Spy Thy Neighbor

by Shandi Boyes

  My eyes rocket to his. “So I can edit the documents?”

  A broad grin stretches across Hunter’s face as he nods. A mass surge of euphoria pumps into my veins. This will be an ingenious device for me. Normally, I have to rewrite my handwritten notes. This device will save me hours of work.

  "Thank you so much," I praise him, accepting my phone from him to test how the device works.

  The hanging of my jaw increases when I scan one of my hideous sketches, and it converts it to an image below the typed text Hunter just scanned. Like a kid with a new toy, I continue scanning anything I can get my hands on. Within minutes, I have pages of notes stored on my phone that would have taken me hours to type.

  “This is brilliant. Where did you find it?” I shift my wide eyes to him.

  My brows furrow together tightly, forming a small ‘v’ in the middle of my forehead when a wash of apprehension crosses Hunter’s face. After coughing to clear his throat, he quietly mutters, “I designed it.”

  I stare at him, shock and disbelief tainting my face. “You made this?” I question, jerking my head to the device in my hand.

  His eyes flick down to the device before they lift and lock with mine. “Yep,” he says with an apprehensive nod of his head.

  I remain quiet, silenced by shock. I know after Hunter fixed my laptop last week that he had some impressive computer skills, but I had no idea his knowledge was this extensive. This isn't just some odd-looking homemade contraption. It looks like Apple or Toshiba manufactured it. I'm not ashamed to admit, I am in complete awe that he made this.

  After a beat, Hunter says, “I can take it back if you don’t like it,” mistaking my silence as ungratefulness.

  “No.” I shake my head. “I love it. Thank you so much.”

  I lean forward and plant a kiss on the side of his cheek. Any chances of keeping the flame in my belly to the size of a small match head disappear when his delicious smell engulfs my senses. His scent is unique and intoxicating: a mixture of freshly showered skin, soap, and another smell I can't quite distinguish.

  After discreetly inhaling one last whiff of his mouthwatering scent, I pull back from his cheek. My heavily dilated eyes bounce around the room, seeking anything but Hunter's gaze because, from the vibrant sparkle in his gleaming eyes, I can tell he caught my sniff of his alluring scent. The color of my cheeks nearly matches the vibrancy of my hair when I catch sight of the ardent stare he's directing at me. It's full of zeal and covetousness.

  The mariachi beat of my heart kicks up even more when Hunter leans in intimately close to my side. His unique scent and the smell of grilled cheese and pickle sandwiches linger through my nose when he props one arm on the sofa while the other one brushes away a bunch of my wavy red hair off my face. Time comes to a standstill when the edge of his index finger skims down the skin of my scrunched-up nose.

  Before my brain has time to compile an objection, I blurt out, “How come I’ve never seen you with a redhead?”

  One of Hunter’s heavy brows slants in confusion.

  “I’ve seen you with blondes, brunettes and once you even had a girl with a pink stripe down the side, but not once have I seen you with a redhead,” I explain, my words coming out in a flurry. “Do you not like redheads?”

  His eyes dance between mine. “I offered, Paige. Remember? It was you who turned me down.”

  I shake my head, denying his claim. “I didn’t turn you down. I turned down a threesome,” I chide, my voice squeaking on the last word.

  He sits quietly, no doubt dazed into silence. My brain is telling me to return his passiveness, but my impulses are overriding my mind as I scoot across the floor, filling in the minute speck of space between us. I’ve never been so bold, but I'm fortified and more than ready to commence a new chapter in my life. I want to move on from the stigma of a broken-hearted woman, to have an adventure. Hunter seems like the type of guy who could offer me the no-commitment, fast-paced thrill ride I'm seeking. He could invigorate me as I rediscover the Paige I lost years ago.

  The muscles in Hunter’s thighs flex as his eyes drift between mine. Although he doesn’t aid in filling the gap between us, he doesn’t pull away either, confirming to my brain I'm making the right decision with my newly-acquired boldness.

  Just as the warmth of Hunter’s breath tickles my pursed lips, he mutters, “We can’t, Paige. Not now.”

  I hold back the windless groan his brutal rejection inflicted to my lungs and flop onto my backside. Even copping a cold, hard slap to my ego, I’m not desperate enough to request an explanation for his lack of interest. I threw myself at him. He denied my advances. No explanation needed.

  Lifting my half-empty bottle of beer to my rejected mouth, I seek anything but Hunter’s gaze. Although I’m not desperate enough to demand an explanation, it doesn’t mean I don’t need a few minutes to soothe the sting.

  My back molars grind together when Hunter removes the nearly empty bottle from my grasp and dumps it back on the coffee table. Before any words can spill from his hard-lined lips, I blubber, “I get it; it’s cool. You don’t have to explai—”

  “Shut up, Paige,” he interrupts, pinching my chin and angling my head back to face him.

  My mouth gapes, shell-shocked at his bluntness. Although his moods at times can swing toward grumpy, he has never been this blunt before.

  “If I didn’t consider you a friend, my cock would be filling that hole in your mouth.”

  I snap my mouth closed, both shocked and turned on by his crude statement.

  “But since you’re my friend, my cock will stay in my jeans, and not in your pretty little mouth where it really wants to be.”

  I roll my eyes skywards. “Please. We are not friends. I hardly know you.” My eyes bulge, stunned that the words I was supposed to say inside my head spilled from my mouth.

  “You’re not my friend?” Hunter coasts even closer to me, absorbing any sense of normality I had left.

  “Not even close.” My trembling voice gives away my deceit.

  His lips quirk. "So you wouldn't have any concerns being another notch on my extensively serrated bedpost?"

  I cross my arms in front of my chest to hide the tremble of my hands before shaking my head, denying his statement.

  His top lip forms into a snarl. “You wouldn’t be at all devastated when I dressed you and walked you to the door the instant I had my fill of your no doubt tight pussy?”

  A barrage of emotions smacks into me at once: excitement at his dirty words and devastation at the callousness of them. I’ve seen Hunter in his element. I know without a doubt he’d rocket my core to the next galaxy, but I can’t comprehend why he believes our bizarre kinship requires a no sexy-time stipulation.

  Even with my heart slithering into my stomach, I shake my head, once again denying his claim.

  His eyes blaze into mine, searing my soul from the inside out. “And I never called you again.”

  The shake of my head comes to a standstill as does the beat of my heart. Never?

  Spotting my shocked response, Hunter says, “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I like you, Paige. Surprisingly enough, I don’t want to touch you.” He locks his truth-exposing eyes with mine. “Because I don’t want to hurt you.”

  My heart recommences beating to accommodate the mass surge of blood pumping to it. Although being rejected dents even the world’s biggest egos, I find it admirable he's being upfront with me. It takes a lot of guts for a man to be honest in general, let alone to a virtual stranger.

  “So we are going to be friends?” The cheekiness in my voice hides my disappointment.

  Hunter nods. “If you want?”

  “Alright. I think I can handle that.” I hope.

  Chapter Nine

  Two weeks later…

  “Do you want to go for a swim?”

  Hunter's eyes lift from the suds-filled sink to me. Our routine hasn't altered any the past two weeks. He arrives every night at 9 PM bearing scrumptious gifts
; we dine together on the floor of my living room; he washes while I dry, and then we watch a movie snuggled together on the couch.

  I'd like to say I've kept the fire in my belly to a dull flame the past two weeks, but that would be a lie. It has expanded to a decent size, winter-warming fire. But it's normal for friends to snuggle on the couch every night… isn’t it?

  I'd also like to say our conversations the past two weeks have exposed new sides to Hunter I didn’t discover while stalking him, but unfortunately, they haven’t. For the most part, he listens while I blubber incessantly. But even with us having an oddly balanced friendship, I enjoy spending time with him. I can be myself around him, which is a refreshing change after spending years pretending to be someone I’m not.

  Hunter snatches the tea towel out of my hand to dry his suds-covered one. “You don’t have a pool,” he replies to my suggestion, his eyes shifting to the window of my cozy kitchen. “Or a hot tub,” he adds on when the coolness of a winter breeze sneaks through the cracks of the wood window paneling.

  “Who needs a pool when you have an entire ocean?” I expand my arms to the expansive view of the blackened ocean of Bronte’s Peak behind my back.

  Hunter eyes me dubiously but remains quiet as I pace away from him, walking backward. When I hit the glass sliding door of the back patio, I kick off my shoes and throw them to the side of the cramped living space.

  The glint in his gaze changes from curious to disbelief. “You’re not?” he questions.

  His deep, earth-shattering tone incites my boldness. After flashing him a quick smirk, I hotfoot it across the patio. By the time I make it down the three stairs of the back deck, my jeans have been shimmied off my legs and thrown to the sandy ground. The coolness of the sand squishes between my toes as I make a mad dash for the water’s edge, throwing off my sweater and long-sleeve shirt on the way. The coolness of a late fall breeze sails through my hair as I increase my pace.

  The hammering of my heart against my ribs nearly blocks out Hunter's wolf whistles and catcalls as I race across the sand like a mad woman on a mission. My smile is as large as the surge of adrenaline pumping through my veins. I hit the edge of the dunes wearing nothing but a pair of mismatched cotton panties and a satin bra.

  After squealing the loudest squeal I've ever screamed, I charge for the waves crashing on the foreshore. My cheeks are burning from the grin stretched across my face, and my lungs are heaving, struggling to be filled with air, but I’ve never felt more free.

  When I reach the edge of the water, I crank my neck to the left before sliding it to the right. Satisfied no one is watching, I spin around to face Hunter.

  “Close your eyes, Hunter; things are about to get scandalous,” I warn, my voice dramatic.

  He continues strolling down the sand dunes with a broad grin on his face. Once he throws his forearm over his eyes, I unhook my bra and slide my panties down my legs. If I'm going to be arrested for indecency, I’m planning on giving it my all.

  Goosebumps prickle the surface of my skin and a swear word seeps from my lips when I dive into the cold water. But even with the possibility of getting frost bite increasing by the second, nothing can wipe the grin off my face.

  Salty water pummels into me when I collide with the waves breaking on the surface, but I continue with my mission, fighting against the waves trying to sweep me back to shore. A sense of achievement washes over me when I reach the serene of the flat ocean.

  “Come on, Hunter!” I shout, my voice echoing in the eerie quietness of the nearly midnight sky. “It’s so beautiful out here!”

  The moonlight glistens on my wet cheeks when I spread my arms out wide and float on the surface of the frigid water. I snap my eyes closed and surrender to the calmness of the ocean. My weightlessness adds to the invincibility I'm feeling. I'm unstoppable.

  After giving myself a few moments to enjoy the tranquility of being swept away, I flutter my eyes open. The sky is bright with a dusting of stars, and the moon is full. It's a truly beautiful image I'll treasure for years to come.

  My stargazing comes to a halt when my name is called out in the distance. I stop floating and tread water before cranking my neck to the foreshore.

  “Paige!” Hunter calls out again, his loud voice bellowing over the crashing of waves in the distance.

  “I'm over here,” I shout, my eyes locking in on a small black speck approaching from my right.

  The crazy beat of my heart overtakes Hunter’s swimming strokes when the visual of a drenching wet and completely naked Hunter swamps my vision. Jesus Christ! Even hidden under the rippling of water, I can still see every spectacular inch of his scrumptious chest, bumped abs and killer arms. It's been weeks since I've seen the glorious visual of a wet and naked Hunter, and boy I've missed it.

  "Holy fuck, it's fucking freezing!" Hunter’s chattering teeth don’t dampen the deepness of his tone. "I'm pretty sure I won’t recognize my dick anymore."

  I throw my head back and laugh. Not a slight, dainty giggle; a full-hearted laugh that exposes sides of my wittiness I often hide away.

  Hunter glares at me, his face marred with both shock and concern. I'm sure I look like an A-grade lunatic, but after the day I had today, I need this. Finding out your fiancé moved his mistress into your shared home ten days after you left him is a shattering blow to any ego.

  Memories of the conversation I held with Pepper earlier today make quick work of my insane laughter. My face scrunches as I battle to hold in the tears I’ve managed to keep at bay for the majority of the day.

  Sensing a change in my composure, Hunter runs his index finger down the grooves indenting my nose before drawing me into his chest. I won’t lie; I plaster my body as close to him as I can, not allowing an ounce of air between us, while also happily accepting his comfort. Sometimes a good hug is the only cure needed for the deepest heartache.

  A stretch of silence passes between us as we tread water and shift our gaze to the brilliant night sky, both happy to take a breather from reality. It's surreal to think I only met Hunter weeks ago, and I'm already comfortable enough around him to strip naked and dive into a frigidly cold ocean, let alone snuggle into his bare chest. Although I try to ignore it, I can’t miss certain parts of his body rubbing against mine. It's unmissable.

  After a few minutes of silent star-gazing, Hunter runs his hand down my goosebump-riddled back. “So are you going to use this for a scene in your book?”

  I smile, loving that he isn’t the slightest bit fazed by my erratic behavior. If I’d pulled this type of stunt with Riley, he would have had a coronary and shipped me off for extensive therapy. Hunter not being concerned shows he gets me and my quirkiness.

  "Yeah, it could work," I reply, still smiling. "What do you think? The heroine dives into the water after an argument, and the hero takes off after her. He then shows her what she means to him by making love to her under the stars in the middle of the ocean." I stop talking and my lips purse. "Although from what you said earlier, I may need to rework the scene. I don't want to factor in shrinkage."

  My heart warms when a hearty chuckle rumbles out of Hunter’s blue-tinged lips. “It wouldn’t matter if they were swimming in Antarctica, Paige, if the woman is who the man desires, shrinkage won’t be a problem.”

  The veins in my neck twang when his eyes lower to absorb portions of my naked body plastered to his. Just like my weirdness doesn't daunt him, he has no qualms about openly ogling me without fear of reprimand. When his eyes lift and lock with mine, the energy between us shifts, firing the night sky with a cluster of fireworks.

  “Trust me.” Hunter’s hungry eyes shift between mine. “He will have no problems getting hard.”

  My heart beats out a rocking tune, beyond smitten by his compliment. “I’ll be sure to take note,” I stammer out, the jitteriness of my tone relaying my wavering constraint.

  Hunter’s eyes shift in color from a murky blue to a navy blue as they bounce between mine. “Now can we get ou
t of here before my cock snaps off?”

  Squealing, I take off for the shore. A winded grunt escapes his lips when I push off him and make a mad dash for the shoreline.

  “Loser gets dirty dishes duty for the next week,” I yell out between swimming strokes.

  “Challenge accepted,” I hear Hunter shout over my frantic splashes.

  Even garnering a decent lead on Hunter, he manages to overtake me and emerges from the water first. I slow the speed of my strokes, allowing my eyes to drink in every inch of him as he cups his cock in his hand and races toward his jeans and shirt dumped on the edge of the water.

  The crispness of the night makes his dark nipples bud into firm peaks and a trail of goosebumps to prickle his torso. His lack of clothing showcases his yummy Apollo belt and spectacular Adonis ass I'll never grow tired of ogling. The visual of him wet and naked is a core-clenching image that makes me completely forget I'm currently submerged in a bitterly cold ocean.

  I only continue swimming back to the shore when he slips his legs into his favorite pair of jeans. A hiss of air escapes his lips when I emerge from the water.

  Unlike me, he doesn’t hide the fact he's eyeballing me. He categorizes and absorbs every inch of my body as I’d done to him without the slightest bit of intimidation. He notices the way my small breasts bounce beneath my forearm as I pad across the sand, the extra swing his avid gaze has instilled on my hips, and that not all the shimmering between my legs is from the water.

  “What are you doing to me, Paige,” he mutters under his breath, wrapping his plaid shirt around my shoulders, engulfing me with his delicious scent.

  Since his tone made his words come out more as a statement than a question, I don’t respond. Once he has three buttons of his shirt done up, he gathers my panties and bra from the sand and stuffs them into the pocket of his jeans before offering me his hand.

  The walk up the sandy path between our properties is done in complete silence. The chattering of my teeth has rendered me speechless.