Thwack!
The harsh crack of wood caused me to jump, and I let out a gasp. The noise broke me out of my haze. I’d been gawking at Jack for far too long. Sixty seconds was too much to get the hots for a man I should stay far away from.
Jack spun around.
“What the hell are you doing in my yard?” He glared at me.
Jack’s deep stare was full of intensity, swirling on the edge of madness with something I couldn’t recognize. He wedged the blade in the crack in the stump while his chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. He placed his arms at his sides and curled his hands into fists. Jack was pissed, but Christ, I was too.
If this asshole had only turned down his goddamn television and realized there were other people around, I wouldn’t be crossing the property line. I’d be safely on my side of the fence, sipping my morning brew and enjoying the view. I’d be far away from this overbearingly hot hunk of a man, who was as fit as a damn ox, instead of staring him down with barely anything on other than my housecoat. I didn’t want to be here, and this was all his fault.
“Turn that down!” I shouted while pointing at the television.
I had to yell, or else Jack wouldn’t hear me over all the women yelling all at the same time through the speaker.
“What?” Jack questioned.
Jack walked over toward the television and grabbed the remote. The dick had the audacity to turn the sound up a notch. He tried to tune me out.
I marched toward Jack and yelled, “You’re such a dick! Do you know that? Here I actually thought an asshole as old as you would be in his backyard having sex!”
Jack had turned off the power before I had finished my enraged rant.
“What now?” Jack crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at me with a delicious grin.
“I... I mean, uh—” I fumbled to find words, but nothing wanted to come out.
“Could you repeat that for me, sweetheart?” Jack tapped his ear. “My hearing aid mustn’t be working.”
Jack could hear fine. He was physically fit and extremely able to do anything. Including sex and throwing around sarcastic remarks.
I huffed, “Never mind.”
I went to turn around, but Jack grabbed me by the wrist.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Jack pulled me up flush against his chest and glared down at me. “I want an answer before I take you over my damn knee and spank one out of ya.”
Jack wasn’t kidding. The fire in his heatedI don’t give a fuckstare blazed down at me, and flames of desire rose inside of me. He was too close. This was extremely dangerous, and alarm bells were jingling in my head.
“Let go of me.” I heaved.
I yanked my arm, but Jack wouldn’t release me.
“Not until I hear you say it,” Jack argued.
“Fine, Jack...” I leaned in close enough to smell the sweat on his chest. “I came over here because I thought you were having sexual intercourse with a woman. There. Are you happy?”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Extremely.”
Jack let me go.
“You’re such an egotistical prick.” I shook my head. “How any woman could ever want you, I’ll never understand.”
Suddenly, Jack grabbed the back of my neck, and his face was inches from mine. His breath was hot against my cheek as he turned my head to the side, and I let him. He touched me, trailing his hand down the side of my body at an excruciating pace that left me quivering. He went straight over my midsection and stopped at the knot of my robe. Trapped as I was, I didn’t want to leave because I was far too curious about what my neighbor might do to me next.
“Well, let me see...” Jack whispered hoarsely into my ear as he wandered beneath my housecoat and touched bare skin. “You are a woman, Elle. Pure, vibrant, and I bet, willing.”
My eyes went wide, but I didn’t stop him. I couldn’t. I froze. Shocked by Jack caressing me intimately when he shouldn’t be, I had no power to end the chill running down my spine.
