New to the Neighborhood

[BeachBum25]

CLOSED

Michael Doolin 33/m
6'1"... 180 lbs
light brown hair
hazel eyes
athletic build

At the age of 33, Michael had experienced a lot. He had served in the military; saw active duty in Afghanistan; came home and earned a college degree; got married and then became a widower when his wife was killed by a drunk driver. Now, he was taking a new job several states away. He had taken an entry level job when he first graduated from college, but now he found a position as an account representative with a corporate investment firm with a great starting salary and incredible growth potential. It was something he couldn't pass up.

Since there was nothing to tie him to his current location, relocating was not a problem for Michael. He arrived in his new hometown a week before he was supposed to start working. He figured that it would give him a head start on finding a home; it would be one less thing that he would have to worry about once he started working. The real estate agent he worked with showed him quite a few houses, but she hadn't shown him one that he was interested in buying. As Michael started to get settled, the agent said there was a house for sale in the neighborhood where her husband and her lived. She told Michael it was bigger than he had been interested in, but it might be worth a look.

She was right. He saw the house and right then and there made a decision to buy it. They went back to her office and wrote the offer, which the seller accepted. Michael acknowledged the agent when she told him that it was a neighborhood of families and that there really weren't any single people his age in the neighborhood. "That is okay. I can make friends with married people, and I do not necessarily have to socialize only with people in the neighborhood.

Starting his new job went smoothly. He made it a priority to contact each of his clients on the day that he started. He introduced himself, and told each client he would be following up with them in the near future. To facilitate those follow up calls, Michael made appointments to conduct video conferences with the clients. Until settlement on the house, Michael lived in an extended stay community. Fortunately, the seller was able to accommodate a 30 day closing and before long, Michael was moving in. The little bit of furniture that he had and the other miscellaneous items in his life were in storage, so, after settlement he had the moving company deliver everything.

As things were being moved in, several of the neighbors (the stay at home wives/mothers) stopped to say hello and welcome to the neighborhood and asked to meet with Michael's wife. After a while he got tired of telling them he was a widower and hearing them say how sorry they were to hear that. So, he started telling anyone who asked that he was single, and leaving it at that. Several of them acted surprised when he told them he was single, with one, a woman in her 40s, even commented that she was shocked that someone with his good looks was single. He thanked her for the compliment and told her he was flattered coming from such an attractive woman. Maybe he was flirting a little with her, but he was just trying to be friendly. Never did he think anything would come of it. He was just happy that the people were friendly and welcoming.

One of the women mentioned that the neighborhood was having a block party on Saturday night and that he should come to the party because it would be an opportunity to meet all of the neighbors and to get to know everyone. He thanked her and agreed that it would be a great opportunity and he would love to attend.

 

[ms_tiff]

Claire Whitman
34 Female
5'4"
Chocolate brown, wavy hair
Hazel eyes
Slim, lightly toned



The neighborhood block party had always been Claire’s favorite. She remembered when she and Matt had first moved onto the street as newlyweds and the neighbors had welcomed them with open arms. Back then, Claire had been a social butterfly, flitting about the party to meet every new face she could. Making small talk with all the wives and silently rolling her eyes as they complained about their husbands.

“Just wait until you’ve been married for a bit.” They would tell her. “That newlywed glow doesn’t last forever.”

She had thought nothing of their warnings, chalking it up to jaded housewives who had nothing else to do but gossip. But she should have listened to them. Should have heeded the warnings. If she had, maybe she wouldn’t be here now.

Ten years into her marriage, hiding the fact that her husband had had numerous affairs with women…no, girls, he’d met online. Not one of them a day over twenty-two, still taut and perky. Not yet worn down by jobs and keeping house. Not yet weighed down by a loveless, sexless marriage. Not yet in debt to a couples counselor whom Claire was fairly sure was flirting with Matt at every session.

Now, here she stood, hard lemonade in hand, trying to feign interest in whatever asinine conversation was happening around her. Watching Matt from the corner of his eye as he flirted with the Miller’s daughter who was home for the summer from her semester abroad.

“Huh?” She turned back to the three women standing around her, realizing that Jane had asked her a question.

“I said, did you see the hot new piece of man meat that moved in next to you?” Jane repeated with a slight huff.

Claire shook her head. “No, I haven’t met him yet. Been a bit busy.” She tried to hide the bite in her voice, but, from the look on Jane’s face, she hadn’t done a good job.

A rarity in the neighborhood, Claire was one of the few women who refused to settle into a stay at home wife role. Instead, she drove into the city every day where she put in long hours as a family attorney.

“Speaking of…” Amelia spoke up, trying to ease the tension, “there he is now.” She nodded her heads towards a tall, well built man who looked like a lost puppy in the midst of a sea of strangers.

Claire let her eyes drift over the man who had moved next door to her and Matt. She had seen him moving about at night when he forgot to close his blinds, and she couldn’t deny that he was attractive. Maybe that was why she hadn’t yet gone over to introduce herself. An attractive man spelled trouble. Matt was proof of that.

“Not bad.” She said with a shrug when it became evident she was meant to comment in some way. She took another sip of her drink, surprised to find the can empty. “If you’ll excuse me.” Claire shook the empty can to signify where she was headed. Moving away from the group, she wandered through the crowd of families to the massive drink table, pausing to look at the options. Grabbing a spiked seltzer, she turned and immediately bumped into a hard body.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” She muttered, looking up and up and up, into the new neighbor’s bright hazel eyes.

 

[BeachBum25]

Having already met several of the women in the neighborhood, Michael was hoping that the block party would be an opportunity to meet the men of the neighborhood. He put on a pair of blue shorts and a light gray form-fitting t-shirt and decided to walk down the street to the party. He wasn't sure about how to dress, but figured that it couldn't be too fancy.

As he walked down the street, he noticed all of the looks he was getting. Boy, did he feel out of place. He was starting to feel like he should never have bothered coming. Maybe it would have been better to meet the neighbors on an individual basis instead of like this. As he made his way into the large mass of people, he actually contemplated turning around and going back home.

Nodding to a couple of the women who had stopped by to welcome him, Michael saw that the men they were standing with were giving him dirty looks. He was starting to feel that the men felt threatened by him being in the neighborhood. He wasn't sure why they would feel that way. He had done nothing more than move in. The women had been friendly and stopped over to introduce themselves, and nothing had happened. Well, there had been the one woman and the brief flirt, but that was it.

He saw several women standing talking. They seemed to be looking in his direction. The one woman seemed to nod toward him. He recognized her as Amelia, one of the women that had stopped to welcome him to the neighborhood. He started to nod back to her, but then realized she was just indicating to the women that she was talking to that the new guy was arriving. Michael felt like a deer in the headlights.

Michael saw a couple of men standing by themselves, talking, and decided to start there. Hopefully, they would be open to his introduction. As he made his way toward them, he bumped into someone and immediately heard a woman begin to apologize. He looked down and their hazel eyes met. "Oh no. There is nothing for you to be sorry about. I was not paying attention to where I was going. I am new in the neighborhood and was looking around trying to find a friendly face to talk to. I should have been more careful and aware of what I was doing and where I was going."

He stopped his rant and smiled. "Pardon my poor manners. My name is Michael and I just moved into the neighborhood." He offered his hand to the extremely attractive woman while looking around to see if her husband was nearby. He didn't want to cause any problems.

 

[ms_tiff]

The poor man in front of her looked as scared and out of place as Claire felt, making her pity him just a little bit. She offered him a weak smile and held her hand out.

“I’m Claire Whitman, I live in the white Colonial right next to you.” She pointed towards the cute two-story house with the cheerful, yellow shutters. The gardens surrounding the house were in full bloom, Claire’s pride and joy were those gardens. She spent every spare moment tending the flowers and shrubs.

Though it was early evening, the air was hot and humid and Claire could feel beads of sweat dripping down her neck and back. She held the cool can of seltzer against her throat. Some of the condensation dripping onto her lavender-colored sundress.

“How have you been finding the neighborhood?” She asked for lack of any other conversation. “I’ve heard th neighborhood busybodies have already come calling.” She rolled her eyes towards the women she had been chatting with, who all quickly turned away as if they weren’t just staring at Claire and Michael.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Hello Claire. It is very nice to meet you." He turned and looked in the direction that she was pointing. "Oh, yes. Your house is beautiful, and the gardens are amazing. I couldn't help but notice them when I looked at my house. The fact that my neighbor took such good care of their house helped me make the decision to buy my house. Once I get settled, I might ask you who you have do the landscaping."

As Claire moved the can of spiked seltzer over her neck, he couldn't help to follow it with his eyes. Then his eyes followed the drips of condensation down onto her sundress. He quickly moved his eyes back to hers; making sure that she didn't view him as being inappropriate.

"Well, so far, I am finding the neighborhood to be very interesting. Yes, the busybodies as you have called them have already paid me a visit. I got tired of them asking questions about my past and telling they were sorry about something that I made the mistake of sharing, so, I stopped sharing that information with the rest of them, but, I am sure that the first ones have shared it with everyone they spoke with since visiting me. At first I thought it was nice to have people stop by and introduce themselves. Now, I am not so sure."

He looked over at the "busybodies." then he looked around at other people. "The men don't seem too welcoming. Not sure why. The men that were standing with women that stopped by to visit me were all giving me dirty looks as I walked down the street. I was heading over to introduce myself to the small group of men over there when I bumped into the person who has been the most genuine person to welcome me, so far."

Michael started to wonder if someone would get upset with him standing here talking to Claire. "So, Claire, Is your husband here? I would really like to meet him. It is always good to know the people next door just in case you need help with something." As soon as it came out, he wished he hadn't said it. It sounded like he was trying to get away from Claire, but nothing could be further from the truth. He was going to say something to try to cover it up, but decided that it was best to just let it go and hopefully, Claire would not feel offended.

 

[ms_tiff]

“Don’t mind all of them.” Claire dismissed the neighborhood busybodies with a wave of her hand. “They’re all repressed housewives who need a good fuck. And their husbands are too busy fucking their secretaries to care about their wives. Until a hot, single man comes into town.” She adds, skipping right over the fact that she said the word ‘hot’ in reference to Michael.

Not that he wasn’t. Hot, that was. Claire’s gaze swept over Michael’s tall, lean form. Taking in the way his gray t-shirt stretched taut over his arms. Claire had always been a sucker for a man with good arms, and Michael definitely had the kind that made you dream of being swept up and carried off An Officer and a Gentleman style.
“My husband?” Michael’s words pulled her out of her arm-induced stupor. “Matt is over there somewhere.” She waved to where Matt was holding court, gesticulating wildly with a bottle of beer in his hand as the men around him laughed wildly at some story he was telling.

Watching him, Claire couldn’t understand what she had ever seen in him. The man was wearing a popped collar unironically as if it was still the early 2000s.

She turned back to Michael. “Trust me, if you need anything, I’m the one to call. Matt is only good at dialing the phone to get a professional out to fix things.” She holds her hand out to Michael. “Here, give me your phone. I’m gonna give you y number in case you need anything.”

 

[BeachBum25]

He was speechless as the woman he just met went on a little bit of a tirade about the other women in the neighborhood. He was surprised by her brashness and how she talked about the women needing a good fuck. There was something refreshing about hearing Claire use that term. Most women stayed away from that word, especially when first meeting someone. It seemed that Claire was just being herself.

When Claire mentioned a hot, single man coming to town, Michael wondered if it she was talking about him. Then, he just let it go, assuming that Claire was speaking in generalities not specifically about him.

When Claire motioned in the direction of a group of men talking, Michael noticed a man waving a beer bottle around and making sure that he was the center of attention. The group that she pointed toward was the group of men that he had been making his way toward when he bumped into Claire. "Well, I guess at some point I will get an opportunity to say hello to him. However, right now it looks like he is engaged in some serious conversation and I would not want to interrupt."

"I am not big on calling for help. I usually like to take care of things myself, which is why I rented a truck and moved myself. Fortunately, I didn't have many big things to move. I plan on buying most of the furniture now that I am getting settled in."

Michael was surprised when Claire asked for his phone. Without thinking, he handed it to her and watched as she put her number in his contacts. When she handed his phone back, he sent her a text that simply said, "Michael." "Now you have my number too. I doubt that I will need very much help around the house because I am very good with my hands."

He paused for a second, wondering if he was flirting with his attractive next door neighbor. "But, it is good to know that I have someone who is willing to help me out with anything I might need."

He smiled at Claire. "I think the drink you have in your hand might be getting warm. Why don't we get you a cold one. I could use a drink myself." He turned toward the table with the drinks and grabbed a spiked seltzer for Claire and a beer for himself. After opening his beer, he tapped it to Claire's drink, "to a great relationship between new neighbors." He then took a big drink of the beer; thinking... "did I just say a relationship."

 

[ms_tiff]

Claire took the fresh drink from Michael, the three previous drinks starting to make her buzzy. She clinked her can against his beer bottle and took a long drag of the seltzer, choosing to ignore the way the word “relationship” made goosebumps rise on her flesh.

“I think you’re going to fit in here just fine.” Claire said as she glanced around the block party. The booze was starting to catch up with most of the adults and the warm summer air was starting to fill with tipsy laughs and giggles. “Honestly, I know I sound all jaded and over it, but this actually is a good neighborhood. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression or anything. It’s been a stressful week and I think I’m letting that get to me.” She offered Michael a gentle smile. She opened her mouth to say something more, the alcohol making her feel flirty, when she felt a warm, heavy arm drape over her bare shoulders.

“Hey babe.” Matt pressed a possessive kiss to her lips as he turned back to Michael. “Hey man, I wanted to introduce myself and welcome you. I’m Matt, Claire’s husband. What brings you to our neighborhood?”

Claire shifted, trying to ease the weight of Matt’s arm on her shoulders. His skin felt hot and sticky against her. She took another drink of her seltzer as Matt eyed the new neighbor.

 

[BeachBum25]

Listening as Claire was telling him that he was going to fit in well in the neighborhood, Michael felt that the alcohol may have been getting to her a little. She was opening up to him a lot more than someone normally does when first meeting a new neighbor. Only being a couple of sips into his first beer (might be the only beer he has here) Michael realized he had an advantage over everyone.... he would be able to think clearly before saying anything since the alcohol would not be loosening his lips.

Michael almost laughed out loud when Claire's husband came over and put his arm around her and gave her a big kiss. It looked like he was making sure that Michael knew that Claire was HIS. He was claiming his wife and making sure that Michael was aware of who she belonged to.

It was all Michael could do to keep from giving Matt a smartass response when he asked what brought Michael to the neighborhood. Michael took a breath and collected himself. "I found a nice house, bought it, and moved in." Well, that was a little smartass. "Well, I took a new job in town and relocated here. It was time for a fresh start for me, so, here I am."

"Oh, and pardon me for not introducing myself to you. I accidentally bumped into your beautiful wife. My name is Michael. It is very nice to meet you Matt." He offered Matt his hand. Matt looked at Michael's hand as it was extended to him and hesitated for a second. Michael smiled. "Maybe you would just prefer a fist bump. I know some people are still wary of shaking hands after the pandemic." They bumped fists and then Michael took another sip of his beer.

Speaking to the married couple, but really talking to Claire, "this seems like a really fine neighborhood. All of the people are have been very nice and have really opened up to me. I am looking forward to developing some really strong friendships here."

After standing there, and getting no response from Matt, "well, it was nice meeting you both. I think I am going to introduce myself to a few more people and then make my way back home. I still have a lot to do around the house, and I need to get some rest so I can do some painting tomorrow. Thanks for your hospitality."

Michael moved over to a small group of men and introduced himself. They didn't totally ignore him, but they also didn't give him the warmest of receptions. He figured that it had gone around that he was single and some of the guys may feel threatened by having a single male in their neighborhood. He only stayed for a couple of minutes before heading back to the house.

As he walked back to the house he thought, "guys, if you took better care of your wives you wouldn't have to feel threatened by the new single guy." His mind turned to Claire and how good she looked and how he enjoyed talking with her. Then he laughed at how her husband came over and made she Michael knew she was taken.

 

[ms_tiff]

As Claire fell into bed that night, more than a little tipsy, she couldn’t stop thinking about the new neighbor. “Beautiful wife…” the words ran on repeat in her head. He thought she was beautiful. Claire wracked her brain and couldn’t recall the last time that Matt had called her beautiful. Sexy…sure. Hot and smokin’...pretty frequently. But beautiful? That word carried more weight than it should and was making Claire feel all sorts of things she shouldn’t.

“Have fun tonight?” Matt asked as he walked out of the bathroom, his skin still glistening from the shower, his towel wrapped loose around his waist. She eyed the deep v-cut at his hips, the kind of cut that can only come from hours spent in the gym. There used to be a time when Claire couldn’t wait to strip him naked and climb him like a tree. Lately, though, Claire was rarely even aroused by the sight of her husband.

That night though, with the hot new neighbor’s words on repeat in her head and way too much hard seltzer in her bloodstream, Claire was feeling hot and desperate. Climbing up onto her knees, she moved across the bed towards Matt; the silk shorts of her sleep set rubbing deliciously between her thighs.

“I did.” she said, reaching out and tugging at Matt’s towel. The fabric fell easily, pooling around his bare feet. “But, now I want to have another kind of fun.”

Matt raised his eyebrow at her, surprised at Claire’s brazenness. The days of her initiating sex were few and far between these days, but Matt wasn’t about to turn down the offer.

Claire squealed as Matt picked her up and tossed her back onto the bed before climbing on top of her. He made quick work of her shorts and tank top, the silk bits quickly joining his towel on the floor.

“No panties?” He asked with a devilish grin. “Dirty girl.” He spread her legs and Claire closed her eyes, giving in to the sensation of his tongue on her clit. Her fingers curled in his hair, tugging him closer, desperate for more.

With the cool summer night air coming in through the open window, the shades still open, Claire lost herself in the moment. Her cries of pleasure filled the room, escaping through the open window, as she came with the image of Michael between her thighs in her mind’s eye.

 

[BeachBum25]

When Michael got back to the house, he decided to take a shower and wash away the sweat from the hot, humid evening. Stripping off his clothes, he climbed into the hot shower. While the water beat down over him, images of his new neighbor ran through his mind. Had Claire been flirting with him? He found her to be extremely attractive, but she was married. Still, images ran through his mind, and the more he thought of her, the more arousing the images became.

After getting out of the shower and toweling off, Michael put on a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt and went to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator and took it out and sat on the front porch. He looked down the street where the remnants of the block party were being cleaned up and some of the die-hards were still partying.

There was a little bit of a breeze and Michael was enjoying sitting there. His mind wandered to Claire again. It was going to be tough living next to her. He was definitely attracted to her, but she was married. He wasn't sure if she was happily married, but, she was married nonetheless.

While he was sitting there, Michael heard noises coming from next door. The noises got louder, and it soon became very evident what he was hearing. He took a last swig of his beer and stood up, smiling. "Well, it sounds like Claire is having a good time tonight." He went back inside, put the bottle in the recycle bucket, went upstairs, undressed and climbed into bed. He fell asleep, no longer thinking about Claire. Any thoughts of her washed away by the sounds he had heard coming from next door.

******************

Michael slept soundly. When he got up the next morning, he was happy the block party had been on a Friday. That meant he would have all day Saturday to work around the house. He decided to start on the outside. Doing the work in the yard before it got too hot was the best course of action. He could move inside and finish the prep work in the rooms that he was going to paint after finishing outside.

He dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, put on his work boots and went down and made coffee. While the coffee was brewing, he went out into his shed and got a shovel and a rake and a wheelbarrow that the previous owners had left. He wheeled them around to the front of the house, and went back inside for his coffee. After having one cup, he poured a second and took it outside with him.

Deciding that he wanted to put some roses across the front of his house, Michael began digging out the area that he was planning to plant. He had thought it would be pretty easy, but it turned out to be more work than he thought. He made sure to dig down deep enough to loosen and turn over the soil where the roses would be planted.

Before he knew it, his shirt was soaked in sweat. He took the shirt off and tossed it over the rail of his front porch. Continuing to work, Michael was making slow progress and stopped for a second. He looked at what he had left to finish. He decided to continue the work on the outside. That would push back the inside work, but it really wasn't a big deal. He had all the time in the world to do the work around the house.

Part of what slowed him down was the people stopping to say hello as they walked past. Most of those stopping were the busybodies. Some of them were walking their children. Others were walking together on their daily morning walk. All of them seemed to feel the need to stop and talk to him. At one point, Michael saw Matt come out of his house and walk toward the car. Michael stopped to say hello, but Matt simply waved, got in the car, and drove off.

Shrugging his shoulders, Michael went back to work, thinking, "Wow, he is going to be fun to live next door to."

 

[ms_tiff]

The morning sun streaked through the open window, cascading over Claire’s sleeping form. The soft, cotton sheets draped over her torso, leaving her naked breasts uncovered; pink nipples peaked in the morning breeze. A soft moan escaped her lips as eyelids fluttered open. Pressure mixed with a low aching pleasure settled between her thighs and she squinted down to see the sheets moving, Matt’s hand working her slowly to a waking orgasm.

“Someone’s in a good mood this morning.” Claire groaned sleepily, arching her back, her hips rising to meet the press of his thumb against her clit.

“Don’t I have reason to be. That was some workout you gave me last night.” Matt grinned down at her as he slid a finger between her wet lips.

“Fuck.” She breathed into the slow fucking of his finger. The memories of the previous night came back to her in a hazy, hungover jumble. The way he had licked her, bringing her over the edge. How she had pushed him to his back and rode him like a sex-starved school girl, seeking the relief she so desperately needed. And all the while, images of her new neighbor dancing before her.

Matt looked down at her now, two fingers fucking her languidly. He teased her, bringing her so close to the edge only to pull back and leave her aching for it before repeating the actions.

“If you don’t make me cum soon I am going to do it myself.” She bucked wickedly against his hand. Matt laughed and leaned in, sucking a hard nipple between his mouth as he did just what she wanted.

Things with Matt hadn’t always been strained. Their marriage used to be a good one, one to be envied and admired. In the early years, Claire had often woken to the feel of his tongue or his fingers working her to an orgasm. Or she would wake him with her mouth on his cock. They used to laugh and talk and genuinely enjoy each others company. But, as the years progressed and they faced financial struggles, a miscarriage, deaths in the family and all the other things that life will throw at a person, their marriage had started to come apart.

As she dressed that morning, after Matt kissed her good-bye and headed off to his standing Saturday tee-time with the guys, Claire couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, they were starting to shift back to their old selves. But what had brought on that change?

Dressed in a pair of old jean shorts and a loose tank top, Claire headed out to the garage to grab her gardening equipment. The flower beds needed some weeding and the hedges needed to be trimmed. Carrying her things out to the front yard, Claire saw Michael working in his own yard.

“Good morning.” She called over to him with a wave. Tugging her long brown hair into a ponytail, she walked over to the low fence that separated their yards. “I wanted to apologize about last night. I’d had a bit more to drink than I usually do and I can’t help but feel that I was rather rude and abrupt. I promise I’m not usually like that.” She smiled at him, working to keep her gaze from drifting down to his well-muscled torso.

 

[BeachBum25]

After his neighbor blew him off and backed out of his driveway, Michael went back to work. He was getting close to finishing, but decided to take a break and go inside and get a bottle of water. Putting the shovel down, he went up onto the porch, grabbed his sweaty t-shirt and used it to dry off some of the sweat on his body before going inside and getting a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

He leaned against the counter as he drank the water and thought about the smile on his neighbor, Matt's, face as he left earlier. Of course he had a smile on his face. He went home with the beautiful and sexy woman and had her moaning so loud that Michael heard it on the porch last night. Michael thought, "hell, I would have a smile on my face if I spent the night with Claire. No wonder Matt was bouncing out of the house like he was on cloud 9."

Heading back outside after finishing the bottle of water, Michael surveyed his progress. He figured he was about two-thirds of the way finished what he wanted to accomplish out front. Well, that was good, but it was taking him much longer than he anticipated.

Picking up the shovel, Michael went back to work. He put the grass into the wheelbarrow and then dug down into the dirt; continuing to turn it over and get it ready for planting. Once again, he was sweating profusely, which he didn't mind. Michael didn't mind hard work. In fact, he looked at this kind of work as a workout; one that would help him keep his body in shape.

Looking up when he heard another voice call hello to him, Michael saw Claire giving him a little wave. Now, for her, Michael had no problem stopping. He put down his shovel and walked over to the fence between their houses. "Good morning Claire. How are you this morning?" A wicked smile on his face as he looked into her beautiful eyes.

"There is nothing for you to apologize about." Michael's eyes wandered briefly over Claire. He especially liked her loose fitting tank top and how it looked on her. "Why apologize for being up front and honest about your feelings? No need for that. After all, you had a good time last night, didn't you?"

He leaned on the fence as they talked. "I wasn't planning on doing all of this today. I had thought about getting started on it early this morning before it got too hot, but once I got all covered in sweat, I decided to just finish it. No use putting it off and getting all covered in sweat to finish the job. Just shower once I am finished out here and be done with it."

While talking with her, Michael realized it was going to be hard living next door to Claire. She was beautiful and sexy, but most importantly, she was married, and by the sounds last night it seemed that she was happily married. Seeing her on a regular basis would be hard.

He found it difficult to maintain eye contact with Claire. His eyes were constantly wandering, and he didn't want her to think he was a perve, so, he kept telling himself to look in her eyes while trying to continue to have a conversation with her.

"I might need to ask you for some input when it comes time for me to plant. I would like to put in some roses, so, if you don't mind, I will be asking you about what kind of roses and what color you think I should put in. Based on what I see with your gardens, it is obvious that you have a good eye for that."

 

[ms_tiff]

Claire bit her lip, working so hard not to look at Michael’s muscular, sweat-drenched chest as they spoke.

“Flowers…yes, I can definitely help with that.” She said quickly. “Um, roses would look good. Maybe peach or orange roses to offset the darker shade of the house.” Her gaze flicked from Michael to the house behind him.

“If you want, I can go with you to Sullivans, that’s the big nursery in town. I’m good friends with the owner and could potentially get you a deal. Frequent customer and all that.” She said with a laugh and a shrug.

Her gaze drifted back to Michael, dipping down quickly to take in how the sweat made his body look so good, before quickly moving back up to meet his eyes. She was suddenly aware of the fact that she was wearing a white tank top and her blue bralette was probably completely visible through the thin fabric.

“I was actually gonna head there after I finished weeding.” She powered on, “If you wanted to come with me.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Michael listened as Claire talked about what color roses she thought would be good for his house. Well, he sort of listened. He was really paying more attention to looking at Claire and how good she looked in the tank top. He continued to try to look into Claire's eyes, which were incredibly mesmerizing, but the fact that he could see her bra through the white tank top kept garnering his attention.

The he heard Claire say she was going somewhere when she was finished weeding if he wanted to go with her. Actually, what really got his attention was that Claire said if he wanted to "come" with her.

"Yes, sure. That would be great. Actually, I can drive as long as you don't mind riding in a pick-up truck." He started to try to remember what she was talking about and where she might be going. He was certain it had to have something to do with roses for the front of his house, since, that was what he had asked her about.

"Just give me a little heads-up before you are ready, because I will obviously need a shower before I go anywhere in public. Hopefully, I can get this finished before you are finished weeding and be ready for planting."

Michael smiled at Claire and watched as she turned to do her yard work. His eyes drifted to her ass, which looked really good even in an old pair of jean shorts. He kept watching her walk away, and, when he saw her start to turn back around, he bent down to pick up his shovel and get back to work. He certainly hoped that she didn't catch him checking out her ass.

While Michael finished the work in front of the porch, he thought about how crazy it was that he was so attracted to the married woman next door. He was going to have to find a way to get over that. Michael needed to accept that the woman next door was attractive, but married and there was nothing that he could do about that.

When he finished digging and turning over the soil, Michael took the grass that he had skinned off the top and placed it on several bare spots he had in the back yard. He put the shovel, rake and wheelbarrow away and went back to the front yard. He looked across the fence and called to Claire. "I am going to get a shower. I will be ready whenever you are, neighbor." He waved to her and then grabbed his sweat-soaked t-shirt and went inside.

He took a long time in the shower. The hot water felt good beating down on him, and he also had images running through his mind of Claire being in there with him. He shook his head trying to get those images out of his mind. It was hard.

After finishing in the shower, Michael dressed in a pair of cargo shorts, and a form-fitting t-shirt and put on a pair of sneakers. He went downstairs, grabbed two bottles of water out of the refrigerator and went out on the front porch. He looked over to his neighbor's yard to offer her a water, but he did not see her out there. So, he decided to sit down and wait for Claire to let him know she was ready to go.

Once Claire came out of the house, Michael moved down off the porch and into the driveway. He opened the door for her to get into the truck and then backed out. "Okay neighbor. Let me know how to get where we are going." As they pulled away from the house, he did notice one of the busybodies walking along the street, watching them. "You going to the store with me won't cause any problems with your friends, will it? Or with your husband?"

 

[ms_tiff]

Claire popped her earbuds in and cranked up her music, losing herself in her work and music. Time moved quickly, the dirt beneath her fingers grounding Claire. Gardening had always been Claire’s escape, a way for her to focus her mind and work through any issues she was having. Today, however, Claire couldn’t focus on the cool soil between her fingers. Her mind securely on the man working in the yard beside her’s. She worked as long as she could before throwing in the metaphorical towel.

Glancing at Michael's yard, she noticed he had gone inside.

Probably to clean up, she thought, refusing to let her mind go to what exactly “clean up” entailed.

Wiping her hands off on her shorts, Claire headed inside to clean up as well. Sweat pooled between her breasts and ran in rivulets down her back. A shower would probably be smart. If not to get clean, then to definitely cool down before locking herself in a confined space with Michael for the twenty minute drive to the nursery.

Freshly showered, her wet hair thrown up into a messy bun, and dressed in a pair of loose, green linen pants and a black tank top, Claire headed outside. Michael was waiting for her with a bottle of water, looking fresh in a tight t-shirt and shorts. She took the proffered bottle and climbed up into the cab of his truck, trying not to get flustered over the fact that he opened the door for her.

“Take a right out of your driveway then a left at the stop sign.” Claire directed as he backed out of the drive. “It’s pretty much a straight shot from there.”

"You going to the store with me won't cause any problems with your friends, will it? Or with your husband?"

Claire shook her head. “I’m sure there will be some gossip, but it’s none of their business.” She said with a shrug. “As for Matt. He’s golfing all day with the guys and if he does have an issue with it, he knows I go plant shopping almost every weekend. I’ll just tell him I needed to borrow your truck so I could get some mulch.”

What Claire didn’t tell Michael was that, maybe thinking about what she may be doing with their hot new neighbor would prompt Matt to continue being attentive. A small twinge of guilt twisted in her stomach at using Michael this way, but she brushed it aside and continued to direct him until they were at the nursery.

Jumping down from the cab, Claire led Michael into the large storefront and back into the greenhouses.

“Roses are over here.” She said, grabbing a flatbed cart and making her way down the rows of fragrant blooms.

“Here we go.” She pulled the cart up next to a long row of rose bushes. She moved about the bushes, pointing out the different varieties and the pros and cons of each in terms of care and upkeep.

“Ooh, these climbing roses would look gorgeous on your house. You’d just need to build a trellis up the side and they pretty much do all the work.” Claire’s eyes glinted excitedly as she leaned in to smell the sweet, creamy yellow bloom. “Just imagine how great your house will smell when you open the windows and these are in full bloom.” She turned to look at Michael, noting that his gaze quickly moved from her ass to her eyes. A light blush colored her cheeks as she quickly turned back ot the rose bush in front of her, trying not to think about how his gaze made her stomach knot in a very pleasing way.

 

[BeachBum25]

Following Claire into the store and back to the greenhouses, Michael looked around and just how much stuff the store had for doing things around the house. He had a feeling that he was going to be spending a lot of time here as he made changes to the house and truly made it his.

When he wasn't looking at all of the items in the store and the flowers in the greenhouse, his eyes seemed to gravitate to Claire's perfect ass. He just couldn't help himself. He didn't think he had ever seen an ass as nice as hers and he couldn't deny that he would love to get his hands on it.

Listening to Claire as she pointed out the different colors and types of roses, Michael tried to imagine what they would look like in front of his house. Then Claire pointed out the climbing roses; mentioning that all he would need to do was build a trellis and the roses would do the rest on their own. When she turned and looked at him, it was obvious that Michael had been caught looking at her ass. he contemplated apologizing, but decided that would just make things awkward. He decided to just let it go.

"Oh, so, you want me to do more work around out front of my house. I see this as another few days of sweating in the front yard and having all of the busybodies stop by and ask me how things are going."

He smiled at her. "You are my design consultant, so, I will go with your recommendations. Although I was envisioning red roses in the front, I will go with your choice of the sweet, creamy yellow." Michael may, or may not have put extra emphasis on sweet and creamy. "So, while we are here, I might as well pick up everything I need to build the trellis. Also, Claire, we need to make sure we save room in the truck for the items that you need to pick up."

He picked up the climbing roses; taking Claire's guidance on how many he needed. Then, Michael headed toward the lumber section to pick up everything he needed for the trellis he was going to be building. "I will meet you near checkout."

As he pushed a cart with the roses toward the lumber section, he started to wonder why he was doing this. He had no desire to build a trellis for climbing roses. He had intended on just getting several normal rose bushes and planting them. Was he just doing this because he didn't want to disappoint Claire and make her think he didn't want to take her advice? Why should that matter? Claire was just his neighbor. She wasn't wife, girlfriend or lover.. just the sexy, beautiful woman that lived next door to him with her husband.

Once he had all of the supplies he needed, and several power tools that he decided would make the job easier, Michael made his way to the front of the store and to checkout. Claire was just getting to the counter, and Michael moved in behind her. Michael insisted on paying for the items that Claire was buying to pay her for all of her help. "I insist. You have been very helpful. This is the least I can do."

After loading everything into the truck, Michael drove back to Claire's house and backed into her driveway. He got out of the truck and, after asking Claire where she wanted her items placed, got them out of the back of the truck and placed them in the desired location. "Thank you for all of your help neighbor." He made a conscious effort to look Claire dead in the eye because he did not want to get caught staring at her wonderful body.

He pulled the truck into his driveway and unloaded the roses and all of the materials for the trellis. "It looks like all of the work on the inside is going to have to wait until after I finish this project that my sexy neighbor chose for me." When he was finished unloading, Michael went inside, grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator, picked up his laptop and went out on the front porch to look up how to build a trellis.

While Michael was looking up how to build a trellis, Matt pulled into the driveway at a fairly high rate of speed. When Matt got out of the car, Michael called over to him, "Hey Matt, have a nice day?" Matt turned and waved; unsteady on his feet and his face bright red from being in the sun. "Hell yeah pal. It couldn't have been any better. I spent the day on the golf course and then did some drinking with my buddies after. Perfect day." Matt stumbled toward their front door as Michael said to him, "sure sounds like it was a great day for you." He was actually thinking that his day had been better than Matt's.

 

[ms_tiff]

“Ouch!” Claire hissed and drew her hand back, out of reach of the oil spitting from the pan. This was the third time now that she had gotten burned while trying to make dinner. Matt, who was supposed to be home over an hour ago, was still out with “the boys”, which left Claire to make sure that dinner wasn’t overdone. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep it warm without turning the chicken to rubber, though. If Matt didn’t get home soon the romantic dinner for two would turn into a lonely meal for one in front of the television. Much like it did nearly every night.

“Goddamit, mother fucker.” Claire gritted her teeth as she felt another hot drop of oil land on her arm. “Get it together, Claire.” She shook her head and turned the burner off, moving the cast iron skillet off the hot burner.

Ever since she had come back from the nursery with Michael, her head had been elsewhere. Like at the window sneaking glances of a certain shirtless neighbor as he built a trellis. After getting back, Claire had finished up the work she needed to do in the garden and then had attempted to get the house cleaned before making dinner. But she had been all arms and legs, dropping everything she picked up, tripping over herself constantly. She almost needed to wrap herself in bubble wrap to get through the day.

The windows were thrown open in an attempt to cool herself off, but the heat she felt was something else entirely. As she began to plate the food, putting Matt’s in the microwave to keep warm, she cranked up the radio and sang along to the classic rock station.

“Honey, I’m home.” Matt’s voice cut through the music, followed by the sound of the front door closing.

“About damn time.” She muttered under her breath as she turned down the music and turned to face her husband, plastering a smile on her face. “Hey, golf game go long?”

Matt placed a quick kiss on her lips in greeting. She could smell the bourbon on his breath, the sweet hint of honey that he liked mixed in was on his lips.

“We grabbed drinks after and ended up talking shop for a bit.” He replied sheepishly. “I know, it’s Saturday. No talking working on the weekend and all that. But Clint had this phenomenal investment opportunity and -”

Claire held her hand up, silencing her husband. “Please don’t tell me that you gave him money without talking to me first?” She feared she already knew the answer to the question.

“Babe,” her spine immediately went rigid at the word. Matt only called her that when he wanted to placate her. “I couldn’t pass this up. Getting in on the ground floor means big payouts in the future.”

“How much?” She hung her head, eyes closed afraid to look at him.

“Twenty thousand. Honestly that’s a steal though. We’ll double that in no time.”

Claire’s anger flared and her head shot up, her gaze locked in on Matt. “Twenty thousand dollars?” Her voice eerily calm. “Twenty. Thousand. Dollars? Twenty. Thousand. Fucking. Dollars!” She yelled at him, pushing him away from her. “We don’t have that kind of money just lying around, Matt. We have bills to pay. A mortgage.”

“Babe, it’s okay, I took if from the money we were saving for-”

“You used our IVF fund? Matt…how could you use that money? That was for our family.” She broke down, there was no way to hide her tears now. All that money, all that saving for future children and it was all gone.

“C’mon, Claire don’t be like that. We’ll have it back in no time and then-”

“Don’t.” Claire held up a hand, silencing him. “You need to get out, right now. I can’t even…” she gulped back a sob. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

“God, don’t be so dramatic about this.” Matt stepped back with a shake of his head, his eyes rolling at her crying.

“Get out!” She screeched, her voice breaking.

“Whatever, I did something good for us and if this is how you’re going to act.” He scoffed and walked away, leaving Claire to sink to her knees on the cold kitchen floor, sobs wracking her body. She heard the door close, the rev of the engine and the squeal of tires as Matt peeled out of the driveway. She sat there, back pressed against the cabinets, knees pulled to her chest, crying over everything and anything. The emotional whiplash of her marriage to a man that was kind and loving one instant then cold and unfeeling the next, finally coming to a head.

How long she sat there, Claire didn’t know. When the tears finally ended, leaving her with swollen eyes and a headache, Claire wiped her wet cheeks with a shuddering breath and stood slowly. Her back ached and legs were asleep as she bent at the sink, splashing cold water onto her face.

“Okay, we’re going to get through this.” She rasped, the words like sandpaper in her throat. “We always get through this.” Except, as she looked out the kitchen window at the lights in the house next door, Claire wondered if she actually wanted to them to get through this latest fight.

Pouring herself a glass of wine, Claire wandered out onto the porch, settling into her favorite lounge chair. As she sipped, she watched the lights from Michael’s house play across the darkness of his yard. She thought of the way he had wanted to hear her thoughts and actually listened to them. The way he had acted a gentleman and held doors open for her. When was the last time Matt had done any of that?

Curling up in the lounge chair, Claire knew she had a lot to think about and important decisions to make.

 

[BeachBum25]

Watching Matt go into the house, Michael just shook his head. Michael was never into golf, so, he didn't understand spending an entire weekend day away from the wife. Before his wife had been killed by the drunk driver, they spent all of their time together, especially on the weekends.

He finished his beer and decided to have another one. He hadn't thought about dinner, and, after all of the work in the sun today, he didn't feel that hungry. He went back into the house to get another beer.

When he returned to the porch, he thought he heard arguing going on from next door. When he sat down in his chair, he definitely heard arguing. Well, what he heard was Clair yelling. He could barely hear Matt saying anything, but Claire's voice got louder and louder and Michael was pretty sure that he shouts were accompanied by some crying.

It became obvious that the argument was over money. With his neighbor's windows open, Michael could make out most of the "conversation." It wasn't like he was eavesdropping; he couldn't help but hear what was going on between Claire and Matt.

Suddenly Matt came storming out of the house and headed for his car. He did not acknowledge Michael, but Michael, being concerned that he was driving under the influence and might hurt someone, decided he had to say something. After all, DUI was something that had robbed him of someone special. He didn't want anyone else to have to feel that pain.

Moving down off the porch and heading toward the fence dividing their homes, Michael made an attempt. "Yo buddy. Hey Matt. Hey... stop for a second." It was no use. Matt threw the car in reverse and sped out of the driveway. The tires screeched as he threw it into Drive and sped down the street. Michael said a little prayer hoping that he wouldn't hurt... or kill someone wherever he was going.

After going back up onto his porch, Michael decided to go inside and find something to eat. No, he still wasn't hungry, but he didn't want to sit on the porch in case Claire came out following Matt. Michael didn't want it to seem like he was listening to what was going on between his neighbors. Walking into the kitchen, he took a bag of salad mix out of the refrigerator and heated up a piece of leftover chicken. It wasn't much, but it was plenty for him.

Sitting at the kitchen table eating his salad and chicken, Michael was worried about Matt driving. Not only had he been drinking, but obviously, he was upset after his disagreement with Claire. He really hoped that he didn't hurt anyone... or worse. Then he thought of Claire. He could hear how upset she was in her voice, and it was obvious that it was more than just the fact that Matt had been gone for so long on a Saturday. He knew there was money involved in the disagreement, but wasn't sure exactly what it was about. Then again, it was non of his business.

After he finished eating, Michael cleaned up and got another beer. He figured it was safe to go back out on the porch and enjoy the beautiful evening now. Walking out, he avoided looking over at Claire and Matt's house at first. He took a seat, took a drink of his beer and relaxed for a moment. Then, he saw Claire sitting out on her lounge chair on the porch. Deciding to engage her in conversation but not letting on that he heard anything earlier. "Hey neighbor. How are you? Thanks for all of your help today. I really appreciate it."

 

[ms_tiff]

Lost in thought, Claire startled at Michael’s voice.

“Oh, of course.” She said when he thanked her for helping earlier that day. “It’s the neighborly thing to do.” Her attempt at a smile fell short as she brought her wine to her lips. Knocking back the last of her wine, she reached for the bottle beside her and refilled the glass.

“Do you want to join me?” She nodded towards the lounge chair beside hers. “I don’t…I don’t exactly feel like being alone right now. Matt and I got into a fight and it’s worse than any we’ve had before.”

Tears pricked at the back of her bloodshot eyes and she blinked them away quickly.

“Sorry, you probably don’t want to hear about that.” She attempted another smile, her lips quivering as she fought to keep the tears at bay.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Well, you certainly are a great person to have as a neighbor. You really went above and beyond today helping me out. Of course, you did create more work for me." He laughed lightly mentioning the creation of more work.

Michael did not want to seem to anxious to join Claire on her porch. He leaned on the fence for a moment as Claire mentioned not wanting to be alone and that she had a fight with her husband. He was torn between joining Claire and keeping his distance, because he was wondering if his presence and her helping him had anything to do with the friction between Claire and Matt.

"I am sorry to hear that Claire. I hope that your argument didn't have anything to do with your helping me today." When Claire said she was sorry and that he probably didn't want to hear about her problems, Michael stopped her. "Nothing could be farther from the truth Claire. You are the one person who has genuinely welcomed me to the neighborhood. The busybodies only came by to find out what my situation was, and the guys, well, the guys have not exactly been welcoming at all."

Deciding that it was the right thing to do to keep Claire company, since she had been so helpful, Michael made his way around to his neighbor's porch and sat down in the lounge chair next to her. He reached over and tapped the neck of his beer bottle to Claire's wine glass. "To good neighbors."

Sitting back in the lounge chair, Michael looked at Claire and could tell that her eyes were bloodshot. It was obvious that she had been crying for some time. "Claire, I appreciate everything that you have done for me so far, and I am willing to help you in any way that I can. I am not sure how, or even if, I can help you with your situation other than just being a friend. I am a good listener, so, if you want to talk about it, go right ahead. However, if you just want to sit here together quietly, I am fine with that, too."

He did not know what to expect from Claire. Michael was sitting on the porch with this beautiful woman who he believed deserved more than her husband was giving her. Yes, he had formed that opinion in less than 24 hours, but there was a lot of evidence presented in that short time.... his spending his time at the block party with the guys and not his wife... his golfing and drinking all day on Saturday while his wife worked in the yard.... his driving under the influence as he sped away from their house.

Taking a sip of his beer, Michael looked over at Claire. They made eye contact. He smiled at her, hoping to lighten her mood a little. There was a part of him.. a big part.... that wanted to lean over and kiss her and tell her that everything was going to be just fine.

 

[ms_tiff]

She watched as Michael stepped over the short fence separating their properties and walked steadily up to the porch. She smiled as he sat down in the chair next to hers, only a few inches separating them. She tapped her wine glass against Michael’s beer bottle, the two of them sitting in companionable silence for a moment before he turned to her.

"Claire, I appreciate everything that you have done for me so far, and I am willing to help you in any way that I can. I am not sure how, or even if, I can help you with your situation other than just being a friend. I am a good listener, so, if you want to talk about it, go right ahead. However, if you just want to sit here together quietly, I am fine with that, too."

Claire shook her head. “I shouldn’t burden you with my problems.”

Looking out over the dark yard, Claire sighed. She didn’t want to have to put her burdens on someone else. But, she knew that she had to tell somebody or she would burst. There was too much for her to handle on her own. Matt should have been the one to carry the burden with her, but when her husband was half of the problem what else could she do.

Claire drew in a deep breath and kept her gaze forward, afraid to look at Michael as she let her problems spill out into the still summer night.

“Matt and I haven’t been great for awhile. When we first got married everything was great. Then, as time went on and we had a miscarriage and then started talking about fertility treatments, Matt just started getting distant. I knew he was always whatever about having kids, but I didn’t think that all of this would pull us so far apart.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “Our careers became the focus for both of us. Then Matt started getting wrapped up in investments and making bad deals. He lets his friends talk him into stupid business investments and ends up losing more money than he makes.” She chanced a look over at Michael and shrugged. “What am I gonna do though, I made a vow to love him until death do us part.”

Michael’s gaze locked with hers and Claire’s words trailed off. The way he looked at her lit a spark deep inside that Claire had thought gone forever. She watched his eyes dip down to her lips and back up again. Claire bit her lip, her stomach knotting as the silence dragged on, growing heavy and heated.

“I should go back inside.” She whispered, afraid to break the spell. But even as the words left her mouth, she felt herself leaning in. The gap between the pair growing smaller and smaller until their faces were inches apart and Claire could feel Michael’s breath on her lips.

 

[BeachBum25]

After Claire asked what she was going to do in the predicament she found herself in, there was complete silence. There was also a magnetic pull that seemed to be drawing them closer together. Michael's eyes moved to Claire's lips and then back to look deeply into her mesmerizing eyes. Despite knowing that he should resist what was happening, Michael was unable to.

“I should go back inside.”

"Uh-huh" Michael responded when he heard Claire whisper, but it was a half-hearted response that did nothing to diminish the pull that was bringing them together. There was another momentary pause as their lips were only inches apart, but that moment passed and then there lips met.

It was like nothing Michael had felt before. It was so right. It was perfect. Their lips pressed softly together, and in that moment nothing could have pulled their lips apart. Then the kiss deepened, and in that moment, Claire and Michael were alone in their own little world.

Michael moved his hand behind Claire's head; his fingers running through her hair as they got lost in the kiss. His tongue moved across Claire's lips, and then the tip of his tongue parted her lips and made contact with her tongue.

Suddenly, something went off in Michael's head. He broke the kiss. He stood up; looking down at her. "I am so sorry Claire. I should not have done that. I should not take advantage of a situation where you are feeling hurt by what happened between you and your husband. I need to go." Before Claire could respond, Michael headed down off of his neighbor's porch.

Looking back at her, Michael shook his head. "I am so sorry. I was so wrong." Michael hopped over the low fence and went back to his house and immediately went inside. He placed the beer bottle on the kitchen table and stood in the kitchen leaning against his counter. His mind racing. The kiss with Claire was amazing. Hell, it was more than amazing. It was the better than he could ever dream of a kiss being.

He beat himself up for putting the two of them into that position. He was living next to a beautiful woman who had been very helpful to him. She was obviously going through tough times with her husband. There was no way he should have allowed that kiss to happen. He felt awful. Michael felt like he had taken advantage of Claire in her current state of mind. The only thing he felt good about was that he stopped it before it went even further.

Then, his mind went to what going further would have been like. The thoughts were amazing. He had no doubt in his mind that Claire and he would be so good together. His mind went to imagining her body against his... about his hands moving over her body.... about.....

He shook his head. "Damn, it is a good thing that I stopped when I did..... I think."

 

[ms_tiff]

Their lips touched, soft and gentle at first. Tentative. Then Claire felt Michael’s tongue trace the curve of her bottom lip and she gasped, her lips parting enough for his tongue to press inside her mouth. Their tongues touched, caressed. Electricity shot through Claire, hitting straight between her legs. She whimpered, drawing closer, her hands fisting in Michael’s shirt. This was better than any kiss she’d had before and she never wanted it to end.

And then there was space between them and Michael uttering words that Claire didn’t want to hear. The rejection of it hitting her deep. She drew in a stuttering breath as she watched Michael draw back and retreat to his own yard, uttering apologies the whole way.

Hurt, rejection, and guilt warred within her as Claire stood on shaky legs and made her own retreat into her home. Numb, she walked up to her bedroom and fell into the bed, still dressed, and cried until she fell asleep.

Sunday morning dawned and Claire cracked open swollen, bloodshot eyes with a groan. Matt’s spot beside her was empty, unslept in. He’d never come home last night. Claire didn’t know what stung more, the fact that Matt didn’t care enough to come home or the fact that Michael had rejected her. Or maybe it was her own guilt over everything that had transpired.

Forcing herself out of bed, Claire moved stiffly through her morning routine. Showered, wet hair pulled into two braids, Claire threw on a black tank top and denim shorts. Forgoing a bra, her nipples peaked through the thin material of her tank as she made her way downstairs and mindlessly set the coffee pot up and started it brewing. She glanced out the kitchen window to Michael’s house. The memory of last night’s kiss flooded her mind, making Claire’s stomach twist in an all too pleasing way as she remembered the way her toes had curled and her stomach knot.

Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but Claire blinked them away quickly. Today was not the day for tears. Today was the day for action. If Matt didn’t want to come home and if Michael wanted to avoid her after that kiss, then Claire was going to figure out what the hell she wanted and she wasn’t going to apologize for going after it.

As she watched Michael walk out of his front door and onto his porch, Claire decided what she wanted in that moment and wasn’t going to second guess herself. Setting her coffee cup down, Claire waltzed out onto her own porch and straight over to Michael’s.

“Hey, we need to talk.” She told him, walking up onto his porch. “I don’t think last night was a mistake.” She stepped close to him, closing any distance there was. Her body nearly flush to his. “And I am tired of men telling me what is right and wrong. Right now, I get to decide.” Standing up on tip toe, Claire pressed her mouth to Michael’s, her arms wrapping around his neck, fingers twisting in the hair at the nape of his neck as she caressed his lower lip with her tongue.

 

[BeachBum25]

It was a terrible night sleep. The thought of the kiss with Claire was etched in his head. That thought led to other thoughts that involved them in bed together.. exploring each other's bodies... pleasuring each other. "Why does she have to be married? Better yet, why does she have to live next door to me?"

Finally, rolling out of the bed in the morning, his body in a heightened state of arousal from all of his thoughts about Claire, Michael headed to the shower. He stepped into the shower before the water came up to temperature, the cold water cooling his arousal. After showering, he dressed for church; figuring that would be the best place to spend a Sunday morning after what had happened the night before.

After getting dressed, he went downstairs, brewed some coffee and decided to sit out on the porch before going to church. He figured that Claire would stay inside after what had happened. He hoped she didn't think she had done anything wrong. Michael felt he was the one to blame for what had happened.

As he started to sit down, he heard Claire call out to him and tell him they needed to talk. He was surprised to hear her, and even more shocked to see her coming over into his yard and up onto his porch. His eyes moved over her. "Fuck, she looks amazing," he thought to himself. He looked at how well the tanktop fit her and how her nipples pushed through the material. Oh, how he wanted to take them in his mouth.

Michael listened as Claire "lectured" him. As he listened, he felt Claire moving closer to him. Before he knew it, he was accepting her kiss, and then returning it. He felt her tongue on his lower lip and opened his mouth and extended his tongue to engage with hers. His arms went around her, pressing her tightly to him as the kiss deepened, and his desire for Claire grew.

Not caring that they were standing on his front porch, kissing passionately, Michael slid his hands underneath Claire's top and let his fingers caress her back. The tips of his fingers moved slowly up her spine as the kiss became more and more passionate.

As much as he knew Claire wanted to decide, he could not in good conscience continue the kiss outside in the open. Without breaking the kiss, he backed Claire toward his door. Once inside his house, Michael closed the door and pinned Claire to it; only breaking the kiss to lift the tanktop over her head. His hands moved to her perfect breasts and began to caress them firmly as his lips returned to Claire's.

Michael rolled Claire's nipples between his fingers as the kiss deepened again. He slid his tongue into Claire's mouth where their tongues began their own erotic dance. His hands continued to explore her wonderful breasts as his desire to pleasure Claire rose.

Moving his hands back down her body, Michael's fingers slid inside the waistband of her denim shorts. He moved them slowly along the waistband.. teasingly slow. Breaking the kiss, he moved his lips to Claire's neck'' kissing, licking, nibbling.. being careful not to leave any marks. Then, moving his lips to her ear, he whispered as his lips brushed her ear, "I want you so badly.... NOW."
"