Accidental Neighbor by Sharon Woods
Chapter 19
Thomas
I have spent the day with the girls cleaning the house, and I'm about to step out with them to get some food for tonight. I want to have some snacks for the movie or if we watch another episode of the show we started.
The house door creaks open. “Hello.” Moving to glance down the hall, I see my mother walking toward me.
My mouth curves into an unconscious smile. “Hi, Mom. What are you doing here? It's a lovely surprise.”
She comes closer and I hug her when she is within reach before I kiss her cheek.
“Nana,” Lily screams so high-pitched it nearly bursts my eardrums. She runs into Mom’s awaiting open arms. My mom’s mouth is curved into the biggest smile. As she lifts Lily into her arms, she squeezes her in a tight hug. Rose’s feet patter across the tiles and comes to hang off Mom’s leg, wanting a cuddle too. Mom gently lowers Lily to the floor and lifts Rose to hug her. “Nana,” Rose sings.
Mom finally addresses my question. “I just came to say hi to my favorite girls.”
“And not your favorite son?” I tease, my mouth curving in the corner.
“Of course you too.”
“I'm just teasing, Mom. The girls and I are happy you stopped by.”
She nods at the keys in my hand. “Where were you off to?”
“Just to the store to pick up a few snacks.” I begin to open my mouth to continue talking, but Lily cuts in. “Jen is coming to our house.” Fuck.
Mom peers up at me with amusement and her eyebrow perks. “And who is Jen?”
“Daddy’s friend,” Lily speaks.
“Just a friend. She works at the center Rose goes to and the girls love her.” I try to sound casual and that it's all about the girls. I really didn’t want to be having this conversation right now with Mom; it is way too early.
“And you? Are you dating her?” she asks.
My mouth drops open. “Mom, jeez… Just friends. You do realize men and women can be just friends?”
Feelings are starting, but I don’t want to confuse the girls after losing their mother. I need to protect my heart from further pain and heartbreak. And reminding myself that Jennifer is in a different phase of her life will prevent me from falling in love. Love isn’t in the cards for me. That chapter closed for me when I lost Victoria. I don’t think I can ever love anyone; the pain isn’t something I have entirely recovered from.
“I'm just checking. I don’t want my boy hurt. And you need to focus on my precious grandbabies.” She winks, still cradling Rose in her arms.
I shake my head. “It’s fine. You will know if I ever meet anyone.”
She beams at my answer. “How about you run to the shops, dear, and I’ll stay and play with the girls.”
“That would be great, thanks. I won’t be long.”
“Take your time.”
I swipe my wallet from the kitchen counter and kiss Lily and Rose. “Bye, girls. Have fun with Nana. I’ll be back soon.”
I wave and they wave back. “Bye.”
After shopping, I arrive back home carrying bags of food. I begin unpacking the bags and I start prepping dinner. I never mentioned to Jennifer a specific time to come over for dinner so I want to be prepared for the girls’ usual dinner time.
Mom is playing with the girls while I get ready for Jennifer’s arrival. She keeps giving me side-glances and sneaky grins. I roll my eyes, knowing she is excited to properly meet Jennifer. I promised she would be welcome to say hello, but I would prefer her not to stay. Mom agreed. She has to get home for dinner herself. I have showered and checked the house, my mind drifting to last week and how she managed to snap my restraint.
Her intoxicating kiss made me crazy. My mind burns with the memory of her sweet taste on my tongue and her moans as she comes undone. She has no idea of her beauty and just how addictive she is. If she didn’t leave and go when she did, I don’t know how far we would have gone. But I know if it was up to me, I would have stripped her bare and sank myself deep into her. My body shudders in pleasure as I cook at the stove.
“What time is she coming?” Mom’s question cuts through my daydream. Glancing over to her drawing with the girls, I check the time. It’s only five, and I wish the time would hurry up. I can’t focus.
“We didn’t arrange a set time.”
The knock at the door sets my heart racing. Both girls look up at my face and Lily squeals, “Jen’s here.”
Clapping, Rose says, “Jen.”
Lily drops her pencil and climbs down from the chair. She takes off into a sprint to the front door. My lips perk up and Mom stares at me with wide eyes, clearly surprised by the girls' reaction.
“Come on, you can say hi, but you're leaving at the same time,” I say firmly, reminding her of our agreement.
“Unfair.” But she steps to the counter and scoops up her handbag and throws it on her shoulder.
Rose bounces in her high chair, so I step over to her and unbuckle her from the chair. Carrying her on my hip, we amble to the door where Lily is patiently waiting. Lily can reach the front door handle but not the security door which is locked. I can see Lily talking to Jen through the door. My mouth twitches, thinking of what she could possibly be talking to her about. The closer I get to the door, the more my heartbeat increases and my palms start to sweat.
Reaching the door, I unlock it and push open the security door. She reaches out and holds it open. My breath hitches at the sight of her; she’s wearing tight, ripped gray jeans and a gray slouchy sweater that’s tucked into her jeans at the front. She has on tan boots and her hair is curled. The clear effort makes me grin.
Her shy little smile and sparkling eyes peer back at me, as I say, “Hi, Jen.”
“Hi, Tom,” Her gaze drops from mine down to Lily’s. Lily takes a sudden step into the open arms of Jennifer. Taking a few steps back, she struggles with the unexpected onslaught. The exchange sends warm tingles over my body. Rose begins to kick in my arms, and I know she wants a cuddle too. Heck, I want one too.
Mom elbows my rib, shoving me out the way, reminding me she is there, awaiting a formal introduction.
“Jen, this is my mom, Margaret. Mom, this is Jen.” I wave between them.
Jennifer tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and a smile forms on her face as she takes in my mom. Leaning forward, she offers my mom a handshake. “Hi, Margaret. It’s lovely to meet you.”
Surprise on her face, Mom says, “Come here, love. It’s wonderful to meet my son’s young friend.” Mom yanks her forward and hugs her, but her eyes are on me, surprise on her face.
I wince at the way she says ‘young friend’ in a mocking tone, reminding me of facts that I already know. I’m trying to remember our different paths every time she is around me. I just wish my heart followed my damn head. I hope Jennifer doesn’t notice. She hugs my mom back before they separate.
I cut in, “Thanks for coming, Mom. It was lovely to see you. Jen, you better come in; it’s a bit chilly outside.”
Mom’s face drops, and I hide my grin. There is no chance she is asking Jennifer a million questions tonight.
“Good idea.” She nods, and turning to my mom, she says, “It was nice to meet you.”
“You too, dear.” She takes a step toward me and kisses my cheek before walking to her car.
“Drive safe, Mom,” I call out.
“Will do.” She throws her hand in the air as she continues to walk.
“That’s my nana,” Lily begins to tell Jennifer.
“Oh, you’re a lucky girl.” Jennifer carries Lily into the house. I watch the sweet exchange unfold in front of my eyes.
“Jen, she is way too heavy for you; pop her down.”
“No, it's fine. She is light.”
I don’t believe her, but she walks on through. I listen to Lily continue the conversation. “Yeah, she wanted to stay but Daddy said no.” Jennifer peers back at me and I bite the inside of my cheek and quickly avert my gaze.
“Oh, did she? Maybe next time.” Her voice sounds like she is questioning me.
My stomach twists in knots. My mother will assume she is my girlfriend and it's just too quick. The thought makes me dizzy. I’m just taking one step at a time, enjoying my time with her.
After putting Rose on the ground near the toys, she begins to amuse herself.
“Would you like a glass of wine? Dinner won’t be much longer,” I ask.
“Oh, you cooked?” Her eyes widen and her brows shoot up.
A deep chuckle vibrates through my chest. “Um, yeah? I figured it was healthier for the girls. I have snacks for us for later.” Her eyes flash with a sudden darkness. Dirty mind. I tug at the collar of my black high-neck t-shirt, trying to get some much-needed air around my throat.
She doesn’t answer the snack comment. “I would love a glass of wine,” she says as she lowers Lily down and joins the girls.
Nodding, I swivel on my heel and grab the wine from the door of the fridge, then grab two glasses from the cupboard and fill them halfway. Wandering over to the girls, I hand over a glass of wine to Jennifer.
Smiling up at me, she says, “Thanks, Tom,” as she takes the glass from my hand.
I smile down at her before easing down onto the couch to watch the girls play, sneaking cheeky glances at her. Her face is lit up like a Christmas tree; genuine interest and happiness written across it. She sips her wine as she talks with the girls; both are infatuated with her and Lily asks her a billion questions about what she has been doing these last few days, to which she throws her head back and laughs. “Lily, my love, you are a very inquisitive soul.”
“What does that mean?”
I chuckle at Lily’s comment. The oven timer goes off so I excuse myself and mosey to the kitchen to serve dinner. I'm chopping the roast chicken when I feel the buzz of energy shift. Lifting my chin, my gaze lands on a pair of chocolates.
She stands at the other side of the island, clutching her wineglass. Once I look up, she asks, “Do you need a hand to set the table?”
“You're our guest. You relax and enjoy your wine and tell me about your day.”
“My day. Well, I wish it was more exciting now that you asked… I just went for a run, slept in, and watched Netflix. Nothing really.”
“That is still something. It's the weekend; you’re allowed to chill.”
“So, your mom came to visit. She seems nice.”
“Yeah, she just came unannounced; she missed the girls. It was great. I was able to leave them here so I could run to the store.”
“I could have gone.” Her voice stops when she notices my frozen stare.
Glaring down at her, I shake my head. “Guest, remember?”
She laughs at my authority. This cheeky fun side is refreshing, I always feel lighter when I’m around her, less empty and lonely.
“Okay, if I can’t help here, then I can go play with the girls until dinner is ready.” Spinning on her heel, she doesn’t wait for an answer before going back to the girls.
I finish plating dinner before serving them on the table. When it's all ready, we sit and enjoy the meal. The casual nature of us all talking, laughing sends heat radiating through my chest. It only intensifies when dinner is finished.
Jennifer and I put away the dishes together before bathing the girls and putting them down for bed. Jennifer puts Rose down in her crib while I put Lily to bed. The help tonight gets me choked up; it's easier with help. The girls don’t take long to fall asleep because of my mom wearing them out today.
As we step out of the opposite girl's room, we pause and stare. How is this beautiful young woman wanting to spend her Saturday night with me and my daughters? I feel undeserving but I push it to the side as she wanders closer and I follow her down the hall. When we are alone, my skin prickles and the heat inside my chest intensifies.
I need a drink stat to cool me down; my body is sitting at an uncomfortable temperature now.
“Would you like another glass of wine?” I whisper as I walk to the kitchen to grab some snacks.
“Mmm, that sounds great.”
“I will set up the other living room so we are more comfortable and don't wake the girls.” I wander into the other room and her light footsteps follow behind me. She takes a seat on the couch and I hand her the remotes after I flick them on.
“Scroll through and I'll be right back. I'll grab our drinks.”
“Thanks.” She points to the screen and begins scrolling.
Returning with a bag of chips and two glasses of wine, I hand over a glass before taking a seat beside her, giving her enough room but still sitting close to her. I feel like the tension from before is still there and my body is buzzing from having her near.
“What did you want to watch tonight?” I ask when I notice she hasn't chosen anything. “The show we watched the other night or a movie?”
“A movie sounds great.”
“I'll flick over the movie channels and let me know if anything stands out.”
It doesn't take long before she says, “Jurassic World. Let's settle on a movie we both would like, not too girly.”
“I have wanted to watch this,” I say honestly.
Pressing play on the television, we begin to watch the movie. She finishes her glass of wine a while after I finish mine. I have been grabbing cheeky glances every so often. But I want her close to me, to wrap my arms around her. I enjoy her sitting so close, yet she feels so far away.
Patting the couch, I ask, “Did you want to come closer?” My eyebrow rises in question.
A small smirk appears on her face before she bites her lip and nods, then she shuffles over to sit beside me. When she is close I grab her shoulder and lay her across my side so I can have her head in the crook of my arm, her head resting on my chest.
My heart is beating noisily under her ear, but she doesn’t comment.
My body also remembers her from the other night so it stands for attention. Because I don’t want to scare her too much, I readjust by shifting down a bit so it’s not poking her stomach. I'm sure she would have felt my desire for her, but she doesn’t utter a word. She sinks into my side, and I sigh. This feels so natural and comfortable, having her beside me, watching movies on a Saturday night.
The movie played for two hours, and we devoured the chips and drinks. I’m still not ready for Jennifer to leave yet. “Will you stay?” I say as I stroke her hair.
The question hangs in the still, quiet air. I swallow hard, waiting for her answer; it feels like forever. We haven't moved positions, but now that I asked that question, she sits up and swivels around to face me.
“I don’t know… the girls?” Her face scrunches.
I know what she means, but I can’t bring myself to stop and send her home. I want her too much.
Reaching out, I stroke my thumb over her cheek, cupping her face. I lean toward, as if drawn in like a magnet. Her eyes flutter and my eyelids become heavy as I tilt my head and whisper against her lips, “I want you to stay, please.”
The small movement in her head gives me the confirmation I was looking for. I reclaim her lips. The kiss is passionate and harder than our last kiss. My hands land on her head, guiding her in the direction I want her, and I claim her mouth with my tongue. After a few minutes of kissing we separate. Her eyes are closed and her swollen pink lips let out sexy little pants, making my dick twitch. I grab her hands and help her to stand. Turning off the TV with one hand, I then lead her back to my room. She follows with no hesitation.
Inside my bedroom, I close my bedroom door and spin her around. I return my lips to hers and she sags, giving herself freely to the passion of my kiss. I skim my hands down her sweater to the very edge at the bottom, and I pull my lips from hers to glance down at my hands. Lifting the sweater, I pull it up over her head. She has a simple white cami underneath that I remove in the same motion. Her breasts sit perky inside the cups of her bra. Her skin on her body is taut and flawless, so different from my scarred body. My hands slide across her silken skin on her stomach to her jeans, popping the button, and I hear her sharp intake of breath. I grasp the top of her jeans in one hand and tug the zipper down with the other. I skim my hands featherlike across the top of her pants, her skin shivers underneath my touch. I take the edges of her jeans and guide them over her plush little curves and down her legs to the floor. Her hourglass shape under her clothes is magnificent. My heart is hammering inside my chest at the sight of her standing before me in a red lace set.
Her hand reaches out to the bottom of my black t-shirt. I can feel the fresh air hit my skin, setting goosebumps alight across my body. Sucking in a breath, I hold it as she removes my t-shirt, knowing what she is staring at—my scars and tattoos. I don’t comment and neither does she as her hand moves to my gray pants. Her hands are shaky but she doesn't hesitate as she pops open the button and my black briefs come into vision. She pulls down the pants until they pool at my feet, and I kick them aside. We stand before each other, gazing into each other's eyes, her brown eyes filled with lust. Reaching out, I trace my finger across her plump bottom lip, and her mouth opens. I drop my hand and step closer, leaning down and peppering her with soft kisses. I hear her moan and it sets me off. I lay her down gently on the bed, climbing over her to shower her lips and neck in breathy kisses. Her chest arches so I reach around her back and remove her bra, letting my fingers brush her heated skin. My hands roam intimately over her breasts, and I trail kisses down her neck over her decolletage down to her nipple, my tongue caressing her sensitive swollen bud.
She moans and wriggles underneath my touch. My lips perk at the corner before moving across to the other nipple, giving it the same attention. Her skin is smooth and soft under my large hands. I lean off her, balancing on one elbow, watching her eyes peel slowly open. Her eyes are glassy and heavy.
If I think she looks magnificent now, I can't wait to have her completely.
Tracing my fingertips over her stomach, I slide my hand under her red panties, searching for her core. “You’re so wet.”
I run my finger up and down over her clit to her opening core. Her soft whimpers send thrills through my spine. My dick twitches, reminding me he wants attention. I pull my hand out and her soft groan makes me chuckle. “Soon, baby,” I grunt out.
I lift up and grab on either side of her panties and drag them down, tossing them to the side. Her core is shining with her slickness, and I need to feel her wrapped around me soon.
Peering up, I find her gaze following my every move, I grab my briefs and guide them down my thighs, freeing my cock. Her eyes bulge and her swallow is hard. I chuckle. “You know how to make a man feel good. I will take it slow and make you feel good,” I whisper.
“Okay.” She lets out a shaky breath. Reaching over to my bedside table, I pull open the drawer, feeling my way for my condoms. I finally find one and I make a mental note to buy some more.
Leaning over her and taking her lips into a short, sweet kiss, I line up at her soaking, hot entrance. I push forward and let the tip slip in. Her eyes slam shut and her mouth forms an O. Pushing further, it’s like a vise, she is so tight. I let out a grunt and wait for her walls to adjust to my size before I push completely in, filling her to the brim. It feels like home; she welcomes me into her body and I watch her come undone in front of my heavily hooded eyes. She comes hard after a few strokes. Feeling her walls tighten even further, my body surrenders to the sensations. I collapse beside her, and she drapes half her body over me and snuggles in. It’s bliss having her tiny hands on my abs, her head lying in the crook of my arm and chest, her leg thrown over mine. I run my hands through her hair, relaxing her, feeling her breathing slow and steady. We lie like that until sleep takes over.