Loving My Neighbor Read online

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  I wake up and decide to let my father know about my plans. He isn’t happy but doesn’t stop me. Driving into town, I find it busy, but I like it. If my father weren’t such a fucking piece of shit and Mr. Davenport didn’t live nearby, I’d like to live here. It’s so cozy and has that sweet hometown feel.

  I head to the store because I refuse to use anything they have in their home. Gosh, I need everything. So I pick up some food and personal cleaning products. The moment I walk in the store I’m surrounded by helpful men. The same as always for me. I brush off their need to assist me and manage to make my purchases like a normal person.

  I walk out and, of course, there’s another man who’s ready to lend me a hand. Inwardly, I’m fuming, but I give him a genuine smile.

  “Hi there, Miss.”

  I look at his badge and reply, “Hello, Officer Cole.” My tone isn’t as sweet as it should be, but I’ve had it with these men. Is pussy that hard to find here?

  “It’s Bobby. Can I help you?” he asks so sweetly, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

  “I’ve got this. Don’t worry. I’ve been managing on my own for several years now.”

  “Miss…” He gives me the expectant look and if he weren't law enforcement, I would tell him to fuck himself, but instead I respond, “Lily Mason.”

  “Miss Mason. I get that the men in the store were being overly flirtatious. That’s why I’m lending a hand. I already have a pretty girl that owns my heart. I promise they’re not like that all the time. They get competitive and act like fools.”

  “Thanks. I could use a hand putting the groceries in the trunk.”

  “Okay. You’ve moved into the house just outside town, right?”

  “Yeah, my family, and I just moved in the other day.” He opens the back hatch door for me and I’m able to set down the bags without having to put them in the snow.

  “Thanks, Bobby.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I feel him near me.

  The officer makes the introduction to my haunting Beast like he’s known me forever instead of meeting two minutes before. Trent is his name. It fits him so well; he’s in a well-tailored suit and coat looking hot as hell. Yet no less dangerous than when I saw him with a skimpy towel that revealed his strong thighs. For some unexplained reason, I’ve become a complete flake around this man.

  I cussed out my parents yesterday, but this man approaches and I feel like a weak little girl in need of his tender loving care. He sticks his hand out for me to shake and I notice he takes off his gloves. I tremble at the thought of our skin touching. He sees my sensual discomfort but only gives me a grin. Slipping like a goof on some ice, I land against his body. Damn, does he feel amazing. It’s so overwhelming; I’ve got to run. I make my excuses and again, he doesn’t give chase. With the way he got all territorial about me in front of the officer, I thought he’d have me pinned to my SUV unwilling to let me go until I succumb to his will.

  I’m in a daze as I head back to the house. The ride takes longer because I have to stop before I have a wreck. All I can think about is how much I want to be in Trent’s arms. I get to the house and my father starts with me the instant he hears the door.

  “Where the fuck did you go?” he shouts and gets in my face.

  “I went shopping; just like I said I would.” I’m not in the mood for his outrage, but I knew when leaving this morning that I’d have to deal with his pent-up rage when I got back.

  He’s standing in front of me so I can’t pass by him. Feeling more irritated by the moment, I take a step to the right and so does he. I swear the man is on drugs. “Bullshit. You went to look for a place to stay. Where are your bags if your ass went shopping?”

  “No, I didn’t. I left the bags in the car.” My attitude is snotty because he’s got no reason to act like a prick. I haven’t done anything to him, but then again, my existence is a problem.

  He stabs his finger in my chest. “Whatever. I don’t give a shit what you did unless it was getting into Trent’s bed.”

  “Do you hear yourself?” I snap. My mind is reeling with his lack of respect or protection of his only daughter.

  “Do you hear me? Are you going to seduce Trent Davenport?” His eyes are almost completely dilated as he yells at me.

  “No.” This time, I manage to move around him and head toward the stairs.

  “I’m going to give you until the end of today to change your mind,” he warns like it matters. By the end of the day, I’ll be gone.

  I turn to face him, my eyes narrow in anger. “Get this— time isn’t going to change my mind. I won’t fuck Trent Davenport for your benefit.” I rush up the stairs before he can do anything to me because from the geeked out look on his face, I wouldn’t put it past him to hit me.

  Once I close my door, I take a deep breath. I only brought the things I had in college with me. Most were clothes and mementos of my mother. For the next two hours, I pack everything up. The moment I can, I’m leaving the house and not coming back.

  “Lily!” he shouts up the stairs just as I’m researching the nearby hotels.

  I open my door and reply, “Yes?”

  “We’re going to get something to eat. We’ll be back in a few hours.”

  “Okay,” I mutter. I really couldn’t care less what they did.

  They leave and I get ready to shower so I can split before they get back. I go into the bathroom and remember I have my favorite soap in the SUV. Putting some slippers on, I rush out of the house in just my pajama pants and tank top. I’m in and out of the back before I can freeze to death. Turning back to the house, I get a strange feeling I’m being watched. I move in a hurry because I’m freezing. Taking a few steps, I’m off my feet with the sound of a large boom. I can’t catch my breath, but then I see Trent calling out to me.

  ~~~~

  Fear engulfs me when I see her lying still. She lets out a moan and starts to sit up on her elbows. I give thanks as I reach her.

  “Lily!” I’m at her side looking her over for any injuries. I don’t feel anything that would be alarming, but I want her to be examined by a doctor— a female doctor. Then it hits me, she’s only wearing a light tee shirt and some pajama pants; she’s got to be freezing. I take off my coat and wrap it around her.

  “Trent,” she sighs with confusion, shivering from the cold or the shock. Trying to soothe her, I rub her back. It works and she leans into my arms, but it gets my dick hard again. I feel like a bastard. She’s in pain and my dick still wants to own her pussy.

  “Bunny, we need to get you to the doctor.” She only lightly nods. “Is there anyone else in the house?” I ask. I don’t want to leave her, but I can’t let someone in her family to burn to death— if there’s anyone alive after that blast. I’ve only seen things like that in movies.

  She shakes her head at me and stutters, “No, they just left…” She shudders again, fear shining through her eyes as she looks at the burning home.

  “Does anything hurt?” I ask while my eyes look over her again. She is my responsibility now. That’s it. I’m not letting her go back to her family. They can’t take care of her properly.

  “Not too much. I feel everything. So I don’t think I’m paralyzed.” She moves her legs to show me she’s okay. God, I don’t want to think about if she hadn’t needed to go to her SUV.

  “Okay, I’m going to pick you up and get you to the hospital.” I scoop her up in my arms and place a soft kiss against her hair. She may have made it out of her house, but now she’s mine, and I’m not letting her get away. Fate brought me here to her side, and I’m not leaving it.

  I set her down in the passenger seat and strap her in. Pausing, I stare at her, thanking the heavens that I didn’t lose her. I walk around to the driver’s side and as I open my door, I take one last look at the massive flames that have knocked out all the windows.

  Taking her hand in mine, I hold onto it tightly, afraid to let it go. The tension in her body lessens and she whisp
ers, “I was about to go shower…when I realized I forgot my bag with the body soap.” Her sobs are soft, but they break my heart. I pull over to the side of the road and hear fire engines approaching. I let them pass by, but wonder who called them because I haven’t made any calls. Perhaps it can be seen from the town or they have some security system. Something about the situation is giving me trepidation. It might just be that it was a close call. I could’ve lost her, and it sits heavy in my heart.

  We get into the ER and I tell the receptionist that there was an explosion up at the old Carmichael Estate. “She was just outside the house when the blast went off and needs to be seen.” They make quick work of getting her into an examination room and I wait with her because even though she doesn’t know me, she asks me to stay.

  “Make it a female doctor or nurse that comes in here.” I look directly at the male nurse that escorted us into the room.

  “Trent,” she says with a soft “don’t embarrass me” pout. It’s cute, but it’s not up for negotiation.

  “Don’t ‘Trent’ me. I’m a private person, Lily. I like to keep whatever belongs to me well protected and from now on you belong to me.”

  “Why were you there?” That’s a valid question, but I can’t give her the truth. If I tell her that I had a sudden urge to see her and decided to sit outside her house like a stalker, I’m sure she would call the cops on me.

  “I was on my way home because I forgot some documents when I thought I’d come meet your father and the rest of your family. I’d just pulled up when you were coming from your SUV.”

  “I can’t believe this happened. They were going to town to get some food while I took a shower.”

  “They who, Bunny?” I ask because she only mentioned a father earlier.

  “My father, step-mother, and two half-brothers. I wonder if they know and think I was in the house when it happened.” Something about the way she says it is off, almost as if she doubts they will care.

  “We’ll contact them,” I tell her to calm her down. She’s been through a lot today, and I don’t want to make it worse.

  The female doctor and a nurse I requested came in. “Hello, there Miss…”

  She gives them a small smile and says, “Lily Mason.”

  “Lily, can you tell me if anything hurts?” the doc asks.

  “Well…everything aches. Other than my head which is pounding, the rest feels tender.”

  “We’re going to monitor you for the next two hours. We called the fire department and alerted them that you made it out and were seeking treatment. They’ll be here to speak with you as soon as they arrive.”

  The doctor begins her examination and after five minutes, she is done. “I’d say you are extremely fortunate that you weren’t hurt worse than you are.”

  “I think it was all the snow,” she says.

  There’s a knock at the door and it’s the fire chief. “Hello there, Miss Mason. I’m Donald Rigging, Fire Chief. I want to ask you a few questions about the blast if you’re feeling up to it that is.”

  “Sure, what do you want to know?”

  “Walk me through the few minutes before the blast.”

  “Okay…” She pauses, so I squeeze her hand to reassure her that I’m here if she needs me. “My dad told me they were going to go get food while I took a shower. They had just left when I realized I’d forgotten the body wash I bought in my SUV. Not all our things have been sent yet because of some issue with the moving company. I only brought my clothes and mementos with me in my SUV. So I bought some stuff in town this morning, one of them was the body wash. I ran to my SUV grabbed the bag and started back to the house. I couldn’t have been that far from the entrance when it exploded. I was blown back and then Mr. Davenport came to my aid.”

  “Mr. Davenport, what were you doing there?” he asks me with a suspicious undertone.

  “I was on my way home when I stopped to meet my new neighbors. I was about to get out of my truck when it happened and I rushed to help her.”

  “Mr. Davenport, may I have a word with you out in the hallway for a moment?”

  I look into her glossy eyes and ask, “Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

  “Yes, Trent.” I give her hand a squeeze before we walk out into the hall and down to a private waiting room that’s empty.

  I have known the chief for the past five years because, on occasion, we’ve gotten together with a few other guys and played poker or watched Oregon State kick some ass. My tendency for being anti-social is known all around. I have trust issues stemming from my childhood and my teen years in foster homes, so I don’t let people in, especially women. “I know you don’t talk to most people here, but I’m just curious why you didn’t call the police when it happened, Trent?”

  “Don, I would’ve called if I didn’t already hear sirens as I was starting to drive her to the hospital. She told me there was no one else in the house, so I figured it could wait until I got her safely away from the blast zone.”

  “Are you certain you heard the sirens?” he asks like I’m confused.

  I roll my eyes at him because that’s a fucking stupid question, but I see the puzzled look in his eyes. “I’m not a kid or some senile old man like you. I know a siren when I hear it. Besides, they passed by us when I pulled to the side of the road about a hundred feet away from the house.”

  “I ask because someone made a call about the explosion and it took our responders five minutes to get to the scene.”

  “I didn’t make the call, and I don’t know who did, but it doesn’t make sense. If they knew where the fire was, then they had to be really close and nobody but the Mason’s and I live in that direction.”

  “My thoughts as well. The explosion was massive and yes, we were able to see it from about two miles out, but the smoke would have taken a minute or two to reach high enough for anyone to notice from the road. How long was it before you got in your truck?”

  “Not more than five minutes.” I’m pacing the small room. I had a bad feeling about it when I placed her in the truck. I’m uneasy, and I know that’s because I need to get back to my fragile Lily and protect her. “I’m not liking this one bit, Don.”

  “It’s a big explosion. It will take investigators a while to figure out what caused it.” He’s not really talking to me. It’s like he’s working it out in his mind. Running through scenarios off the top of his head, he says, “A gas leak could have, but it would have to have been a massive amount of fluid and something would’ve had to set it off.”

  “Listen, I need to get back to check on Lily.”

  “Thanks for your help, Trent. By the way, since when do you care to meet the neighbors?” With a chuckle and a wink, he adds, “Also, Bobby Cole mentioned that you met Miss Mason earlier today.”

  “Damn, small towns. Well, now you know why I was going to meet them.” I beam because I’m not concerned what anyone thinks about me.

  When I get to the door, he says, “I haven’t heard from her parents yet, but we don’t know where they went to get food, so it may take them a while to find out if she hasn’t called them.”

  “I told her we’d call them as soon as she’s examined. Let me get back to her. I’m taking her back to my home. So call me if you have any questions,” I say as I wave him off and return to my bunny.

  I walk back into the small triage area she’s been put in. Her examination room is only covered by one of those ugly-ass sliding curtains. I can see her from the side without opening it, so I just take in the beauty before me. She’s playing with her fingers nervously. As she sits on the bed in one of the hospital gowns, she looks so small and sad. I know then and there that I would give my last breath to keep her safe and loved.

  She must feel my stare because she lifts her gaze and looks directly at me from my stalking perch by the edge of the curtain.

  “I’m back, did you miss me?” I ask playfully as I step fully into the room and replace the curtain.

  “Painfully so.�
� I know she’s being sarcastic as she throws her hand to her head and pretends to swoon, but I can’t stop the feeling of satisfaction at the idea that she’s missed me.

  I move to stand directly in front of her. I want to see what she’ll do if I get this close, and she doesn’t disappoint me. Her lips part as she looks up at me. I’m so close now that I’ve stepped in between her thighs and can feel her warm breath hit my chin. Our eyes lock and our breathing seem to be in unison. I place my hands on the side of her and lean down. I want to hold her in my arms when I kiss her for the first time, but I don’t know how badly she’s hurt. Being a big man, I could accidentally hurt her, so I slowly test her lips with mine. She tentatively meets me but lets me control our kiss. They’re as soft as they look. I tease them with my tongue, letting it slide across them before I crush her lips with mine. The sensation is overpowering, explosive, and my dick takes note. He’s pressing hard against my dress pants, fighting to be unleashed. I feel my pulse in my cock as the blood goes straight to it. As we kiss, she slowly rocks her barely covered mound against my ridge. She lets out a slight moan, and I feel my cum give a little squirt. I’m on edge from a bit of kissing and touching. Somehow, she’s now got her thighs wrapped around my waist.

  It’s only when I hear someone in the next curtain over that I stop us. Pulling back enough to look into her eyes, I cup her cheek and run my thumb down it. “I promise we’ll finish this later. These rooms aren’t private enough, and I won’t share you. Your cries of pleasure are for my ears only.”

  She tucks her head again like an ostrich in the sand. It’s her embarrassed pose, and I can’t say I care for it. I want to see her eyes and her blush that graces her flawless face. I lift her chin so that I stare into those eyes. “Fuck, you’re so damn beautiful. Even when you hide that pretty face from me. I hope they give you a clean bill of health or I’ll have to hold off on fucking you tonight.”

  She shakes her head as to argue the point, but when she peers up at me, I know it’s not because she doesn’t want me, but she’s shocked at my words. I don’t want to scare her off, so I change the subject.