Monroe, Marla - Nina's Neighbor (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Marla Monroe

  He dropped the TV remote to the coffee table and headed for the shower to clear away the cobwebs from sleeping so long. He wasn’t thinking straight. All he could think about revolved around Nina.

  When he stepped into his shower he was reminded of her face when he had first seen it. That led to remembering her on her knees in front of him. Jack leaned against the back of the shower stall and groaned. His hand went unerringly to his dick. In his head he saw her licking her lips looking up at him. Nina would lean forward and lick the slit in his cockhead to taste his cum. Thinking about the feel of her tongue when she licked him from top to bottom sent chills up his spine, and his balls began their slow boil.

  Jack worked his cock as another drop of pre-cum seeped from the head. He ran his hand around the mushroom-shaped head to spread it, only in his mind, it was Nina’s tongue licking him. Her hair would fall in her face, so he would hold it back while holding her head still. He could imagine her looking up at him as she swallowed him down as far as she could go with both hands wrapped around his dick. He jerked on his cock as he thought about her swallowing around him and humming her way back up his dick.

  Nothing was better than the way she sucked him down in a swirling motion. Jack kept a steady pace, pulling on his cock as fire began to shoot down his spine toward his balls. He didn’t want to come yet. He wanted to think about her some more. Think about how she would let him fuck her mouth without complaining. She just sat back on her heels and opened for him.

  God, he wanted her between his legs right then. He wanted to taste her and feel her come around him. Jack’s hand sped up as he pictured her face as he made her come. The ecstasy there would fuel his fantasies for months.

  Jack thought about the first time he’d pushed his way inside of her. She was so fucking tight he’d nearly come right then and there. She’d been scared of his size, but she hadn’t said no. He reached down and rolled his balls around in his hand as he pumped his cock with his fist tight around it. His balls were on fire. He wanted to blow, but he wanted it to last. He slowed his pace, taking a hell of a lot of determination.

  She’d done that, pinched his sack to make him stop. He tried it and found that it worked, but as soon as he let off, the need came right back.

  “Fuck!”

  The first time Baxter had watched them, she’d had that alarmed then curious face that would stick in his mind forever. She liked being watched. He liked watching her being watched. She didn’t hold back, and she was beautiful when she climaxed. He hoped and prayed he would get to see that again.

  Jack gave up and sped up again, tugging on his hard cock over and over until the fire in his balls exploded upward and out the top of his cock. He spewed his seed all over his hands and the shower floor.

  He leaned back against the shower wall again and stood there a long time before finally getting up enough energy to clean up. He finished his shower and dressed. When he looked at the clock, he realized he still had about two hours before he could safely go next door to see Nina. He wished he had a key. He would have gone over and slipped into the bed with her. Would she have welcomed him or screamed for him to get out? That was the question that was worrying him. Did she love him or not?

  * * * *

  Nina couldn’t stand it. Jack’s motorcycle sat next door, but he hadn’t come over or even called. Why? Was he trying to tell her he wasn’t interested in her anymore? She paced her bedroom in the dark. Four a.m. and she hadn’t been able to sleep for worrying about why Jack hadn’t contacted her. She nearly went over there several times but always backed out at the last possible step out of her yard.

  She’d called Charlotte twice that night to find out what she should have done. Poor Charlotte had been on a date but still took the time to babysit her. She’d told the guy he could stuff it if he didn’t want her talking to her BFF while they were out. It made Nina smile a little bit. Then she thought about Jack over at his house all night without once contacting her, and she got pissed again. Pissed turned to worry that he didn’t care about her. Okay, maybe he didn’t love her, but surely he cared.

  She glanced at the clock again. Four thirty. As soon as the clock said six a.m., she was going over there to talk to him. She had to know once and for all how he felt. Then she could go on with her life, somehow.

  At six a.m. on the dot, she walked next door to his house and knocked on his door. When he didn’t answer, she rang the doorbell. Still, he didn’t answer. She put her ear to the door to listen for any sound that said he was in there. Maybe he was avoiding her. She rang the bell again and finally gave up, trying to keep the tears at bay.

  As she walked across his front yard to hers, she looked between their houses and there he was, walking from her house to his. He stopped and looked at her. He didn’t say anything, just walked toward her, then picked her up and swung her around in his arms.

  She hugged him hard and kissed his face all over, then reared back and slapped him. He sat her down and held his hand to his face.

  “What in the hell was that for?” he asked incredulously.

  “For not getting in touch with me before now. I’ve worried and worried something was wrong. I thought the police had you hidden away somewhere. Then you leave a voicemail telling me Freak might die, and I don’t hear from you again at all.”

  “Baxter,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Freak’s name is really Baxter.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’s hanging in there, but he’s still unconscious,” Jack said.

  “I’ll testify for him if that will help.” Nina laid her head against Jack’s chest.

  “Nina, you won’t have to. He was an undercover agent with the ATF.”

  She pulled away and looked at him with eyes wide. “You’re kidding me. All that time I was scared to death of him and he was really a good guy?”

  “Yeah, but he was always a good guy,” Jack said.

  Nina smiled and hugged Jack again. “I bet you were surprised to find that out when you got arrested.”

  “I knew there was someone on the inside undercover when I went in. I just didn’t know who it was until later.”

  Nina froze in his arms. He had known all that time and not told her? No fucking way.

  “So you knew while we were with the gang that he was an undercover cop?”

  “Yeah, we worked together to try and set the gang up to go down. It was the only way either you or I would ever have been free of Reaper, baby. He could have ordered us killed from jail if he had any of his men still out there.”

  She pulled out of his arms and slammed her hands on her hips glaring at him. He looked confused, furrowing his brows.

  “What is it, baby?” he asked.

  “Don’t ‘baby’ me. You knew all that time that I was terrified of the man, and you let me think not only that he might hurt me, but that we were all alone in there. You knew and didn’t tell me!” she screamed.

  “Calm down, Nina.” Jack tried to pull her back into his arms.

  “Don’t. I don’t want to even hear it. I was plotting running away if I had to deal with Slick or Reaper or him by myself. I knew they would kill me, and I didn’t care. You let me think I was going to have to fuck Reaper with you! Oh, my, God! I was scared shitless, and you let me be that way.” She stomped back and forth in front of him, yelling at him.

  “Nina, I couldn’t tell you,” he began.

  “Why the hell not?” she demanded.

  “Because if you had known, you wouldn’t have shown the same amount of fear and worry that you did not knowing. It was to keep you safe as well as Freak. If they had realized that you weren’t scared, they would have known there was probably a sting going down. I couldn’t tell you, baby,” Jack tried to plead with her.

  She stopped in front of him and hauled back and hit him with her balled up fist in his stomach. She yelped and shook her hand as tears flooded her eyes. His abdomen was hard as rock. She had probably broken her fucking hand.<
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  “Damn, Nina. You’re going to break something.”

  “Yeah, my hand,” she yelled back.

  “Let me see.” He tried to grab her wrist to look at her hand, but she wouldn’t let him. Instead, she turned back around and stomped back to her house and slammed the door in his face.

  She ran the sink full of cold water then emptied her ice tray in it and stuck her hand in the water. She yelped and almost pulled it back out but knew better. Instead, she propped herself against the sink and cried.

  The bastard had known how terrified she was and let her wallow in it, while they probably laughed behind her back. Then she thought about that she had let him watch her and Jack…

  “I’ll kill him. I’ll kill both of them.” If Freak got out of the hospital alive, she was going to kill him, too.

  After about five minutes she pulled her hand out and winced. It was a little swollen but not badly, but it had a purplish color to the knuckles. She hoped he had a belly ache, though she knew it probably hadn’t even fazed him. He was built like a brick house and wouldn’t have felt a thing when she hit him. Oh, but he had felt it when she had slapped him. That is what she should have done, slapped him again.

  She dried off her hand and picked up the phone and called Charlotte. It didn’t even dawn on her that she might be asleep until she heard it in her voice.

  “Oh, damn, Charlotte. I didn’t realize the time. I’m so sorry. You go back to sleep. I’ll call you later.” She was about to hang up when Charlotte yelled at her.

  “Don’t you dare put that phone down. What did you want? It has to be important or you wouldn’t have called. So spill it.”

  Nina heard her friend yawn and winced. She should have checked the time. It was Saturday, besides being nearly seven in the morning.

  “Oh, Charlotte. I finally got to see Jack, and the bastard lied to me.”

  “Wait, where did you see him? Is he home?”

  “Yes, he’s home. He was home yesterday, and not once did he call or come over.”

  “Then when did you see him?” Charlotte asked.

  “This morning. I was tired of waiting and went over to confront him, but he didn’t answer his door. It was because he was at my house at the back door,” Nina explained. “Anyway, we saw each other in the side yard, and he picked me up and hugged me, then I slapped him.”

  “Why did you slap him, Nina?” Charlotte snorted.

  “Are you laughing at me?”

  “No. I’m just trying to get the story straight. Why did you slap him?”

  Nina explained why and what happened after that.

  “So, he lied to me and let me think I might die at any minute in some horrible way, raped and cut up,” Nina finished on a sob.

  “Oh, honey. I’m sorry. I know that feels like crap. I don’t blame you for being upset. Be upset. Then get over it. He did what he thought was best. You wouldn’t have been able to act all upset and worried for that long, now would you?”

  “I could have acted however they wanted me to. They did,” Nina argued.

  “It wouldn’t be the same thing, though, Nina. Jack had lived that life before. The other guy was an undercover agent. He was living that life then. You are just you. You don’t have a deceiving bone in your body, Nina. I know you.”

  She sighed. “You’re probably right. It just hurt to think that he didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”

  “I don’t think it was like that at all, honey. He was protecting you, Nina,” Charlotte said.

  Nina heard Jack’s bike start up and drive off in a hurry.

  “Oh, shit!” Nina said.

  “What is it?”

  “Jack just drove off on his bike. I need to tell him I’m sorry. But now he’s gone.”

  “He’ll be back. He does live there.”

  “I know, but he’s probably pissed off at me now.”

  “If he is, he’ll get over it just like you are. Now go get some sleep until he does get home. You’ve been up all night, haven’t you?” Charlotte asked.

  “Most of the night, anyway,” Nina confessed.

  “Everything will work out just fine, you’ll see.”

  “I’m sorry I woke you up like this. How was your date? Oh, I spoiled that too, didn’t I?”

  Charlotte died laughing. “Honey, I wish he had taken me home when you called. He was the absolute pits. He started out being really nice then got all touchy-feely with his hands. When I called him on it, he told me that word was I put out for everyone. Asshole.”

  “He didn’t!” Nina said.

  “Oh yes he did, and I know where that came from,” Charlotte said.

  “Angie,” they said at the same time.

  “We’ve got to get her, Charlotte. Somehow, we’ve got to get her. She’s a pest, a bitch, and a liar.” Nina counted it off on her fingers.

  “Don’t worry about her. You get your life in order, and I’ll take care of that little twit.”

  They talked for a few more minutes before Nina hung up. She paced in the living room then moved to the kitchen and paced some more. She was furious with Jack, but at the same time, she knew Charlotte was right. He did what was best for all of them. She looked at her cell phone and decided to call him. She’d probably get his voicemail but it would be better than nothing.

  She dialed his number, and it did go straight to voicemail, which meant he had it turned off. Not a good sign, she admitted. He had to know she would try and call him. He didn’t want to talk to her. She left a message.

  “Jack, I’m sorry I hit you—the second time. I guess I can understand why you didn’t tell me. It hurt, though, and I had been so scared. And…anyway, I’m sorry.” She hung up and hoped he would listen to it without erasing it. She was scared to hope that he would still care about her. She had basically called him callous and a liar. What if he didn’t forgive her?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jack growled most of the way to Dallas to see Baxter. She’d hit him. She’d probably broken her hand. Still, he could understand why she would be so upset, but she needed to understand the position he had been in. He was responsible for keeping them all safe. He couldn’t have told her even if he wanted to. It wasn’t his call.

  Now she wouldn’t speak to him at all, he bet. He would be lucky to see her outside in the yard. How could he get her to forgive him? He would ask Baxter when he saw him.

  The hospital had called and told him that he was awake and off most of the machines now. He was still in ICU but would be moved in the next day or two if his tests were all good. Baxter was a big man and hard to kill. Jack had been sure he would pull through, and he had. Now all he needed to do was convince the big man to stay with him while he recouped and maybe take a job with him. They’d bonded during the episode.

  As soon as he made it to the ICU, he checked with the desk to see if he had missed visiting hours. They told him he had thirty minutes left if he wanted to go back. He didn’t bother answering, just walked back to the hand-wash station and lathered up.

  He found Baxter sitting up in a chair with a blanket over him. He looked better just because he was sitting up.

  “Hey man, you look like shit,” Jack told him when he walked in.

  “Yeah, well I feel better than I look,” Baxter said in a hoarse voice.

  “They tell you when you can get out of here?”

  “Should go to a room tomorrow. Said I have another four or five days in the hospital though.”

  “You getting to eat anything other than Jell-O?”

  “That and some broth. Nasty shit. How’s Nina doing?” Baxter asked.

  “Um, she seems to be doing fine.” Jack shifted, uncomfortable with talking about her.

  “What happened?”

  “They let her go like you said they would and…”

  “No. Between you and her. I can tell there’s a problem.”

  “You don’t need to worry with our problems. You need to get well and get out of this place.”

 
; “I want to know what in the hell you did to screw it up?” Baxter asked with a strained smile

  “I didn’t do anything. Not really.”

  He explained what had happened from the time they’d finished with the main processing until the minute he got on his bike and rode to Dallas.

  Baxter just shook his head. “Man, you’ve got your priorities screwed up, pal.”

  “What do you mean?” Jack asked.

  “You should have made sure to talk to her no matter what before you saw about me or anything else. She had just gone through a traumatic experience and basically two weeks of pure hell, and you didn’t bother to see her. Not smart, man.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I think I was a little unsure about where we stood.” Jack ran a hand over his bald head. It was stubbly. He needed to shave it again.

  “So, what are you going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know if she will even see me if I go over to her house.”

  “You go anyway,” Baxter said. “You go and you grovel and whatever else you have to do to get back in her good graces ’cause you’ve got one hell of a woman there.” Baxter coughed, and the nurse came in.

  “Visiting hour is up,” she told Jack.

  “And it’s time to get you back in the bed.”

  Jack reached out and shook Baxter’s hand.

  “Don’t forget you have a place to stay.”

  “I won’t.”

  Jack left and thought about what Baxter had said. He was right. He should have gotten in touch with her as soon as he was released and let her know he would be seeing her as soon as they let him leave. Then he should have called her every chance he had. He’d been living on adrenaline and hadn’t stopped to think about how she was feeling.

  Things were going to change in his life if he managed to get her to forgive him. He had someone else to think about, feelings to consider and life to work around. She meant more to him than anything. He would give up his bike for her. God, he hoped she wouldn’t ask him to, though, he thought with a laugh. Still, he needed to make sure she knew how important she was in his life. He wanted to be sure she understood that he had only done what he thought would keep her alive.