My Beautiful Neighbor (The Greene Family Book 1)

by Piper Rayne

  “You need to pick out books that fit these tastes or titles,” Jed says, sliding the beer bottles toward me.

  I set down the quesadilla and pick up the bottles, examining the labels. “Razzle Dazzle, Naked Digger, Limp Donkey, No Stout For You, and Melting Heart.”

  “Razzle Dazzle is new for the summer, and Melting Heart was our Valentine one.” Jed points at each. “So I thought you could use Razzle Dazzle for a summer read, Melting Heart for a romance book. For the other ones, I figure you can taste them and pair them as you think. I’m not much of a reader.” He shrugs.

  I chuckle and take a sip of Naked Digger before coughing. Though I’m not a beer person, it’s growing on me. “Okay, leave these with me tonight. This is a great idea.”

  “We can give out samples and package six-packs and the book for people to buy together,” Cade adds. “I’m thinking since you’ll have a lot of traffic at the store from browsers, we can keep most of it over here, but we’ll put up signs around your place advertising the sets.”

  Excitement builds inside me. “This is amazing. I love all the ideas.”

  “Great! As soon as you get me the books, I’ll get with our marketing people and make up the posters. Send me over your logo.” Jed heads into the back. I think this is making his year.

  “He’s happy,” I say.

  Cade hooks the toe of his boot under my chair and slides me closer to him. “Guess what?”

  “What?” I sip the stout beer, which is definitely not for me.

  “Only two days before you’re cleared for action.”

  “It’d be five minutes if you’d loosen up the reins. I’m clearly fine.”

  His hands slides up the hem of my shirt, running along my bare back, as he kisses me. He’s been big into making out and heavy petting. Last night we said we’d watch a movie and somehow our lips wouldn’t separate. When he went back to his house, I felt a longing I knew wasn’t good. My feelings for Cade are growing and soon heartbreak will be a consequence. I’ll have no one but myself to blame.

  I break the kiss because I have to get back to the store if I want to have all the displays up and ready, but I need to talk to him about my parents’ imminent arrival. “So, my mom is coming for the grand opening. Both my parents are. She knows nothing about us, so no worries, but she’s nosy and pushy and…”

  He kisses me again, this time without tongue. “It’s fine. Let’s remember you’ve been stuck with my family for a while.”

  I nod because he’s right. Although I never think of it as being stuck. I enjoy his family a lot. “It’s just a warning. If she catches a whiff of something between us, it might not be good.”

  “I can handle myself. I’m a big boy.”

  My hand slides between his legs. “You’re definitely a big boy.”

  He slides closer as though we’re not in front of the windows of the brewery and Jed isn’t just down the hall in the office.

  Damn, he’s so sexy and gorgeous and sweet. The total package.

  “I should go.” I unwind myself from him and grab the stuff we were working on, including the five open beers.

  “Okay. Want some help?” he asks, standing.

  “Nope. I’ve got it. See you later.”

  I walk out of the brewery and into my shop before I exhale a deep breath. Fix this, Presley. I cannot keep pretending that my feelings don’t exist.

  But I don’t want to be unhappy during my grand opening. This is supposed to be a fresh start where I’m on cloud nine, so I might as well live it up until then. After the grand opening and duo night, I’ll break my own heart and be honest with him. I promise.

  It’s finally the day we can have sex and I’ve been waiting for Cade all morning. Hell, I thought he’d be here at midnight, banging down my door with a bow on his dick. But it’s now ten o’clock in the morning and nothing.

  I open the curtain for the millionth time. His truck is in the driveway still, so he hasn’t gone to work. I planned to work from home today and not go into the store since I figured I’d be on my back or straddling Cade most of the day. He must have told Jed he wasn’t going in too—so why isn’t he over here?

  As I’m about to close the curtain, I see him come out of the house and walk toward his truck. Maybe he forgot to buy condoms and has to run to the store? He stops and I shut the curtain quickly, dodging away from the glass. Through a sliver of an opening, I see him look up at the apartment, but he doesn’t make any move to turn this way. He walks past his truck toward a path in the forest I’ve noticed but never dared to go through.

  Maybe he’s waiting on me? Making sure I’m still cool with this? He has been a gentleman our entire time together. So I grab my sweatshirt, slide on my boots, and walk out of the apartment to follow him.

  Every other truck is out of the driveway, so no one else is home. I follow the opening in the trees that Cade went through, careful not to step on too many branches. This path definitely hasn’t been used in some time or only by a limited number of people. I push away branches as I walk, but I still don’t see Cade and wonder if he ventured off the path.

  I should probably go back to my apartment and wait, but that’s not me. So I venture on, and soon I do spot Cade at the edge of a lake, squatting and staring out over the water.

  For a moment, I soak in the vision of him in the middle of this pristine piece of nature. Like so many other times, I’m struck by how beautiful of a man he is—both inside and out. He must be deep in thought to not have heard me approach, so I turn to head back, feeling now that I might be overstepping. Whatever this lake means to him, he obviously doesn’t want me involved.

  I take a step back and a branch cracks loudly under my foot. Cade turns to face me, no expression on his face. He returns his full attention to the lake and I decide to take that as an invitation that he’s okay having me here. Maybe he wants to open up. I know his mom’s birthday is coming up and it’s a big deal for the family. Maybe we’re going to bridge that gap from friends with benefits to something more.

  I wrap my arms around his stomach, pressing my cheek to his back. He stiffens for a second, but then relaxes and rests his hands over mine.

  “Are you okay?” I whisper.

  “Yeah, I was about to come up,” he says. “I just decided to clear my head for a second.”

  He swivels in my hold, and his knuckles run down my face as his gaze fixes to mine. I ruined whatever this moment was for him.

  “I can wait back at the apartment.”

  He shakes his head. “Don’t be silly. We’ve been waiting for this moment for too long to waste any more time.”

  He puts his arm around my shoulders, and we walk away from the lake. I wish he’d trust me enough to tell me what’s bothering him. Instead of barraging him with questions, I let us pretend we’re like two teenagers who’ve waited for their parents to be gone for the night so we can have sex. Maybe that’s what he needs right now. He takes my hand and leads me into my apartment, locking the door behind us.

  “I can’t wait to have you,” he says before he kisses me and urges me to step backward toward the bed.

  I thought this moment would be different. That I’d be hoisted up on some surface and my clothes would be torn off, but Cade surprises me by kissing me so slow and seductive that I’m unsure of exactly what is about to happen. His fingers float up my ribcage and wind around me, but he doesn’t unclasp my bra. Instead, he pulls me closer to him. His warm hands run a searing path up and down my back as his tongue glides with mine.

  I wind my arms around his neck and fist his hair. He’s a great kisser and this sensual, slow thing he’s got going on right now is driving me insane with want.

  He backs me up and I feel the mattress behind my legs. The kiss comes to an end and he moves just enough of his weight forward for me to fall back onto the mattress. I stare at him, his eyes filled with a smolder that stirs a hunger inside me. This is a very different Cade than I’ve been with before.

  He pulls off
his shirt, and our gazes meet until he crawls up the bed and I scoot back. Soon the delicious weight of his body is on me, and I close my eyes, taking in the heat and hardness of him. One of his thighs slides between mine and he grinds his hard length into my hip.

  Our mouths search out one another’s again and he wraps a hand around my neck as he nips and sucks my bottom lip. His lips travel down my jawline to my throat.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispers, his hands sliding under my shirt and lifting it while his lips caress my body, stirring awake all my nerves.

  My fingers thread through his hair, unable to not touch him in some way. He slides down my body, situating himself between my thighs, and this time when he reaches back, he unlatches my bra.

  With my help, we take off my shirt and bra, and he wastes no time in palming my breast while his lips clamp on to mine again. Our bodies slide together, unable to get close enough. All I want is to be naked and have our silky warm skin coast along the other’s. But that doesn’t seem to be in Cade’s playbook. Although I crave the release I know is coming, this is a welcome change.

  He rests his weight on his elbows and looks down at me. “How did we get so lucky?”

  I blink and my finger runs down his abs, hooking in the waistband of his jeans. “We don’t know how lucky we are just yet.”

  He smiles, but even I know that’s not what he meant. I wonder if it’s pre-sex talk. An obligatory statement to suggest we found the perfect friends with benefits situation. So I put my hand around his neck and tug him toward me, answering with a kiss.

  Rolling him onto his back, I kiss his collarbone, making my way down his chest. He scoots up on the bed and watches me with one arm resting on the headboard, his other hand running circles on my arm, looking sexy as fuck. I unbutton his pants, and I can’t help but glance at his magnetic eyes watching me with hunger. Sliding his pants down, I take his boxers too, leaving him naked on my bed.

  “Your turn,” he says. I shimmy out of my jeans, and right when my fingers dive into the sides of my panties, he holds up his finger and crawls toward me. “Allow me.”

  I’m not sure why I have shivers in the wake of his touch as my silk panties slide down my legs. Cade’s seen me naked and has taken off my panties plenty of times.

  He presses his lips right at the top of my pussy. “One of my favorite Presley things. But I have other plans today.” His arm swings around my waist and he pulls me down on the mattress.

  Resting on top of me, he nudges my thighs open with his knee. This is it. We’re finally going to have sex after weeks of missed opportunities.

  “Cade,” I say, causing him to stop placing open-mouthed kisses up my neck.

  He rests his weight on his palms and looks down at me. I say nothing because I’m not sure what to say now that he’s looking at me. This moment feels bigger than we are.

  He moves his thumb across my bottom lip. “I’ll be right back.”

  But this mood is too perfect, and I don’t want whatever this bubble we’ve found ourselves in today to pop, so I lock my legs around him. He looks at me, obviously puzzled.

  “I have an IUD and I’m clean.”

  He pauses as though he’s weighing the risks and rewards.

  “Please. I want to feel you,” I say.

  “I’m clean.” He nods and eases back into position.

  The tip of him pierces my opening and his mouth falls back down to mine. Slowly, he pushes inside me, and I open myself to take all of him. When he’s fully seated, he breaks our kiss to look at me. My fingernails dig into his shoulder blades and he slowly thrusts in and out of me.

  I lose all thoughts, lost in the moment of us together. Tender kisses, gentle caresses, pants, and moans in the haze of the late morning. His touch is featherlight. A slow tremble begins deep inside me, but I clench it back, not wanting to come yet. Not wanting this moment to end.

  He grunts from me clenching and his thrusts grow faster, more commanding. My body responds to everything he’s giving me. I feel as though I can’t get him close enough, so I bring his head down and smash my lips to his while my fingers claw at his skin, desperate to have him pull that pleasure from me.

  His demands from my body become too much for me to stave off my climax any longer, and I clench around him as my orgasm consumes me. My back arches off the bed and I cry his name. When I open my eyes again, Cade is staring at me in what I can only think is wonder. He pumps into me three times before he stills, his stomach jolting from the force of his own orgasm.

  He falls on me, not pulling out right away, and we both lie in my bed, our hands wandering over each other with touches of tranquility.

  Holy shit, I think we just made love. That’s definitely not something friends with benefits do, but I’m going to enjoy this moment a little longer before I deal with reality.

  The minute I pull out of Presley, I still.

  Her fingers thread through my hair with a sensual touch because I stupidly made love to her.

  “I’m going to clean up.” I climb out of bed and shut the bathroom door behind me.

  After I wipe off my dick, I stare at myself in the mirror. I couldn’t have fucked her on the counter? Doggie style over the love seat? Reverse cowgirl it? I had to do missionary and stare into her eyes the whole time. Her skin felt like silk. I close my eyes, remembering how good she felt under me.

  Don’t flip out. Be present. This isn’t anything. So what? You care for her. Of course the sex can be slow with longing looks and savored tastes. It’s all good.

  I walk out with a washcloth and sit on the edge of the bed, handing it to her. She puts it between her legs and disappears into the bathroom herself.

  Pulling on my pants, I stare out the window at the path toward the lake. She surprised me when she followed me, and something about her hugging me pulled me to bring her back here. But now I made the mistake of making this something she doesn’t want. Even if she thinks she does, she doesn’t understand my demons, my inability to really get close to anyone by opening myself up to get hurt.

  The bathroom door opens and her gaze falls to my jeans. She picks up her clothes and gets dressed without saying a word.

  I snag my shirt off the floor. “I should go.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She sits down on the bed.

  “We don’t have all the stuff for duo night, and I should, um… get that set for us.”

  “Yeah, sure. I understand.” She nods.

  “But this was nice, huh?”

  “Nice?” She looks annoyed.

  I stand and she doesn’t.

  Just be straight with her.

  “You know what I mean.” I smile and bend down, giving her a kiss. I allow myself to savor it, pressing my lips to hers until it’s creepy. Her hand is midair as if she was about to put it on my cheek, but I step back. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I look back at her on the bed and give her a small wave, opening the door and leaving. Once I’m on the other side of the door, I release a breath and jog down the steps, away from my demons.

  “What are you talking about? Presley’s gonna be here in ten minutes,” Jed says when I grab my keys.

  “I’ll be back before it’s over, but I have to go.”

  I’m not proud of my actions, but after that day with Presley, I bolted and haven’t looked back.

  “Don’t do this, Cade.” Jed grabs my shirt, but I shrug him off.

  “I told you I have to go. Grandma needs me.”

  I walk out the back door and run smack into Presley coming in, almost making her drop all her stuff.

  “Oh, hey,” she says, and her gaze goes right to the ground.

  Probably because I’ve given her the brush-off for the past three days—saying I had to take Rylan to the doctor, or that I was busy with work and errands. All lame, which meant I had to find a new place to hang out since Presley and I are neighbors at both work and home.

  “Sorry, Jed’s going to handle the mee
ting. I gotta run.” I touch her elbow and kiss her cheek. She turns her head at the last minute and our lips connect. There’s that spark that never seems to die, even when I’m being a total ass. Instead of sliding my tongue in as I normally would, I break the kiss and step back. “I’m sure one of you can catch me up on the plans.”

  “Is everything okay? We could reschedule.”

  I walk toward my truck, waving. “No. Don’t do that.”

  I climb into my truck, start the ignition, and pull out of the lot without looking back. I’m not sure I could handle seeing the disappointment in her eyes right now. Driving away from the brewery, I release a breath and slam my fist into the steering wheel. What the hell is wrong with me?

  Unsure where to go right now, I head to Lake Starlight, needing a different town where no one is watching my every move. After parking my truck, I enter a bar named Lucky’s and sit down at the bar. I ask for a whiskey. I think I’m maybe more than a few deep when Adam and Jed appear, each put an arm under mine, and walk me out of the bar.

  “You’re fucking lucky Liam from Smokin’ Guns knows Fisher so well. He called him to say his brother was drunk and Nate from Lucky’s was refusing to serve him anymore,” Jed says.

  All I really hear is blah, blah, blah. The guy loves to hear the sound of his own voice.

  “I’m fine.” I shrug out of their hold, but they both have me good and I get nowhere. A gurgling churns in my stomach and I’m pretty sure… yep. “I’m gonna be—”

  I throw up right beside a tree.

  “Oh look, the same as Savannah back in the day,” a man says to his red-haired wife as they walk by.

  “She looked prettier doing it.” The woman laughs and he bends to kiss her.

  “For sure.”

  She slaps him. “Seriously, Colton, how did we not learn from them?”

  They continue walking and I stare on at how happy they are—until another explosion of vomit races up my throat.

  A guy comes out of the bar and hands Jed a water.

  “I should make you suffer.” Jed opens the bottle and hands it to me.