. "Tania."

"What? Hey, it's the neighborly thing to do."

As though he realized they were discussing him, the man next door looked their way. Andie looked away, her face on fire, while Tania grinned and waggled her fingers playfully at him.

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"Hey," she called out while Andie sat frozen. "Hot work, huh?"

"You said it." The mere sound of Matthew's deep voice made Andie's insides melt like butter. "Tania," she hissed between her teeth and sent her friend a pleading look that was cruelly ignored.

What?
Tania pretended to be the picture of innocence while a smirk played at the corners of her mouth. She called to the man again. "Why don't you take a break and join us?"

"You sure?"

"Of course. You're working so hard while we're sitting here being so lazy. Makes us feel guilty, doesn't it, Andie?" Tania's eyes glinted with mischief as Andie's mouth fell open.

"Uh...yeah..." She felt as if she had a mouthful of cotton.

"Well, thanks. That sounds great."

He was coming over, and she couldn't look at him. She heard him approach,
felt
him approach, yet she found it impossible to turn her head. Not that she needed to look to see his dark wavy hair, his strong, slightly crooked nose, his solid jaw. She had memorized his features during the few times she'd seen him when visiting her father. She flashed back to the night before when he saw her behind the sliding glass door. Oh God.

As Matthew ascended the steps of the deck, Andie jumped to her feet. "I'll, uh, I'll get another, uh, another..." She gestured at the objects on the table.

"Another glass?" Tania suggested, always helpful.

"Yes, that's it. A glass."

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One Good Man

by Nona Raines

Andie escaped into the kitchen through the sliding glass door. Once inside, all she wanted to do to was lock herself in the bathroom until he went away.
Right, Andie, that's really
mature
.

She was a coward, afraid to go back out there and face him. What if he thought she was a creepy pervert? But if he did, he wouldn't have come over at Tania's invitation.
Yeah,
since when has a man ever refused Tania?

Andie took a wine glass from the cupboard above the sink and told herself to get it together.
Don't make yourself look
more foolish than you do already.
From inside, she heard Tania introduce herself and explain she and Andie worked together at the Summit Public Library.