The Neighbor Read online

  I wished I wouldn’t have walked away from her that night inside her house. It would have been weird to tell her how beautiful she looked, especially after everything she’d told me.

  She’d had a shitty day and her friend. Hours earlier, her friend had taken an ambulance to the ER.

  The last thing I could tell her was how her lips were the most beautiful shade of pink. Or how her hair looked as soft as silk.

  “Hello! Max!” Catrina said, hitting her knuckles on the counter.

  “What is it?” I asked a bit too sharply, even though I hadn’t intended to. She’d distracted me from my thoughts… my thoughts about Hope.

  “Phone call,” she said, looking away from me. “It’s your daughter's school.”

  I mouthed an apology to Catrina and took the phone. “Max Winston.”

  “This is Caroline Dryer in the office. Your daughter is in the nurse's office with a fever of one-hundred and two.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Is she all right?”

  “Yes, she’s fine. You’ll need to pick her up,” Caroline said. “School policy.”

  My jaw stiffened. “I’m well aware. I’m at work. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

  “Mm, okay, bye then,” Caroline said. She hung up without waiting for another word from me.

  Caroline was my least favorite of those that worked in the school’s office. She didn’t have an ounce of patience, and she thought everyone was an idiot.

  “Where are you going?” Catrina asked, looking down her nose at me.

  “My daughter is sick. I need to go pick her up,” I said as I pulled my hoodie on over my scrubs.

  “So, you’re taking a sick day?” Catrina asked. “Mary Lynn is not going to be pleased. We’re already short-staffed today.”

  “I know,” I said. “Not a hell of a lot I can do about it. School policy and all. She can’t be there with a fever.”

  Catrina rolled her eyes. “Why haven’t you found a nice woman yet? You’re a good-looking guy. A bit rough around the edges, but nice enough.”

  “Thanks, so much for the compliment, Catrina,” I muttered. “When would I even have the time to find someone? No one wants to date a dad.”

  “Oh, that’s not true,” Mary Lynn said, inserting herself into the conversation. “Why do you have your jacket on?”

  “My daughter is sick,” I said.

  “Gosh darn it, Max!” Mary Lynn said, slapping the file she was holding down on the counter. “Two people didn’t show up today, did you know that?”

  I scratched the side of my head. “I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”

  “Double shift?” Mary Lynn asked.

  “Um, you know I can’t do that,” I said.

  “You can always find a babysitter,” Catrina suggested.

  I shot a look that hopefully told her to mind her own business.

  “We’ll figure something out,” Mary Lynn said, picking up the file. “Go. I’m not happy about it, but go.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I started to walk backward away from the women. For the most part, they were good co-workers, but they sure weren’t easy on me.

  “Oh, and women, love a single dad,” Mary Lynn called after me. “You should put it on a t-shirt.”

  Catrina giggled. “The women would be knocking down your door.”

  I ignored them and turned away. I didn’t care to hear their nonsense. All I wanted was to get to the school and pick up Lily.

  At home, Lily was wrapped in a blanket, watching cartoons on the sofa. Even though I knew she just needed to fight it off, I hated seeing her cute little face pale and frowning.

  She had a plate with three saltines, something I’d done since she was a toddler, and a glass of water with a straw. Her stuffed pink kitten was tucked in right in front of her… its blank eyes staring at the screen as if it were watching with her.

  I obsessively checked her temperature until she finally fell asleep. Whenever Lily was sick, I was a nervous wreck. She was all I had left.

  At dinnertime, I didn’t want to use the microwave for fear of disturbing her. Lily needed the rest so she could get better.

  As I spread peanut butter on a piece of bread, I heard a car in Hope’s driveway. Her friend stepped out of the car, wearing a short deep green dress and black heels.

  She waited at the door for a long moment. She hugged someone before entering the house. I couldn’t handle any noise… not tonight.

  It didn’t matter that Hope was quite possibly the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. It didn’t matter that she was going through a rough patch. My daughter came first… she would always come first.

  Lily woke up around seven, and I sat with her on the couch, watching whatever cartoon she had on. She didn’t want anything to eat, but I managed to help her drink half of a glass of water.

  It was probably around nine when she fell asleep again. I carried her upstairs and tucked her into bed, kissed her forehead, and was greeted by loud, terrible music as I stepped out into the hallway.

  No.

  This was not going to happen.

  I stomped down the stairs and picked up my phone. The number to the police station wasn’t something I knew but it didn’t take long for me to look it up.

  7

  Hope

  I opened the door. The bright, cheerful smile that hadn’t been there for weeks fell off my face when I saw the uniformed men. They stood there staring at me as though I had already been guilty of something.

  “This is your house, ma’am?” the male officer standing in the doorway asked.

  A female officer flanking him peered over his shoulder, looking into the house. My blood felt like ice as it moved through my veins.

  “Yes,” I said. “Can I help you with something?”

  “We’ve had some complaints,” the male officer said. His eyes darted to the group of people gathered in my living room. “About the noise.”

  “You’ve had some complaints? Or just one complaint?” I asked, already having a good guess who had made the complaint.

  The officer ignored my question. “I’m going to have to ask you to turn it down. I really don’t want to make another trip out here tonight, understood?”

  “Yes, we’ll keep it down,” I said, gesturing at Tori to turn down the music. “I’m really sorry about all this.”

  “Mmm,” the officer said. “Have a good night.”

  Once the music was at an acceptable volume, the officers turned slowly and walked down the front yard toward their police car. I closed the door and drew in a deep breath before turning to face the group Tori had invited over. She’d been trying to give Olivia and me a good night.

  Tori had invited several single men, who were all mildly attractive. It had been nice to get dressed up and dance a little, but after what had happened, my night was ruined.

  I still hadn’t caught up on all the sleep I missed.

  “Guys,” I said. “Thanks so much for coming, but I think I’m going to call it a night.”

  “What? No!” Tori whined.

  “I’m sorry, everyone,” I said.

  Tori puffed out her bottom lip. “Aw, come on, Hope!”

  “Sorry,” I said. “Another time, okay?”

  “Let’s just go somewhere,” Tori said. The wave of voices in agreement vibrated through my living room.

  A tall man, Eric, that Tori had introduced me to only moments ago stood. He held up his hands as if he were trying to get a high school class to shush.

  “We can all head over to my place,” Erik said. “It’s not far.”

  “Sorry, everyone,” I said as everyone grab their bags and coats.

  Erik stopped in front of me and handed me a business card. “Stop by if you change your mind. Or maybe coffee another time. Call me.”

  I took the card and stared at his name. Erik Storm… Attorney at Law.

  He flashed me an inside-melting, half-smile before stepping out onto the porch. His height might have int
imidated some, but it just made me feel small.

  “Bye,” I called after everyone.

  Tori and Olivia stopped at the door. Tori looked concerned.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” she asked.

  “I really don’t,” I said. “I feel awful. I know you were doing this for Olivia and me, but I’m just not in the mood.”

  Tori placed her hand on my arm. “It’s okay. If you change your mind, give me a call, and I’ll be here in a jiffy, okay?”

  “Sure,” I said. “But I won’t change my mind.”

  Tori gave me a quick hug and glanced at Olivia. “If you want us to stay—”

  “No! Please, go,” I said. “I just want to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. It feels like it’s just been one thing after the other, and I’m going to have to figure out how to start making some money. Bills are coming in, and I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “You can always sell this mansion,” Olivia said.

  “It’s not a mansion, but I can’t sell,” I said. “This house has been in our family for generations.”

  Tori sighed and touched my shoulder. “Try not to stress. We’ll figure it out.”

  “I’ll try,” I said.

  “I’ll be back later, okay?” Olivia said.

  I nodded. “Feel free to let yourself in.”

  “You got it,” Olivia said. She gave me a quick huge. “Bye. Enjoy your rest.”

  “I will,” I said, waving as they walked away. I watched them as they got into Tori’s car and drove away.

  It wasn’t until the car turned and was out of sight, that I closed the door and stormed across the yard, making my way over to Max’s house. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind.

  How dare he call the cops?

  What kind of guy did that?

  Who the hell did he think he was?

  I knocked on his front door several times before ringing the bell. I was about to knock again when the door opened, revealing Max’s grumpy face.

  “You called the cops?” I said.

  “My daughter is sick,” he said defensively. The anger squeezing his eyebrows only increased.

  “Instead of coming over and just trying to talk to me, you called the cops. You called the fucking cops, Max!”

  His eyes bulged out of his head. “Would you please keep your voice down.”

  My blood was boiling. I wanted to smack him. But for his daughter, I lowered my voice.

  “You are a real jerk,” I spat. “An asshole.”

  “And you’re selfish. You’re not the only one on the planet. You know that, right?” Max said, leaning forward.

  “The party wasn’t my idea,” I said, feeling my shoulder drop. My anger was subsiding. “My friends just wanted to cheer me up. And if you weren’t such a boring, old, grump, maybe you’d be able to understand.”

  Max chuckled, and it reminded me why I was angry. “Some of us have responsibilities.”

  “You don’t think I have responsibilities?” I said, pushing my palm against his chest as I stepped into his house.

  Surprise flashed in his eyes as he grabbed my wrist to stop me from pushing him again.

  “If I don’t find a job, I’m going to lose my house. My whole world is crashing down around me and you just think I’m some party girl whose goal in life is to make your life harder,” I said feeling heat in my cheeks.

  We were only inches apart. He wouldn’t take another step back. Max was like a warm, brick wall stopping me from pushing him further into his house.

  “We all have it hard,” Max said. “We’re all doing the best we can.”

  I softened but only slightly. “Why can’t you see me for who I really am.”

  “Why do you care what I think?” Max said.

  “I don’t,” I answered quickly.

  Max looked down at his hand and let go of my wrist. “I’m not a bad guy. I’m not a jerk or a grump and I’m not that old.”

  “Why do you care what I think?” I said my voice soft as a feather.

  Max swallowed hard and took a step toward me. “I don’t.”

  I didn’t understand what was happening… what I was feeling. We were oil and water. We didn’t mix. But I wanted nothing more than Max to kiss me.

  8

  Hope

  The look in Max’s eyes changed. The anger was gone, but it was replaced with something that made my heart race even more.

  “I should go,” I said, sucking in a breath that filled my chest. “I’m sorry for coming over here.”

  “Don’t,” he said as fire reflected in his eyes.

  “Don’t what?” I asked. My heart was racing as if I were frightened… frightened to hear the answer.

  His finger rose to the bottom of my chin. He forced me to stare into his eyes.

  “Don’t go,” Max said.

  “I thought you hated me,” I said breathlessly.

  He shook his head ever so slightly. “I don’t hate you. I kind of hate that I don’t hate you.”

  “I know what you mean,” I said, biting my lip.

  “Is this really happening?” he asked with a smile.

  I smiled back. “I think it is.”

  “I hope it is,” he said, leaning closer. My eyes closed at the moment his soft lips apprehensively touched mine.

  The kiss was soft and gentle… apprehensive, but within a matter of seconds, something changed. He cupped my face and kissed me hard. Passionately. I was his favorite flavor of ice cream, and he couldn’t get enough.

  He held onto me as if he were afraid I’d melt away. Max was strong, and he wanted me. I could feel that he wanted me very badly.

  I felt powerless… powerless in a way that made my head spin. I wanted him too.

  My hands glazed over his muscular arms. His skin was like clean silk sheets laid over the top of perfectly carved marble.

  I kissed him back hungrily as I tried to feel every inch of his body.

  Max’s hands slid down my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. My entire body tingled with pleasure.

  I gasped when he sharply pulled away. My eyes widened as I stared at him, trying to catch my breath.

  Max grabbed my hand and led me down the hallway. He turned a corner and brought me into a dark room. My body shuddered as he closed the door behind us.

  “What’s happening?” I asked breathlessly. What I really wanted to know was why had we stopped kissing. Why were our bodies so far apart?

  “She could come down,” Max said.

  “Kind of bold to bring me to your bedroom, isn’t it?” I asked.

  The moonlight coming in from the window reflected in Max’s eyes and lit up his grinning face. “It’s not my bedroom. It’s the guest room.”

  “Oh, well then,” I said, taking a small step closer to him. I leaned against him, my chest pressing against his body.

  Max looked down into my eyes. Even though he was sober, at least I assumed he was, he looked as intoxicated as I felt.

  “You’re free to leave any time you want,” Max said in a deep voice that rumbled my insides like thunder in the distance.

  “I don’t want to leave,” I said.

  I grabbed his hands and placed them on my hips. My eyes followed my hands as they glided up his arms and down his chest.

  Max slid his hands around to my backside and squeezed as he pulled me closer. I could feel his excitement pressing against my stomach.

  His hands aggressively massaged and squeezed my bottom. I could feel myself getting wet for him in a way I never had before.

  Max knew how to touch me.

  I kissed him before taking a step back.

  It was his turn to look confused. I slid my hands down the front of my dress, stopping to look at him when I got to the hem.

  I eased the fabric up my thighs and over my bottom, revealing the tiny, silk black panties underneath. I didn’t stop. He watched as I pulled the dress higher and higher.

  Max swallowed as I raised the dress
over my chest and then over my head. I tossed it to the side.

  He looked like he was in a dream. A small, sexy smile curled my lips as I stood there in nothing but my underwear and heels.

  “Holy shit,” he said, releasing a shaky breath.

  I turned around and reached up behind me to unhook my bra. When the hooks released, I was almost certain I heard a groan rumble deep within him.

  I turned back around, holding the fabric over my breasts. I licked my lips. “Well?”

  “Well, what?” he asked.

  “What about you?”

  “You’re not finished,” Max said, gesturing toward the bra.

  I puffed out my bottom lip. “Give me something.”

  He peeled off his shirt and threw it to the side. His eyes focused on me again.

  Max raised a brow. “Drop it.”

  My heart pounded. In a breath, I let my arms fall to my sides and dropped my bra to the floor.

  Max charged toward me. One arm wrapped around my body, and the other cupped my breast as we tumbled onto the bed.

  His thumb flicked my nipple, and a soft moan escaped from between my parted lips. I arched my back, and his cock pressed against my wet underwear.

  “Oh, Max!” I said as he glided his cock over my panties.

  His thumb rolled over my nipple, flicking it in a way that sent a pulse down to my clit. My body was on fire. I ached to feel him inside me. It was a need. A desperate need.

  My heart was pounding as Max slid his hand down to the band of my underwear. He yanked them down my legs and carefully over my heels.

  He knelt over me, his hands on my knees. I swallowed hard as he pushed them wider apart.

  The way he looked at me was almost enough to make me come. No one had ever looked at me the way he was… like I was a goddess. A queen. The most beautiful thing in the entire world.

  Max’s hand slid down my inner thighs. He leaned forward, grabbing my breast with one hand while his fingers caressed my folds and dipped inside me.

  “Oh, God,” I said, keeping my eyes open. If I closed them, that would be it. I didn’t want to come, not yet. I wanted to feel his hard cock inside me. I wanted to come with him. “Please.”