Not My Neighbor by Flora Ferrari

Chapter Three

Krystal

Blake Mason is huge.

Standing near him I feel tiny for the first time in my life.

Petite almost.

I can’t believe my dad was so offhand, only describing him as tall, dark, and handsome.

The man’s a freaking god.

He’s gentle with me though, and touching his hand is like a warm buzz that makes its way through every pleasure center in my body and brain.

I figure he must be eager to get home though. He even shoves some people out of the way as we head back to my dad’s car.

His hand on my back feels so good I hope he can’t hear my little mews and purrs as he moves us through the crowd.

I know someplace else he could put that hand to work...

Jeez! What the hell is wrong with me?

I’ve known Blake Mason for all of three minutes and now I’m some sort of deviant in my mind wherever he’s concerned.

I wonder if he has that effect on most girls.

Definitely. No doubt. I mean, look at the guy. A perfectly natural response given the situation.

He insists on paying for parking, which saves me a fair portion of my money but I wonder if my dad will ask him about it.

We reach my dad’s car, which I thought was a fairly big vehicle until Blake folds himself into the front passenger seat.

“It’s not too far,” I remark, noting his uneasy smile as he checks himself to make sure he’s buckled in.

“I do have to stop for—” I start to say, but not wanting him to think I’m angling for him to pay for gas as well as parking I stop myself.

Pulling out from the lot, I catch his eyes in the rearview.

He’s all attention, waiting for me to finish what I was gonna say.

“Stop where?” he asks, opening his expression wide like I might be taking us someplace exotic.

I wish.

“Just for gas is all,” I almost whisper, cringing in my seat as he gives a knowing look.

The ‘I got that too’ look that people who pay for everyone’s way must surely make.

I want to argue to the point, but figure I’ll just make sure I pay for it when I get it.

As if on cue the car sounds its warning that the gas tank is dangerously low.

“So, the magazine business?” I hear myself asking him, trying to change the subject but only cringing internally again.

My dad’s probably already told him that I studied design and majored in photography.

The last two months saw me start an internship at a small paper, right after college, but that was more like slave labor than an actual job.

I don’t want it to sound like I’m expecting any favors or a job offer just because he’s our neighbor.

I steal a glance over at Blake, who’s creased a smile and is nodding his head in silence.

Idiot! Too soon. Too soon.

“I guess your dad’s told you a lot about me, huh?” he asks in reply.

Not dismissing my question, but he seems to have a lot of his own too.

“Oh, not really. I’ve been away at college and an internship,” I reply.

“But I guess you two being neighbors, you would’ve talked plenty,” I add, feeling it sinking in that Blake is my newest neighbor too. Not just my dad’s.

“Neighbors?” Blake asks and then clears his throat, running his palms flat down his thighs as he shifts in his seat.

“I mean, yeah. We talk, but uh. Your dad, he kinda likes to keep to himself,” he says absently, looking away and out the window.

This gives me another chance to look him over, adjusting the mirror so I can see him better as I drive.

Dad’s pretty outgoing though. He’d talk the leg off a chair given half the chance.

Maybe Blake’s so busy he hardly ever sees him?

“That’s weird because dad’s away so much too.” I half-laugh. Accidentally snorting and flushing beet red which makes Blake smile.

“Weird?” he asks, again with the odd questions.

“Yeah. I mean, you’re back from London and he’s off to Houston for god knows how long. Its good timing is all, for your fish.” I muse aloud.

“Fish…” Blake says to himself, looking out the window for a second time.

The gas warning chimes again, so I use it as the perfect excuse to pull into the first gas station I see.

Blake’s already undoing his seatbelt before I even stop, heaving himself out of the car and making his way to the pump before I can even open my door.

I want to get out, to tell him I’ll pay. But the finest view of the man’s profile and ass is in my side mirror.

I only become aware of my mouth hanging open once I hear him closing the gas cap and shooting me a smile through the rear window.

It puts me off making sure I give him the money and before I know it, he’s making his way in to pay for the gas as well.

I’ll just give him the money. All of it. I can’t have him pay for stuff like this.

Plus, I have no idea what arrangements he made with my dad.

Watching Blake walk back to the car I can’t help but stare again. The way his whole body moves.

Each muscle flexing then relaxing in turn. The perfect machine that is the human body.

His body anyway. Mine? Not so much so.

“Here,” I tell him firmly, not even waiting until he’s back in the car before trying to thrust the money into his huge hand.

“I can’t have you paying for parking and gas,” I protest but he politely ignores the money. Choosing instead to work on folding himself back into the car before pulling the door shut with one finger.

I feel stupid holding the money out now than the idea of him paying.

Finally, he puts me out of my misery, closing his hand over mine and gently pushing it back towards me.

“It’s fine, Krystal. Really,” he says, that hand brushing my chest by accident and making me gasp loudly as his eyes narrow some.

A low sound from his body runs through me again until the car behind us honks breaking the moment.

He laughs to himself and I start the car, even squealing the tires as I take off, totally flustered.

“You’ve filled me up,” I remark, looking down at the gas gauge.

“Anytime,” he says in the deepest, sexiest voice I’ve ever heard, making me shiver again.

Before I look over at him again, I can feel his eyes boring into me, focusing on my chest then moving down my body.

Looking at someone in the car with you is no big deal, I mean we’re inches apart really.

But it’s the type of look he’s broadcasting. And not ashamed to show it.

I avoid his eyes for now because I need to focus on driving, but I feel my body squirm into my seat, trying not to make another weird noise as I feel something I’m sure I’ve never felt before inside me.

Something I know that’s directly linked to one Blake Mason. Our new neighbor.

Oh god. How is this gonna work? How is my life gonna continue with this man living only feet away from our house?

“So it’s just you and your dad?” Blake half asks, half tells me, breaking the slightly awkward silence.

I nod eagerly, shaking my head up and down as I watch the empty road ahead.

“Boyfriend?” he asks point-blank and I figure he means my dad, which makes me giggle.

There’s another long silence and I feel Blake’s eyes on me the whole time.

He’s waiting for an answer.

“I meant you, Krystal,” he finally says, trying to sound relaxed but there’s an edge to his question.

“Me? Oh god no.” I almost shout I say it so loud, laughing out of nerves more than anything else.

Blake seems to approve, relaxing as much as he can in the small space back into his seat.

I stop my chuckling though, suddenly wondering why he’d even ask, let alone look so smug once I tell him no.

I guess like most people he sees someone like me and just has to know he’s right in his own mind.

That there’s no way anyone could possibly be interested in someone like me.

“And you?” I ask with an accusing tone, feeling hurt by his question and wanting a little revenge.

“No,” he answers quickly and softly. “There’s nobody.”

I should feel glad, but it’s the way he says it that shifts my mood instantly.

“But, family?” I ask him, probing deeper only because I can’t believe someone as remarkable as Blake Mason is alone in this world.

Nobody. That title’s reserved for short, thicker girls who majored in photography.

“Nope. Just me,” he says again, shrugging and holding his hands’ palms up out in front of himself.

A second ago I thought he was having a dig at me for being single. But hearing Blake say he’s alone really hurts me more for some reason.

What chance do I have if the Blake Masons of this world can’t find anyone?

“It doesn’t mean I’m not available,” he says confidentially, leaning over so close to my ear I can feel the warmth of his breath. Getting another blast of his delicious spice and woodsy scent.

My mind goes blank for a second I almost forget how to drive. The sound of Blake shifting back to his side of the car brings me back around again.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Blake Mason was flirting with me.

But an older guy like him? A man with a god damned platinum credit card and a custom tailored suit?

I’m still not convinced and tell myself he’s jet lagged or that I’m just reading too much into things.

We drive in silence for a while, having had some time to mull things over he seems to want to start fresh.

“So, how are my fish?” he asks, catching me off guard really because I have no idea. Only that my dad said he was feeding them.

“Oh, fine,” I tell him too quickly, feeling his sidelong glance as he smiles to himself yet again.

I hope for my sake they are fine.

But I still can’t get over it.

Blake Mason. Our new neighbor.

Shit.