Chapter Three – Lucy
In my exhaustion, I didn’t notice the man next door until I was already naked and jumped behind the curtain as soon as I did. I wanted to step away from the window completely, but some sick fascination made me stay there and watch him. He was staring at me, but there was a blonde woman on his bed that was clearly focused on him. She was beautiful and her body was stunning in the bright light from another part of the house. Why was he watching me?
I stared as he moved his hand between her legs, feeling my own body tingle as she dropped her head back. The window was closed, but I imagined the noises that she must have been making. He bent forward and then moved away from her, rolling to his back.
He looked like Max, but that wasn’t possible. He was just in my mind was all. Still, I watched as he said something to the woman and she crawled between his legs to take his huge cock into her mouth. He grabbed her hair and moved forward. I gasped. My experience with that was when Braden was drunk one night and tried to force me on him before passing out. I hated it, but this girl looked like she was eating a meal after starving for years. The way he gripped her straight hair and thrust inside of her mouth made me blush. I felt heat washing between my legs.
Arousal throbbed inside of me while I watched him hold her head and pump into her mouth. I knew how this was going to end. She seemed to move harder right along with him. She obviously wanted to taste him. I let my mouth drop open as he stilled before pulling away from her. The woman dropped back with a smile and I squeaked in surprise.
What was I missing?
He stroked himself, getting hard right away. I kept looking from behind my curtain. The woman watched him with a dreamy expression before she turned on her stomach, getting on her knees as he slipped a condom over himself. I was a virgin, but I knew the basics. I watched him finger her for a moment, moaning to myself in need.
He started to move inside of her within moments and I dropped to the floor with a sigh. I could still see him if I peered over the thick windowsill. I reached down between my legs to stroke my needy clit. When he slapped her ass, I slid a finger inside of myself and whimpered.
I imagined myself with Max as I watched the couple together, stroking myself until I came like every other time before. I’d been doing it for twelve years. I knew my body well and what made me tick: Max was always a go-to fantasy for me. This guy appeared to be pretty hot as well, so maybe he’d fit the bill for a while.
I recovered and made my way to the tiny bathroom to shower, careful to avoid standing in front of the window again. I’d have to make good use of the blinds from now on.
When I woke up in the morning, I started to work on the living room. I pulled on some leggings and a t-shirt and made some coffee before I looked over the scattered boxes with a sigh.
I thought back to the night before and heat washed over my skin. I needed to reel this in since I’d be living here for an undetermined amount of time. I didn’t need to mess things up for myself. Once the coffee was done, I took a large sip and started to stack the boxes against the wall based on their priority.
It was a perfect idea until I found one that I couldn’t budge. Mrs. Hastings had her grandson help me out when I moved in and he had clearly brought this in, but he wasn’t here now. The only neighbors I knew of were older women like her… or my neighbor. The neighbor I got myself off to last night as I watched him like a complete pervert.
I sat on the floor and willed it to move with my eyes. “Damn it.” I was the kind of girl that needed to have everything in its place. I walked into the bathroom to look in the mirror. I was a hot mess. I hadn’t been wearing much make up for the last few days. I pulled my hair back into a high ponytail and brushed my teeth. I splashed my face with cold water before I took a deep breath. I hoped that he was alone since I didn’t want to be any closer to a situation like the one I saw last night.
I considered asking Mrs. Hastings to ask her grandson or someone else, but they lived across town. It wasn’t worth it for one box if there was a perfectly good man next door who would more than likely be happy to help me. I could just pretend that I didn’t see him having sex and that I wasn’t naked in my room before that.
I took a big gulp of coffee before leaving the house, looking around at the pretty front yard that I was going to enjoy for a little while. It was peaceful and beautiful and the neighborhood was one of the best ones that I’d lived in. I looked to the house beside me, taking in the ranch style with the light blue paint. It looked like new. The house was in great shape, fitting in with the rest of the neighbourhood. I turned to go to the door. I lifted my hand up and knocked on the stained-glass window that ran across a part of the door near the top. I crossed my arms over my chest, blushing as I realized that I wasn’t wearing a bra.
The door opened and I went silent as I looked at the man that filled the doorway. It was Max. I felt my heart jump into my throat as I struggled to regain control of my emotions. “Good morning,” he greeted me, a knowing look in his eyes – but not one of complete recognition. Hopefully he just remembered me from a brief glimpse last night.
“Hi. I’m Lucinda Graves. I just moved into the apartment next door. The one above Mrs. Hastings house?” I queried as something flashed through his eyes and he nodded. I purposely gave him my full name and new last name I’d taken to avoid Braden. I smiled ruefully. “I had some help moving in, but today I am trying to get my living room in order and there’s a box that I can’t move to save my life.”
“Come on in. I’m making some breakfast if you’d like to join me for a bit. I can come over right after that, but the pan is hot.” He glanced back and then again at me as I swallowed the lump in my throat.
I’d locked my door so there was no reason not to stay for a minute. “Sure,” I replied as I walked in and glanced around. The house had the look of a man’s place with its sleek leather couches and large TV on the wall across from a stone mantel. I noted the children’s toys that were kept in a basket in the corner of the room, my eyes widening. Was Max married now? Was that his wife last night?
Holy shit.
I followed him and looked around casually as I took everything in. It seemed quiet and there wasn’t the sound of what I assumed to be a toddler, so maybe he was a part-time parent – divorced. “Sit down. I’ll get you some coffee. Do you like omelets?” Max asked. His voice reverberated through me, bringing back so many memories. If he remembered me, Max would remember how many of those I ate when I was a kid. I was in the clear.
“Yeah. They’re my favorite.” I looked around the bright kitchen and took a seat at the small table that was against the window overlooking the backyard. It was a cozy kitchen and I admired him as he took his place at the stove and stirred something in a bowl.
“It’s veggie and cheese,” he offered as he glanced at me. I nodded and thanked time for the changes that had been made to change my appearance. I wore contacts now in lieu of the thick glasses that I needed in high school and my hair was dyed the caramel color. I had light brown hair since birth and this jazzed things up a bit for me. Also, I lost some weight when I left Braden. The stress had been a lot and I was finally starting to relax. “So, you just moved in? Are you a relative of hers?”
“No. I hit a rough patch as of late and needed something cheap. I am saving up my money right now. Mrs. Hastings wasn’t originally looking for a tenant, but we have a mutual friend and the subject came up. She offered me the apartment and it was a perfect fit.”
“Are the financial problems severe?” He asked, interest in his eyes as he looked at me. I sipped the coffee that he gave me, finding it to be a great brew. I didn’t know what to say nor why he seemed to be so interested.
Once he brought me the plate and joined me at the table, the soft spot in my heart for Max scattered my thoughts. I thought of him being a dad and smiled softly. “I had a lab for a few years. I was working on making the world greener, but it burned down a few months ago. The insurance company is being a real pain in the ass and I needed a place to stay while I work part-time at a friend’s lab. I lived in an apartment on the property as well… I lost everything.”
“I’m so sorry.” Max offered as I shrugged. “I hope that it works out for you.”
“I’m sure it will,” I replied automatically, hearing something in his voice. I took another bite of the omelet, realizing that he cooked them as well as he used to, if not better.
Once we finished breakfast, I helped him with the dishes and we headed to my apartment so he could help me with the box. I was already feeling the connection between us, but I kept playing it off like we were meeting for the first time.