Bad Neighbors

Teaser

I was beginning to think that I should’ve listened to Avery. If I had listened to my sister, there would be a better chance of me being able to sleep at night. As it was, I was laying in my bed, a sleep app playing the sounds of the rain forest through my tiny bedroom to cover the sounds that bled through the wall.

There was a feminine moan that echoed into my room, accompanied by the occasional shout of profanity. There was a rhythmic beat of what I could only assume was a headboard bouncing against the wall. It seemed like a repeat performance from yesterday.

I was so tired, and it felt like my neighbors were going for a marathon. I lost track of how long they had been going on. By now, if it had been normal sex, someone had to be done. They needed to run out of steam. But it kept going.

Irrationally tired, I sat up. And they kept going. I got up and snatched my robe off the doorknob to the bedroom. I shrugged it on and went to the front door. I didn’t think after that; I went to the only place the noise could come from. My next-door neighbor.

I stopped at the door marked with a simple 1A and knocked. From out here, I could still hear it. It wasn’t as loud, but it was still there. Obviously, no one came to the door.

I knocked again, this time not doing a polite little rap of my knuckles. The moaning didn’t stop. I got angry, and I pounded on the door. That seemed to get someone’s attention.

There was a beat, a moment where I panicked. I shouldn’t have done that, I shouldn’t have done that! The moaning stopped, so I turned to make a break for my apartment when the door opened.

A man stood in the open doorway completely buck ass naked. Well, except for what looked like a towel he held over his groin. But all of him was on full display, the definition of his abs, the flex of his pecs as he panted. His thick thighs. Why was I noticing all these things?

“You knocked?” He asked, his blue eyes bright. Sweat had gathered at his brow, and other places, like it was put there by a makeup artist, drawing attention to everything. “You 1B?” He asked, with a nod, his hair sticking up at odd angles. 

I had lost my voice somewhere and control over my eyes. I couldn’t keep from looking down at the v that the muscle and the barely concealed part of his extremities. But somewhere my brain was connected enough for me to nod. 

His head tilted. “You need something? Something break?”

Or maybe it wasn’t connected, because I nodded again before sense kicked in. “No,” I managed. I dutifully looked away, because looking at him was a bad idea. My face felt so hot. There was no way he wouldn’t notice. “No. I don’t need anything.”

He made a noise, taking a step out of his apartment, getting closer to me. “Did you want to join in?”

Of course, that got my attention. When I looked back at him, he was standing out in the little lobby of the house. Naked still. He looked down at me with something that might be described as interest. One brow rose, like he was daring me.

“Jen won’t mind,” he said, voice lowering an octave like he was trying to get it to rumble in a way that I wouldn’t be able to resist. “I promise I’m man enough to handle two women.”

That made me balk. I backpedaled and waved both hands in front of me immediately. “No!” I said sharply. “You’re being too loud.”

“That’s a shining review,” he said in that same tone. He turned to look back in his open door, “Jen’s having a good time. Are you telling me you’re not interested?”

If you let a man, he’ll walk all over you and leave you with nothing. This was the type of man that Destiny had to be talking about. There’d be no way that someone in their right mind would immediately offer a place in their bed when there was already someone in it.

I made a noise of disgust. I hoped it came off that way. “I have work in the morning and I can’t take another full night of your theatrics,” I said, trying to summon my inner bitch. I tried to sound like my mother. It just felt like it fell flat.

“Theatrics?” He echoed. He snorted and turned, giving me a good view of his bare bubble butt. “If you’re sure.” He headed back into his apartment, dropping the towel on the way and giving me a side view of just what he was packing. “Jen, 1B said you’re being too loud. Get out the ball gag.” He paused and turned back to me, having no shame at all. “Last chance.”

He still had a condom on, though it didn’t detract from the view of his erection where it hung between his thighs. He stood in his doorway with that open invitation like he expected me to take it, because he knew how damn attractive he was.

I turned immediately on my heel and tried my best to go back to my apartment with something that looked like dignity. At least I didn’t run. I would have to get my lease out and review it. If I got desperate, I’d get Mom to look at it so I could get out of it without losing my deposit.

I got back into my bed and covered myself with all the blankets and pillows. I was so mortified. He just came on to me without a second thought. While he already had a girl in his bed. Who does that?

I closed my eyes, trying to will myself to sleep. The rocking in the apartment next door started again, only accompanied by more muffled moans. But I knew what he looked like now. So, of course, I envisioned him in all his naked glory, pounding into a faceless woman.
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I shouldn’t have knocked on his door. I couldn’t take it when it was just faceless people. But knowing what he looked like just made it worse.

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