Vanessa

After my yoga class, I drive home, in desperate need of a shower. I’m a sweaty mess, but it was great class. I feel much more relaxed than I did last night, but I admit that after the shower I took after leaving Axel’s house, I fell right asleep. Three hours didn’t do me any good, though. With my 4:00 a.m. shift at the midnight diner, I can use at least ten cups of coffee right now. No joke.

Before I pull into my driveway, I notice how much of a mess his front yard is. There are beer cans and glass bottles everywhere, paper and debris all over the grass. A tipped over keg by the porch. It is ridiculous.

I roll my eyes as I step out of the car, going for the back door to take out my gym bag. As I walk to my house, I hear a door creak across the street. I look over and Axel’s screen door is swinging open.

Out he walks with no shirt on, revealing his flat, hard stomach, sculpted abs, and broad chest. There is a light trace of stubble on his chin and jawline and I admit, it looks delicious on him.

He walks to his black Mustang and wrenches the door open, bending down to pick something up inside of it. I unlock my house door as he stands tall again with a pack of cigarettes in hand. He notices me as soon as his eyes swing over, and a cocky, stupid smirk tugs at his lips.

“How did you sleep last night, firecracker?” he asks with laughter in his deep voice.

I flip him off before walking into the house and shutting the door. I head for the kitchen first, opening the freezer and taking out a bottle of my strawberry and lemon infused water. As I chug a few sips down, there’s a knock on the door.

I know it’s him. Coming to harass me, like always.

I pull the door open and he doesn’t wait for me to speak. Instead, he walks right past me, looking around the living room as if he’s never seen my place before. He does this often. Walks in, acts like he owns the place. Pretends he needs something like sugar or peanut butter or even ice. I know for a fact he has a new fridge with an icemaker. I saw the delivery guys move it in over a month ago.

“What the hell do you want, Axel?” I ask, leaving the door wide open and folding my arms.

“I need some jelly. Making toast. Got any strawberry?” He flashes a lopsided smile.

“No, I don’t. Now can you please get out? I need a nap.”

“A nap?” He smirks over his shoulder, but continues walking toward the kitchen. The muscles in his back ripple, his basketball shorts sitting low on his hips.

I ignore all the raging hormones inside me and shut the door with a sigh, walking to the kitchen after him. I don’t have time for this. I’m exhausted and need to rest before my shift at Harlow’s tonight.

He pulls the refrigerator door open and leans forward, scoping the inside for jelly. He rifles around and when he finds what he’s looking for, he shoots a hand in, taking out a jar.

“No jelly, huh?” he questions. “Not strawberry, but I guess blackberry works just fine.”

“It’s not mine. It’s Shelby’s and you know she hates you,” I grumble.

“Like you hate me?” He laughs. “I don’t even think she really hates me. I think she wants me, but she knows she can’t have me because of her uptight, rich blond boyfriend. He must really suck in bed with the way she scowls at me. Chick needs to loosen up.” He chuckles, like he’s just told the funniest joke ever. I roll my eyes.

“She scowls at you because she can’t stand you. Plain and simple. Now put the jelly back and go buy your own.”

He walks my way with the jelly anyway, ignoring me as he steps past and walks out the door.

“I’ll return it when I’m finished. Maybe when I get back I can put some between your legs and lick it off.”

I shut the door in his face, shaking my head hard. I don’t have time for him right now. I need a shower and sleep. Screw him and the jelly.

* * *

Harlow’s is crowded tonight, though I’m not very surprised. A Saturday night here is never dull.

The music pulses through me, beckoning a light shimmy from my hips. This is the only time I like it loud, drowning out all of the madness of the world as I whip up these drinks and bring in the very nice tips.

The guys flirt, but I never take it too far. Just far enough to make them tip me double or triple.

I wipe off the counter in front of me when the rush has slowed down a bit. I scan the dance floor and watch how all the college kids dance and grind all over each other. I used to love this—doing that. In college, I was a wild girl, no doubt. Justine was my partner in crime, until she met Preston.

Now, she works as a veterinarian assistant and hangs out with him. We have our one night a week where we’ll watch the latest romantic movie from Redbox or paint our toe nails on the deck out back over a few glasses of wine and a whole lot of gossip, but that’s about it.

I don’t complain much. Working two jobs leaves me exhausted. I don’t have time for boyfriends or dilly-dallying anymore. I work because I have too. Coming from nothing and growing into something isn’t easy. I worked my way through college as a barista in the school’s coffee shop. I was on a full academic scholarship and that did not come easy. I was a great student, but an even better worker. I majored in English and I’ve been praying hard to get a job as a teacher one day.

I start to stack the glasses when I hear a loud, deep voice.

“There she is!” the familiar voice shouts, and I freeze, gripping one of them. “My little fucking firecracker!”

I turn slowly, meeting smoky gray eyes. “You have got to be kidding me,” I mutter loud enough for him to hear. Axel stands right in front of me with an obnoxious smirk.

He has on black jeans and a black T-shirt. He has his earrings in and his hair is purposely messy. He’s fucking hot. If I didn’t know him and I saw him here, I wouldn’t even be ashamed of staring, but never in a million years am I going to admit that.

“What? You aren’t happy to see me, baby?” He grips the edge of the counter, running his tongue across his bottom lip. He looks me over in my bar outfit, a blue belly shirt and dark-wash jeans that ride low on my hips, purposely showcasing the dimples in my lower back.

“I’m not your baby,” I retort. “Why the hell are you even here?”

“Boy’s night out.” He points his thumb back at a college kid sitting at a booth with a girl on his lap. She’s in skimpy clothing, her brown hair curled to perfection. On the other end of the booth is another girl. Blond hair, even skimpier clothing, her legs on full display. “Both of you on dates or something?” I ask, aiming to keep my voice casual as I wipe a damp spot on the counter.

“Does it look like I fucking date? Just having fun. Living a little, unlike someone I know.” He runs his eyes all over me again. “Get me whatever you have cheapest on tap for all four of us. And keep them coming for me, will you? I’ll be back for plenty more.”

“You have a table. Your waiter can serve you.”

“Yeah, well I don’t want the waiter serving me. I want you. Four beers, firecracker.” His knuckles tap twice on the countertop. “Hurry up.”

I flare my nostrils, but pull out four beer mugs. It’s still my job and I don’t want to get questioned later about it by my boss. He digs into his back pocket for the wallet chained to his jeans and fishes out four twenty-dollar bills. He slides the bills across the counter after I’ve filled each glass and says, “Keep the change. You work too damn hard.”

“I don’t need your charity, Axel.”

“Oh, I know you don’t. I think you need a lot more than my charity, though, baby.”

“Fuck off already, will you? I have other customers.” I scowl when he flashes his dimples, chuckling loud enough for me to hear over the music. When he takes off, balancing the mugs in his large hands, I can’t help but look in his direction every chance that I get.

Every time the song changes, my eyes just so happen to bounce over to find him, and each time, the blond in skimpy clothes is all over him. First her arm was around his waist, then her legs were on top of his, and now she’s on his lap, laughing about something that I’m sure is stupid.

Axel focuses on me as she starts grinding on his lap. I snatch my gaze away and help the next customer, pretending he isn’t even there.

An hour passes and I’m more than relieved when I see the younger guy with Axel stand up with his date and check his watch. Good. They’re leaving. They should have left hours ago.

Axel stands up, but instead of walking toward the exit like the rest of them, he’s coming in my direction again.

“Something wrong, firecracker?”

I ignore his question.

“Yeah. Something’s wrong.” He smiles. “Bet you wish you were on my lap, huh?”

I look away. “No. Not really.”

I peer up again, hoping he’s backing away, but nope. He’s still standing there.

“I remember you telling me a few months ago how much you love to make breakfast. How about invite me over for some tomorrow. A nice, hot Sunday breakfast. I’ll even bring the jelly back.” He smirks with his last statement.

“And why the hell would I want you anywhere near me on my only day off?” I fold my arms tightly across my chest, frowning up at him.

“Because you want me, Vanessa. It’s fucking obvious.”

My face remains even, but when he flashes that annoyingly sexy smile again, I feel my belly roll like a tidal wave. “I’ll be busy,” I mutter in response.

“Doing what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Probably catching up on sleep.”

He laughs. “No. You’ll be busy making me breakfast and then afterwards, you’ll be riding my dick at the kitchen table.”

I roll my eyes and pick up the empty shot glass that were left beside him. “Have a good night, Axel.”

Before I can grab all of them, he catches my hand. I look down at his and then up at him. “Let’s make a deal,” he continues. “Invite me to breakfast and I’ll stop my parties for two months.”

I narrow my gaze. “Two months? For one breakfast meal?” I scoff.

“No. Breakfast every Sunday morning for the next two months.”

I don’t get the game he’s playing. I pull my hand away, placing the glass in the sink. “Why?” I ask after a brief pause.

“Why what?”

“Do you want me to make you breakfast so badly? And why should I after the way that chick was practically smothering you?”

His upper lip quirks up. “I think you know exactly why. And I’m sure you also know that chick doesn’t mean shit to me.”

“No, I don’t know why you want me to make you breakfast. Please enlighten me, jackass.” My arms are crossed again.

“There’s only one way I’ll be able to leave you alone and get you out of my system,” he says, leaning in closer. “I see the way you come running to me in those pajamas—the gowns that show you off. You want me to want you and guess what? I do. Breakfast every Sunday for the next two months will solve the problem. It’ll settle all that bickering you love to do with me. You’ll have some peace and quiet at night…in the neighborhood anyway. I can’t promise that it’ll be quiet with what I have in mind for us to do in that fancy little kitchen of yours, but it’ll be better than hearing my music at one in the morning, won’t it?”

“I don’t want you, Axel! Don’t you get that?”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t. And Justine won’t want to eat with you. Her boyfriend comes on Sundays.”

“Yeah, probably to take her out to breakfast, which leaves you all alone on Sunday mornings, doesn’t it?”

My eyes stretch. How the hell does he know that?

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. I’m not a fucking moron, Vanessa. Nothing happens in my neighborhood that I don’t know about.” He leans over the counter a bit more. I don’t know how he still manages to tower over me, but he does. I have to look up at him, which makes me feel way too vulnerable and tiny. “Breakfast for the next two months. No parties. Just peace, quiet, and my cock inside you every fucking Sunday.” His lips are close to my cheek. The hairs on my spine tingle, an ache now building between my legs. “Your sexy moans in my ear and my tongue buried deep in your sweet little cunt every week. Tell me that doesn’t sound good.”

It does. Holy shit, it does. But no. No! I can’t. I’m not about to drop my guard just to boost his ego. “Goodbye, Axel,” I say again, and this time I turn my back and scurry off to the employee lounge.

I don’t look back on purpose, but I do watch from the window when I’m inside the room. Axel stands there looking both dumbfounded and delighted all at once, a small smile lingering on his lips. It doesn’t take long for him to straighten himself up and leave.

I sigh, sinking down on the leather couch. I’m heated—so fucking turned on. I can feel my nipples straining in my bra. I can feel the heat building up between my legs, radiating with desire. I can’t stand it—how he can manage to get under my skin and make me feel like this. Ready to commit lust. Betraying my own mind and morals. It fucking astounds me.

I’m too stubborn to just accept it, but I have to admit his deal would solve a lot of problems.

It would make Justine change her mind about wanting to move if he stops with the parties for a while, that way I won’t need to find a new roommate. Hopefully it’ll make Axel realize that his parties are lame and maybe he’ll never start them up again. Maybe I can talk some sense into him about them, get him to drop the whole scheme for good.

And I can’t forget about myself. I’ll be getting fucked by my sexy-as-hell neighbor. Yes, he’s a guy I literally cannot stand, but something about him beckons me. When he’s near, my body is on full alert. Everything zaps and zings and the alarms that scream danger go off when he’s close by, but I can never seem to shut them off.

It makes no sense at all to me, but I know he can provide. I know he can please me in more ways than just his tongue and his fingers. I want to find out just what those ways are. I want it so much it hurts.