Neighbor Dearest

by Penelope Ward

“Yes. Hi. And you’re Tyler.”

  Flashing a megawatt smile, he said, “Call me Ty.”

  Holy hotness.

  There are more of them.

  “Ty.” I grinned. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Same here.”

  Upon closer look, he wasn’t exactly the spitting image of his brother. Tyler was stunning in more of a movie star way while Damien was more rough around the edges. But he had the same beautiful blue eyes as Damien, the same tanned skin (minus the arm tat), the same bone structure, the same strong build, and the same flirtatious smile. God. I wanted to swim in their gene pool.

  The door opened. Damien came out holding one of those lighters for the barbecue grill. “I forgot to give you the—”

  Damien’s expression darkened as he looked at me suspiciously then over at his brother. He swallowed. “I see you’ve met Chelsea.”

  “I have. You’ve been holding out, D. You told me she was pretty. You didn’t say she was a knockout.”

  “Pipe down, or I’ll have to knock you out.”

  Whoa.

  My cheeks burned.

  Ty smirked, seeming unaffected by Damien’s threat as he took the lighter from his brother. He looked over at me. “I made you blush.”

  Damien was quick to say, “Everything makes her blush.”

  I cleared my throat and turned to him. “Are the dogs with Jenna?”

  “Yes.”

  “I figured. It’s quiet in there.” Damien’s gaze lingered on mine for a bit before Tyler interrupted our tense staring contest.

  “We were just about to barbecue steak out back. You should join us for dinner.”

  “I’m sure Chelsea has better things to do…with the move and all,” Damien bit out.

  Seeming truly confused, his brother looked between us. “What move?”

  “She’s moving to another apartment.”

  “In this building?”

  “No. Across town,” Damien answered.

  Ty looked shocked. “Why?”

  I finally spoke. “It’s sort of a long story. I needed a change of pace.”

  “Damien didn’t mention it.”

  Damien was still looking at me when he said, “I didn’t have a chance.”

  “Well, then you definitely have to have dinner with us if you’re moving soon.”

  I was curious.

  I wanted to have dinner with them.

  “You know…it’s been a long day of purging and packing. I didn’t have time to think about supper, so maybe I’ll take you up on that.”

  Ty playfully flicked the lighter. “Cool. I make a mean barbecued corn on the cob.”

  “He likes to eat it the long way,” Damien quipped.

  Shaking my head at their comical sparring, I asked, “Can I bring something?”

  “Just your pretty little self,” Ty answered before adding, “You’re blushing again.”

  “Actually, I think I’ll bring some alcohol.” I was definitely going to need it.

  After stopping back at my apartment for the bottle of wine and to change into something other than my housework garb, I met Damien and Ty outside.

  I followed the plumes of smoke to the back of the building where they’d set up a chiminea and three plastic Adirondack chairs. It was the perfect night for a fire—cool and dry with the sun setting.

  Add chivalry to Tyler’s list of attractive qualities. “Hey, Chelsea. Let me take that bottle and open it for you.” He was super charming. It was no wonder Damien had daggers in his eyes while he looked over at his brother opening my wine and pouring some into the glass I’d brought.

  “Why don’t you sit over here so the smoke doesn’t blow in your face.” Ty directed me to the chair he’d been sitting in.

  “Thanks.” I smiled then looked over at Damien in an attempt to make conversation. “You missed an opportunity to make a joke about me and smoke, Damien. You’re slacking.”

  He still seemed pissed as he looked up from the grill. “What’s that?”

  “Never mind.”

  Ty took a sip of his beer then gestured with the bottle. “Oh, that’s right. He told me you almost burned the building down.”

  I nodded. “Yes. It’s a running joke between us now.”

  “You mean when Damien manages to find his sense of humor. Clearly, it’s up his ass this evening.” He lifted his index finger. “Oh. Speaking of smoke, I brought some Cubans tonight.”

  “They’re joining us?”

  Ty laughed. “God, you’re cute.”

  Damien cracked a reluctant smile. “Cigars, Chelsea.”

  “Oh.”

  Ty took a baggie containing the long cigars out of the inner pocket of his jacket. “They’re for after dinner.” He turned to me. “Want to smoke one with me later?”

  “I’ve never smoked a cigar.”

  “These are the best—Montecristo. You’ve got to try one.”

  “Okay, maybe.”

  “By the way, Damien is cooking two different sets of steak tonight. One was marinated and seasoned by me and the other by him. You’ll have to let us know which one you like better. I won’t tell you which is which.”

  The dirty thoughts in my head were aplenty. Taste testing their meat. Great.

  Get your mind out of the gutter, Chelsea!

  “Is this the pizza shop competition all over again or something?” I laughed.

  “D told you about that?”

  Damien finally came around from the grill to join us. “Yes, I told her how I beat the shit out of you that day, and I’m not above doing it again if I have to.”

  “You’re very moody today, Damien,” Tyler said tauntingly before turning to me. “So, when do you move?”

  “Two weeks.”

  “That’s set in stone?”

  “Yes. The other occupant in the new place is supposed to be out by then. I rented a U-Haul, and my parents are coming to help.”

  Damien cracked open a beer and said, “Tell them to cancel.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m moving you.”

  “That’s really not necessary.”

  Ty interrupted, “We can both help. Your parents shouldn’t have to do it.”

  Damien gave him a dirty look that implied he was annoyed at Tyler for offering his services.

  “Well, I really appreciate that. My folks will probably still come, but we could use the manpower for the heavy lifting.”

  “Why exactly are you moving again?” Ty asked.

  I simply didn’t respond. There was no way I was going to embarrass myself in front of him.

  He sensed my apprehension. “That’s okay. You don’t have to explain. It’s none of my business.”

  “No, it’s not,” Damien said before he suddenly got up. “I think the food might be ready.” You could cut the tension in the air with a steak knife.

  “Make sure you give her some of each kind of meat,” Ty called out.

  Damien arranged the medley of steak tips, sliced steak, grilled corn and grilled vegetables onto three paper plates.

  I got up to retrieve mine. “Smells amazing. I can’t believe we’ve never barbecued out here before.”

  “Well, technically, I don’t allow barbecuing on the premises.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Well, thankfully, I have an in with the landlord.” I smiled. “This is nice. Thank you for including me.”

  The expression on his face lightened and eventually transformed into a full-on smile. “Well, you didn’t let my crappy mood scare you away. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too.”

  The three of us ate in silence for a while until Tyler put me on the spot. “Okay, so which of the meat tasted better to you? The tips or the flank steak?”

  Looking between the two gorgeous, dark-haired brothers with the matching smiles, I couldn’t help but laugh at their little competition. Taking a sip of my wine, I crossed my legs and leaned back into the chair, pretending to ponder it as if it were a tough decision. Truthfull
y, the flavor of the flank steak was phenomenal compared to the tips.

  “The flank wins. It tasted amazing.”

  The smug look on Damien’s face gave away whose seasoning recipe it was. Ty shook his head and downed the rest of his beer while Damien broke out in laughter. It just figured that my taste buds gravitated toward his concoction. Every part of me was attracted to this man apparently.

  I listened for a while as Damien and Tyler told me some stories about growing up in San Jose.

  The mood darkened a bit when Tyler asked, “Have you talked to Mom lately?”

  “Not in a few days, why?”

  “The doctor put her on a new med. She said it’s making her sick.” He hesitated. “Is it okay if I talk about this in front of Chelsea?”

  “Yeah. She knows Mom is depressed.” Damien rubbed his eyes and exhaled. “I really need to pick her up and bring her here whether she likes it or not. Maybe this weekend.” He looked at me. “My mother doesn’t drive.”

  “I didn’t realize that.”

  “She used to, but then she started to get panicky whenever she’d drive on the freeway. One of us goes to get her when she comes to visit.”

  “Our mother was never the same after our dad died,” Tyler added.

  “I know. Damien’s told me a lot about that.”

  Damien changed the subject. “How about those cigars?”

  Tyler took out the clear plastic bag. “You gonna smoke one, Chelsea?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Sure.”

  He cut the long, tightly rolled cigars and gave one to both Damien and me. Rubbing it in between my fingers, I took it to my nose and breathed in the spicy yet earthy scent. He then came around with the barbecue igniter and lit it for me.

  Sucking in the smoke, I immediately coughed.

  “You didn’t inhale it, did you?”

  “I did a little.”

  “Don’t.” Ty took it from me and brought it to his mouth, drawing in the smoke, slowly blowing it out into my face. “Just taste it for a few seconds then let it go.”

  I was suddenly massively flushed. There was something about those words that seemed sexual. When I looked over at Damien, I saw that the death stare from earlier had returned in full force.

  “You know, the longer and wider the cigar, the more intense it is,” Ty said.

  “That goes for a lot of things, which is unfortunate for you, little brother,” Damien said before taking a long drag of his own cigar.

  Ty spoke through his laugh, “Shut the fuck up.”

  As I started to get the hang of cigar smoking, I leaned back and looked up at the night sky as I practiced blowing smoke rings into the air.

  It was quiet, and I could feel both of their eyes on me.

  Ty was the first to break the silence when he said, “There’s something so goddamn sexy about a woman smoking a cigar.”

  “Really? A woman? Or that woman?” Damien snapped.

  “You’re right. It does depend on the girl.”

  An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air.

  Ty’s next question threw me for a loop. “Do you have plans for the rest of the night, Chelsea?”

  “Um…no.”

  “Would you want to head to Diamondback’s?”

  I knew that was a bar and club not far from our building that often featured live music and dancing.

  I immediately looked over at Damien for guidance. Was his brother asking me to go out with him alone? Was he trying to take me out on an impromptu date? Was Damien going to let him? Did he even truly care, or was his anger tonight just a matter of their competitive natures?

  I suppose a part of me wanted to find out when I said, “That sounds fun. Yeah.”

  “Cool.”

  Damien didn’t utter a word. He just continued to stare at me as he blew smoke rings.

  I got up, straightening my shirt and gave my cigar to Ty. “I should shower and get changed, then.”

  “Sounds good.” He smiled.

  Jitters followed me all the way back to my apartment. What was I doing? I wasn’t even going to lie; it hurt me that Damien didn’t say anything when Ty asked me to go out. Not knowing exactly what I’d agreed to, I was left with an unsettled feeling.

  I took a shower and slipped on a fitted, blue mini-dress. I blew out my normally wavy hair and put on a full face of makeup.

  Letting out a slow nervous breath, I knocked on Damien’s door.

  Ty opened and was dressed in the same jeans and black shirt he’d had on outside. He’d wet his hair down and must have sprayed on a fresh coating of cologne, because it was pungent.

  The air was filled with tension and testosterone.

  Damien was leaning against the kitchen counter. He was wearing the same dark jeans but had changed into a gray shirt that hugged his muscular chest. He was also wearing his beanie. I loved when he wore that hat in a way that his hair peeked out from the front. His sleeves were rolled up, showcasing his forearm tattoo. His angry glare was really working for me. It made me think back to his threat about angrily fucking me against the wall the night of my drunk messaging. He just looked so freaking good right now, and I caught myself forgetting why I was even here as I continued to stare at him.

  Ty came up from behind me. “Ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  Just when I thought Damien was going to let us leave, he began to follow us out the door.

  I turned around. “I didn’t think you were coming.”

  “I wasn’t going to, but I changed my mind.”

  The three of us walked in silence to Diamondback’s, which was about three blocks away.

  It was eighties and nineties music night. There was no band on duty tonight, just a DJ. 2 Become 1 by the Spice Girls was playing, and it totally brought me back to memories of singing that song in front of the bathroom mirror with my sisters.

  Ty leaned in. “What are you having to drink?”

  “You already know she likes white wine.” Damien huffed.

  “Maybe she feels like something else.”

  Were they being serious?

  “A glass of Chardonnay would be fantastic.”

  Ty went to get drinks, leaving me alone with Damien. It was a long and awkward three minutes until the DJ started playing Burning Down the House by The Talking Heads.

  “If you weren’t standing here, I would’ve thought you told him to play that song, Damien.”

  “Just a funny coincidence.”

  I playfully nudged on his shirt. “I’m glad you decided to come out with us. I wasn’t sure if you were coming.”

  “Well, someone’s got to keep tabs on him.”

  “Tabs on him or tabs on me?” When he didn’t say anything, I added, “Your brother’s a really nice guy. You two are almost too much alike.”

  “Neither of us is that nice. Ty’s my brother, and I love him, but I trust him with you about as much as I trust myself. And that’s not saying much.”

  Ty returned with our drinks and handed me my wine before giving Damien his beer. “Did I hear my name?”

  “I was just saying how similar you two are.”

  After a few minutes, Diamonds and Pearls by Prince came on. Ty took the wine glass out of my hand. “I love this fucking song. Dance with me, Chelsea.” When I didn’t move, he said, “Come on.”

  What the hell. Why not?

  I let him lead me to the platform. His hand was on my lower back. Lights on the dance floor flashed around us. He wrapped his arms around me, and I placed mine around his neck.

  As we swayed to the music, it became clear as day: even though this younger, debatably hotter version of Damien was expressing interest in me, I wasn’t feeling anything more than the cheap thrill of his body pressed against mine. It proved once and for all that my obsession with Damien was so much more than physical. He essentially had a clone who was actually showing romantic interest in me, and all I wanted was to be with the grumpy dude sulking in the corner—the one who repeatedly rej
ected me. I was somehow connected to Damien in a way that I didn’t even understand, connected to the way he made me feel, the way I knew he understood me, the way his heart beat for me.

  The dance was getting to be too much. When the song finally ended, I excused myself and headed to the bathroom for a breather. I was alone drying my hands when the door opened behind me. My body froze when I felt his low, penetrating voice vibrating against the nape of my neck.

  “Do you fucking like him?”

  Turning around slowly to meet Damien’s incendiary stare, I whispered, “I wish I did.”

  “You’re not acting like you don’t. Or maybe you’re living out some little twisted ménage fantasy?”

  Now, he was making me angry.

  “Are you jealous?”

  “Yes. I’m fucking jealous,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Get over it.”

  “Look who’s talking. You’re not over me.”

  My voice was strained. “I’m trying.”

  “You’ve been trying to get over me…or under me?”

  I wanted to slap him. “Fuck you. Now all of a sudden you want me because you think I like your brother?”

  “No, Chelsea. I’ve always wanted you, from the moment you knocked on my door and called me the devil. But tonight…it’s finally making me insane. I’m not thinking straight. Right now…I just need to taste your lips, feel you moan over my tongue again.

  He suddenly pulled me into him.

  “Oh, God,” I muttered over his mouth as he gripped my waist, his mouth enveloping mine. He kissed me so hard, and his breath tasted of cigar and beer as he ravaged my mouth with his tongue. I couldn’t move my tongue around fast enough, couldn’t taste him enough. Feeling the heat of his erection pressed against me, the heat between my own legs was overpowering; I was so wet and throbbing. My entire body was buzzing, ready to explode.

  He suddenly stopped kissing me. Panting, we just stared at each other with lust-filled eyes. Bunching my hair in his fist, he pulled it back as he lowered his mouth to my neck. Damien kissed me softly and traced his teeth along my skin. He then started to suck on the skin at the base of my neck. The pain was euphoric. I knew he was trying to mark me, staking his claim on me so that Tyler would clearly see which one of them I truly belonged to. And the truth was, only one man did own me—heart, body, and soul—and that was Damien.