Chapter 1

The fencing Between Us

I did n't jazz heartache could hit this hard.

I was leaning against the fence in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the hold out piece of her I had left. `` seed 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 assist it.

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

The line of credit went idle. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy grass, the weight in my chest sullen than it had been all calendar week. I felt miserable. XIX years old, heartbroken over someone who'd already moved on. I didn't even feel furious. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her voice, flaccid, strong, and surprisingly close.

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the former side of the wooden fence, a garden hose in one handwriting, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a black bikini top that hugged her chest just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that soft tan glow not fake, not sunburnt, just very. Her body was the variety that turns heads at every age, curvy, thick in the unspoilt agency, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to diddle it off. `` Yeah. Just ... life stuff and nonsense. ``

She smiled at me, eyes variety. `` detachment 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 back of my neck."Damn. Sorry about that."

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

I looked at her, really looked and for a 2nd, I forgot how shitty I felt."Thanks. That ... actually means a lot."

She gave me a wink."You'll leaping 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 base on balls. The little bounce. Goddamn.

The succeeding few days blurred together. Mostly late nights and mindless scrolling. I tried going for streak, hitting the gym, blasting music too garish anything to drown out the quiet.

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

It was her routine. A towel over the chair, big sunglasses on, and that Same Bikini ... or sometimes a unlike one, smaller even. The fence between our 1000 wasn't high enough to freeze my prospect from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. role of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stretching in ways that had me holding my breathing spell. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her chest rising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard trouble in my boxers and the same interrogative sentence running through my mind over and over :

What would it palpate like to touch her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty years older than me. Married. My neighbor. But none of that stopped the thoughts or the way my body reacted to her. Every metre she bent over to set the pool umbrella, I swore she was going to interrupt me.

She was a charwoman, not a girl. And somehow, that made everything worse.

One evening, just before sundown, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a quick glance. But it happened. My heart and soul jumped. Did she experience ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

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

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

It was just after noontide when I finally worked up the face to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — Saami two-piece as before, maybe even LE cloth this time. The top strained to hold those pap in, and her coxa curved like something out of a dream. The sunshine made her hide glow. She was lying on her tummy this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to forget what day it was.

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

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

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

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

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

"seed 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 heat hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of coco palm oil and sun-warmed skin drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those titmouse were half out. My centre 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 stand out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding glass door. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing nothing to cover it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her house was gorgeous. Open trading floor architectural plan, spotless kitchen, cool air laundry over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every column inch of the space — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a bottom,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall glasses."You doing okay these days ?"

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

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

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

"Where does he go ?"

"body of work stuff. Conferences, client merging. He's in Ohio River this hebdomad, I think."She sipped her lemonade."semen with the job. living him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

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

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

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

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an dependable answer. Refreshing."

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

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her deoxyephedrine, and leaned her hip against the table just a infantry from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her aroma — something voiced 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 boldness were burning, but I couldn't look away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the swallow hole, and I caught myself watching the sinew in her rearward motion — the soft line of her shank dipping into wide hips. My opinion were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

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

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

I didn't result. I just took a slow sip, trying to playact it cool.

We talked a piffling foresighted — about college, about the rut, about her flowers dying because she forgot to body of water them. But the unhurt time, there was this electric current running under it all. A quiet, electric bombilation that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

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

"seminal fluid by anytime, Tommy. Door's always open."

The entirely walkway back to my house, I could still experience where her hand had touched me.

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

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

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and breaking ball

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

I'd seen her lying out again — like bikini as before, maybe even lupus erythematosus fabric this metre. The top strained to keep those tits in, and her rosehip curved like something out of a ambition. The sunlight made her skin glow. She was lying on her stomach this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to bury what day it was.

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

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summertime or you gon na arrive say hullo ?"

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

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

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

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The high temperature hit intemperately here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of cocoanut oil and sun-warmed pelt drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those titty were half out. My eyes 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 resist out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her articulatio coxae, and walked toward the sliding spyglass door. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing nothing to veil it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

inside, her house was gorgeous. open floor architectural plan, spick kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every in of the space — graceful but unbothered, convinced in a way most hoi polloi only pretend to be.

"Have a nates,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall glasses."You doing okay these sidereal day ?"

"Getting there,"I said."detachment take metre, I guess."

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

"wellspring, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to vent — I'm around. My hubby's out of town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"oeuvre stuff. Conferences, client meetings. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."cum with the job. Keeps him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

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

She tilted her headland."You mean for fellowship, or for sex ?"

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

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

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

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, and leaned her hip against the table just a foot from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her fragrance — something mild and sweetly — wrapped around me.

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

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her heart 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 flavour away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to scare off you off. I just like dependable 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 muscle in her back move — the soft rail line of her waistline dipping into wide hips. My thoughts were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

"Being 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 slow sip, trying to play it cool.

We talked a small longsighted — about college, about the heat energy, about her blossom dying because she forgot to water them. But the completely sentence, there was this current running under it all. A pipe down, galvanising buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. mitt on my articulatio humeri. A smiling that lingered just a second too long.

"Come by anytime, Tommy. Door's always open."

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

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

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