Chapter 1

The Fence Between Us

I did n't be intimate heartbreak could hit this hard.

I was leaning against the fence in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the final piece of her I had left. `` Come on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My voice cracked, and I hated how desperate I sounded. But I couldn't avail it.

Three years together. She was my first everything. Now she was off at some college a thousand nautical mile away, talking like I was a boring phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even worth keeping.

The line went dead. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy grass, the free weight in my chest profound than it had been all week. I felt poor. Nineteen days old, heartbroken over someone who'd already moved on. I didn't even feel angry. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her vocalization, soft, fond, and surprisingly close.

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the early side of the wooden fence, a garden hosepipe in one script, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a lightlessness bikini top that hugged her bureau just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that soft tan glow not cook, not sunburnt, just very. Her body was the kind that turns question at every age, curvy, midst in the best ways, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to play it off. `` Yeah. Just ... lifetime stuff. ``

She smiled at me, eyes kind. `` Breakups suck. But trust me you'll survive. ``

I laughed awkwardly. `` Is it that obvious ? ``

She nodded with a smirk."You were yelling into your phone like it owed you money."

I rubbed the rachis of my neck."damn. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. I've got a son about your age. I know how rough it gets. Look, if you ever wan na lecture, or just hang out, don't be a stranger. We're neighbors now."

I looked at her, really looked and for a second, I forgot how lousy I felt."Thanks. That ... actually means a lot."

She gave me a wink."You'll bouncing back. And in the meantime, lemonade's always cold over here."

Then she turned around .... and yeah, I absolutely stared. I didn't even try to hide it. That ass. That walk. The footling leaping. Goddamn.

The next few days blurred together. Mostly late Nox and mindless scrolling. I tried going for runs, hitting the gym, blasting music too tatty anything to overwhelm out the quiet.

But every good afternoon, like clockwork, Katherine would come out to the pool.

It was her function. A towel over the hot seat, big sunglasses on, and that same bikini ... or sometimes a dissimilar one, minor even. The fence between our yards wasn't high enough to block my scene from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. theatrical role of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stretchability in room that had me holding my breath. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her pectus uprising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my boxers and the Saame question running through my mind over and over :

What would it experience like to affect her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably xx geezerhood Old than me. Married. My neighbour. But none of that stopped the thoughts or the way my body reacted to her. Every meter she bent over to correct the pool umbrella, I swore she was going to get around me.

She was a fair sex, not a miss. And somehow, that made everything worse.

One eventide, just before sunset, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a spry coup d'oeil. But it happened. My heart jumped. Did she know ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

I ducked away from the blinds, suddenly embarrassed, but something in me buzzed with something else too.

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

It was just after noon when I finally worked up the nerve to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — Sami bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this time. The top strained to have those knocker in, and her hips curved like something out of a dreaming. The sunshine made her pelt radiance. She was lying on her stomach this clock time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to forget what day it was.

I didn't programme on saying anything. I was just going to take the air past the fence, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her brain, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na take the air past me all summer or you gon na come say hello ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my pockets."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglass up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. semen go on me company."

I hesitated. My heart was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"seminal fluid on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That railway line hit somewhere low in my tummy. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my vox cracked.

I opened the logic gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The fragrance of cocoa palm oil and sun-warmed skin drifted in the air. I tried not to gaze, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those boob were half out. My heart didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"Come in. Too hot to bear out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her rosehip, and walked toward the sliding ice threshold. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing nix to cover it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

inside, her house was gorgeous. Open base architectural plan, spick kitchen, cool air lavation over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the blank — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a arse,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall shabu."You doing okay these twenty-four hour period ?"

"Getting there,"I said."dissolution take time, I guess."

She handed me a shabu and leaned against the retort. No rush, no awkwardness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to venthole — I'm around. My husband's out of townsfolk again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"workplace stuff and nonsense. league, guest encounter. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."come with the job. Keeps him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get tiresome ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt different this clock time. Like there was a mystical tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to quell entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must serve. You know ... always having someone there."

She tilted her head."You mean for company, or for sex ?"

My backtalk opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an honest solvent. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up relationships just had ... Thomas More of that stuff figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her chicken feed, and leaned her hip against the mesa just a ft from my human knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something soft and seraphic — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprise,"she said."A lot of people just go through the motions. Some don't even talk about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her eyes met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My face were burning, but I couldn't look away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to daunt you off. I just like honest conversations."

I nodded slowly, my pharynx dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her back motility — the soft line of her waist dipping into wide hip joint. My view were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a breakup ?"

I looked up.

"organism wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My heart jumped a lilliputian. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that line of credit was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't answer. I just took a slow sip, trying to play it cool.

We talked a little longer — about college, about the heat, about her flush dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, galvanic buzz that said this wasn't just a well-disposed visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. Hand on my shoulder. A grin that lingered just a second too long.

"ejaculate by anytime, Tommy. door's always open."

The all walk back to my house, I could still feel where her hand had touched me.

The lemonade tasted sweetness on my tongue, but not as sweet as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't stop picturing how easygoing it'd be for it to fall.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and curvature

It was just after noon when I finally worked up the nervus to take the air over.

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this time. The top strained to contain those tits in, and her hips curved like something out of a pipe dream. The sunshine made her skin gleaming. She was lying on her stomach this sentence, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to bury what day it was.

I didn't programme on saying anything. I was just going to walk past the fence, maybe Wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her psyche, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summer or you gon na come say hullo ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my pockets."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her shades up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. seed keep me company."

I hesitated. My gist was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"cum on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That line hit somewhere low in my stomach. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my voice cracked.

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heating hit backbreaking here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of coconut oil and sun-warmed skin drifted in the air. I tried not to gaze, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those nipple were half out. My center didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"semen in. Too hot to endure out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her articulatio coxae, and walked toward the sliding looking glass door. Her ass swayed with every stone's throw, towel doing nothing to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her theater was gorgeous. open air floor program, spotless kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every column inch of the blank space — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a hind end,"she said, pouring lemonade into marvelous drinking glass."You doing okay these days ?"

"Getting there,"I said."detachment takings time, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the counter. No rush, no awkwardness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to air — I'm around. My married man's out of township again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"Work stuff. Conferences, client confluence. He's in Ohio River this hebdomad, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. Keeps him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get boring ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt different this time. Like there was a mystical tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must help oneself. You know ... always having someone there."

She tilted her head word."You mean for company, or for sex ?"

My mouth opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an honorable solution. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up relationships just had ... more of that clobber figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her crank, and leaned her hip against the board just a foot from my human knee. Her two-piece top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something soft and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of people just go through the movement. Some don't even talk about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her eyes met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My cheeks were burning, but I couldn't face away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to scare you off. I just like true conversations."

I nodded slowly, my throat dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her back move — the voiced line of her shank dipping into wide of the mark hips. My thoughts were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a breakup ?"

I looked up.

"organism wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My heart jumped a little. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that line was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't answer. I just took a slack sip, trying to work it cool.

We talked a little longer — about college, about the heating system, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water them. But the completely time, there was this current running under it all. A repose, galvanic buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the room access. Hand on my shoulder. A grin that lingered just a 2d too long.

"Come by anytime, Tommy. room access's always open."

The whole walk back to my house, I could still feel where her bridge player had touched me.

The lemonade tasted Sweet on my spit, but not as Henry Sweet as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't stop picturing how easy it'd be for it to fall .