HER BIG NEIGHBOR Read online

  Though I suppose it’s worth noting that with her extreme prejudice against men, some of those stories could be exaggerated. “What kind of food?”

  “Italian.”

  My stomach growls again. Italian honestly sounds amazing. Edward takes my hand, and just like he said, there’s practically an Italian feast set out in his dining room. “Oh my God.”

  “He outdid himself,” Edward mutters. “I’ll have to do something nice for him.”

  “Yes you will.”

  I sit down and dig in. Not only is it Italian food, it’s good Italian food. I go straight for the chicken alfredo, and I love it. It’s delicious and creamy, and we’re both so busy eating that I don’t think we say a word. Got to love carb-loading after a bout of heavy sex.

  By the time we’re finished, I’m stuffed with pasta and feeling more than a little sleepy. Edward’s offer to stay over is more and more appealing. “That was amazing. Your assistant deserves a raise.”

  Edward chuckles. “Don’t worry, he makes a very generous salary.”

  “Good.” Right now, something hits. This feels too good and too comfortable, and I’m selfish enough to keep it. “Edward?”

  He smiles at me, waiting.

  “Take me to bed.”

  15

  Edward

  I’m constantly surprised by simple things. I never thought that I would be so excited by something as little as spending the night with Julia. But seeing her in my robe, and then seeing her shed the robe and climb naked into my bed, is a sight that I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing.

  And Christ, her body. I’m addicted to it. Touching it. Making it mine. Tasting her. I like watching her blush when I tell her the things that I want to do to her. And I like watching as those things sink in and seeing her realize that she wants those things too. What I wouldn’t give to see that look on her face every day.

  She glances over her shoulder at me as she climbs up onto the bed, and it’s a look that’s pure sex. I don’t waste any time stripping off my pants and joining her, this time pulling the sheets and blankets up over us. I pull her against me so that her back rests against my chest and my cock fits perfectly in the groove of her ass. It’s hard, because of course it is. I’m going to have to get used to it, because I don’t think there’s going to be a time when she doesn’t turn me on.

  This position is also perfect if I decide I want to tease her clit. But after earlier, I think she might need a break, even if I’m tempted. She’s already drifting. “You’re so warm.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  She makes a little sound in the back of her throat. “It really is. I love being warm.”

  “I’ll warm you up as long as you like.” She giggles, a sleep-drunk sound that is adorable. Slipping my arm around her waist, I pull her more firmly against my body. She doesn’t realize what I’m actually saying, and that’s okay. She doesn’t need to. But I do mean it. I’ll warm her up for as long as she likes. For the rest of her life, if she’ll let me. Because I’m completely gone on Julia Palmer.

  She sighs. “Good night.”

  I kiss the skin just below her ear, loving the way she stretches to give me even more access to her. “Good night.” I wait until she’s fully drifted off before I whisper the words against her skin. “I think I am in love with you.”

  She’s warm against me, and I’m sleepy too. I’ve never been happier than in this moment, falling into sleep with Julia in my arms.

  It’s not my alarm that brings me to the surface. I’m not quite awake, but I’m surfacing, trying to figure out what it is that I’m feeling. I feel good, like I’ve woken up from a pleasurable dream and want to go back to it.

  The very next second I’m shocked awake by the distinct sensation of a tongue on my cock. Julia is here. She stayed the night with me, and the weight of her is pressed against my legs, hands wrapped around my hardening cock, mouth teasing the tip.

  My voice is raspy with sleep. “What are you doing?”

  She laughs softly. A perfect, breathy sound that fits in the early morning darkness. “I thought that would be obvious.”

  I’m about to tell her that she doesn’t need to, but suddenly her mouth is wrapped around my balls and all thoughts of stopping her go out the window. Holy shit. Julia works them with her mouth and tongue, sucking on one and then the other, varying her pressure so that I’m going a little bit mad.

  It’s a little nerve-racking having something so delicate near someone’s teeth. But it feels so impossibly good that I would never deny this. “Fucking hell, Julia.”

  Her voice is muffled. “You’re not the only one that likes tasting things.”

  I was already hard, but those words send blood flooding to my cock, and I can feel it stiffen further in her hand. “Hmm, I think you like it when I say things like that.”

  “You have no fucking idea.”

  Julia takes me into her mouth, and I can’t breathe. It’s a blend of perfect heat, suction, and rhythm. If her goal is to make me come quickly, it’s working. But God, I want to savor her mouth.

  I flip back the blanket so I can see her. Though once I do I realize that watching her suck me off is not going to help me last longer. Julia’s perfect form is curled over me. Her breasts are pressed together, and I catch glimpses of them as her head bobs up and down on my cock. What a perfect view.

  “That’s a picture I want to remember forever,” I say.

  She releases my cock from between her lips, stroking me for a moment. “You can take one if you want.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. Just know that if you send it to anyone, I will make sure that you pay for it.”

  I chuckle and grab my phone off the nightstand. “Noted.”

  Julia starts to suck my cock again and somehow I manage to take a clear picture—the hottest picture of my fucking life—in the middle of being overwhelmed by sensation. But that’s all I’m able to do because she’s so good at that. I drop the phone and my head falls back onto the pillows. She rolls her tongue around the head of my cock, and I swear that I can’t breathe.

  And then she moves, straightening herself out and rising on her knees so she can drive herself down onto me more fully. I hit the back of her throat, and she keeps going with ease like she’s done it a hundred times before. I’m never going to get tired of that feeling, so tight, squeezing me.

  Reaching down, I fist my hand in her hair. When she lets me guide her, I get a swell of satisfaction. That little taste of submission is heady, and I reach down with my other hand so that I’m fully in control of her head. She lets me. I pull her down more deeply, until she’s nearing the base before I let her breathe. Those green eyes of hers lock on mine when she heaves in air, and I make sure she’s ready before guiding her down again. Down and down and down until she’s full of me. I take just a second to grab my phone and snap another picture. I want to be able to see her mouth wrapped around me like that any time I want. I can already imagine staring at these images and taking myself in hand. Even if the sensation will never be comparable.

  Holding her head still, I push my hips upward, gently fucking her throat. Julia moans like I’m the one pleasuring her, and that brings me so close to the edge that I hiss out a breath. I’m so close, I’m fizzling with electricity running down my spine.

  I let her breathe one more time, and she looks at me. A smile on her face. She licks her lips, and I don’t have to guide her onto my cock. Julia swallows me in her throat, again and again, that rhythm driving me mad. I can’t take it anymore. I hold her head still, thrusting deep so her nose is pressed against the skin of my stomach. Hard and fast, I push into her throat, the little motions throwing me into freefall.

  Julia pulls back as I come, so I’m not in her throat anymore. She’s catching my cum, moaning as she swallows. Shit. My vision is white and my hips arch up into her mouth. The pleasure slices me open and renders me silent. I can’t breathe. Can’t think. And then it’s
gone, passing through me even as Julia still sucks me hard.

  God damn.

  “That’s a hell of a way to wake up.”

  She returns to my side, curling against me and pulling the blankets back over us. “I thought it might be.” She’s smug and she has every right to be. That was one hell of a blowjob. “Can I see the pictures?”

  “Sure.”

  I hand her my phone, and study her face as she opens the camera app. Pink tinges her face, but she doesn’t look disgusted or turned off. “What are you thinking?”

  She swallows. “I’m thinking that I look really hot doing that.”

  I laugh. “Yes, you do.”

  “And I’m also thinking that you’re huge and I’m not sure how I actually do that.”

  Swiping the phone away from her, I place it on the night stand before rolling over her just so I can feel her naked body beneath mine. “I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how you do it either, but my cock would like you to know that it very much appreciates it.”

  “Tell your cock it’s welcome to come in my mouth any time.”

  “You’re fucking amazing; you know that?”

  She blushes again. “Thanks.”

  “And for the record, I like waking up with you here, even if it’s not with my cock in your mouth. Which was an excellent surprise.”

  “It feels nice,” she says, laughing. “Both the waking up and your cock.”

  I brush my lips across her cheek. “I could easily return the favor.”

  “I think I’m still orgasmed out.”

  “I’m not sure there is such a thing.”

  Julia raises an eyebrow. “It’s definitely a thing. I need to be able to walk straight.”

  “Mmm, I don’t know,” I say. “I kind of like the idea of you walking funny. Just to make sure that everyone knows you’re being well fucked.”

  She laughs again, and I like the vibrations coming from her. I like seeing her smile so freely and openly. “No one needs to know but me, and believe me, you’re doing a good job.”

  “Good.”

  She glances over at the time. “I suppose we won’t do the window wave today.”

  “No, we have something better. We get to actually do a porch kiss.” I hesitate, because I know all of this started with wanting to not think about things, but I need to make sure that she’ll be okay. “Will you be all right? With your mom?”

  I have a suspicion about why she acted like that yesterday, but it’s complicated and it’s not my place to tell her. I hope that they work it out. Because as frustrated as Julia is right now, I know she loves her mom. They’ve been close until recently. And I don’t want to see her hurting. I wish I could explain everything.

  The protective instinct in me is rising. I want to protect my girl. Mine. But this is something that has to unfold on its own. Even so, I hate the way she deflates just at the thought of it.

  “I think so. I have to talk to her. It’s time we both dealt with some things, I think. She needs to be honest with me, and I need to be honest with her about what I want. And if that goes well at all, honest with her about you. Because I don’t like hiding.”

  “You know I’m here if you need anything.”

  “I do know that.”

  I kiss her forehead. “Good. Can I tempt you into the shower with me?”

  “If I get into the shower with you, we both know that you’re going to be late for work.”

  “Yes, but I am the boss.”

  Julia bites her lip. “That’s true. But you should go to work. I need to talk to my mom, and you haven’t mentioned when your brother is getting home.”

  “I’m not sure that my brother has seen the early side of seven a.m. in his life.”

  “Fair enough, but you should still go to work.”

  She tries to roll out from under me, and I stop her. “Not before I know when I’m seeing you again.”

  “We live next door to each other, I think that we’ll see each other soon enough.”

  “Julia.”

  Her face grows serious. “Whenever I can get away. Believe me when I say that I just want to stay all day in bed with you, and I’m a little terrified about what that means. So you need to go to work, and whenever I can slip away and see you I will, because—” She cuts her own words off and her face is caught in a blush.

  My heart nearly stops in my chest. “Because?”

  She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

  “I don’t think it’s nothing. And I think I know what you were going to say, so I’ll say it first.”

  “Edward—”

  “I’m in love with you.” I let the words hang in the air. “I am so in love with you. I know that it’s fast, and my head is spinning but it’s all I can think about.” I emphasize every word. “I am in love with you.”

  Tears fill Julia’s eyes, and suddenly she’s kissing me. “Yes. Yes. I’m in love with you too. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I know it. I realized it yesterday and the only thing in the world that I want to do is be with you.”

  I kiss her deeply, passionately. So hard and so thoroughly that she’ll never be able to forget this moment. “God, I don’t want to leave this bed.”

  “It’s a very good argument for why a person should never become a CEO.”

  I laugh, rolling us over so that she’s draped across my chest and we’re enclosed by the curtain of her hair. “I’ve never heard it put like that but that’s actually a good point.”

  “But you are a CEO, and even though I’m in love with you, I know that you love your job and I’m not going to be the reason your job suffers because you’re playing hooky for sex. There’s plenty of nighttime hours for sex.”

  I pretend to be offended. “How dare you. I could be playing hooky for plenty of things besides sex.”

  “Name one.”

  “I could take you out for the best breakfast imaginable.”

  Julia sticks out her tongue. “I’m still stuffed full of pasta thanks to you. I’m not even close to hungry.” She rolls to dive off the bed. I try to catch her, but I’m not successful. So I settle for watching her slip on that pair of black underwear that make her look sexy as hell. “This is a pretty good view, I have to say.”

  “Pervert.” But she’s smiling as she says it.

  I put on the robe that she borrowed last night and join her as she puts the rest of her clothes on and heads to my front door. As much as I don’t like the fact that she’s right, she is right. I can’t ignore the business. But I will be damned sure that she remains a priority as well. My father did a good job of that, and I’m going to follow his example. Never will I ever make Julia feel like she is not my entire focus. Because she deserves to be.

  We’re on the porch now, and she turns to me. Eyes wide. “How did this happen?”

  I know what she means. It feels like five minutes ago we were talking at the trashcans. And now I’m going to kiss her goodbye after one of the best nights of my life. It’s a crazy whirlwind and I wouldn’t trade it for everything. “I don’t know, but I’m glad that it did.” Softly, I kiss her before pulling away. “Text me about how it goes.”

  “I will.”

  I watch her all the way to her front door, and we wave. Not at the window, but this is so much better.

  16

  Julia

  I lean against the front door after I shut it. Holy crap. I feel like my entire world has just been turned upside down in the best way. I’m in love with Edward and he loves me too. It feels so real and so right that I don’t know how I contain it all. It’s going to be all that I can think about.

  But there’s something else that I have to deal with. The house is deadly silent. There are no sounds of my mom cleaning, which normally she would be by now. Is it possible that she’s still asleep?

  I head to the kitchen to make some coffee, and am startled by mom sitting at the kitchen table, head in her hands and coffee already in front of her. “Mom are you okay?”

  She g
roans. “My head is pounding.”

  I slide into the chair across from her. She looks like hell. “I’m not exactly surprised.”

  “Why not? What the hell happened?”

  The shock registers on my face, but I try to mask it quickly. “You don’t remember?”

  She shakes her head and winces. “No.”

  I swallow. “I went out to get us coffee. You called me to order a Frappuccino and you sounded a little strange. But I ran into a friend, so I took some time. When I came home you were drunk. I don’t know how much you’d had, but I’m guessing it was a lot. I put you to bed.”

  Mom takes a sip of the coffee. “Wow. I’m sorry about that.”

  “Care to tell me what made that happen?”

  She huffs a breath. “If I manage to remember, I’ll tell you.”

  “You have to have some kind of idea. You don’t just decide to get blackout drunk for no reason.”

  She shrugs. “Probably the stress. So much to do before Friday.”

  “What’s on Friday?”

  “Julia.” Mom looks at me as if I’m missing something. “The gala.”

  “What? I thought it was the next Friday.” I look over at the calendar on the refrigerator and see that I’m the one that’s in the wrong. The date that’s circled in fat red pen is this Friday and I’m just an idiot. “Holy shit we have so much to do!”

  “Agreed. But we can do it.”

  I want to bring up everything that happened last night. What she said to me and what I asked her. But the fact that she doesn’t remember and that the event is so much closer than I realized changes everything. If she doesn’t remember that she called me a whore, maybe she doesn’t remember seeing me with Edward or whatever set her off. But one thing is for sure, with this much to do, if she told me it was none of my business while she was blackout drunk, there’s no way that she’s going to talk to me when she’s sober and in the middle of what seems to be a very, very bad hangover. Shit.