Comes with the House (Private thread)

Things had once been great for the Nicholson family. James had been voted one of the best heart surgeons in the region, Kelly happily working from home with her novels. The children had taken well to the private schools... for a time...

That was only part of the problems that had developed.
James' work took him away more and more.
The fighting. Constantly.
Then his new secretary. She certainly had him keeping his full share of "secrets". Funny how many conferences she needed to attend with him. How often she'd call late at night and beg for his assistance on some "paperwork".

High school sweethearts, no longer. Kelly had had enough.

It was time for a new start. The divorce went through easily, James flatly stating he'd lost interest in it all years ago. That the spark had simply gone. Two kids in their late teens, a court ordered alimony, and a handsome initial settlement check.

A way to get that new start, combined with the royalties off her last novel. Time to focus on her. That all started with finding the perfect home to write this new volume, both with her novel and her life.

With the mention of her ex being a doctor and how money was really not a questionable thing, the realtor seemed in his own bliss. Hurriedly shoving various listings at her, he blathered on about the features of this, that, the other thing- what locations were best suited to a woman like her... A place in solitude and silence for writing, a place with space for her to be with her kids yet have her own privacy, a place with a view to inspire. Kelly agreed to all of these, asking for viewings of the available properties.

It felt like ages before one finally fit her interests. So many places that simply didn't feel like home. Too loud, too crowded, too small. Too close to the city, too many rooms, too many walls. Kelly was a finicky woman, and she wasn't afraid to admit it. She'd catered far too long to all of James' whims, and was adamant that her own would now take the helm.

But it finally came. That perfect place. Just stepping inside the doors of the modern colonial left Kelly feeling at ease, a smile on her face as she nodded. "This is it. I'm certain. This place is perfect."

"Wonderful, wonderful!" The realtor beamed in pleasure, continuing the tour and out into the lawn, Kelly and her daughter Jordan accompanying him. The girl had recently turned 18, though from looking between her and her mother, some would possibly consider them siblings more than parent and child. A large orchard and garden stretched across the back yard, the man continuing on how many acres came with the home, how there were a few close neighbors and a few smaller homes dotting the area. "Now, Miss Nicholson. Are you still interested in this house?"

"Absolutely!," Kelly exclaimed with a smile.

"What's that back there?," Asked Jordan as she stood on her toes and peered off into the back of the yard.

"Oh, that? Part of your property, dear. Well. It will be, once your mother signs off on the paperwork at my office." The man chuckled, handing a card to Kelly.

"Looks like... a cabin or something."
"Maybe your brother can turn it into his exercise room."
"Ugh, no way! It's mine! I need somewhere away from him!"

The realtor chuckled again, nervously glancing back at the structure being discussed. "Let's get back to my office, hmm, ladies?"

--------------

The closing went fast. It was only a matter of a few weeks before the moving trucks were bringing the furnishings of Kelly's apartment with her kids into the sprawling house, the divorcee commenting with a smirk to the unloading movers on how she'd be needing more help after her upcoming shopping trips. "It's too big in here!," She laughed, watching with a smile as Jordan danced through the open kitchen and dining room areas. "Practicing your moves, dear?"

Jordan stuck out her tongue, smirking as she danced along. "Bro should be here any day, right?"

Kelly nodded as another load of boxes passed through. "I thought his flight would be in this morning. Storm in Kansas slowed him. I'll be going to pick him up around five."

Jordan gave a nod of her own, twirling and coming to a halt before her mother. "I'm gonna go walk the property. If I get to that cabin first, I can have it, right?"

"We'll see."
"Oh, that is SO momtalk for NO, isn't it?!"
"We'll see." Kelly smiled as Jordan groaned. "Go unpack your room a bit first. You'll need to be able to get to your bed tonight, won't you? "
"Fiiiiiine."

Jordan made her way up to her room, but her attention kept shifting from the boxes to that little house. Sighing, she suddenly wished she'd found her curtains first. Seeing that thing was going to continue bothering her. Grabbing a blanket instead, she tossed it over the window, trying to forget about it as she worked.

"I'm heading out, Jo!," Came a shout from downstairs, causing Jordan to give a quick glance at her watch. It was that late already? Settling back down on the edge of her bed, she looked about the room, finding that she had truly made a big dent in the boxes of stuff. She deserved a break after all that, right?

Tugging the blanket back down, she smiled as she saw the setting sun-
And the little house.

That did it.
Jordan had to get to that first.
Picking up her artist's pad and some of her markerbags, she ran down the stairs and headed for the french doors that led into the back yard. If she got to it first, it was hers! Clutching the items tightly, she was giggling as she ran, a winded little laugh leaving her as she finally got to the door. Catching her breath, she was still smirking as she reached for the door handle... and found it locked.

"Oh, that is SO NOT FAIR-!"

Carson had always loved that old saying, You'll be the first to know. He could just imagine that the new folks moving into what he'd always thought of as his Parent's home had heard those words from the Realtor, not knowing that he himself would really be the first to know.

"We got a good price," the man told him, standing just off the porch of the cabin out behind the colonial. "The sale closed yesterday. I'm calling the new owner this afternoon, and I'm sure they'll be moving in immediately."

The Realtor donned a hesitant expression and tone as he continued, "Are ... are you sure you want to stay here...? It is, of course, your right. It's in the sales contract. But..."

"What did she...?" Carson hesitated, asking for the name of the house's new owner. "What did Kelly have to say about that little detail?"

The Realtor quickly dropped his eyes to the clipboard before him, then diverted them to the blossoms filling the orchard to his right. When he looked back to Carson, he found the man smiling broadly.

"She didn't see it, did she?" he asked unnecessarily.

The Realtor had been having a hell of a time selling the property with the existing stipulations: For $1 a month, Carson retained the right to live in the cabin indefinitely; and if that wasn't a deal killer, he also retained all decision making concerning the portion of the property -- 12 acres of second growth timber, filled with protected fauna and flora -- that existed beyond the old split cedar fence that he and his father had built when he was just six years old.

Carson stepped down off the porch, snatched the clipboard, signed where the red faced Realtor pointed, and then said, "Been good working with you. Now, you might want to head back to your office and start conferring with your lawyers ... 'cause you know that ... Kelly...? ... you know that she's going to have a shit fit about this when she finds out."

Carson exchanged his farewells with the Realtor -- for the last time, he hoped -- and watched him hurry back up the beaten dirt path to the big colonial. Carson gave His Parent's Home one last look. Tomorrow, once the paperwork was filed, it would be Kelly's Home, of course. Ironically, considering that he'd lived on the property all his life -- excepting for a short stint in the Navy -- he wouldn't miss it. Since the accident claimed his parents' lives when he was just barely into his teens, he'd never been in -- let alone lived in -- the big home. There were simply too many ghosts for him to be comfortable there.

Except for money -- which the sale had just taken care of -- Carson had all he ever needed right here at the cabin. Good riddance, he thought, turning and heading inside to eat.


Ghosts, Carson thought to himself, smiling at his superstition...

For most of day, he'd been sitting in his father's old rocking chair on the porch of the cabin, watching the laborers moving the new family's things into the home. Through the rear windows of the home from over a hundred yards away, the activity inside could be seen but the figures and objects they were moving were difficult to identify. The word kept coming back to him: Ghosts.

It hadn't taken the movers long to empty the moving truck, just a few hours. Carson wondered if the family simply didn't own much, or whether there was still more to come in the days ahead. Of course, he'd spent most of the two prior days -- from sunup to nearly sundown -- deep in the woods or at the lake beyond them; for all he knew, the family had been moving in for three days.

Bored, he snatched up both his bow and his wrist rocket sling shot and headed off into the woods. The forest was being taken over by invasive species that threatened the indigenous species, and Carson had been killing two birds with one stone, in a manner of speaking, by killing them and making either stews or jerky out of them. He'd been learning about invasive plants, too, and with his three kills for the day, he was returning with a canvas bag of Asian herbs that, while great for cooking, didn't belong here any more than the birds tied together at their feet.

As he returned to the cabin, he heard quickly moving footsteps approaching from the front. He had been expecting a visit from Kelly and, to be honest, was surprised that it hadn't happened clear back before she'd signed the papers, buying the land and big house.

He set the dead carcasses and canvas bag aside, not knowing how the woman would react to the kills, and stepped out from behind the cabin just as his visitor grumbled, "Oh, that is so not fairI"

It wasn't Kelly, Carson knew immediately. This woman was just a girl, late teens at the most. She was pretty, very much so, with a nice figure and a wonderful ass shown off by skin tight jeans. She had the deepest, auburn hair -- redhead, he thought with fascination -- that he'd seen in a long time, and that alone kept his attention for the next several seconds.

The girl caught his movement to the left and turned quickly to face him.

Bea-u-ti-ful, Carson thought, spying her flawless face and sparkling blue eyes. Ab-so-lute-ly beautiful ... and the last thing I need right now.

What the hell had he done to bring this wrath of God down upon himself. This girl, who he just knew had to be underage and therefore a walking, talking, jail sentence for a man who'd just turned 30, was the last person he needed to be living in a bedroom that was within easy, night time, viewing distance of the powerful binoculars hanging on a hook just inside the cabin's door. He thought, shaking his head slightly, You are in such HUGE, fucking trouble, boy.

And yet, knowing that the days -- potentially the months and years -- ahead were going to cause him no end of troubles, he couldn't help himself and immediately fell into what his Ex had always called his flirt mode. He stepped forward to the cabin's porch railing and laid his chin upon his crossed arms, smiling knowingly to the girl. His shirt, unbuttoned after his long walk through the abnormally warm woods, parted to show the muscular physique below as he introduced himself with a slight smile, "Hello, neighbor. I'm Carson. And you would be...?"

In his dirty old man mind, he finished the sentence for her: Eager to get out of these jeans ... where's the bed?

Jordan was trying to peer inside, raising up on her toes to attempt a little view of what may have been hidden inside. Maybe mom had the key. Or wasn't there one? Was something hidden in there? Was THAT why the realtor was so hush-hush on this little place?!

The thought didn't receive any help when she heard a sound coming up beside her, nearly jumping out of her skin initially. Letting out a sigh of relief at the man, she placed a hand over her chest and rolled her eyes. "Oh, wow. You scared me... Wait. Neighbor?" Jordan looked blankly at the cabin door, then back toward the house. "I thought- oh. Ohhh. Oh god. I- I am so, so sorry..." The girl's cheeks reddened, realizing now how her howl of disappointment over HIS door being locked must have sounded. "I wasn't trying to break in, I swear! I just... I... Um."

She gave a sheepish smile, giving up on the horrid attempt at an apology and instead readjusting her art supplies to offer out her hand. "Let's try that again. Nice to meet you, Carson. I'm Jordan. My mom, brother and I just moved in...."

She really was trying not to stare. Everything she could use wados holding her back from a wandering gaze. A terrible fight, for certain. The breeze passing through was little help, turning the ends of his shirt into small kites that fluttered slightly, attracting her eye.

There they went.
Oh. Good. Lord.
And he lived behind them?!
Nature walks. Daily. Hourly.

"Mom will be back in an hour or so. Had to... Go to the. Um. Plane thing. Airport! Airport. Oh, my god...." She groaned slightly, making a face before burying it into her palm. Great, now he thought he lived behind an idiot. "I'm really not this out of it all the time... Really. I've gotten 3 different college acceptance letters and 2 scholarships! And- you.... Probably don't care on that. Right. Um."

It was like English was suddenly a second language to her. Third. Completely foreign.

She cleared her throat, smiling again. You're just some crazy kid who wandered into his yard and had a temper tantrum. You'd be lucky if he says Bye when you leave!

The reminder of the boxes and piles in her room started to slip back into her memory, but were quickly pushed aside. Those could wait. Mister Carson here was far, far more interesting. "So... Is it.... Just you here, Carson?," she asked softly, readjusting her hold on her things.

She suddenly wanted to sketch him.
Asking would push from little kid to creepy girl.
Instead, she just smiled, studying him over.

"Wait. Neighbor?" the girl asked.

That confirmed what Carson had assumed corrected; they, or at least this one,knew nothing about his existence, let one the details of his presence on the property. This is going to be fun ...or awkward ...or both.

"I thought- oh. Ohhh. Oh god. I- I am so, so sorry..." she continued,a blush filling her cheeks. "I wasn't trying to break in, I swear! I just... I... Um."

Carson did his best to conceal the smirk that was trying to reveal his pleasure at the encounter thus far. The girl was just coming apart. He couldn't be certain whether it was because of the awkwardness of being confronted by a stanger on the porch of his home ...or the awkwardness of being confronted by a handsome stranger on the porch of his home. And despite his continuing concern that she was likely jail bait, he was actually voting for the latter. Carson didn't consider himself conceited ...and people who knew him well didn't often call him such ...but that didn't mean that he didn't appreciate being appreciated.

"Let's try that again" she finally managed. "Nice to meet you, Carson. I'm Jordan. My mom, brother and I just moved in...."

She went on, explaining about her mother and such ...but Carson could see that her attention was less on her words and more on his abs, being exposed periodically by the breeze blowing in from the direction of the woods. She became so flustered at one point that she buried her face in her hands -- giving Carson a moment to drop his gaze a bit, finding her nipples hardening enough to show themselves through her blouse. Again, he tried to conceal his smirk, wondering Is it me or the cold wind that's getting her all excited ...hmmm...

But she eventually seemed to regain her composure and asked a question that could have had innocent or devilish motives. "So... Is it.... Just you here, Carson?

(OCC -- I am going to post another reply in about 10 minutes. My Tablet has some formatting issues with Forums, so when I'm using it, I have to make shorter than normal posts.)

Jordan's question as to whether Carson lived here alone could have been taken so many ways, particularly from a flustered, young woman facing a strange man that most woman found to be somewhere between good looking and Oh my god! Carson was torn beteen giving her the benefit of the doubt and assuming it was an innocent, neighborly question; and assuming she was interested, flirting, and getting the lay of the land.

He decided to test her a bit, to see what her reaction would be to a bit more flirtation on his part. He mounted the porch and walked toward her, the wind continuing to blow his shirt away from his chisled features. He kept his gaze firmly upon Jordan's eyes, then -- just short of reaching her -- turned toward the cabin door, close enough to her that his wafting shirt brushed across her.

As he turned the door handle firmly clockwise, then gave it a quick jolt, the seemingly locked door opened. He looked back to Jordan and -- for the first time, very conspicuously dropping his gaze to give her youthful, fit figure a glance -- answered her question with a soft, suggestive tone, "No one here but lonely ol' me ... Jordan."

He gave her a quick smile, then turned and entered the cabin, leaving the door open invitingly. He didn't know if she'd enter -- and in fact he didn't expect her to -- but he had every intention of giving her the opportunity...

(OOC -- I won't describe the interior until I see what her reaction is.)

Jordan nodded slowly, smiling at this handsome somewhat-stranger that she had discovered in her back yard. Or was this his front yard? The property lines had to be misconstrued or something, that realtor must have misread them. Her heart raced slightly as he started up the porch toward her, wondering if she was about to be kindly kicked out or... well, something else.

What exactly the something else was, she wasn't sure.
Part of her really, really wanted 'something else'.

Instead, he merely opened his door.
"No one here but lonely ol' me ... Jordan."

She drew another breath, letting out a little laugh. A nervous habit. The breeze had picked up a bit of a chill as it passed through the trees, a little shiver running down her spine at the cool tickle against her skin. She needed that. She was getting warmer and warmer by the second, and this was a simple conversation with a new neighbor. How on earth was this causing her so much trouble?

That look and that tone certainly hadn't helped in the least bit. The way he said her name- She nearly melted right then.

"Well, being alone certainly can't be any fun," She called from the door, hesitating on going inside. "If.. if you don't mind, I'd love to come out here and paint and sketch the scenery around your yard. And... sorry... for kinda... wandering onto it. I had no idea..."

Why was it so hard to talk to this guy?! She had a number of male friends... None of them made her feel like such a fool to talk to.

Because of his smile. And his physique. And his eyes. And his voice and his abs and oh my god this guy is just- Good lord...

He didn't exactly close it on her. Was he offering for her to come in? She bit down on her lip slightly, glancing back toward the house on the hill, then back toward Carson's open door. Mom still wouldn't be back for awhile. If she headed back inside, she'd only be working on boxes.... And her curiosity on this guy was growing more and more.

A thought came to her.
"Carson?"

She stepped inside, hesitant steps that didn't want to add to her believed already accidental trespassing. "I was... Just wondering. Would you like to come over for coffee or something at some time? I'm sure mom would like to meet you. Just... right now, the house is a bit of a mess, all those boxes and everything and- wow your place is cool."

The teen's thoughts were cut off abruptly as she stepped in a bit more, glancing around and smirking, growing to a full blown smile as her gaze landed on Carson. This man really was a curious thing, wasn't he? That desire to sketch him was growing even more now- along with other things, but... well. She had merely met the man!

"There's something else I wanted to ask you. This might seem really silly, but... Well, I'm working on my art portfolio. I've got so many pieces with birds and trees and you can only draw the same bowl of fake fruit over and over again before it drives you crazy and- Would I be able to draw you? I know we've just met, but I feel like art can really help people get to know each other better."

And it gives me reason to come out here and see you...

Jordan stepped inside the cabin, just enough to be considered inside, then asked hesitantly, "I was... Just wondering. Would you like to come over for coffee or something at some time? I'm sure mom would like to meet you. Just... right now, the house is a bit of a mess, all those boxes and everything and- wow your place is cool."

Carson knew he would meet Kelly eventually and figured it would be better to do so before he got caught doing something inappropriate with the woman's daughter. And he was, of course, already thinking of doing such things concerning Jordan; he'd made that decision within seconds of her talking about college, which Carson knew implied an age of 18 or more.

He was about to accept her offer when he found her looking about, complimenting, "Wow, your place is cool."

Carson glanced about the cabin's interior. It didn't seem that much to Carson, of course; it was just home and had been for a long time. He was comfortable here and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Ironically, despite his popularity with women -- he'd never had a shortage of lovers over the years -- Carson had never brought a woman here. This was his little slice of heaven and had never wanted to share it with any of his female friends.

He glanced toward Jordan again and wondered why he was treating her so differently. Was it simply that she was already here...? Or, did he see something differently in her already...? Was he simply horny, hoping she rip her clothes off here and now and show him how a young woman made love...? That last thought made him smile a bit wider.

"There's something else I wanted to ask you," Jordan went on tentatively. "This might seem really silly, but... Well, I'm working on my art portfolio. I've got so many pieces with birds and trees and you can only draw the same bowl of fake fruit over and over again before it drives you crazy and- Would I be able to draw you? I know we've just met, but I feel like art can really help people get to know each other better."

He considered her request for a moment ...then slipped his shirt off his shoulders, allowing it to drop to the hard wood floor. He backed to the kitchen table and leaned back against it, sinking his hands into the pockets of his tight jeans and striking a pose; the muscles of his chest and belly tightened, defining him even more so. As he smiled, he asked, "How's this ...or ...were you thinking about another time?"

So when was it coming? She was certain it would happen at any moment now... Him to call her a crazy little girl and tell her to go. Did he even realize how the look he'd given her came across? She wasn't sure if he was eyeing her over or admiring her. The thought of that sent a shiver through her, almost as heavy as the one brought about from the breeze outside.

Jordan was just waiting for it now, already clutching her sepias tightly and looking to her artpad. Her returning glance to the newfound neighbor gave her a sight she certainly hadn't expected.

She was staring.
Her book fell, her pencils and markers spilling across his hardwood floors as she tried to find words. "Th... That's... Just fine...," she stammered out, reddening before dropping to her knees, hastily grabbing up her supplies and clutching them close, still resting on the floor as she looked back at him. His relaxed pose against the table certainly would have been a greay thing to sketch, but she couldn't get her hands to listen well enough to even open the pages at the moment.

That smirk. Those eyes, those strong muscled arms-
She wondered what it was like to be held by him... Kissed by him... Making love to him.
The last made her blush again, her hands finally working to tear open the notebook and grab up a pencil. "Thank you for this, Carson," she stumbled out as she sketched, her cheeks still tinged red as she glanced between book and man. "I'll repay you for this. Make dinner when you come up or something!"

I wonder how much convincing it would take to get those jeans off? A thought she briefly pondered while settled on his floor, the book nestled in the crux of her arm as she worked. She shook her head slightly, amazed at her own thoughts. Only one boyfriend in her life, and they'd broken up the start of her senior year. The most they'd ever done was a little heavy petting while making out- and now here she was, fantasizing over the new neighbor?!

She paused in her sketch, looking up again and studying him a moment, her teeth grabbing her lip again. God he made this hard. Her gaze trailed down him, a brow raising upon noticing how her attempts at art weren't the only "hard" thing at the moment. Jordan smirked a bit at the buldge of his jeans, readjusting on the floor and continuing her sketch.

A few minutes later and she was setting her pencil to the floor. "Well! A rough starter's sketch to get me going, but.... What do you think?" Pulling herself up slightly from perching on her heels, she held the pencil drawing up for him to see, smiling at him from the floor. "Be honest! I like knowing exactly what's on someone's mind."

Carson had expected maybe a blush or a giggle at the shedding of his shirt. Instead, Jordan's sketching materials clattered to the floor about her, causing her to scramble for them as she again blushed and causing Carson to smile broadly before chuckling soft and short.

It had been a while since he'd had this kind of effect on a woman ... and he was enjoying it immensely. The pro to adding a few years to your age was experience; the con to it was that young women such as Jordan -- teenagers -- often ceased giving second looks to such men. It wasn't like he was ancient. He'd only recently turned 33, and most people meeting Carson for the first time thought him several years younger than that. But he wasn't a teenager himself, or even a Twenty-something; there was no way of telling how women Jordan's age would react to him ... so ... at this moment ... Carson was in seventh heaven.

As she hurriedly gathered her things and began her sketch, Carson came to realize just how in seventh heaven he truly was over Jordan. When the young woman dropped her eyes to her sketch book for a moment, he quickly reached down to his crotch to rearrange the erection that was slowly beginning to make its presence known to him ... and, likely, her as well. On a second opportunity to be inconspicuous, he gave the growing member one more adjustment, but as he quickly returned his fingertips to his pocket to resume his pose, he realized that all he'd done was stimulate himself a bit; he was growing even more.

He took in a deep breath and mentally shrugged, resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to be able to hide his excitement for the young artist. It didn't help, of course, that her current sitting position on the floor before him allowed him to see down the front of her blouse, revealing to him the curvature of her firm, young breasts; as well as make his imagination run wild with thoughts of what a woman could accomplish with her warm lips and tongue from down there on her knees.

You gotta stop thinking about that, he tried to convince himself. You just met. She's just a girl. She lives next door ... with her MOTHER, for God's sake. She's just drawing you. Think Art ... not Sex.

But it was hopeless. He wanted Jordan, and he didn't care what the consequences might be of taking the young woman, here and now, tonight while her mother was off doing ... what ever it was that Jordan had said she was doing.

"Thank you for this, Carson," Jordan stammered, looking quickly between him and her pad. "I'll repay you for this. Make dinner when you come up or something!"

No, thank you! he wanted so badly to say but didn't. Thank you for making my dick twitch with excitement. It's been a while since another person made it do that.

"Well! A rough starter's sketch to get me going," she said, setting her pencil aside and turning the pad his way. "...but.... What do you think?"

She sat up a bit, adding, "Be honest! I like knowing exactly what's on someone's mind."

As he pushed away from the table and walked toward her, he thought, Oh, Jordan ... you don't WANT to know what's on my mind...

He stopped before her taking the pad and looking over the sketch. It was very good, which surprised him. Lots of people thought they could draw but couldn't. But Jordan was actually really good. He wondered whether any of these schools looking at her were after art majors or whether she was on a different educational track.

When he glanced over the pad ... his smile widened greatly. With her still on her knees and he standing directly before her, she couldn't help but look directly into his groin ... directly at his now fully expanded erection. He wanted so badly to just unzip his pants, flop out his dick, and say What can you do with this artsy piece...?

As he took the book, she tucked the pencil behind her ear, smiling up at him as she rested her palms on her thighs. The look on his face left her beaming- he was surprised! Giggling lightly, she nervously ran a finger against her cheek to brush away some stray hair, that finger trailing down to her lips. "I think I'll color it... Make it one of my opening cover works. You really have an artist's dream of a body...."

Jordan smirked again with that, pausing as her attention moved from the book in his hand to the strain of his jeans. A sharp little gasp of a sound left her lips, quickly looking to the floor, only to draw upward yet again. It was impossible to ignore. Right there, openly displayed before her.

Well. Not completely "open". But certainly enough to give the girl a hard time with disrupting her thoughts. Did he even realize-?

She glanced upward, looking toward her new neighbor's eyes. A glimmer seemed to rest in them, a somewhat mischevious gleam. Was he finding her funny? Wait, no... That was... Something else. He was fully aware, wasn't he? Was he... Playing with her?

Jordan swallowed hard, staring at him for a moment. This was crazy. This guy was almost as old as her mother. He had to be. There was no way he honestly had any interest in a girl like her.

Well, that was easily argued by what was jutting before her.
"Carson...," she called softly, her voice wavering a touch as she continued. "Can... Can I confess something? I... I've never- I mean, almost all the girls I graduated with, they- I..." She groaned with that, finding her rather odd blurting spurred on by what was holding so close to her now. I'm a virgin-! Everyone thinks Luke and I were fooling around all the time but we never did... he was worried about his reputation as a football player so I never said anything... God I don't know why I'm telling you.... But it feels so much better to get the truth out... I held that in for months even after we broke up..."

It was the fact his arousal was so close. It scared her, entrigued her. She wanted to just- reach up. Touch it. That buldge of his jeans seemed to have silently interrogated her somehow. A silly thought, but seemed true to her.

Now though, she was embarassed. What type of thing was that to blurt out to a man you just met?! What did she expect, a romance novel-esque grabbing from the floor, him to whisper how he would change that, take her on the table?

That chair looks far more comfortable... No! I mean NO! STOP THAT!

"I-should-go-home-now," she quickly spurted out, fumbling for the rest of her pens.

"I'm a virgin-!"

Carson lifted his eyes from Jordan's sketching and stared at her, shocked, as she rambled on about her relationship with ... with some boy from school, he assumed. He was dumbfounded at how the young woman -- the girl -- went on about her personal life; he'd heard more intimate confessions before, obviously ... but never from someone he'd only just met ... someone who was in his home, close enough to reach out and seize -- with hands or other means -- his hardened penis.

He let her go on uninterrupted until finally, gathering up her things, she said with extreme rapidity, as if the sentence were just one word, "I-should-go-home-now."

He watched her gather her scattered pencils and pads, desperate to keep her from leaving but unsure of whether taking the initiative -- of whether taking her into his arms -- was really the right thing to do. It wasn't as if he didn't want her; he'd wanted her from the moment he'd spied her on the porch. But ... he was conflicted about the motivations behind her confession. Was she hoping that he would fix her problem ... her virginity problem...? He was ready to, oh god, was he ready to. He hadn't been this frickin' hard for a woman in a long time! But ... what if her blurting was about wanting him. He didn't know Jordan; for all Carson knew, she was just a very open girl who felt inspired to tell him that she was a good girl.

Oh my god, he thought suddenly, amazed at his stupidity. Is that it...? Is she afraid that I want her, and she told me that because she afraid I'm planning on depriving her of her virtue...?

As Jordan looked up to her, he offered the sketch pad, then backed up a step. That's it ... that's got to be it. She thought I wanted to ... well, I did want to ... do want to ... Jesus, man ... your dick is inches away from her face, hard as a rock, and here she is a good girl and ... God, how ridiculous!

Carson was convinced that that was the reason behind the confession. He smiled to her and, attempting to sound sincere -- which he wasn't, because all he could think of now was claiming another cherry -- said, "I'm honored that you would tell me this, Jordan. I think it's ... what's the word...? Admirable ... yeah, that's it. Admirable that you've kept your virginity to this age." He leaned in a bit and said with a wink, "My mother would say pure as a snow flake."

He leaned down to retrieve a colored pencil that had gotten away from her, then offered a hand to help her rise. "May I...?"

On the outside, he was a true gentleman, a good neighbor. In the inside, he was fighting a battle of epic propositions. We wanted to badly to rip her clothes off here and now and, over the cool tiles of the ceramic topped kitchen table, fuck this virgin into a new meaning of womanhood.

She took her drawings back, glancing at him as she drew in her lower lip. After spilling out all that, simply looking at him seemed impossible. She was afraid of what he now thought of her. Crazy? She honestly wouldn't be surprised, or even question why he would think such a thing. Only a lunatic would spout such a thing within such a short time of knowing another person...

His comments brought a questioning look to her face. He threw her off with that one. Trying to comfort her? She sighed lightly, though managed a smile, at the mention of his mother's term for someone in her 'predicament'. "Yes, I... I suppose that's a way to look at it...," she replied slowly, still holding her supplies closely. "What's terrible though? I think they would have made fun of me more if they knew... Than what they did with his lie..."

I've never even seen one before... Well, internet, sure, but a real one, in person... Never. Can I see yours, Carson? Can I touch it? Can I find out and feel it? I don't know what to do, Carson. Show me what makes a guy happy. Show me what makes you happy, Carson...

"...Fuck." She hissed the word under her breath, reddening again as she shook her head. These thoughts. Terrible little things. Horrible things. Troublemaking and making it impossible to think on anything else.

Why did this new neighbor have to be so...
Why did it have to be this guy?!

The whole thing made her realize just how angry she was with Luke over that whole incident. He made her out to be something she wasn't. Did something she hadn't. It was his fault it continued to linger in her head, and certainly why it resurfaced with Carson. She wanted it now. And it was all his fault. Carson was older than her, and she certainly believed he had far greater experience on the matter than some idiot 18 year old guy. So why not? Why not want what others already thought she had? Carson didn't know her. That was a blessing, really. He knew very little on her, only what she had said.

She decided to be brave.
The "school whore" wouldn't be this shy.
Not the girl who fucked three football players.
Sucked off a teacher.
God, the things his "little white lie" grew into...

"Carson... Can I confess something else?" She dropped her notebook, spreading her fingertips against his wooden floor. "I... I wonder what... It really is like... Quite often..."

Carson was at a lost, suddenly feeling as awkward as Jordan had seemed during her confession. Is she talking about sex...? Is she talking about experiencing sex...? Is she ...oh god almighty, is she hinting at experiencing sex with me...? Carson knew she was; he might not have known Jordan herself that well, but he knew that look. He'd seen it before in the eyes of women who'd wanted him so badly. He had to question himself, Is this wishful thinking...? Do you just WANT to believe that she wants you...? Or wants sex.. Or wants sex WITH you...?

He was driving himself nuts with the possibilities. SETTLE DOWN! he tried to tell himself. You're acting like a horny high schooler.

Carson knew that this -- thinking about teaching Jordan what she seemed to want to know -- was not a good idea. At least ...not now, right now. Hell, they'd only known each other, what, thirty minutes, tops? It wasn't like he hadn't taken women he'd known for less time before. Once, at a Frat party, he'd been introduced to a Cousin's roommate and, five minutes later, was rolling off her as they both gasped for air, recovering from their orgasms. But that was different. This -- her, Jordan -- was a virgin, an untouched flower, a snow flake ...a ripe cherry ...oh the words kept coming to him...

And she was his neighbor, or worse his neighbors daughter. He'd burn in hell, if he believed in such a place. He believed in Oak trees, so his imagination saw him tied to one of those instead, burning as Kelly roasted his nuts on the end of a sharp stick.

Then, the Devil on his shoulder spoke up, reminding him that she was legally an adult, able to choose who she had sex with, when she had it. Fuck it! the Devil told him. Later, he would wonder how he could give the Devil a say in theatter when he didn't believe in him either.

Carson offered his hand out again, helping Jordan to her feet. Their faces were just a foot apart; their bodies were even closer than that. He looked down into her eyes for a moment, then said softly, "Jordan ...any man would be honored to be the one to show you..." He hesitated, not knowing whether to use make love or have sex. He continued, ..show you what making love is about. I will be honest with you. I would give anything to be that man. But ...if you should choose me ...I ...I just want to make sure you are ready."

Carson was being sincere, absolutely so. But at the same time that he was suggesting that Jordan take some time, he so badly wanted her to simply rip off her top and say, Take me, Carson!

She gingerly took his hand, avoiding his eyes this time. She knew it now. Crossed far too much over that line. Foolishly blurting, dumbly blathering. She tried not to look as he spoke, words that to her seemed like an adult kindly chiding a child for silly behavior. Jordan's teeth latched her lip once again, clutching her hand free of art supplies against her other arm tightly. "I.... I'm sorry, Carson. I shouldn't have- I don't know why I told you all these things. I guess I'm afraid of being that odd one out come college... There's a lot of things I'm scared of. I just feel so... lost. I'm so sorry..."

She shook her head again, plucking up her things and quickly taking for the door. Her mind was racing, a flood of all she had said, everything that had just taken place. "My- my mom will be home soon, I should- I gotta get back to the house." She paused, glancing at him a moment. "I hope this doesn't... Deter you from my offer to come over. I swear, I... I won't... I'm so sorry."

Quickly closing the door behind her, she clutched her supplies tightly, running back to the house. She still didn't understand why she had done any of that- to a man she had just met, no less?! It had to be the fear of college, the anger of those lies. It had to be.

Then why was her mind still playing with all these thoughts and images?

"You've got to stop," she hissed to herself as she reached the house, opening the rear door and sliding inside. "It's only going to drive you crazy..."

"What will?"

"MOM-!" Jordan nearly jumped out of her skin, gasping as her mother came from the kitchen. "You scared the hell out of me..."

"Mouth, young lady," Kelly scolded, though smiled. "I was wondering where you were. We got home a little bit ago. I thought you were upstairs... Out yard wandering?"

"Yeah..." Jordan nodded slowly, glancing back toward the door.

"Oh, what's that? Find some things to sketch?" Kelly pointed to the notebook, seeing the fresh lines on the papers. "Can I see?"

"No, wait, I was going to-" Jordan whinced as her mom grabbed the book, flipping through.

Kelly smiled at first at the various trees and birds in the drawings, halting and losing the smile as she reached a particular page. "Who... Is that...?"

"That's... Our neighbor. That would be Carson. I met him earlier and I asked if-" she stopped, her added conversation with him wandering through. "I asked if I could sketch him."

"Neighbor? Honey, how far did you walk?"

"Just out back..."

Kelly gave her a curious look, then shook her head. "There's a pizza on the counter. Your brother is up situating his room... I brought your sheets to yours. If you want, they're all set to go on."

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks, mom." Rather deaf to her mother's words, Jordan merely headed to the stairs, her reclaimed notebook in her hands. Carson's words, howevet, replayed in her mind.
Any man...
He would give...
Anything... To be...

She shivered, rushing into her room and closing her door behind her, tossing the notebook onto her desk. Those words. They were going to haunt her all night.
They'd haunt her until she saw him again.
Could she even bring herself to see him again?

She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "What did I do...?!," she groaned, dropping onto her bed. Think. Focus. Do something else.
Make her bed. Deal with boxes. Get things cleaned up. That would work.

Downstairs, Kelly was working on things of her own; various papers to finish up, more notes on the house laid out on the table. Something on what Jordan had said lingered in her head... Neighbor out back? She was sure the nearest house was at least a half hour walk. For Jordan to have made the full hour trek and a sketch like that... She should have been gone for much longer. What had her daughter really been up to?


As the night finally crept in, both women were soon ready to go to bed. Jordan had finished making hers as Kelly knocked, peeking in to wish her good night. "I'd like to talk with you,tomorrow," she added, which received a confused look and nod from Jordan.

The door closed, Jordan pulled her pajamas from the dresser, starting to change for the night. She had barely gotten from stripping off the day's clothes before catching sight of her notebook again, the sketch of Carson against his table standing there.

.... If you were to choose me...

Jordan whimpered softly at that thought. The way his hands had claimed her shoulders, the depth of his voice as he spoke. The look in those eyes when she sat before him on the floor....

She couldn't help it.
She snatched the book up, heading to her bed. Atop the sheets, his image beside her, thighs spread and a hand buried beneath her panties.... Jordan whimpered aloud as she fantasized about her new neighbor.

"I gotta get back to the house," Jordan said, adding that she still wanted Carson to visit her -- or was it the whole family? he wondered -- at some future time. Her last words as she disappeared out the door were, "I'm so sorry."

"So am I," Carson murmured to himself as he watched her through the window, rushing away up the path to her new home. He considered what he had just passed on and scolded himself. "You're never gonna get another shot at that, Ace."

Carson was sure that Jordan's confessions and suggestions were once in a lifetime spontaneous aberrations; as soon as she was out of sight of him and no longer swayed by his looks or the proximity of their bodies, her head would clear and she would realize it wasn't in her best interest to be alone with him again.

It's not in her best interest... he asked himself, is it...?

Of course it wasn't; that was a gimme. She was a beautiful, sexy young woman about to go off to college, where she would meet many young men who would treat her like a princess for the opportunity to bed her. And one of those men would surely fall in love -- not just in lust -- with her; and, with any justice, she would fall in love with him as well. And everyone would live happily ever after.

And if she chooses me to be her first... What does that get her...?

Ironically, the single answer was both the pro and con: she'd get a sexual experience like no man could ever give her. The pro was that she would never forget it; she would enjoy herself -- immensely, he would ensure, because that was his way -- and would have no regrets for having picked him as a lover, as her first lover. The con was that she would want to have him again and again and again ... and, to be honest, Carson had nothing to give her except a taste of his experience. It wasn't like they were going to get married and have kids while Carson worked his 9 to 5's in some professional office. The only thing Carson had to offer Jordan was a superior roll in the sack. That was it.

He walked to the small cupboard above his mini-fridge, opened one of the two doors, and stared inside for a dinner item that would interest him. Then, leaning forward, he began beating his forehead against the still closed door, chanting, "You ... should ... have ... done ... her ... You ... should ... have ... done ... her ..."

He was an idiot. Or ... was he? Was alienating his new neighbor worth a roll in bed with her teenage daughter...? Hell, he could even end up with a restraining order, though he really doubted that the legal grounds were there. The point was, though, he'd passed on getting fucked, but he'd preserved a neighborly relationship.

What relationship...? he questioned himself. You haven't even met the woman, he reminded himself about Kelly...



Darkness was approaching rapidly. Carson had eaten a simple dinner -- canned chili and the birds he'd killed -- and done some chores, before returning to his rocking chair on the front porch. His attention was on the big house, of course, inside of which was a virgin yearning to soon no longer be such. Also inside there, of course, was her family; mom and ... did Jordan say a brother...?

As if responding to his curiosity about them, Carson caught sight of both of the other family members ... and perked up quickly. Standing and heading inside, where he immediately clicked off the power from the solar panels, sending the cabin into a state of blackness, he snatched up the binoculars and swung open the kitchen window. He pressed the powerful military grade field glasses to his face and focused the lenses, just in time to catch a young man -- presumably the brother -- leading a young woman by the hand around the back of the house. They hesitated at the back door as he seemed to be peeking around the corner and through the French doors. A moment later, he and the young woman dashed into the house, allowing the door behind them to slowly swing shut.

Carson scanned the windows, trying to locate the pair again with no luck. Despite the fact that none of the windows yet had draperies upon them, he simply couldn't find the pair anywhere. He was resigned to the fact that the brother must have had a bedroom on the front side of the home.

He'd been anxious to catch the pair upstairs together through one of the unprotected windows. It was obvious why the boy was being so sneaky. His mother likely had no idea he'd brought a woman home with him and also likely would have thrown a fit over it if she had caught them.

But then, he caught sight of movement ... and almost immediately, a tingling in his groin reminded him of why he liked living her in the cabin. Another woman -- That's got to be Kelly! -- was in a second floor window changing out of her clothes and walking about the big room in her panties and bra. Carson lost sight of her and quickly scanned left and right, trying to recall the lay out of the house and the most likely place that Kelly would have put her bed; he wanted to see her on it, in it, above it ... he didn't care.

He was disappointed though, and after several minutes of checking windows and finding no one, he gave up and returned to his rocking chair, with his binoculars beside him ... just in case.

His last thought before he went off to bed was, "This is going to be an okay situation.


(OOC -- I left the situations with the others vague so you could create any situation you want.)

The first night in a new, big house. Kelly's attempt at sleep was hard, but she finally managed to nod off at a much later hour than she intended- A few movies on her computer, and she was to sleep sometime after 3 am. Headphones to keep the others in the house from waking was a bit of a habit... Though with the size of their new home, certainly not a thing that was necessary.

As for her youngest, Jordan had managed to fall sleep fairly quickly, after dealing with a few- troublesome issues. The large bedroom was still a surprisingly hard thing to get used to, but she was enjoying it. The strands of lights her mother had rolled her eyes about in the apartment seemed more fitting in this room, strewn from corner to corner in a makeshift webbing, adding a soft glow she appreciated.

In fact, she would have slept soundly for the whole night, if it hadn't been for an odd noise that woke her, leading her to the need for wandering to the kitchen for a drink of water.

The source of the curious noise was quickly found.
"Tori?" Her voice was a hiss as she spotted her friend, creeping through the halls in nothing but a tee shirt.
Her... big brother's... Army tee.
"Tori, what the hell?!" It was hard to sound angry while whispering.

"He invited me over! He said it was fine!," Came the reply in just-as-annoyed hisses, both girls standing outside her brother's bedroom door. "I haven't seen him in 8 months, Jo... What's the big deal?"

"I haven't even seen him! We just got everything in here- Has he even unpacked yet?!"

"Everything important." Tori smiled a bit with that, giggling as her friend made a disgusted face. "Oh, will you relax. You're just upset you haven't gotten any in awhile. regretting that breakup with Luke yet?"

Jordan bit her lip, shaking her head and staring at the floor. "It was complicated, okay?"

"Woah, sorry hun. Low blow on my part. Listen, he's gonna wonder where I am- and I really, REALLY don't want to wake your mom. So... well, I'll see you in the morning, okay? We'll just say you came down and picked me up really early in the morning, right?"

"Ugh, whatever..." Jordan shook her head, pressing past her friend and off for the stairs. This whole little 'fuck buddy' situation between those two was starting to drive her mad. Tori was supposed to be her best friend. Kind of hard to think of her as such when she was doing that with her big brother. Getting her glass of water from the kitchen, she was soon headed back to her room, shuddering and trying to ignore the grunts and groans that echoed the thumps against the wall of her brother's room on her way back.




Kelly was the first to rise the next morning, wandering to the master bedroom's shower with a yawn. It was still so amazing to be in this giant place, a house all her own... and the kids really seemed to be taking to it well. Sure, the two of them were old enough to be out on their own- but Kelly liked to have the company. Jordan was rebellious, but still her daughter. And to have the returning military boy wandering the house... well, that was a mother's pride and the relief of a man around.

But speaking of 'a man'.

As she lathered up her hair, the quick conversation with Jordan crept back in. The sketch of the neighbor. Who was that guy? There wasn't anyone close enough to be that quick a walk. She'd need to enquire further on that at breakfast. Rinsing off, she was soon stepping back out, her wet form dripping against the carpet as she returned to her bedroom, looking for something to wear for the day. Picking an outfit seemed such a difficult thing, as she considered what she had to do for the day- a bit more unpacking, possibly go out shopping-

Wait. No.
The biggest thing... was going to be meeting that neighbor. The idea of her teenage daughter wandering around and chatting that long with some unknown guy- it was a touch troublesome. Jordan may have seen herself as an adult, but Kelly was still her mother.

A short plaid sundress, something she figured was nice enough to say 'hi I'm your neighbor', but an added touch of 'and that was my daughter you were talking with yesterday'. Pulling her wet hair up loosely into a ponytail, she slipped on a pair of heeled sandals and headed downstairs.

Coffee. That was a needed thing. Starting up a pot, she turned her attention to some of the papers she had still resting on the kitchen island. As the smell of the filtering coffee began to spread, she could hear more footsteps coming downstairs. "Good morning," she called out, not bothering to look up.

"Hey mom." Jordan plopped down at one of the little barstools on the opposite side, still in her pj shorts and tank. "Um. Hope you don't mind. I ran over and got Tori a bit ago. She wanted to come check out the new place, and we're thinking of hitting the mall this morning."

"That's fine, that's fine." Kelly seemed oblivious to her as she kept reading. "Just no overcharging, okay?"

"Uh...huh." Jordan raised a brow, trying to peer over. "What're you reading?"

"The property lines. Where was this guy's house?"

"Right there, along the property edge. Right... Wait." Jordan leaned over as well, pointing to the roughly drawn map. "That's his place. Right there. But that's..."

"That's our side. We have a squatter?!"

Jordan looked at her blankly with that. "What's... what's a squatter?"

Kelly sighed, pushing her glasses up and rubbing the bridge of her nose. "God damn it.. Its... Its someone who takes over an unused home. That cabin is probably- He's some guy who decided to take over the cabin...."

"You mean he's some homeless guy?!" Oh god, what had she almost DONE last night?! She immediately felt sick, almost falling off the stool. "Mom, I- I gotta go. I want to get rid of that drawing..."

"No.... No... I think..." Kelly sighed again, trying to level her head. "Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. I can just go out there and talk with him. Maybe our paperwork is wrong, there's that off chance. It is hand drawn. Maybe we're looking too far into this. Let's not overreact. I'll try talking to him, and see where that gets us."

"He is a fairly nice guy... Maybe that's the case." Jordan's stomach was still in giant knots.

"Don't worry on it, Jo. You and Tori have a good afternoon at the mall, and Mom will handle all this, okay?" Kelly gave her a warm smile, reaching out to rub her daughter's hand. "It's alright, dear. I'm sorry I scared you. Mom overreacted. Thinking too much along my own storylines than something as simple as poorly drawn property lines... Now let's get some coffee and I'll see about talking to this guy."

(OOC -- Double post for both Carson and the brother, whose name I don't think we had decided upon and, therefore, I chose to be "Eric".)


Eric awoke alone, which was disappointing. The previous night was the first time he and Tori had slept together -- as in slept overnight, as opposed to fucked and went their separate ways afterward -- and he'd been excited about the prospects of awaking to morning sex. He listened for a moment, trying to pick up sounds of her in his bathroom but heard nothing.

Then he smiled. His bathroom. After the divorce, they'd lived in that nice but too small apartment and had had to share a bathroom. He used to joke that it had been the reason he'd joined the Army ... to no longer have to share a bathroom with two chicks. Of course, now he was sharing one with 65 other guys!

He slipped a hand down below the blankets and found his dick swollen almost to a usable condition. Just thinking of Tori made him hard; she didn't even have to be in the room, although that always helped, of course. Tori wasn't his first lover, but she'd certainly been the best. The girl knew how to fuck ... and, of course, other things. And she was insatiable...

Which made Eric's smile fade a bit. He had an huge ego concerning women -- he'd gotten that from his philandering father -- and that ego, like his dick, swelled at two thoughts: having a beautiful woman, and making that beautiful woman scream with satisfaction.

And that was where the problem was currently. Tori did amazing things to Eric; they never ended a night without him cumming at least twice, and usually three times. Hell, the Sunday before he left for Boot Camp, they'd been in bed for half the day and she'd made him cum seven times, something he hadn't even considered possible before them.

But ... he suspected that he wasn't doin' it for Tori. Oh sure, she writhed about and moaned and groaned and cried out at times. But Eric ... well, he couldn't be sure whether he was actually gettin' her off, or whether she was faking to make him feel more of a man. It killed him not knowing, but he couldn't ask her if she was enjoying herself or not.

He was supposed to know, wasn't he...? Back when he was just 15, he'd overheard his parents going at it and was absolutely entranced by the sounds coming from his mother. He waited several days -- not wanting his father to know he'd had his ear to the wall -- and quizzed his father about sex ... or more specifically about knowing whether your doing it right. His father, James, in his ever-over-confident demeanor, answered, "A real man knows."

That hadn't been helpful, of course. All it had done was scare Eric away from ever asking a lover, "Do I make you feel good, too?"

It concerned him -- Tori's pleasure -- because he wouldn't see her often now that he'd enlisted; Leave only came around once, maybe twice a year, and he was stationed on the far side of the country, which meant that coming home for a weekend was logistically difficult, though not out of financial reach.

His relationship with Tori was ... well, it was about sex! They'd never talked about marriage; they just weren't those type of people, and they were simply too young to even consider it. So ... if they were just about sex ... and he wasn't here to give it to her ... then ... who was...? Giving it to her...? Was she just waiting around for him to come home...? He doubted it. She was ... hell, she was a sexual animal; there was just no way that she was going to sit around her with a chastity belt on pining away for him.

The more he thought about Tori ... about sex ... about sex with Tori ... the harder Eric got. He hopped out of bed, checked the bathroom -- finding it, indeed, empty -- and hopped in the shower to clean up from a night of sweat and other fluids. And, still hard as a rock, he relieved to the image of Tori leaning over the kitchen table, in view of his mother and sister and she proclaimed loudly, "I'm cumming, Eric you beast ... you're the best ... and I want the world to know..."

It may not have been as satisfying as being with Tori ... but at least in his fantasies, he knew for a fact that he made her get off...



Carson was out in the forest before sunup, performing some more of his saving the planet tasks. He returned for coffee and a late breakfast, just in time to catch glimpses of movement up at the Big House. He grabbed up the binoculars without even thinking about it, then laughed at himself. Frickin' peeping Tom!

He set the field glasses aside, poured a cup of coffee ... then, unable to resist ... returned to the kitchen window and lifted the binoculars to his eyes again.

Carson was dying with curiosity about his new neighbors.

Jordan was, of course, an obsession already; he so badly wanted to be her first lover, and he'd spent much of the previous evening playing with scenarios and dialogue for their next meeting, to ensure that when they parted a second time, they were doing so with smiles of satisfaction filling their faces.

And yet, while he'd been sitting there, he'd caught just the shortest of glimpses of the other two women in the house. Kelly had made a couple of passes before the second floor windows in her underwear, and while the glimpses hadn't been enough to tell Carson anything about what she might look like up close and personal, they had peaked his interest enough to play a part in his alone time fantasies once bed time had arrived.

And, of course, the Brother's girlfriend had been part of those fantasies, too; Carson hadn't seen any reason for depriving her of being part. She hadn't been sneaking into the house to play Cribbage, after all; she and the Brother had likely spent a bit of time messing up the bed in his new room before she slipped out during the night.

But, she hadn't, Carson realized now as he peeped toward the house. Near the end of the house where the garage was and where Carson could see all or part of three automobiles, he caught sight of the two teenage girls. He wanted to see more of them -- wondering whether they were leaving the premises or just taking a walk -- but then caught much closer movement, close enough to cause him to drop the field glasses quickly.

"Hello...?" a female voice called.

Carson filled his hands with his coffee cup and a book, trying to cover the fact that they'd been filled with binoculars, and hurried into the open doorway of the cabin. Coming through the opening in the split cedar log fence was, obviously, Kelly Nicholson ... and Carson was immediately aware that he was going to have a problem...

My future lover's mother is a doll, he thought, looking her over well. The well built blond wore a plaid, mid-thigh length dress with a low neck line; it highlighted still-firm, fair-skinned breasts and long athletic legs that, without even having to consider it, Carson was already planning on parting as soon as possible. How the hell can one house contain so much erotic beauty...?

He smiled broadly and called back, "Welcome to the neighborhood ... Kelly, I assume."

It didn't even occur to Carson that revealing his knowledge of her name might expose the fact that he'd spent the previous afternoon with the woman's teenage daughter. Of course, he was assuming that Jordan wouldn't have told all the details of their encounter. Would a teenage girl admit such thoughts ... such conversations ... such desires and wants to her mother...?

He dismissed the thought, letting his eyes drop to Kelly's beautiful form once more before swinging a hand back toward the open door and asking, "Can I interest you in a cup or coffee or a fresh cooked biscuit?"

...or a romp in my bed...? he wanted to add.

"Spill it," Tori suddenly blurted as the bright red Mustang backed out of the garage, smirking over at her friend in the driver's seat.

"Excuse me?," Jordan laughed, glancing between both the view over her shoulder into the driveway and the girl beside her. "What're you talking about?"

Tori groaned, rolling her eyes and lightly punching the other in the arm. "Don't give me that! I can totally see it in your face. There's a guy. A new guy. What's his name?"

"It's not like that at all," Jordan replied quickly, blushing and shaking her head. "He doesn't even think of me that way and-"

"I KNEW IT!" Tori's blurt nearly made Jordan swerve the car out of its path. "Who? Who is it? Is it someone I know? Ohhhh, or is it a case of the rich girl goin' for the gardner?"

"Oh my god, just shut up." She was laughing again, shaking her head. "Nothing like that. It's... Okay, fine. One of the neighbors. This guy out back... I met him yesterday and dumbly asked if I could sketch him and...." She trailed off, blushing again as she recalled the conversation that seemed to head south so fast. "He's just... he's too nice a guy for someone like me."

"I so have to meet this guy."

"Will you PLEASE just shut up." Still, the sudden conversation about Carson brought the images of the man back to her mind... along with all the knots he created in her stomach.

"Gonna fuck him?"

"TORI!"

"What? I thought it was a legit question! Sounds hot. I'd fuck him." Tori simply nodded matter-of-factly with that, then busted into laughter. "Chill, would you? I'm just kidding around..."

Jordan frowned, clutching the wheel a bit tighter.

... She wanted to. God, did she ever want to.

-----------


The little house was certainly not as she'd expected it to be as Kelly approached, but her daughter's statements were confirmed true as she saw the lights on inside the home. "Hello...?" She called, a bit worried on exactly where she was wandering. If the guy had been that nice to Jordan, she didn't have too much to worry on- until she brought up the property lines. She doubted THAT would go over very well.

The man's smile and returned words were a slight comfort, quirking a brow as he mentioned her name. So Jordan had told him about the rest of the house. Well then, he must also know there was a military man residing there as well.

"Can I interest you in a cup of coffee of a fresh cooked biscuit?"

A very nice fellow. Well, this was turning out much better than she had hoped. And her daughter's sketch- well. Jo had talent when it came to her artwork, but it didn't quite do this man justice. "Some coffee would be wonderful, thank you."

Jordan had mentioned his name briefly the night before. She was straining to recall it now, the light finally clicking on as it came to her. Carson! Like the former late night host. "Please forgive me if I'm intruding, Mister... Carson. Jordan had told me last night about meeting you, and I thought that I would come out and properly introduce myself as well. It seems Jo has already told you about us a bit..."

She followed him inside, eyes trailing along both the cabin's interior to the man himself. The images of Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine could be completely blown away by his physique. "We haven't- bothered you at all, have we? I hadn't realized we had any neighbors so close by... And I do apologize for Jo's wandering last night. She really should have known better than to disturb you like that."

"We haven't- bothered you at all, have we?" Kelly was apologizing as Carson lead her into the cabin for a cup of hot coffee. When she passed by and began glancing about -- her back to him -- he couldn't help but give her tight little ass a good once-over inspection. So ... runs in the family, he thought, remembering back to watching Jordan's backside as she'd departed the day before. [b']"I hadn't realized we had any neighbors so close by..."[/b]

Neighbor, he thought, singular. And ... I can tell you don't know WHY we're such close neighbors.

Carson was torn between simply telling Kelly point-blank, right here and now, about their situation; and between letting it ride a bit longer, just to see if she had even an inkling of why he lived within Peeping Tom range of her bedroom window. He glanced toward the counter below the window and found his binoculars laying out in plain sight; then glanced casually toward the half-opened closet door, beyond which was the telescope that he hadn't taken out yet simply because he was missing a bolt on the tripod. If she sees them ... she's gonna suspect.

Carson casually made his way toward the door, hoping to close it -- making it look like simply tidying up for a guest -- before Kelly began to suspect she was his night time entertainment.

"And I do apologize for Jo's wandering last night." she continued. "She really should have known better than to disturb you like that."

"It wasn't a problem," he said quickly, smiling as he slowly shut the closet door. He tried to assure Kelly that her little girl was safe around him, saying, "She's a nice kid. When she gets older, the boys at school are going to go wild for her. If only I were a younger man..."

He laughed, trying his best to instill in Kelly a sense of security, while simultaneously cursing himself for beginning to harden down below. Down boy ... not in front of momma.

But as he continued to make his way casually about the cabin in a slow circle, picking up a coffee mug and plate and delivering them to the sink -- while inconspicuously laying a towel over the exposed binoculars -- he wondered, Is this hard on for Jordan ... or her sexy mother...?

He invited Kelly to sit and talk for a bit, asking her some safe questions, like What do you do...? and Is your girl your only child...? He listened to her with both real and feigned interest: he was indeed interested in knowing more about Kelly and her family ... but only because it had been a long time since he'd been with a beautiful woman, and he figured it would be easier to nail one or both of them if he seemed to care about them as neighbors first.

Kelly smiled weakly as he moved through the small house, glancing around a bit more. From the looks of it, he was a singly guy living back here, perhaps the reason that no bigger notice was made on the little home. A tiny laugh left her lips as he commented on her daughter, shaking her head slightly. "She has no real sense of concern sometimes- which worries me. That artist's head of hers- she thinks everything is open territory."

The comment on a younger man, however, did manage to spark a touch of Mama Bear from her, giving him a quick glance. "She's 18... I have enough worries on what's going on with her anymore. So glad her teens turned out better than mine..." She sighed softly, shaking her head. "I love my children dearly, but there are things from my younger years I sometimes wish I had never done. A case of If I knew then..."

She welcomed the cup of coffee and conversation, settling at his table with him and listening to his queries. "I'm a writer," She explained, taking a soft sip of her drink. "I guess you could say author, but the term- It's so hard to really fathom myself as a legit author. I've sold books, but- well, I'm no Stephen King, that's for certain."

She told about her kids. Her son Eric, his recent military leave. How nice it was to have a man in the house at the moment. "All those heavy boxes and the spiders I keep finding," she joked with a little laugh. "I'm glad that Jo is spending time with Tori again, but I do wish she wouldn't sleep in Eric's room." She frowned with that, shaking her head. "I know they think I'm unaware. But a mother knows those sounds from inside her home."

She sat up a bit more, gesturing to her new neighbor. "So what about you, Carson? What is it you do? I don't mean to be too nosy, just a curiosity." She paused, glancing around the home once again. The thought brought about another question, one that she was hesitant to bring up aloud.

Was there a fault in the paperwork? A problem with the property lines? It certainly didn't seem a proper question to introduce herself with. Carson came off as a nice enough fellow, and she would hate to offend him with such a forward inquiry so quickly upon meeting him. Then the recalling on how she had scared Jordan with her blurted thoughts earlier- Oh, she was doing terrible this morning.

"So what about you, Carson?" Kelly asked. "What is it you do?"

Beyond a doubt, her questions confirmed to Carson that she had no idea about why he was on the property ... her property. He was conflicted about the secrecy behind it; he felt deceitful for not having forced the Realtor to fully disclose his residence here, and yet he knew that if the man had, Kelly -- like so many before her -- likely wouldn't have purchased the land.

"I, um ... I'm ... sort of a biologist," he began hesitantly. "I don't have a degree or anything. It's ... sort of a hobby. Grew up--" He was about to say right here, but didn't, not knowing whether he was ready to divulge his full connection to the land yet. He continued, "--grew up around forests ... around people who cared for them. Took an interest in everything nature, you could say. These woods--"

He stood and headed toward the big window that looked out into the forest as he continued, "--they are home to over a dozen threatened species ... three endangered ones. There's an owl in there that only exists in three places in the state. A snail ... yeah, a snail ... doesn't sound important, but it's fed upon by both an endangered..."

He went quiet, realizing he was getting a little off topic. He stared out the door for a moment, then turned. He studied Kelly for a moment, observed her reaction to his rambling. Then, determined to set the record straight, jerked a finger toward the window and, beyond it, the woods, and said, "Kelly ... this forest ... it's yours ... and ... well, it's mine ... in a sense. What I mean ... what I'm trying to say..."

Carson was very hesitant in his explanation, and he didn't understand immediately why. He'd given this explanation to potential buyers before ... usually just before they said No deal and walked. So ... why was he having such a hard time now...?

For just a flash, he let his eyes drop to the shapely bosom emphasized so well by the tight little dress, then quickly raised his gaze again to Kelly's beautiful eyes, set upon him, too. And he knew why he was having such a hard time; never before had he been so anxious to fuck one of his potential buyers, let alone one of the buyers, her daughter, and even her female house guess.

"Kelly, I'm sorry you weren't made better aware of this prior to buying the property," he said with a sincere tone, "But the woods ... they are part of your property ... this cabin ... my cabin, and everything on this side of the cedar fence ... is part of your property ... and per the terms of the deed--" Carson smiled politely, trying to lessen the blow that was coming. "--I control anything and everything on my side of the fence ... and ... to put it simply ... I will control it ... for as long as I wish...."

He was a fascinating man, as she listened to him tell more on his background. Biologist, hm? Perhaps this was someone her daughter should be spending time with; the girl had barely passed her biology classes in high school, and the course was one expected of her in college. If a man who made his living at it was in their own back yard- well then, that was a pure stroke of luck!

The mention on how important the wooded area behind her home was in regard to his subject of study, Kelly could only nod in agreement. She had no intention of taking away the growth, having actually found it to be a large part of the property's charm. Taking another sip of the coffee, she glanced up at him as he grew quiet. Goodness, did he have that great an affinity to the woods that he lost his composure?!

"Carson, I have no intent on-"

She paused as he started to explain something, something she didn't quite understand. The wooded area was belonging to them both? "So the property line map was wrong," she started softly, setting the cup down.

He started over. An apology? Why an apology?
Her face dropped slightly as he explained it all.
That was insane.
"So- Wait. I- what?" She stared at her hand on the cup for a moment, piecing together everything he had just said. "You're like... a rental tenant... That came with the place... but pay no rent and control my property?!" She stood up, shaking her head. "There was no mention at all of this-! No one said ANYTHING about- So I can't-"

She drew a breath, trying to regain herself.
"How exactly did this deal come about? Something with the previous owners?"
A new thought. "This... This place is yours, isn't it." It was a sudden dawning on her. "You were selling it... That's why you're back here..." She sighed, shaking her head and resting her forehead against her palm. "Things can never be simple, can they? Just when I thought things were going so well for me..."

She gave another heavy sigh, then looked at him. The man's rugged features seemed to lessen the blow of all this information, the way her children's smiles and whimpered apologies made things somewhat easier when they broke things. "So what are the full details of this... deal?"

"So what are the full details of this... deal?"

She was upset and disappointed ... which, of course, upset and disappointed Carson; beautiful women didn't typical throw themselves at strange men when they were upset and disappointed, which was a bitch...

Carson pulled the old iron coffee pot from its hanger over the now coals-only fire and refilled both of their mugs. He sat in the old wicker chair across from her -- just a few feet from her, when he leaned in to talk -- and explained everything, from the lost of his parents at an early age to the trust fund that had supported him to the short stint in the Navy to the years-long battle to sell the property with the crazy man out back stipulation.

"I never meant for you to be misled, Kelly," he said, his voice full of sincerity, even if his words were a few shades of gray from the absolute truth of things. He might have been more accurate if he'd said I never meant for you to be angry but I needed to mislead you. He sipped at his coffee, then stood and -- not at all expecting her to accept -- asked, "Would you stay for dinner ... and we can talk about this some more. I have no intention of being a burden on you, but only of protecting the woods."

And of fucking you or your daughter ... or both, he thought, not having to hide a smile as one didn't even threaten to present itself; he was pretty sure the only one who was fucked was him, fucked out of having either Kelly or Jordan. You should have given the girl a lesson last night, before her mother learned the truth about you.

As she looked up at him, he smiled politely, saying, "I make a heck of an all natural stew ... most of the ingredients right out of the woods ... your woods."

He stepped back a bit, opening a path from her seat to the still-open cabin door. He expected that she'd be outta here in the next few seconds...

"I suppose I... Somewhat understand. It's your family home. Wanting to keep it safe is a respectable thing, Conner. It's just- the method is rather unconventional." She ran a hand along her hair, closing her eyes a moment. It wasn't as frightening a thing as she first worried, but not exactly as calming as she had hoped. There were no inacuracies. This was hers. And his.

Kelly finally reopened her eyes, glancing at him as he offered a dinner to discuss the mess. "Perhaps... On one condition..." She took a breath, shaking her head before pointing toward the door. "I'd like a tour of the property. From you. I've seen enough of the 'front'... But you know out here. You can give me a better idea on how exactly all this is working."

She was sure this was crazy... But his explanation made a touch of sense. He was looking out for his family home and the unique species of creatures in the property. But why like this? Even if the realtor had mentioned a tenant on the premises- ah, but he wasn't, was he? He paid nothing on the place to her... He was just- there.

Complicated and confusing. This whole thing...
"I'll take your offer depending on how our walk goes. Seem fair?"

A walk in the woods with a beautiful woman, Carson thought to himself, smiling a bit. I bet she's not looking at it the way I am...

He accepted the deal, gathered a few things -- bottle of water, the now-hidden binoculars, a camera -- and gestured her to follow. "We'll take what I call the Owl Trail."

As they ventured into the woods, Carson explained in an ever softening voice, less they scare away the wildlife, about some of the more fragile species living in the woods and what was stressing their existence. He'd once been a volunteer at a Nature Reserve and given these edu-tainment tours twice a week or more -- and never tired of them.

As they proceeded, Kelly asked questions occasionally and he answered them as best he could. He wasn't, he reminded her, a biologist by education but he knew a hell of a lot more about this particular track of forest than anyone ever had.

The Owl Trail had been named for the presence of both the endangered, native owl and the bullying, non-native owl that was pushing the prior out of its territory, Carson told her, his voice now so low that he often turned to face her when he talked. He slowed their progression until they were barely moving forward, then just behind the trunk of a massive tree downed by a storm three years earlier, stopped them for a long moment, raising a finger to his lips to gesture her silent.

His next move was partly motivated by wanting to show her something special ... and simply wanting an excuse to put his hands on her. He stepped carefully around behind her, again signalling silence. He placed his hands gently upon her upper arms and, urging her ever-so-slowly forward from behind the downed tree's root base, leaned in close to her. Carson reached one hand around her, pointing past the tangle of roots to the base of yet another downed tree, this one rotted by the passing of decades. He whispered so close to her ear that her blond hair wafted in his breath, "At the base ... look carefully ... be patient ... they'll show themselves eventually."

He pulled his arm back, again laying his hand upon her upper arm. He knew he should have lowered his hands; he was taking liberties that weren't his to take, showing familiarity where none yet existed. But he liked the feel of her warm skin in his hands; he liked being this close to her, the smell of her rising to his nose...

(OOC -- I'm not going to write how long she let's him get away with this impertinence; you decide ... seconds, minutes. Also, you can decide what shows from the hole below the trunk. I really took control during the walk, so I'll give the reins back to you now. )