Lust Thy Neighbor (20 page)

"Don't get it." He kissed the small of her back then gave her ass a hard smack. "Leave it."

She sighed beneath him then tensed. "Wait! What time is it?"

He squinted at the digital clock on her nightstand. "Nine-thirty, why?"

"Oh, shit! Beckett mentioned that he might come this weekend." She fumbled for the phone and he rolled off of her to stare up at the whirling ceiling fan. "Hello?"

He half-listened to her quick conversation, but he felt disappointment set in when he heard words like ‘now’, ‘soon’, and ‘getting dressed’. When she hung up, she turned toward him, the look in her big blue eyes apologetic. "He's on his way isn't he?" he groaned.

"I totally forgot."

He released a breath. "Don't tell me. He's coming in like ten minutes."

Beck occasionally made the trip to see Violet and Declan usually kept out of their way, knowing that the two friends would settle into their routine of updating each other about their lives and eventually talk about men or bring up old inside jokes. Violet seemed to appreciate that he got along with her friend, and Declan was only too eager to make her happy. But Beck also had a very irritating habit of popping up relatively unannounced—usually on weekend mornings when Declan liked to spend time lounging in bed with Violet.

"Five. He’ll be here in five minutes,” she said in a small voice.

"You're killing me, woman."

She giggled. "Sorry. I'll make it up to you."

He heard the doorbell echo from downstairs. Holy hell, that was the shortest five minutes of his entire life. "Was he in the driveway when he called?"

She rolled quickly off the bed, grabbing up her robe and tying it in a loopy knot. He heard her run down the steps and open the door, greeting Beckett excitedly. Scooping up his tee shirt and jeans, he dressed quickly, knowing that it would be obvious he just rolled out of bed. Running his fingers through his messy hair, he went down the stairs, and saw the two friends embracing.

"You have great timing, man,” he told Beck, who winced, then grinned.

“Sorry, neighbor,” Beck drawled. It was more than obvious that he had interrupted a moment and Declan swore he looked way too happy about it. "You two would've stayed in bed all day. I know all about it. Violet tells me all the dirty details."

Her blue eyes widened, and she turned to Beck, her arms crossed over her chest. "He's kidding. Beck, tell him you’re kidding."

But Declan smiled, rolled his eyes, and snatched her up into his arms, uncaring that her best friend was watching them with a big ass grin on his face. "Doesn't matter. I like that you brag about me." Smirking, he gave her butt a playful squeeze and she gasped. "Don't get into trouble with this guy. Save that for later."

Predictably, she dropped her gaze to the floor. "We're just having lunch.”

Declan held out a hand to Beckett, a smile in place. "Good to see you again."

"You too, neighbor."

"See you two later." Declan closed the door behind him and he heard Beckett's low mumble and Violet's giggling answer. There was no doubt why she was giddy and Declan grinned, feeling like he was on top of the world.

*

"O
h, to be a fly on your wall at night." Beckett stretched his long frame out on the love seat, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand.

“Sounds like you already are. What were you doing, telling him that I talk about my sex life?"

He gave her a sardonic look. "You do. And if I have to hear one more time about how Mr. Neighbor has such a talented mouth, or he does things to you that you didn't know existed, or how the damn gates of heaven open up with choir music in the background, I swear I’m going to scream." He could barely finish the statement without laughing. “Lucky bitch.”

"Oh, whatever. You love it." Violet wiggled her arched brows at him. "If I didn’t tell you what happened, you’d probably set up cameras in my house.”

"Probably." Beck tipped his mug back, making a face when a few drops landed on the front of his button down. "That guy is like a walking shot of testosterone, Vi."

She took a drink of her own coffee and grinned. "He makes me happy."

"I'm happy for you." They quieted for a few moments, each just absorbing the moment of being in each other’s company.

"Beckett?"

"Yeah?"

She turned and faced her longtime friend. "Sometimes I feel like what he does leaves me in the dust."

Beck squinted across the living room at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean." She paused and took a breath. Yes, she'd told him about the wonderful way Declan had made her feel in bed, but contrary to the impression that Beckett gave Declan, she hadn't actually given any details of her sex life. "He knows what he's doing.”

Beck through his head back and laughed, a gleam in his green eyes. "I'll say he does."

"No, I mean he really knows what he's doing."

"And what? You don't? A man doesn't get that look Declan was wearing if you weren't making him happy too."

She paused. "What look?"

"Violet,” Beck said softly, "That man looks at you like he wants to devour you. And I've seen him do it more than once. He's so crazy about your skinny ass, even I’m jealous."

"Really?" As embarrassing as it was to admit, there were times she still wondered how she got so lucky with a man like Declan.

He reached out and held her hand in his. "Really, beautiful. And I see it in you, too. You're so gone over this man."

Leave it to Beck to call it exactly what it was.

D
eclan toed off his boots, stripped off his shirt and pants, and slipped into Violet’s bed.

She stirred, yawned, and then rolled over to face him. "Declan?"

His left eyebrow shot up. "You expecting someone else to crawl into bed with you?"

She smiled sleepily and snuggled into his open arms. Her silky skin teased his senses and he pressed his nose to her shoulder and inhaled deeply. "I was waiting for you."

“Waiting?”

“Always.”

They had settled into an odd rhythm of sleeping habits. Declan would sneak over around midnight on school nights and on the weekends he went over to her house early in the morning. He always grinned at her bad mood whenever he woke her up late at night but she never complained when they were finished. When they didn't have sex, sometimes Declan would go over to her place just to feel her warmth against him during the night.

They'd been dating for several weeks now, spending most of their free time together. Declan took her out on weekends, but mostly they hung out at home. They were usually over at his house, watching a movie or just lying on the couch.

Jacob seemed to have warmed up to the idea of his brother dating his teacher. The first month had been awkward—a bit of a transitioning period. He walked in on them one night making out on the couch. She had been over watching television with them and when Jacob announced that he was going upstairs to bed, Declan had pulled her close and turned down the lights.

After a bit of laughter and frantic, wandering hands, she stretched out on top of him. When the light over the stairs suddenly flicked on, he had almost dumped her right onto the floor in surprise. Jacob had gotten thirsty and came downstairs for a glass of juice. With a lot of red faces and stammering on behalf of her and Jacob, they fumbled through the awkward situation and got past it.

They spent the weekend after Thanksgiving helping Jacob practice his history speech. Violet had pulled him aside and helped him refine it until it flowed better, and on Monday, Jacob came home exuberant, having received an A for his hard work. Something had shifted then, and suddenly, when Jacob caught Declan giving her a quick kiss, he no longer cringed.

"I didn't want to sleep without you." Declan told her now, moving in close to her, his hands sneaking under her flimsy tank top to cup her breasts. "Actually, I
can't
seem to sleep without you these days."

"Hmm." She flipped back over on her side and wiggled against him. "Did you come over to get laid or to get some sleep?"

He kissed the nape of her neck. "I came for you."

"Slick." She glanced over her shoulder, tugging her lower lip between her teeth. "And possibly, a little dirty."

He laughed. He loved her dry sense of humor, her quirky nature the perfect foil for his less-than-serious repertoire of jokes. He crept his hand from her breast, skimming it over the curve of her hip. "So ... can we?"

"What?" She opened her eyes. "Did you need something?"

"Making me work for it, Miss Kelly?" In a few perfectly executed motions, he pulled her on top of him and settled his hands around her tiny waist. For a long pause, he stared up at her—at her parted lips and her hair tumbling around her shoulders—and when he spoke, his voice was an octave lower. “I need you.” 

She wiggled around on his lap. “How do you want me?”

Unblinking, he reached for her, his fingers tracing her cheek, the curve of her delicate brow, the baby hairs at her temple. “Like this.” He arched his back, bent his knees, and wrapped his arms around her. Her body cradled his perfectly, her soft curves cushioning his hardness. His hands caressed her tiny waist, the slender arch of her spine, and his favorite spot—the delicate curve where her lower back met her ass where he knew there were two little dimples. “Just like this,” he groaned as she crashed into him.

He was losing himself and he knew it. And he was scared shitless. He felt her body tremble uncontrollably, felt goosebumps form on her delicate skin. He felt his own body do the same.

It must have surprised her because once she caught her breath, she whispered against his neck, “Are you okay?”

He pulled her down on him and rolled her on her back before thrusting slowly back into her warm body. He looked into her eyes and saw that look he'd grown to love. Love. He brushed aside her hair and kissed her softly, worshiping her with his body. "Fuck, I love you," he said.

Her eyes widened. "I—"

He hurried to calm her. "I know we said we'd keep things casual. But this—” He slowly slid into her body again and groaned when her nails found his back, raking a hot path down his spine. “—doesn't feel casual at all. I don't know what's happened.” He shook his head. "But I've fallen in love with you."

She smiled, and he was alarmed to find tears in her eyes. "You have?"

He nodded, suddenly fearing her reaction. He'd never in his life told a girlfriend that he loved her. "Is that okay?"

She bobbed her head. "Yes.” She tightened herself around his cock and wrenched a loud moan out of him. “I've been falling in love with you for a while now."

His smile almost split his face in two. "Really?"

"Ever since our first night together."

"Took you that long, huh?"

She reached up to kiss him. "Can we make love now?"

It was the first time they had labeled it as that. They were always careful not to use that term when talking about sex, but it wasn't just sex anymore.

He positioned himself on top of her, his fingers seeking hers and holding them tight. He took her slow, until they were both trembling and on the precipice of something incredible and mind-shattering. And when she tightened up in her release and he climaxed moments later, he held her close until they could finally breathe again.

*

"T
his is serious, you know?"

They were tangled together under her comforter, not that she was cold. Declan radiated plenty of heat. "I know."

"Good." He hugged her closer, one of his strong legs wrapping around her upper thigh from beneath the covers. "I don't know what the future will bring for me and you, but I'm not going into this with an end date in mind, know what I mean?"

She understood. This is what her mom was talking about. Declan the conqueror. He expected all of her because he was willing to give her the same of him. "Yes."

"No games."

She shook her head and kissed him softly, sharing the same air. It was an intimacy that she had never before experienced. "No games."

"Honesty?"

"Yes." She kissed him again, lingering on his bottom lip, nibbling it and tasting him.

"And lots of sex?" He smirked.

The seriousness of the moment was gone and she laughed, swinging her thigh over his lap and sat on top of him, trapping his reemerging erection between them. "We can work something out."

His eyes darkened with desire. "Sounds like a match made in heaven.”

She laughed and sat up but felt his surprise when she turned her back to him.

"Didn’t you tell me before you took horseback riding lessons when you were younger?”

Her chest rocked with laughter, and though she couldn't see him, she felt him joined in, his laughter low. He sat up slightly and she gasped when his fingers touched her nipples, teasing her into a mass of jumbled nerves.

“I wanted to but my mother was terrified the horse would bite my hand off.” She looked over her shoulder and saw his face split into a wide grin that slowly melted to desire when she positioned herself over his erection. "Looks like I got you instead,” she added breathlessly.

He bucked his hips, urging her to go faster. "I'm going to make you think the wait was worth it."

*

D
eclan closed the door behind him as quietly as he could. When he glanced up the stairs, he was met with the amused face of his brother.

"Just coming home?" Jacob raised a questioning brow.

"Uh, yeah."

"Why do you keep sneaking around?" His brother crossed his arms over his chest and lifted an eyebrow. "It's not like I don't know you two sleep together. I'm fourteen, not stupid."

Declan laughed and took off his shoes by the door. "Never thought you were, kid."

"Then why do you always slink out of here? The stairs squeak, by the way. You might want to fix those if you keep on using them after midnight." To make his point, he jogged down the stairs and went into the kitchen.

"I'll keep that in mind,” Declan said, following his brother.

"How long have you been dating her now?"

"A few months" He flipped on the coffee maker and waited for it to sputter to life. "It wouldn't be too weird for you? If I asked her to stay here sometime?"