“Okay,” I seethe through clenched teeth, “that is it!” I walk to the open front door only a few feet from mine and peer inside for the rude new neighbor who thought this would be the ideal time to move in.
However, all I see are a graveyard of boxes, lined up like tombstones across the living room.
“Hello?” I call in, straining my tired eyes as I search for a human face. Of course, I don’t see anyone. I don’t hear anyone either.
I know I shouldn’t do it, but I step inside. With the same open concept design as my side of the building, I can see there’s no one on the main floor. I take the stairs to the upper level and am shocked when I don’t see anyone in the bedrooms either. Just boxes. So many boxes.
“Can I help you?” I startle at the deep, serious voice cutting through the silence.
I turn and my voice catches in my throat as my eyes travel over a tall, sexy man frowning at me. I can’t help but notice the colorful sleeves of tattoos blazed over his arms or how his skin-tight tank top licks the ridges of his abs.
I clear my throat and somehow find my tongue, not to mention my temper, “Yes, I suppose you can. Who are you?” I throw my hand on my hip indignantly jutting my chin out at the stranger.
“Who am I? You’re the one breaking into my house, who are you?” He levels me with his mahogany eyes.
The man makes a good point.
“Well, the only reason I came in here was to tell you to keep it down. Do you have any idea what time it is? Who moves into a new place first thing in the morning?” I snap back at him.
“People who have a lot of unpacking to do if they want their place put together by night,” his voice rumbles like an earthquake. We get a lot of those in California. Yet, they never make me as wet as his deep baritone is now.
“Well, that’s pretty inconsiderate you know. Not to mention a shitty way to introduce yourself to the neighbors.” He shakes his head at me and laughs. The anger that was starting to shrink down inside me flares back up.
“You’re kidding, right?” He smirks. I’d be more pissed if he didn’t look so damned sexy with that half-cocked smile on his scruffy face.
“I most certainly am not!”
“You came over here, in your nightie and slippers, broke into my house actually,” he shakes his head in disbelief, “to lecture me on making a bad first impression on the neighbors? You don’t see the irony in that?”
Well, I didn’t.
I open my mouth to answer, but another voice cuts me off.
“Hey, man, you just took off on me. You taking a break or what?” A toned man who doesn’t look any older than the first comes around the corner. “Whoa, who’s she?” He jerks his thumb at me.
My heart pounds in my chest as I struggle not to drool over all this man candy. My God, as if Mr. Tall, Dark and Tattooed wasn’t making it hard enough to concentrate. Now I’ve got to try to form coherent sentences with his friend Mr. Yoga Body with the blond, shaggy hair and clean cut jaw that’s so sharp it looks like it could cut diamonds.
For a moment, the sight of them overwhelms me in the best possible way. I realize my famous temper has almost been as dampened as my underwear with my desire.
Under different circumstances, meeting these two guys could bring on some amazing opportunities.
“I’m Mackenzie,” I answer the blond guy’s question. “And I don’t appreciate being woken up with all the noise, for one. For two, you’ve blocked in my car with your truck.”
“So, let me get this straight,” the dark-haired guy responds, “you’re pissed that it’s early and we woke you up?”
“Right,” I nod curtly.
“But you’re also pissed that you can’t get your car out, you know, when you were sleeping,” his dark eyes twinkle as he wordlessly calls checkmate on my complaints.
I puff back up, ready to give him another earful, but his friend holds up his hands.
“Yo, don’t be a dick. Sorry Mackenzie, we weren’t being very thoughtful. I’m Luke,” he holds out his hand and I shake it, his eyes are so blue, I can almost hear the crashing waves of the ocean as I gaze into them.
“And never mind this grump,” Luke tilts his head toward the dark-haired man still brooding in the doorway, “Jake’s a writer, so he’s not actually that good with people. He writes them pretty good, but talking to them when they’re all living and breathing and shit, that’s not his strong suit.” He smiles easily and I can’t help but smile back.
“Yeah? Well for someone who’s so talented at meeting people, it’s too bad none of them will give you a real job,” Jake shoots back and rolls his eyes.
“Dude, you know that’s a dagger right here, right?” He taps his long fingers over his heart and I chuckle. “My jewelry is my job, man. Anyway, stop being so mean.”
“Whatever,” Jake answers, then his eyes hold mine in another stare down. “I’ll tell you what, let’s make a deal, we’ll try to be quieter and move our truck out of your way and you try not to make a habit of breaking and entering. Sound fair?” He folds his tattooed arms over his broad chest and I can’t help but lick my lips.
“Fine,” I can feel my nipples form into little peaks against my nightie. I’m sure this thin robe is doing nothing to hide the fact. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to sleep. I was up late last night bartending and I’m exhausted,” I try to be snippy but my temper is like a solar flare. It burns hot and bright in a flash and then it’s over. Still, I try to keep my head held high as I brush past the two hard-bodied men and make my way down their stairs. I throw my red hair, fiery like maple leaves in autumn over my shoulder and make my grand exit.
Seconds later, I’m in my side of the duplex and close the door behind me. I lean back on it and breathe deeply as the images of those perfect men replay themselves in my mind.
I need a shower. But I know there’s no scrubbing these dirty thoughts from my mind.
Chapter 2 - Mackenzie
The warm water cascades over my skin as I tilt my head back toward the shower head. I feel my long, curly hair grow from my elbow down to my waist as the weight of the water pulls out the bounce.
There was no point in going back to bed. Not when I’m all worked up like this. I reach for my bodywash and squeeze a little puddle of the ivory liquid onto my washcloth before working up a lather of bubbles. The soap leaves a trail of shimmer on my skin as I drag the cloth down my arms and across my breasts.
With my eyes closed, I picture my new neighbors in here with me. Jake, the dark and brooding one is washing my breasts while, in my mind, Luke, the blond one is kissing a path down my neck.
Mmmm.
I let my fingers slide between my closely shaved lips and find my clit as I let the fantasy unfold. The two of them are so tall, so powerful, they could do anything they wanted to me. The thought gets my heart racing as I imagine twice the hands on my body. Twice the tongues licking and savoring every inch of me. Twice the cocks filling me.
“Ohhh,” I slap my palm against the tile wall of the shower as my orgasm shudders through me quickly.
Damn, I guess I was even more worked up than I thought. I didn’t even need to grab my waterproof rabbit vibrator to help me finish the job.
I smile as my muscles finally unwind and my tension eases in the glow of my bliss. It might have been annoying to wake up the way I did today, but my annoyance has washed down the drain with my vanilla scented bodywash.
After all, what’s a little annoyance for an orgasm like that? I figure we’re even.
Chapter 3 - MacKenzie
I raise my hands over my head and twist into a long stretch as I open my eyes. The guys next door made good on their word to keep things down and I managed to get caught up on some sleep with a catnap.
Finally feeling rested, I happily hop out of bed and grab my phone. I’m shocked when it tells me it’s after eight in the evening. I must have been more tired that I realized.
That’s the thing about working nights, they
leave you like some kind of modern vampire, permanently unable to deal with daylight hours.
And the thing with working in a bar, even a classy whiskey bar like I do, is that on your days off, the last place you want to go is out to clubs or pubs. No, tonight is all mine and I’m going to enjoy every second of it curled up on the couch with my Kindle. Maybe later I’ll catch up on some of the shows I’ve been missing with a huge, buttery bowl of popcorn. But right now, all I want to do is get lost in a nice, light read.
I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and gasp at the state of my red locks. More like red fireball, damn it, this is why I don’t go to bed with wet hair! I frown at myself in the mirror, thinking about how long it’s going to take to fix this mess.
I run my hands under the tap and smooth them over my wild hair until it’s completely damp, but manageable. I’ll grab my spray conditioner in a second, but first I brush my teeth.
No sooner than I spit into the sink do I hear a blast of music from my neighbors. Oh well, I shrug in the mirror. If they’re going to be loud, this is the time of day I don’t care. Unlike seven in the morning, when I can’t function.
I smile as my mind replays my introduction to Jake and Luke this morning. I know I shouldn’t have been so angry, but sometimes it’s just impossible to contain this temper inside. My mother had it. Her mother had it. There’s a long line of Irish in these veins. Maybe that’s why I’m such a natural at the whiskey bar.
“MacKenzie!” I tilt my head as my name interrupts my thoughts. Peeping out the bathroom window down at my front lawn, I slump my shoulders over and sigh.
“No,” I moan. “Not him. Not now.”
I cringe as Chris stands on the small patch of green shared by me and the new neighbors holding an 80’s style boombox overhead and yells out my name again.
Fuck.
Here’s the other downside to working my job, without fail, you get some sad, clingy patron who is utterly convinced that you’re somehow the one for him.
Chris is harmless, but he’s a pest. A persistent one at that. The first time he walked into my bar with his group of friends, I felt sorry for him. He was out of place with the strong, sexy men who surrounded him. Like an adult child, I could easily picture him at home playing with his still-in-the-package collector’s item comic book toys. The very grown and very hot guys he showed up with couldn’t be less like him. Where he looked like he might still watch Sesame Street, they looked like Leonardo DiCaprio and his friends from the Wolf of Wall Street.
“MacKenzie!” He cries out again, ripping me back to the scene unfolding below.
I sigh and rush downstairs, flinging my front door open with anger for the second time today.
“Chris, what the fuck are you doing? Do you think you’re in an 80’s movie? Put that thing down and get out of here,” I point at the boombox he holds over his head.
“Oh, so you do know this guy,” my head jerks over to Jake’s smug voice and smile.
Standing in their own front entryway, Jake and Luke are enjoying the theatrics that Chris is humiliating me with.
I refuse to look at their tall frames. I can’t meet their stares. In each of their hands is a beer that they sip nonchalantly while this moment drags on.
“Yeah, he’s a regular at my bar,” I snip back.
“MacKenzie,” Chris interrupts, “I know you’ve told me there’s no chance for us, but I need you to listen to this song and look into my eyes and tell me you still don’t feel the same way,” the pale, slight waif of a man cuts in. He’s been frequenting my bar three nights a week since I made the mistake of taking pity on him and flirting with him, harmlessly I might add – just to make him feel like less of a loser that night. That’s a mistake I’ll never make again.
“Chris, go home. Seriously, go home right now or I’m turning on the sprinklers again,” I glare at him.
“Again?” Jake muses. “And we’re the annoying neighbors, huh? Who’s interrupting lives with noise and, well whatever the hell this is,” he holds up his palm at Chris, “now?”
My cheeks burn up and I turn away from Jake. I refuse to get into this with him, especially because he’s right.
Chris lowers the boombox to his shoulder and presses play. I didn’t think this moment could get worse, but as “Song” fills my ears, I know that I was wrong. So wrong.
“Dude, I’m cringing so hard right now,” Luke calls out as Chris raises the relic from the 80’s over his head and stares me down.
The cheesy lyrics pour from the low-quality speakers and I shake my head.
“Do you want us to take care of him?” Luke’s deep voice draws my gaze back to him.
“Possibly,” I consider the offer.
The guys both stand up taller and I reconsider. “No, don’t hurt him. He’s harmless, annoying, but harmless,” I raise my hands to stop them.
“We won’t hurt your boyfriend,” Jake smiles.
“He’s not my boyfriend. Not in this lifetime or any other.” I snap loudly and a look of pain flinches across Chris’s face.
“Hey man, turn that off, will ya?” Luke calls out.
“Not until the song is over,” Chris answers, literally standing his ground.
“Dude, it might not sound like it, but that song is done. Shut it off, man.”
For a second Chris stays still. The only thing moving is his eyes darting between me and the guys. Then, he listens and clicks the stop button, lowering the stereo to the ground.
“Good man,” Jake smiles. “Listen, I think you must be confused or something because MacKenzie is already taken, bud. She doesn’t have time for this stuff.” He leaves his front door step and walks over to me.
“Taken? By you?” Chris tries to process the idea slowly as Jake stands beside me and slings his arm over my shoulder. His beer dangles from his hand and wafts up to my nose.
“By just me? Nah,” Jake nods at Luke, who also joins us on my step and throws his free hand around my waist.
A shiver runs through me as I’m flanked by these two sexy guys. If only.
“Yah, man, she’s got her hands full.” Luke agrees.
“Not just her hands, if you catch my drift,” Jake adds.
I’d be embarrassed by his suggestion if I didn’t sorta wish it were true.
Betrayal for a relationship that never existed flashes in Chris’s eyes. “Oh,” he finally utters.
“Yeah, she’s got, like twenty inches of cock between us, right MacKenzie?” Luke spells it out. “There’s no room for more.”
“Well, probably more like nineteen, right?” Jake interrupts. “You’re packing more like nine, if we’re honest,” he teases his friend.
“Dude, really?” Luke answers.
I can’t help but smile. On the lawn, Chris picks up his boombox and slowly retreats to his car like a lost puppy as the guys hold me between them.
Finally, after one more mournful look over his shoulder, he gets in his car and drives away and the guys break out into laughter.
“There, I think we solved your issue for you,” Jake grins down at me.
“Thanks,” I can’t help but smile back.
“So, is this what you always wear?” Luke asks and I swirl my head over to him checking me out in my short nightie.
Heat blooms over my cheeks as I realize that I’m still half naked between them. “No, I went back to bed. Ugh, this whole day has been a total shit show.” I shake my head.
“Well then, let’s brush that off and start again. How about you come over for some drinks? I think we earned a do-over, don’t you?” Jake levels me with his intense gaze.
“I think so,” I agree. “Just let me get changed, I’ll be right over.”
“Aww, I like this look,” Luke still slowly devours my body with his hungry eyes. I feel my nipples harden as they both stare at me.
“I’ll only be a minute,” I force myself to pull away from them and go back inside.
Damn they’re hot. I need to hurry, I don’t
want to miss a second of this night.
Chapter 4 - MacKenzie
Taking the stairs two at a time, I race to the top and quickly make my way to my bedroom closet. I know there’s no big hurry, but I’d like to get changed as fast as I can so I still have a little time to put on some lip gloss and eyeliner before I tackle my crazy mane.
Sch-wip, sch-wip! I slide the hangers across the bar and eye up my outfits. I decide on a flirty, short skirt and a form fitting tee. It isn’t long before I slip into a matching bra and thong and layer my choice of clothes for the night over top.
My feet fit snugly in my ballerina flats and I stop by my full-length mirror to take a peek at the completed ensemble. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
My eyes travel over my body slowly, like Luke’s did earlier and a tiny shiver runs through me with delight.
I remember, when I could never imagine any guy looking at me like that. When I was in junior high and had a face full of hormonal acne and a mouth full of braces, I never imagined I’d ever be anything but ugly. The fact that my mother insisted I perm my short hair into tight, poodle-like curls didn’t help things either.
Now, my hair is more work, but I love how it flows over my shoulders and down my back like a trail of hot lava.
It doesn’t take that long to tame my casual curls into submission. Then with a swipe of lip gloss and some quick work with my eyeliner, I’m ready to go.
I check the time on my way back downstairs, it only took me twenty minutes. Not bad.
Making my way to the dining room, I linger in front of my liquor cabinet as I decide what to bring over. You don’t work for years at a classy bar and not learn a thing or two about booze.
I pluck a bottle of Monkey Shoulder from my collection of amber bottles of aged whiskeys and head out.
Rapping my knuckles against my new neighbors’ door, I tilt my head and listen as I hear someone walking toward the door. It sweeps open and reveals Luke with a grin on his face.
“Well, well, looking good. And you brought a welcome gift too, nice.” He lifts the bottle from my hand. “Come in, make yourself at home,” he moves from the door and I cautiously walk inside as if I didn’t just barge in here only hours ago.
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