Neighbor Nik (Bad Boys We Love Book 1)

by Naomi Porter

  “Got it.” Suddenly I was nervous but did as Nik said. I tingled all over as my inner thighs pressed against his hips. My chest was to his back as I held onto him. I could melt into him. My heart fluttered as I inhaled his natural scent mixed with that freaking intoxicating cologne.

  This was a bad idea. Really bad. And I desperately needed to find out the name of his cologne so I could buy it.

  “You ready?”

  “As ready as I will ever be.”

  We were off, breezing down the street. The wind was warm but pleasant. I never felt so free in all my life. I held onto Nik, not too tightly, appreciating how his solid body felt against my chest. I could ride like this forever. Wherever Nik wanted to take me, I’d go just to have my hands on his taut stomach.

  He didn’t take the main road, which I found odd. We weaved in and out of neighborhoods, around a couple of parks. It took twenty minutes longer to get to Trader Joe’s, but I didn’t mind. I had nowhere else to be.

  At a stop sign, his large hand covered mine on his stomach. He kept it there and brushed his thumb over my skin. Neurons sparked inside me. As if I needed more stimulation beyond what the bike’s vibration was doing to my lady parts. I inhaled a deep calming breath, but it didn’t help.

  The second he let go, I missed his touch and pouted the remainder of the way to the store. Pathetic for sure. I blamed Nik for my reaction. We could’ve taken my car, then I wouldn’t know the feel of his body against mine. Or his thumb, stroking my hypersensitive skin.

  Nik turned off his bike. “How’d you like it?”

  “I liked it more than I thought I would.” I hopped off first and removed the helmet.

  “Yeah?” He grinned, showing his perfect white teeth. It turned me molten inside. Well, more molten. “I’m glad.” He attached our helmets to the bars.

  We entered the store, and within seconds, several women ogled Nik. I couldn’t blame them. This masterpiece dressed in well-loved jeans, a black T-shirt, and boots was like a Jackson Pollock abstract painting—loud, chaotic, edgy. This tall, muscular, handsome man also gave off a sinful vibe. He was a woman’s wet dream—my wet dream.

  Although other than his dirty, sarcastic mouth and loads of attitude, I hadn’t found anything genuinely immoral about him. I mean, here we were shopping for items to make his nana a lasagna. Talk about sweet.

  Nik grabbed a cart and I took the lead, figuring I knew where everything was in the store. He didn’t talk from behind me as I got what I needed. But I also had the distinct feeling he was watching me. The heat on my neck went straight down to my nether region.

  How could such a mundane experience have me so turned on? It was ridiculous.

  “Did you want me to make enough for you to have leftovers for you and your girlfriend?” I had two jars of organic marinara sauce in my hand. I looked over my shoulder when he didn’t reply. “Nik?”

  His lips were pressed thin, jaw ticking. “Make what you want.”

  “Okay. That doesn’t help at all. If your girl—”

  “Goddammit! Stop mentioning her.” He ran his fingers through his hair in an aggravated manner. “You know what, just get what you need.” He pulled out a fifty from his wallet and slapped it in my hand. “I’ll be out on my bike.”

  Shit. This boy had a short fuse.

  “Fine.” I took the cart and made my way to the meat section. This guy confused the living snot out of me.

  By the time I got everything on my list, I’d been in the store for fifteen minutes. It hadn’t taken me that long to gather the items I needed, but I wanted to give Nik time to cool down.

  Maybe he’d had a fight or something with his girlfriend. If so, I’d be lying if I said I felt terrible for mentioning her. I wasn’t one to get in between a man and his woman, not usually anyway. But I prayed he would dump her ass and ask me out.

  I could tell he was watching me as I took my time going out to where he parked. I liked having his eyes on me.

  “What took you so long?” He grabbed the canvas shopping bag and looked inside it. “This isn’t a lot. What were you doing in the store?”

  “What’s with the third degree? Just figured I’d give you time to cool down.” I snatched the helmet off the handlebar and put it on. “I’m sorry for pissing you off, okay?” I huffed a breath.

  I never liked apologizing, especially when I didn’t think I did anything wrong. I grew up hearing my mom apologize to my dad for everything and nothing at all. But for whatever reason, I felt the need to defuse Nik.

  He climbed onto his bike, and I got on next. We didn’t say anything else on the way back to his house, which only took ten minutes because he didn’t take the same route we came. It was for the better. I didn’t know if I could play nice right now.

  Back at his house, he left me alone while I rummaged through his kitchen cabinets. Surprisingly, he had a decent skillet and everything else I needed to make the lasagna.

  While I cooked the meat and got ready to assemble the ingredients, I wondered where he’d disappeared to. How was I to teach him how to make this dish if he wasn’t around?

  My first thought was he was on the phone, making up with his girlfriend. I hated her and didn’t even know her.

  While I mentally cursed his girlfriend, Nik appeared in the arched doorway. “Need me to do anything?”

  “I thought you wanted to learn how to make lasagna?”

  “Nah. Not really.”

  “Wow, okay. So you’re using me to make this for Nana Bea. Nice. Asshole.” I gritted my teeth, stirring the sauce.

  “You and your damn mouth. It’s going to get you into trouble. You should put it to better use.”

  I whipped my head toward him, finding he was behind me now. I sniffed something different. Something pungent.

  “Were you smoking weed?”

  “Needed to take the edge off.” His hands were on my hips, rubbing up and down. Butterflies took flight in my stomach. Not an everyday occurrence when a guy touched me. “Smells good in here.”

  He was a lot more chill than before, but he shouldn’t be touching me when he had a girlfriend, so I moved out of his grasp.

  “This takes fifty minutes to bake once in the oven.”

  “Do I make you nervous, Rita?” The amusement in his voice made me scowl. He was toying with me.

  “No.”

  “Liar.”

  “Whatever.” I didn’t look at him while I assembled the lasagna. But in my peripheral vision, I could see him smiling as he hovered close. Goose bumps spread across my skin.

  I gulped, trying to stay focused on my task, instead of wishing Nik would kiss me. Maybe rip my clothes off and have his way with me. I squeezed my thighs for going down that dangerous, delicious road.

  But it was wrong to wish such things. Granny would have a fit. So would Nik’s girlfriend.

  “So, where do you work?” I needed to get my mind on something else.

  “I’m a bouncer at a club.” He went to the fridge and took out a beer. “Want one?”

  “Sure. Thanks.” I could stand to take the edge off too. “I can see that. Put those muscles to good use, huh? Which club?” I smiled, spreading ricotta on the second layer of lasagna.

  “It’s near the beach.” He guzzled and so did I.

  I set the bottle on the counter and sprinkled mozzarella next. “Which beach? In Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Malibu? Or is it down south?”

  “You sure like to ask a lot of questions.”

  Why was he deflecting? “And you sure like to avoid talking about yourself.” I started the third layer.

  “Malibu.”

  “See, was that so hard? Which club?”

  Nik laughed and leaned against the counter, putting his bottle to his lips. “Club Rendezvous.”

  “Ooh, I’ve heard of it. A-list type of club. Haven’t been there.” I was just about finished assembling the lasagna. It smelled amazing.

  “Good. You don’t need to.”

  I furrowed
my brow. “Why not?”

  “It can get wild… dangerous even.”

  “Maybe I like wild and dangerous.”

  “I sensed that about you.” He set his bottle on the counter and wrapped those muscly arms around my waist.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I want to kiss you.”

  Oh God. I clenched down low. I turned to face him as hope bloomed in my chest. Maybe he broke up with his girlfriend. “But what about your—”

  His mouth crushed mine. It was everything. Pillowy lips moved over mine, nipping and sucking, kissing me for all he was worth. His tongue demanded entry. I opened the gate and he stormed in, probing and curling it with mine. Nik consumed me like a starved man. My knees almost buckled as a wave of desire exploded in my belly.

  “Shit, Rita. You taste better than I imagined.” His fingers gripped my head, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

  I can’t believe Nik imagined kissing me. Holy shit!

  Nik Tevez was better than I dreamed of. His kisses weren’t too soft or light, or too hard or messy; they were perfect in every way. Our tongues tangled and lashed against the other. I was beyond aroused now. If I didn’t stop this asap, we might cross the line and fall into bed… Not that I would mind discovering all I could about Nik. But I didn’t want just sex, I wanted so much more. Plus, this was wrong. Nik had a girlfriend.

  Speaking of Nik’s woman… I pushed him back. “What are you doing?” I gasped for air, covering my mouth with my trembling hand.

  “Kissing you. Couldn’t you tell?”

  “Don’t get smart. You have a girlfriend.”

  “The fuck I do! I don’t have girlfriends or relationships, Rita. I only said I did so you would stay the hell away from me. What good it did.”

  I was seeing Nik with a new pair of eyes. He didn’t have a girlfriend.

  “Then, who’s the woman you brought home after you got off of work?”

  He blinked as if surprised.

  Crap.

  He stepped toward me and I stepped away from him.

  “Were you spying on me, Rita?” His gravelly voice made me tremble inside. I hoped he couldn’t see me unraveling right before him.

  I backed up some more. I needed distance, a concrete iron wall between us. “Just answer the question.” The stabbing pain I felt in my heart was as if he had betrayed me, only God knew why. Nik didn’t owe me any explanation. He was a free man and could do whatever he wanted.

  He wasn’t mine.

  But I wanted him to be.

  “Just random women.” He shrugged as if no big deal. It may not have been to him, but it was a huge deal to me.

  “All four times was a different woman?” The thought tore me up inside. Nik with four different women in the last seven fucking days. Standing before me was a manwhore and it bothered me, when before Nik, I didn’t give a shit about such things. Live and let live and all that crap. But I couldn’t stop the way I felt in this moment.

  “You were spying. Why?” He stepped toward me. A wild look flashed in his eyes as he stalked toward me like I was his prey… his next meal. Girl number five. Five in seven days.

  “I need to leave.” Why did I care who he’d been with or how many? Probably because I liked Nik and the thought of him with four different women, fucking into the wee hours of the morning, made me sick.

  “What about the lasagna?” He proceeded toward me.

  I moved onto the other side of the breakfast table, keeping distance between us. My heart thudded against my ribs. I was so stupidly hurt and angry.

  “Cover it with aluminum foil and bake for fifty minutes. The oven is already preheated.”

  “You’re not leaving, Rita.” Damn him for saying it as fact.

  “I finished what I came here to do.” I eyed the side door, my escape. I knew he hadn’t closed the garage when we got back. I could run out the door and be at my house in thirty seconds.

  He stopped, blocking my escape. “You’re not leaving.”

  I gulped as he appeared feral and… determined. I squared my shoulders, ready for battle.

  “Why would I want you touching me after you’ve been with four other women? I’m not going to be just another notch on your bedpost.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I should have chosen to go to dinner with Julian instead of helping you.”

  Nik roared and flipped the small round table and it crashed on its side. I screamed, having nowhere to run. “That fucking mouth of yours!”

  It all happened so fast. Nik grabbed me and I was thrown over his shoulder, having the air knocked out of me.

  SLAP!

  I yelped, jerking in his arms as his hand made contact with my ass for a second time.

  SLAP!

  7

  Nik

  SLAP! I SPANKED Rita a second time. SLAP! And a third.

  “What the fuck are you doing? Put me down, you crazy asshole!” She beat on my back, but I didn’t stop. I was on a mission.

  Her. On my bed. Naked.

  SLAP! I spanked her again for getting mouthy with me.

  “I’ll press charges. Have you arrested.”

  I smirked at her weak threat and entered my bedroom. I tossed her on the bed and ripped off my shirt, literally shredding the motherfucker.

  Rita gaped. Her fucking mouth. I’d own it. Just like I’d own her pussy.

  “Like what you see, baby?”

  She blinked and shook her head. But she also didn’t move from the bed or run for my open bedroom door to escape me.

  I wouldn’t chase after her if she did. I’d let her go.

  But Rita wanted this. Wanted me, just as I wanted her.

  I chuckled, unbuckling my belt. “Liar.”

  “You hit me.”

  “I spanked you for getting mouthy with me.”

  “That makes it better?”

  “You mean to tell me you’re not wet for me?” My gaze dropped to her spread legs, zeroing in on her pussy. “I told you to put your mouth to good use.” I removed my biker boots while holding her heated gaze.

  “I’m not wet for you,” she whispered, biting her lower lip. Her hazel-green eyes were fully dilated.

  “Liar.” I dropped my jeans and stepped out of them. My cocky, confident self was on full display. Getting between a woman’s legs had never been so fucking hot.

  Rita stared, stunned by my shock-and-awe strategy. I’d never taken a woman and tossed her over my shoulder before. Much less broke my furniture. Most women just got on their knees or the bed on their own accord.

  But not Rita, who still hadn’t moved. I could tell she was at war with herself. Debating what she wanted to happen. Whether to run out the door and to the safety of her home or take her clothes off.

  What she should do was run. I knew it. She knew it.

  Yet she rested on her elbows, her pretty eyes locked on my crotch, my tented crotch. I had a monster hard-on with Rita’s name on it beneath my boxers. It felt spectacular to have while in her presence. More so, after being dead for days.

  To test her, I slowly stroked my cock and hissed because goddammit, I ached something fierce for Rita.

  She licked her lips, chest rising and falling like she’d run a marathon on a hundred-degree day.

  “Rita…” I growled her name to get her attention. Derek had been right, her name slid off my tongue like honey, and I was about to find out if she tasted just as sweet.

  She flitted her gaze up to mine. “Hmm?”

  “What do you want?” I was giving her the power to send me to blue-ball hell. I’d been fortunate to have never visited that evil place before, but there was a first time for everything.

  I’d been spoiled with more pussy at my disposal than I could ever plow through, working at Club R. I only took what was offered. I didn’t chase women. I didn’t flirt with them. I didn’t buy them dinner or send them flowers or talk to them like I’d done with Rita.

  I used them, plain and simple. Yeah, I was a fucker, a dickhead, a bastard.
Nana had encouraged me to talk to someone about my distrust of women. I didn’t need to talk to a fucking quack. I knew why I didn’t trust women.

  Women lied. They shattered your fucking heart and left you. So romance didn’t matter. Or it hadn’t mattered before Rita.

  “I…” Her mouth opened and closed.

  I stepped closer to the bed. My knees touched her sandals. She visibly shook, and my guess was she shook with arousal. “Yes, Rita. Tell me.”

  She swallowed and inhaled a deep breath.

  I was closer to having her, seconds away from being buried deep inside her.

  “No girlfriend?”

  It pissed me off how she was hung up on the girlfriend bullshit. I was to blame for it. Me and my big fucking mouth, trying to honor the promise I’d made Nana. She’s a good girl, Nik. Leave her alone. Promise me, she’d said in one breath. In her next, she’d said, I want you happy. Rita can make you happy, but first, you must treat her like she means the world to you.

  Treat her like she means the world to me.

  I’d promised Nana to stay away because why not? No woman would ever mean the world to me.

  The day I moved in and Rita came over to welcome me to the neighborhood, something changed in me. I couldn’t explain it. It was like she had imprinted on me like those fucking wolves in that vampire movie. All week I had tried to fuck her out of my mind at work and at home. But my goddamned cock wouldn’t get hard for any other woman.

  The ones I brought home? The ones Rita saw on the back of my bike? They’d given it their all, prancing around nude, playing with themselves, stroking and sucking on my limp dick. They did all the things that would generally turn me on. But nothing they had done affected me. It frustrated the hell out of me and even scared me. Like, was my dick broke or some shit?

  No, it wasn’t broken, because all I had to do was think of Rita’s fine ass, full lips, or sassy attitude and my cock would stand to attention and salute.

  After a week of torture, I needed relief and not by my own hand.

  “I already told you, I lied about the girlfriend.” I flattened my hands on the mattress and leaned toward her. “Do you want this? Do you want me?”

  “I do.”

  Thank fuck. I knew it.