Next-Door Nemesis

So when he looks down at me with a glint in his eyes and says, “Hold on,” I’m not sure what to expect.

I tighten my grip on the poor counters that we’ve defiled as he positions my legs around his back.

Then I see stars.

He slams into me, rough and fast but with the same control and finesse he has when we’re in his bedroom with all the time in the world. I moan as I struggle to hold on to the quartz growing slippery beneath my palms.

“Oh. My. God,” I breathe out between powerful thrusts as embers in my belly start to spark.

“Yes, Colls. That’s it,” he groans, moving his hand between my legs, his thumb rolling over me without slowing down or missing a beat. “Give it to me.”

My coiled muscles spring to life and explode, the sheer force of it knocking my breath out of me. I scream out, but no sound comes out as time ceases to exist and the world turns white. Somewhere in the distance, I hear Nate’s moan as he buries himself deep inside me and finds his release. He falls on top of me, his damp forehead resting on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around him, trying my hardest to cling to this moment as we both float back down to earth.

I lie there, appreciating the feel of his weight on top of me as my breathing begins to slow. The world around me drifts back into view and everything seems a little brighter, more sparkly. The man I thought I couldn’t stand is actually the man who brought me back to life. It might not be fate, but even I have to admit how truly serendipitous this is.

“That was . . .” He pauses and searches to find the right word. “That was indescribable. You are indescribable.”

“You’re not so bad yourself.” I keep my thoughts on serendipity to myself. Even though I could lie beneath him for the rest of the day, I remember that time is of the essence. “I should probably get dressed though. I can only imagine what your Yelp review would look like if the owners walked in on us like this.”

His deep chuckle causes my thighs to clench all over again, and I have to push him off me before I demand round two.

I run to the bathroom, and when I come back, he’s finishing up cleaning the counters.

“So I’m thinking,” he says as he tucks the cleaning supplies underneath the sink. “How do you feel about going on a date this weekend?”

Butterflies wreak havoc in my stomach and a smile I don’t even attempt to fight causes my cheeks to hurt. A real date with Nate Adams?

“Yes, please.” I don’t even attempt to play it cool. I mean, we just had sex in a stranger’s kitchen. Playing it cool at this point doesn’t exist.

“Good.” He walks around the counter and pulls me into him for a kiss just in time for us to hear the front door open.

My eyes go wide. We got lucky in more ways than one.

“Okay, so . . . yeah.” I stumble over my words as a young couple and their toddler walk into the kitchen. “Bye!”

Well, one thing’s clear: Nate may know more about real estate than I do, but I didn’t overestimate the action.

Not even a little bit.





Chapter 25


Nathanial Thomas Adams!” I slap his shoulder when I finally realize where he’s taking me. “Are you freaking kidding me?”

The Ohio State Fair spreads out in front of us and childlike giddiness bubbles inside me like a shaken pop. I start bouncing in the passenger seat of his—very nice—Buick as I’m inundated with memories of summer days spent wandering these fairgrounds.

“You’re excited?” He looks at me out of the corner of his eyes as he navigates the crowded parking lot.

“Again I ask, are you freaking kidding me?” I look at him with my best duh expression before I start slapping his shoulder all over again. “Fried food, a petting zoo, rides that may or may not be up to code? What’s not to be excited about? I fucking love the fair!”

I went to Disneyland a few times when I lived in LA, but it’s just not comparable. Don’t get me wrong, Disneyland is wonderful. There’s a castle and the parade is dope, but it’s too shiny for me. Everything is overpriced and the lines are a hundred hours long. I like my rides with a little bit of dust and rust, like stepping onto the ride is daredevil enough.

A lot of my tastes turned LA while I lived there—yes, I will fight you for a good coffee and I paid an exorbitant amount for avocado toast—but my love for sketchy-ass fairs will never fade. I can’t wait to tell Ruby—she’s going to be so jealous.

“Good.” He lets out a sigh of relief. “I remembered the summer I went to visit my mom, we were supposed to go to Kings Island when I got back. This was as close as I could get for the time being.”

I was already excited, but my heart melts into a tiny little love puddle when I hear him say that.

“You can’t take me to the fair and be sweet,” I say. “It’s too much. I can only handle a certain level of awesomeness before my head explodes.”

Which is probably why I stayed with Peter for as long as I did. He never even came close to approaching that line.

“Okay.” He laughs. “I’ll try my hardest, but I can’t make any promises. I have been told that I’m pretty awesome before.”

“I both doubt that completely and believe it wholeheartedly.” I unbuckle my seat belt after he pulls into a parking spot not too far from the main entrance. “You, sir, are a walking contradiction. But as luck would have it, I’m super into it.”

“Says the person running for HOA president even though she claims to hate the neighborhood and is afraid of heights but loves roller coasters.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I shrug, tucking my hand in his as we walk up to the front gate. “All of those things make perfect sense.”

He rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue. He either sees the logic in my statement or—more likely—knows I will argue about this for the rest of my life and he’s better off dropping it.

I walk in the direction of the long line leading into the fair when Nate tightens his grip on mine and pulls me to the side.

“I bought tickets online.” He shows me the tickets on his phone. “We don’t have to wait in line.”

Holy crap.

Is this what it’s like to date an organized, responsible adult? Someone is always prepared and you’re not rushing around, trying to do things last minute?

The date has barely begun and it’s already my best date ever.

I look down my nose at all the couples waiting in line, judging the Joe Schmoes who didn’t think ahead like Nate did as we walk past them and the fair opens up in front of us. Who needs the pearly gates of heaven when this is accessible on earth?

We walk past the giant cardinal statue at the entrance and into the crowds milling around. Game booths and food trucks line each side of the pathway leading deeper into the fair. Picnic tables are scattered about and filled with adults and children eating giant corn dogs and trying to lick their ice cream cones before they melt all over them.

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