Page 2

With that, Cam finishes his water and makes his way back to his house, stopping to close the moving truck for me on the way.

I'm frozen to the spot, watching him walk away, admiring the muscles of his back, the curve of his ass, and the length of his legs.

He turns and waves at me, and I can't help the big, goofy smile that crosses my face as I wave back.

Wow.

This is one neighborly gesture I didn't expect, but I'm so, so glad that it happened. Something tells me I'm going to be seeing a lot more of my neighbor than I anticipated.

Well, actually, I see Cam again a lot sooner than anticipated, too.

I'm thrilled to have the moving company come pick up their truck, and finally, it's time for me to relax.

Most of my possessions are still in boxes, but I'm truly home.

The doors are shut, but the windows are open as the sun starts to set, and the sweet-smelling summer air is blowing in through the screens.

It's peaceful in a way student housing had never been, and it's enough to put a lump in my throat.

The grocery will have to wait until tomorrow, so tonight I plan to just order a pizza.

It's a Friday, so the wait time is over an hour, and I decide a hot bath in the antique, claw-foot tub is exactly what I need to ease my sore muscles.

I've brought my toiletries, favorite scented candles, and bubble bath, and while the water runs, I light a few and start some music playing on my phone.

I strip out of my sweaty clothes, leaving them on the bathroom floor, and sink into the hot water with a groan.

My body has definitely taken a beating, but it's a good one.

I feel accomplished and excited. Tomorrow I can do all the boring stuff like washing my sheets and putting dishes away. Tonight is about relaxing.

As the music plays, and the candlelight flickers, and the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine wafts through the air, I can't help the sigh of satisfaction that escapes me. The bath is the perfect end to the day.

When the water starts to cool, I pull the drain plug, step out of the bathtub, slide on my silk robe, and towel my hair dry. It's when I lift my head back up that I notice the level of water in the bathtub hasn't gone down at all.

Frowning, I reach down to see if the plug slipped back into place, but no, it’s clogged. Dread settles in my stomach, even if the issue is relatively small. I was so sure I wouldn't have to deal with my first homeowner catastrophe for at least a few weeks .

There's a brand-new plunger under the sink, so I yank it out and get to work, trying to unclog the drain. I can call a plumber tomorrow. I just need the water to go away for the night, even if it goes slowly.

Ten minutes later, the water is still at the same level, and the plunger is absolutely useless. I plunge it down a few more times, but when I go to pull back up, the stick separates from the rubber and I go flying backward, landing on my ass.

Shit.

I'm in tears, and it's embarrassing as hell.

How has this stupid house, I already love so much, managed to make things this difficult this quickly?

In a fit of tired, hungry rage, I stomp out to the front porch and throw the plunger stick out into the grass with all my might.

I yell as I do so, a wordless complaint about how frustrating my situation is.

Then, I hear it.

Laughing. A low, rich sound coming from next door.

I freeze.

"What the hell is going on over there?" Cam is on his porch, leaning against the railing, wearing the same outfit as earlier, watching me with an amused expression on his face. "Nice robe, by the way."

I quickly dash away the tears from my cheeks while making sure the tie on my robe is tight.

My nipples have gone hard from the cool evening air, and I'm sure he can see them, but I'm so far past caring.

"My bathtub is clogged, and my plunger broke," I confess.

"It's not a big deal. I just have a little bit of a temper and?—"

"Say no more." Cam is already on his way over, his long legs eating up the distance between our houses quickly.

He stops to grab a toolbox out of the big white truck in his driveway, and while his grin is amused, he isn't condescending.

"I'll have that handled for you in a flash.

These houses all have old pipes in this neighborhood.

I've dealt with it plenty of times at my own place. "

He steps into my house, and it's almost surreal how a stranger can waltz into your home with the simple intention of helping you.

Not that I'm not happy to have him here.

I can't help the thrill of excitement and arousal that shoots through me having him near.

I catch the notes of his cologne as he walks by, warm and spicy, and I imagine how much stronger the scent would be if I were pressed up against him.

Cam heads into the bathroom, and I stand at the entrance to the room. He leans over the edge of the tub and sticks his arm in, fishing around. He pulls the detached head of the plunger out and tosses it in the wastebasket before grabbing his toolbox.

I should have been expecting it, considering how high the water level in the tub was, but I'm still shocked when he pulls his grey shirt over his head and tosses it aside before getting to work.

His body is tan and muscular, with a faint amount of dark hair across his pecs and leading down his stomach.

He has a few tattoos—a vine curling around his right upper arm and the silhouette of some bird on the left—and he's got scars here and there, too, the marks of a life well-lived.

He's a man, not a boy. An adult.

And he's got my attention in a way that's totally foreign to me.

Cam is oh-so-casual about being naked from the waist up, but it's anything but casual for me. My pulse races, and I lick my lips, imagining pressing kisses to his chest, his shoulder, and his abs. It's not until he clears his throat that I realize I've been staring, and my cheeks heat.

"Sorry, zoned out for a second," I manage, and Cam grins.

"Nothing to apologize for," he drawls. "But hey, since you're standing right there, hand me a wrench?"

I fumble through the toolbox until I find the wrench, and the moment I pass it off to him, he gets back to work, sticking his arm into the bathtub again and using the tool. When he pulls back up, he's got a grimace on his face, but after a moment of intense concentration, he yells, "Gotcha!"

Cam then pulls up something disgusting from the drain, and I have to turn away while he disposes of it, laughing. "Just a hair clog," he tells me. "Nothing to worry about. See? It's draining already."

Sure enough, the water level is dropping rapidly, and within a few minutes, the tub is completely empty.

"Thank you so much," I say, meaning it.

"No problem. Anything else I can help you with?"

Yes. Please stay.

That thought surprises me, but not enough to stop me from considering it. "I ordered a pizza for dinner. Want to join me?"

His eyes are hooded as he looks at me, and there's an intensity to his gaze that leaves me breathless. "Absolutely."

Cam cleans up his tools, thoroughly washes his hands and arms, and grabs his shirt before we make our way to the living room.

The pizza is late, so we sit together on the couch, the air between us crackling with anticipation.

He's so much bigger than I am, his shoulders filling up the space and making me feel small and delicate. It's nice.

"So you just moved here from...?"

"Boston," I say. "My mom grew up here, and I wanted to get a fresh start. She moved to Boston to live with my dad when he got her pregnant with me, but he abandoned her a few months after I was born, and she’s stayed up north ever since.”

“What kind of bastard abandons his woman and baby?”

Cam’s vehemence takes me off guard, and I blink. “I, ah, it’s been a long time. She’s dating again, finally, and I never really knew him, so let’s talk about something else. ”

"Hm." His gaze drifts down, and I'm all too aware I'm still in just my robe, hair wet, but it seems weird to jump up and change now. The pizza should be here any second, anyway.

"What about you?" I ask. "Mrs. Blevins said you're a veteran?"

He nods. "Army, twenty years, two tours. Now I'm out, fixing airplanes. Just got hired at the local base." He rubs his chin, reminiscing, "I've been out for some time now, but it's still weird being a civilian." Cam grins down at me. "I guess we're both entering into new phases in life, huh?"

"I guess so."

He leans toward me, just a little, his hazel eyes intense. "It's good to have a partner in crime to help you out."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah," Cam says, his voice low.

The pizza delivery car pulls up and parks, and I have to jump up to grab the food. The interruption is welcome and gives me a minute to compose myself and think about what's happening here.

Is Cam flirting with me? Is this something I want to happen?

Yes, yes, and definitely yes.

I've had my eye on him, and now that we're spending time together, my attraction to him has only grown. His intensity and confidence are so attractive, and the fact that he's a veteran and a mechanic and handy around the house? Yeah, it's a total turn-on.

"Smells good," he says as I carry the box into the living room. Cam's already got the TV on, and we settle down together.

I have no idea what we watch, or even how much pizza we eat, as all of my focus is fixed on Cam's big, warm body and how close he is to me. By the time he says goodbye and heads home, I'm so hot and bothered that I nearly sprint up to my room .

Throwing myself in bed, I shove one hand between my legs while the other cups one of my breasts, and I'm shocked at the wetness that greets my fingers. My nipples are hard and sensitive, and I let out a groan as I rub my clit and fantasize about Cam.

His mouth on mine. His hands touching me, stroking me, his fingers buried deep inside me. His thick cock pushing into my virgin pussy, his big body over mine, his lips sucking and kissing my neck.

My hips buck, and I bite back a scream as a powerful orgasm rolls over me, leaving me shaking and breathless. It's intense and quick, leaving me gasping for air.

Holy shit. I'm totally, 100% screwed. I can't even deny it.

This is not at all what I expected when I moved here.