Hate Thy Neighbor: An Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone Romance

by S. M. Soto

  I help him shed his clothes, and when I get a glimpse of his tan, toned chest, I drag my nails over his skin, enjoying the sound of his sharp hiss. Unable to help myself, I drop to my knees in the garage, and I stare up at him through my lashes. His jaw is set in a hard line, his body stiff, as he waits to see what I’m going to do next. Not wanting to disappoint, I take him into my mouth. His head slides over my tongue, and I suck him in, until he’s poking the back of my throat. He lets out a sharp grunt, as one of his hands goes to my hair and tugs ever so gently. He guides my movements. With one hand, I stroke his base, while taking in as much of his length as I can.

  He’s musky and salty, the perfect combination.

  Unable to take much more, he drags me up by my hair, lifts me in his arms, and urges me to wrap my legs around his waist. Then, without warning, he thrusts inside me. Hard. I gasp his name in pleasured pain, waiting for my body to acclimate to his size. Our eyes hold, as my breath scatters, and he slowly begins to move inside me. Sliding in, then all the way out, he takes me like no man ever has. The feel of him is so perfect, it electrifies my lower spine. He’s breathing new life into me, entwining our souls as one.

  I catch a glimpse of our reflection in the mirror along the wall and let out an embarrassing moan. Watching our reflection, the way our bodies are tangled together, it’s driving me insane. It’s making me incredibly hot. Roman dips his head, catching my heated gaze in the mirror. He poises his lips near my ear, tickling me with his plump lips and his dirty words.

  “You like to watch, don’t you, Olivia?”

  I nod, unable to help myself. He strokes harder, faster, deeper, and I dig my nails into his back, trying to stay afloat, when every part of me wants to sink.

  I do it anyway.

  I fall at that moment. I fall for the man with a hard exterior. I fall for the man who has the potential to destroy me.

  Mainly because he’s worth falling for.

  He’s worth risking my heart for.

  “Lucky”—Chelsea Cutler, Alexander 23

  We collapse against each other, resting back on the car. My hands tighten around her perfect petite body. My fingertips dig into her flesh, as I get a whiff of her. She’s everywhere around me, wrapped up in me. I’ll never have enough of her. Now that I’ve had a taste, I’m like a fiend. I’ll keep coming back for more. No matter how badly things might turn out. A part of me knows I should turn away now, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

  Slowly, I dislodge myself from her body and gently set her back down on her feet. She lets out a shaky breath, her body trembling. I can’t tell if it’s because she was wearing those soaked clothes for so long or because of what just happened. I glance down at her, the same time she peers down between her legs, and that’s when I see it. My cum slides down her creamy thighs, and, fucking hell, I know I should be berating myself for not using a condom, but it takes all my willpower not to whirl her around and fuck her over the hood of this car again.

  I turn away from her, trying to pull myself together, and grab some paper towels to help her clean between her legs. When I turn back toward her, paper towel in hand, I see her face is a bright red shade.

  Did she think I’d leave her like that? Standing there helplessly, with my cum still dripping between her legs?

  Dropping down to my haunches, I pat her outer thigh, indicating for her to spread her legs. She does so slowly. I settle the towel between her legs and cup her sex, wiping her clean. She lets out a sharp gasp. Her hand settles on my shoulder for support, those fingernails digging into my skin. I glance up at her, and the way she’s looking down at me right now, she’s lucky I have her car to fix, or I’d be fucking her all over again.

  “You’re gorgeous. Every single inch of you.” With my hand still cupped over her drenched core, I grasp the back of her thigh, in my other hand, and trace soft circles over her flesh.

  Heat rises to her cheeks. Something flits over her features, as we stare at each other. She glances away, gathering her thoughts, before looking at me again.

  “We didn’t use a condom. Are you…are you clean?”

  Still caressing her skin, I nod. “I am.”

  Her slender throat works a swallow. “That’s good. That’s really good,” she repeats, as if she’s unsure of what to say. It has me fighting back a smile. “I’m clean too. You know, in case you’re worried. I’m on the pill, too, so, I guess you don’t really need to worry about all this.” She gestures around the mess between her legs, and the smile I was fighting breaks free. She’s damn cute when she’s nervous.

  “That’s good,” I murmur, as I finish wiping between her legs. I didn’t think it was possible for her cheeks to get any redder than they are, but I was wrong. With her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, she stares down at me, questions floating in her eyes.

  “What are we doing, Rome? I…I don’t do this.”

  I push upright, tossing the soiled towel. “Neither do I.”

  She rolls her eyes. “That’s a lie. I’ve seen you do it. But I’m saying I don’t. One-night stands aren’t my thing. I can’t—”

  I whirl on her, a glare plastered across my face. “Who said this was a one-time thing?”

  Her eyes widen. “You mean…you want to keep doing this?”

  Releasing a pent-up sigh, I step into her, crowding her against the car, and I slip my hand around her neck. “I wanted to fuck you the moment I saw you standing by that goddamn rental truck, watching me ride in. I wanted to fuck you when you brought that fucking cake to my house. I’ve wanted you every single day since, Olivia.”

  Something flickers in those beautiful doe eyes, and her hands circle my neck, and she kisses me deeply, throwing everything she has into it. I don’t know how I know that, but I do. I feel it. Just like I feel every part of her.

  Gently, she pulls back, her chest rising and falling, rapidly, to accommodate her heavy breathing. The way she’s staring up at me, through those thick lashes, has me wanting to slide back inside her and forget real life exists, but as I glance at the car beside us, I don’t have that option. I need to keep it in my pants, at least a little while longer.

  My arms tighten around her slender shoulders, when she trembles in my arms. I can feel the gooseflesh on her skin. She was out in the rain for God knows how long, and her hair is still damp as shit. Dislodging from her, I run into the shop, coming back with an extra set of clothes I keep in a duffel bag in my locker.

  “Here, put these on. They’ll help keep you warm until your clothes dry.” I hand off the clean T-shirt and shorts to her. They won’t fit, not on her small frame, but they’re enough to keep her covered, until we get home.

  While she dresses, I get back to work on the car. I feel her gaze on me as I work. There was a crack in her engine block, and she has a leaking gasket. For a car this model and year, most of the parts will need to be ordered, but other than that, it’s nothing I can’t fix.

  I glance up at her, about to break the news, but pause when I spot her. She’s already watching me, cheeks flushed, hair mussed in that freshly fucked look. She looks beautiful, sitting there, drowning in material, her beautiful body hidden behind my clothes. Seeing her like this does something; it awakens something primal in me. Her legs are pulled to her chest, her chin resting on her knees, as she stares.

  “So, what’s the verdict?” she asks, jerking her chin toward the car. “She going to survive?”

  “Eventually. You have a leaking gasket, and your engine block is cracked. That’s what was causing the shortage and the smoke from under the hood. We’ll have to order the replacement piece, which can take anywhere from one to two weeks.”

  Her face falls, all humor evaporating from her face. “Wow. Just when I thought these past few days couldn’t get any worse.”

  After wiping any remnants of grease off my hands, I toss the rag on the car and close the distance between us. I perch on the chair next to her, staring down at her.

  “I guess it has been a shit
ty few days for you.”

  She scoffs. “That’s putting it lightly. I’m not sure if the universe has decided to punish me for something. As if I haven’t paid enough in my life.”

  The corners of my mouth quirk into a grin. “You always this dramatic?”

  Her own mouth curves up into a mildly suppressed grin. “You always such an asshole?”

  I lean in, pressing my lips to her temple. “I think you know the answer to that already, babe.” Pushing upright, I lay my hand out, palm up between us, and wait for her to take it. “C’mon. It’s getting late. Let’s go home.”

  “My house or yours?”

  “Yours. I’ve been dying to fuck you in your bed for weeks.”

  “Roman!” she mock gasps, slapping me on the arm.

  I follow Olivia into her house. Since her window is still broken, only boarded with a piece of wood I noticed the other night, there’s a cool breeze in here. She heaves a deep sigh, her gaze settled on the window, likely following my train of thought.

  “It’s cold in here, isn’t it?”

  I nod, dropping my duffel onto the floor. “Give me a sec. I’ll be right back.”

  It takes me two trips, but when I finally shut her front door behind me, and Olivia sees what’s in my hand and the rest of the tools on the floor, her eyes widen.

  “Roman, what did you do?”

  I shrug, heading toward the broken window, to remove the wood. “I planned on fixing it the other night, when your boss was here.”

  “Oh,” she breathes out.

  I keep my back to her, as I work on popping the frame of the window out. I have a buddy who sells windows for a discounted price. Since our homes are mirrors of each other, I didn’t exactly need measurements, since I already had my own, when I added new windows in the house six months ago.

  “You bought me a new window?” she whispers, still trying to wrap her head around all of it. I heave a deep sigh. I know Olivia well enough to know she’ll never truly be okay with me buying her a window. Hell, she probably won’t even be happy that I’m the one putting it in. She’ll try to pay me back, maybe even throw in labor costs, but that’s not why I’m doing this. Not at all.

  So, I lie.

  “I changed out the windows in my house about six months ago. Didn’t realize I ordered an extra, and it’s the exact size of your front window. Figured you needed it more than I do.”

  I hear her soft footfalls, and I tense when she rests her hand on my back. Slowly, I turn to face her. There’s a softness in her eyes, apologies written all over her face.

  “The other night, when you were outside with Max…”

  “I was going to bring everything over and work on fixing the window, but you weren’t home. I took him for a walk. Wanted to make sure no one was in the neighborhood, while you were still out.”

  Her eyes glitter with some emotion, and catching me completely off guard, she leans in and kisses me. Her soft lips work mine, her tantalizing little tongue toying with my own.

  “I really am sorry about what I said. If you can’t tell, by now, you don’t mean nothing to me, Rome. You mean a whole lot more. I think that’s why you get under my skin the way you do.”

  The corner of my lip inches up. There’s so much I want to say, so much I probably should say, but I keep it close to my chest and get back to work on the window.

  After she gets out of the shower, she chatters mindlessly in the background, cooking up something for us in the kitchen. Something she says gives me pause, and I turn, facing her, a frown passing over my features. “What did you just say?”

  She pauses whatever she’s stirring on the stove at my tone. “I said if it wasn’t for my boss, Travis, being a jerk and making me stay late, just because I turned him down, today might not have been so bad.”

  Rage sparks in my chest. “He made you stay late because you turned him down?”

  Olivia heaves a tired sigh. “You know, not to sound dramatic, but he’s obsessed with you. Ever since he caught us kissing at Cole’s, his attraction to me has intensified, and every time I turn him down? He gets…crazy.” She shakes her head, clearly thinking about those instances. “He’s shown up at the house a few times. The night you were outside with Max? He just showed up out of the blue to apologize for being a dick to me at work. I asked for time off, so I could get the window fixed and everything sorted at the police station, and he treated me like I was asking for time off to go on a shopping spree.”

  I drop the pane glue on the floor, turning to face her, something ugly brewing in my gut. “Olivia. He comes to your house without being invited? He takes advantage of you while you’re at work?”

  “Well, sort of. I mean, maybe taking advantage of me is being a little dramatic, but I guess so.”

  “That is taking advantage of you, Olivia. No employer in their right mind is going to show up at your home, when they haven’t been invited. It’s unprofessional.”

  “I know,” she groans. “But what am I supposed to do? Besides being near Travis, I love working at the clinic. I’ve made friends there. And his father is the one who owns it, but I’m afraid complaining will only cause more problems. Travis is a manwhore. I’m certain he’s slept with half the women at the clinic, and the last thing I want everyone thinking is that I’ve slept with him, too.”

  “You need to talk to this Samuel guy. Or I’ll be having words with Travis.”

  Olivia rolls her eyes. “Stop it.”

  Picking up the pane glue again, I rest the new pane for the glass inside, holding it still, while I wait for the glue to dry. Something about Travis doesn’t sit right with me. A part of me wonders where he was the night her house was broken into. I don’t want to freak her out and allude to anything, but the guy, obviously, isn’t right in the head.

  “Just about done?” she asks, setting her small table with steaming plates of food.

  I prop the stick against the glass, making sure it’s tight, so everything stays in place, while the pane glue dries. “Yeah, just about. The glue needs to dry, but as long as you don’t touch the window for a day or two, you should be good.”

  “Thank you. For doing all this, Roman. You’re a good guy, even when you’re trying to convince me that you’re not.”

  It’s my turn to roll my eyes. I’m uncomfortable with her praise. It’s something I didn’t get much of as a child or as an adult. Setting everything down, I dust my hands off on my pants and head toward the door.

  “Where are you going? I made food.”

  “Gonna check on Max really quick. I’ll be back.”

  “You can bring him here, you know. I don’t mind.”

  There’s a vulnerable expression on her face. One I find difficult to turn away from.

  Once Max sees where we’re headed, his tail wags a little harder than usual, and I shake my head. The dog is a fucking traitor, I tell you. Even when I’d purposely try to keep my distance, purposely try to find any reason at all to dislike my neighbor, Max was always whining when he saw her.

  As soon as we walk into the house, he heads straight to Olivia’s side, pausing next to her at the table. With his head cocked to the side, he watches her, and she giggles. The sound is pure fucking bliss. Any other day, when I heard it, I’d try to pass it off as annoying, but that was just a lie. Everything Olivia does gets under my skin in the best fucking way. When Max settles his paw on her thigh, she gives his head a good scratch, before she gets up to wash her hands and get us both something to drink.

  We finish dinner with easy conversation, and I truly can’t remember the last time I enjoyed just sitting and talking with a woman. Usually, I bring women over for a quick fuck, because that’s all I have time for. All I really have to offer. Relationships have never held an ounce of interest to me until now. Hell, I haven’t slept with anyone since the night Olivia decided she’d tell my last one-night stand I have gonorrhea. Worst part? Ever since she moved in next door, she’s been the only woman on my mind. I tried sealing the deal wi
th countless other women, but I couldn’t. I was thinking about her the entire time. Not the women beneath me, her. I didn’t know what that said about me, her, or us, but all I knew was she was all I could think about. The only woman who apparently gets my cock hard these days.

  While she cleans up in the kitchen, I pick up the mess in the living room, gathering the tools to take back home and get rid of the board and any leftover shards of glass from the broken window. Once I get everything cleaned up, and Max is back home and asleep, I double-check the newly installed window, satisfied with how it’s sitting.

  I hear a soft pop behind me, and when I turn, I find Olivia sitting cross-legged on her couch, watching me closely, with a lollipop hanging out of her mouth. A smirk tips the corners of her lips.

  “A girl can get used to this.”

  “To what exactly?”

  “A hot guy in the middle of her living room, putting back the pieces of her miserable life together.”

  Closing the distance between us, I stare down at her fixated on the way the stick of the lollipop juts out between those pink bee-stung lips. Gripping the end that’s hanging out of her mouth, I tug, and she lets go with a pop that goes straight to my groin. Taking the lollipop, I put it into my mouth, and her mouth drops open, her eyes heating with desire.

  “About that bed.”

  She licks her lips, pushing to her feet. “Oh, that’s right. What was it you mentioned earlier? You’ve been waiting to fuck me there?”

  Christ in heaven.

  My cock goes from half-mast to hard as a fucking rock at her words.

  That mouth will be the death of me.

  Knowing the effect she’s having on me, Olivia smiles. It’s downright sexy and full of seduction. Tugging my hand in hers, she pulls me along after her, leading the way to her bedroom.