“Never!” I scream, my heart beating out of my chest. I run for dear life, knowing he’s super close behind me.

“Take it back or I’m gonna spank that ass until you’re begging me to stop.” He also sounds out of breath.

I run the rest of the way up the beach to his house and take the stairs two at a time. Go, go, go, I chant, making it to the deck and throwing open the sliding glass door. “I saw it! Can’t be mad at me!” I partially yell, partially laugh, making my way through the ginormous kitchen when his arm reaches out and snatches me. I’m over his shoulder and his free hand kneads my ass cheek. I scream at the top of my lungs, giggling. I’m in big trouble, and don’t know whether to be nervous or thrilled.

“Take it back. Or I’m gonna push you down to your knees and shove my cock in your mouth until you do.” Jesus, give me something worth being afraid of. I squirm in his hold.

“Guess you’re gonna have to get me on my knees,” I say, and he chuckles.

He flips me back, placing my feet back on the ground. “Down you go.” His eyes are daring. Mine are challenging. A few seconds pass, then I’m getting on my knees. My pussy clenches at the way his eyes become dark. He’s already hard as a rock. His hand disappears into his board shorts and he pulls out his dick. “Open that sweet mouth of yours,” he says, his voice dark. God, I’m gonna come just by the way he’s talking to me. Gone is the playfulness, and in its place is the man in charge.

I do as I’m told. He takes a step closer and puts the tip of his dick on my bottom lip. I’ve never been so excited for anything in my life and fight not to touch myself. I stick out my tongue and lick his tip. He groans, pushing farther into my mouth.

“Be a good girl and suck me,” he demands, bringing a hand behind my head and pushing me into him. I’m so turned on. Hot with need. I open wide and work him into my mouth. His hips stroke in and out and with each drag of my tongue he moans. He’s so big, I do my best to loosen my throat. I want to take as much of him as I can. I lift my hand and cup his balls, massaging them while my other hand wraps around, squeezing his tight ass.

“Fuck,” he groans louder, pulling at my hair. He works his hips faster, causing a few gagging close calls on my end. I work him hard and fast, sucking deep on his tip and stroking his shaft. “Fuck, babe,” he moans, using both hands to force my head forward and back. I’m bobbing, sucking, fucking his dick with my mouth. I’m wet as hell, dying for my own release. His cock swells even more, his balls tighten in my hold, and without pulling away, he comes down my throat.

Once I suck him clean, he pulls out, tucking himself back in his pants. “Now, if you take it back, I’ll eat your pussy until you come all over my tongue.”

“I take it back. I didn’t see a grey hair,” I say without a second thought.

* * *

I throw my tank top over my head and shimmy into my shorts. “Hey, I’m gonna run home and get some fresh clothes,” I yell to Trevor, who’s still in the shower.

“No, wear something of mine.”

I chuckle. “No, I need real underwear.”

“Don’t you fucking dare put underwear on. I’ll just rip them off you.” And goddammit, he will. I’m down to three pairs since he’s demolished every other. I’m almost to the point where I’m gonna have to start sewing the threads back together and re-wear them.

“I promise I won’t be long.” I know he doesn’t want me to leave. He’s made that known. Aside from the meetings he’s had to adhere to three times a week, we’ve been together. It’s been a solid month of complete madness. Awesome madness. And it's not just the bomb ass sex. That alone is worth never leaving his side. But Trevor Blackstone is amazing. He’s kind, funny, attentive. From the times I’ve seen him talk with his son, he’s a great dad. I actually got to meet Darlene, and minus knowing their history, she’s a hoot. There’s still that platonic love for each other, even though Trevor always acts extremely annoyed with her. Kiki is great too. Closer to my age, so we have a lot in common, minus the large fake boobs and professional dancing skills. But there have been times when Trevor’s had to run off to handle work stuff, leaving Kiki and I to swap music recommendations.

Every day I spend with Trevor, I fall a little bit harder. It's kinda hard not to. He’s a great guy who thinks life revolves around me. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy that? He says things. Coded words. If I sat down and dissected them, they would probably have some big meaning behind them. But he never pushes, and I don’t want to guess that it means something it doesn’t. At any moment, he could take back all the free lunchmeat in my fridge and decide never to talk to me again.

But I’m a smart girl.

I know whatever is going on between us is real. Growing. A bit confusing, because I don’t think I’ve ever felt so deeply for someone in my life. Well, aside from my parents and grandparents. But after thinking long and hard about it, I think I am. I’m that four-letter word, in love. The flutters twirl in my belly at how insane that sounds. He’s close to twenty years older than me. Is age a factor? To be honest, no. But should it be? I won’t lie, it worries me. What if he gets bored? What if someone more his age comes around and woos him? Someone more mature? Because I’m seriously lacking a lot of that in my life.

I also have to factor in that I’m only here a few more weeks. Once the summer’s over, I have to sell the house. It’s gonna kill me to see Gran’s place be demolished, but without that money, I’m dead broke. Well, I’ll still be dead broke. What I’ll make will barely cover the first and second mortgages and back taxes she wasn’t paying, but hopefully it should be enough for a plane ticket back home and a ride to the government office to register for food stamps.

The point is, I leave soon.

Unless he asks me to stay.

Come on, Lucy. He’s not going to ask.

That pessimistic side of me agrees. I’ve thrown out some hints about the summer ending and Trevor shuts them down every time. He gets agitated and changes topics. He blames his change in mood on work. But I’m not sure what to believe.

“I have something I want to show you, so don’t take too long. Then again, I’m aching to find a reason to take my palm to that sweet ass of yours.” I smile and wiggle my butt at him. I flash him my tits for good measure, and I’m on my way. I’m already trying to picture my pile of clean clothes so I know what to grab and head right back. My fingers wrap around the doorknob just as it opens, pushing me back.

“Whoa!” I catch myself as a man walks in, acting like he owns the place. “Excuse me, can I help you?”

He stares down at me, giving me the creeps. “Can you help me? The question is who the fuck are you?”

Dude, what a prick! “I’m Lucy, the neighbor, and you?”

His smile fills his features, but it’s nothing like Trevor’s. His is cold. Cruel, almost. “Ahhh, the neighbor. I assume you’re the cause of his distraction.”

“Distraction?”

“Trevor’s a smart man. A busy man. He’s needed. He doesn’t have time to be playing around with a little poor, stubborn girl just to close on a house faster.”

His insult cuts deep, just like he wanted. I wish I didn’t show how it affected me, but his evil smirk tells me he knows it did. “He's not...you don’t know anything about me…or us,” I snarl back at him.

“I don’t? You aren’t the golden ticket to him tearing down that piece of shit, eye-sore next door? I commend my friend for getting in your pants to trick you into selling sooner. Our business needs his full attention, though. Do us all a favor. Sell the goddamn house already and go back to your playground, wherever that is. He’s too old to play games with you.”

He brushes off his suitcoat, as if I’ve dirtied it. “Oh, do tell me you know about the contract? The one he carries around, waiting for the right time to force it on you?” He starts to laugh. “He was right when he said you were a dumb little nitwit.”

“I don’t believe you. He wouldn't say that.”

“Not my problem. Just do us both a favor and sign so you can get out of his hair.” He doesn’t give me another second of his time. He walks out of the house and into his fancy car.

I stand there, stone still as he pulls away. He’s lying. Trevor feels something for me. If I were just a conquest to get that contract signed, I’d know it. Wouldn't I?

Oh God. Has this all been a farce? I recall the first time he came to my door, demanding I sign the new contract, but he never asked again. Was it because he had a plan? Was this his plan?

I feel sick to my stomach. Is that what he was going to show me? I turn, heading back to his room. I’m quiet in hopes he doesn’t realize I’ve returned. I go into his closet and sift through his coat jackets. Which one did he have on? Dammit, they all look the same. I start feeling at the pockets until I hit pay dirt. Digging into the coat pocket, I pull out a folded paper. No. My heart plummets. It’s the new contract. Everything is complete, save for the date and my signature.

Whoever that man was, he was telling the truth. My assumptions tell me I just met his jerk off business partner.

Fuck me. And fuck him.

How stupid can I be? I wipe a tear off my cheek and shove the paperwork back in his pocket. I leave Trevor’s and make my way back to Gran’s. I storm into the house, but stop in my tracks. When I look around, I don’t see just my Gran’s house anymore. I see memories of him. Images of the past month he’s made so wonderful for me. Us on the couch, him touching me so gently, as if I would break in his arms, to images of him losing complete control and pushing me so far into oblivion with his mouth, his hands, his words, it threatened to shatter in a million glorious pieces.

But it was all a sham.

And I’m the dumb girl who fell for it.

I rip my eyes away from anything reminding me of him and hurry down the hallway. “Maybe he’s right. I am just a dimwit. Falling for someone who was too good to be true. God!” I yell, wanting to throw myself on the bed and cry for being so naïve. But that bed is another reminder of the bad choices I make.

I can’t stay here anymore. “I’m sorry, Gran, I can’t do this anymore.” I swipe at my soaked cheeks and grab a few things while I order an Uber. I’m in such a hurry, I forget to grab the letter Gran gave me. On the car ride, I deplete the remainder of my savings for a plane ticket home.