Friendly Neighbours

In the bathroom, Dan undressed me slowly. I closed my eyes as he caressed my skin, his hands trailing over my shoulders, down my back, over my hips. I sighed softly and pushed my body into his hands, willing him to keep going. Dan misread me and pulled my body into his. He looked into my eyes before taking my mouth in a fierce kiss. It was impossible not to melt into him, and impossible not to press against his growing erection. Almost impossible.

"Dan, stop." I gasped, leaning away from his heat. "What are we doing?"

Dan furrowed his brow in confusion.

"This, Dan. We met yesterday, and look what's happened. And what's about to happen."

"Does that matter? People meet in bars, and on Tinder, and have one night stands all the time." He reasoned.

"We live next door to one another, though. We can't avoid each other."

"Do you want to avoid me?" The confusion on his face had turned to hurt.

I had known Dan for such a short time, but I already knew that avoiding him was something I didn't want to do. I doubt I could if I tried.

"I don't do this kind of thing, sleeping with random men."

"I'm not a random man, Em. At least, I don't have to be. Yes, this happened quickly but did we do anything you didn't want us to do?" Dan lifted one hand and tucked my hair behind my ear.

I shook my head. I had definitely wanted what we did and I definitely wanted more of the same.

Dan slid his hand across my jawbone and tilted my chin so that our noses touched.

"So then, we won't make this a random, one time only thing. Let's make this whatever we want it to be."

My heart fluttered and soared. Dan wanted more than just hook ups. Of all the things I expected so soon after experiencing such devastating heartache, falling for my new neighbour didn't feature on the list.

"Shall we?" I said, reaching into the shower to turn it on.

"No." Dan took my wrist and pulled me away. "I have something else in mind now. How do you feel about getting a little dirtier first?"

The smile on his face was sly and excited as he led me out of the bathroom and down the hallway into my bedroom. He laid me down on the bed and I watched intently as he got undressed. Blood pounded loudly in my ears as I waited for him to take off his jeans. Dan hooked his fingers into the waistband and I had to cross my knees as his jeans went down over his ankles. His cock stood proudly erect above a thick thatch of dark blonde hair. He was so aggressively male that I couldn't stop myself from reaching for him, but Dan took my hand and guided it to his mouth.

Kissing my palm, Dan stepped toward me, bringing his cock just inches from my face. I licked my lips in anticipation, waiting for the feeling of his heavy member against my tongue. The sensation never came and Dan chuckled as he walked away from me and to the other side of the bed, coming to lie down beside me. He used one hand to uncross my knees, continuing to over my thigh until his hand rested over my mound, his thumb sliding over my slit. I turned my body to face him, trapping his hand between my thighs to make sure he wouldn't leave me with out his touch.

"It feels good, knowing that you get this wet for me." Dan's voice was husky as he pressed his digit gently at the entrance of my warmth. "What's your last name?"

Well that was right out of left field. I didn't answer, but rolled my hips in an attempt to find some satisfaction. Dan read me though, and pulled his hand away from where I most wanted it.

"Nuh uh. Answer." He commanded.

"Jensen." I said, and I was immediately rewarded with pressure on my clit. Not enough, but it was there. "Yours?"

"Pratley."

Even in my state of needy desire, I couldn't resist making fun of him.

"Ohh, I'm Lord Daniel Pratley the third, pleasure to mee-" I started with an overly posh English accent, but I was silenced when Dan forcefully pressed a finger inside me.

"Hmm, I knew that would shut you up." Dan groaned. "How old are you? Where did you grow up?"

"I just turned 30, and in the inner-city. I only moved to the suburbs a few years ago. You?" I answered, my breathing laboured as Dan teased me.

"36. I grew up here, in the suburbs."

"But your accent isn't from here."

"Very observant Ms Jensen. My family moved here from Portland when I was 12. I never lost my accent."

Much to my annoyance, Dan removed his hand from between my legs. He tapped his chin with the same finger he had inside me, a mock display of hard thinking. When he lifted two fingers to his mouth and sucked them, I nearly died. He put his hand back in its rightful place between my thighs and gently pushed his two fingers inside me.

"That's so good," I groaned "but your fingers can't compare to how good your cock feels."

"Be careful what you say Emily Jensen, I may just ravish you and then our little game will be over."

"That sounds wonderful, if you wouldn't mind." I tried to entice him, but Dan was relentless in his quest to get more information from me.

"Since we find ourselves naked on your bed, I am going to assume that you're single. So what is a drop dead gorgeous 30-year old woman doing buying a house on her own in the suburbs?"

My heart sank. When I realised the day before that something was sparking between Dan and I, this was the conversation I was hoping wouldn't arise, at least not for a long while. I gently pushed at the hand between my thighs and felt relief and regret as Dan slid his fingers out of me. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, trying to formulate my words. To Dan's unending credit, he was patient and waited for me until I was ready to speak.

"I'm newly divorced, Dan. Very newly. My husband and I used to live in a large home in the south of the city; he earned a much better salary than me. When everything happened, I had to downsize. I came here because it's nice but affordable and near a few schools, so I thought it would be an easy place to get some students." I didn't cry because I had no more tears to shed. I was just hoping that Dan wasn't put off.

I needn't have worried. Dan took my hand and held it in his own.

"What happened?"

"He was unreliable. I don't know if he cheated on me, but it was just like he didn't care about me. Not until the end. Then he finally started showing emotion, drowning me in flowers and gifts but the damage had been done. I had spent most of my twenties trying to get this man to show me that he loved me that by the time he did, I had checked out. Leaving him was hard, probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but it was worth it. I don't spend my nights crying myself hoarse anymore."

Dan wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me into his body.

"Baby, I know you don't need me to tell you that you deserve better than that." Dan whispered into my hair in between kisses on the top of my head.

Somehow, my newest acquaintance (if I could call him that) knew the heart of me. He knew that I needed comfort but that I didn't need to hear one more piece of cliché advice. How did he just get me? I didn't know how to put that into words, but I wanted him to know.

I shuffled up the bed so we could make eye contact on the same level. I breathed his name before practically launching at him. His mouth accepted mine, willingly. I poured my need for Dan into every kiss, into my nails digging into his shoulders. Dan responded perfectly, grabbing at my ass to grind into my body. He hooked a hand under my knee and lifted it over his hip, instantly moving between my legs. The velvet head of his engorged cock pressed urgently at my opening, and I pushed my hips down to accept his girth. Dan's looked at me with hooded eyes and parted lips as his breathing became heavy.

"Let go, baby." He whispered.

Dan kept his hand on my knee, gripping tighter and taking control. I took a deep breath and relaxed all the muscles in body, allowing Dan to reign over me. He remained inside me as he gently pushed me onto my back and took his place above me. He cupped my head with his hands. His eyes burned hot with desire but his movements remained gentle and calm: soft kisses on my lips and neck, tender thrusts into my body. He claimed me so entirely, bodily and emotionally, leaving no space for anything else.

I raised my hips, inviting more of him as Dan made love to me. As he pulled out and then buried himself into me, his thrusts became urgent and I became needy. I begged him for more, harder, and more again. The more Dan drove into me, the higher I floated. I was beyond thought and beyond bliss as I came. I called for him loudly, Dan's relentless energy pushing me from one orgasm and into the next. I was breathless and falling to pieces when Dan growled as he released into me, and I felt every pulse of his climax.

Dan rolled onto his back, pulling me into his side. Our bodies were dewy with perspiration and we both sighed contentedly. I felt so satisfied; something I hadn't felt in such a long time. More importantly, I felt desired and wanted. I looked up at Dan, and when I saw he was looking down at me with a warm glow in his eyes, a buzz ran through my body. Yes, definitely wanted.

"I'll say it again: You are actually amazing." Dan complimented me while he stroked my face.

My cheeks flushed. I didn't know what was amazing about making love with a gorgeous man, but I wasn't going to fight him if that's what he thought.

"How about that shower now?" I asked.

****

Showered and dressed, Dan and I ate a late lunch of left over pizza and polished off a couple of beers each. The sun was turning orange in the afternoon sky.

"Thank you for your help with the bed," I paused, unsure of how to continue, "and for your kindness, understanding and all that."

"You don't have to thank me, Em. What's not to understand? We've all been through tough relationships."

"I didn't ask you: what's a handsome 36 year old man doing living on his own in the suburbs?" My stomach tightened even as I asked the question. I suddenly felt intrusive, nosey, and jealous of the small time I had spent with him.

"I've always lived in the suburbs, I like the peace and quiet. Besides, do you know how much it would cost to have a combined work studio and home in the city? I don't think I could ever afford it." He rubbed the stubble around his chin. "As far as relationships go, I haven't had anything serious in years. After my last relationship ended, I just threw myself into my work."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"We just wanted different things. She wanted to go out, she loved the clubs and that whole scene. I tried for her but it's very obviously not my thing. I think she also wanted to be free on those nights she was out, and I can't blame her. Who wants to be stuck at home with me and a pack of dogs?"

I wanted to scream "Me!! I do!!" at the top of my lungs, but I decided to err on the side of caution and smile weakly at him instead. Smooth, Emily. Real smooth.

"So, when can I meet your pack?"

With in minutes, I had locked up and we were at Dan's doorstep.

"Just brace yourself, ok?" Dan stood in front of me as he opened the front door to his home, and four huge dogs came barrelling towards us.

We barely managed to shuffle inside the door. I sat on the ground, and was instantly covered in wet mouths and hot breath as Dan's dogs learned what they had to about me. I giggled with every lick on my cheek and in my ear and I tried to reach for every wagging bum I could. Over all the excitement, I could only just make out Dan calling the dogs to sit by his feet. I scrambled to standing and finally got a good look at them all. They were all mutt-crosses of some kind or other, and all of them big.

"Who do we have here? We've got Ace the Retriever, Attila the Rottweiler, Mathius the Bernese, and Conrad the Dane. They're not pedigree, but they're amazing, aren't you?" He said, rubbing the head of Mathius who looked up at him with huge black eyes.

All of the dogs sat patiently as I scratched their heads and necks, introducing myself the only way I could. Excitement aside, they were well trained and very sweet. Dan started walking to the living room and they all got up and followed him, all but Attila. He stayed by my side, only following the other dogs when I did too.

"I think someone likes you." Dan laughed as he took a seat on one of the three couches that filled the space.

I was about to ask why one man would need so much furniture, but when the dogs got up and took their places on the sofas, my question was answered. Attila still remained by my side, and when I sat beside Dan, Attila curled up on the other side.

"So when I go back home, I'm taking this one, cool? Cool." I said as I played with Attila's soft ears.

"And what, pray tell, will you do with him?"

"During the day, he can sit outside in the sun. At lunch we can go for walks, and then at night we can cuddle in bed." To say that I was completely enamoured with this dog was an understatement.

"I don't think I like my dog taking my place in your bed." Dan said as he squeezed my arm.

If the room were dark, I would have been surrounded with a nuclear-like glow. With every passing minute, Dan was becoming more perfect to me than a Disney prince ever could have been. It was surreal, and too good to be true. The thought that this could all be for show saddened me, probably because it had been so long since I had experienced true passion. But I was in a new phase of my life and I was resolved to just take what came at me with out over analysing every little thing.

"You want to come with me while I walk the dogs? I promise you can hold Attila's lead." Dan broke the silence.

Our sunset walk together was pleasant but sad. We let the dogs run around in a park while we sat on a bench in the shade and talked. I learned that Dan was the only child of two only children and he was particularly close to his mother growing up, but that he lost both of his parents in a car accident when he was in his mid-twenties. He had inherited his family home but sold because he hated living in so much empty space. He had built a network of close friends, but nothing would be the same as his parents. The tears that threatened to spill in his blue eyes broke my heart. I couldn't even begin to imagine his lonely ache.

I straddled his lap and took his head in my hands. I didn't need to tell Dan to put his arms around me; that was a given. I kissed all over his face: his cheeks, chin, forehead and nose. I wanted to pour every sorry, every bit of care and tenderness I felt into him. I wanted him to know that, despite whatever this was, I would be there for him when he needed it.

"Thank you." Dan whispered as he rubbed my back. "Should we head back home?"

We walked back hand-in-hand, the dogs by our sides. It was unnerving that I felt more at home being like this with Dan than I ever felt in my marriage. It was downright scary.

"Good night." I said to Dan, leaning in to kiss his cheek when we got to his front door.

"Wait! You're not staying for dinner?" He asked. It was obvious that it was the only option he had considered.

"I really should go." I waved him off and walked back to my house.

I heard his front door open and close behind me, which is why I nearly jumped out of my skin when he grabbed my arm as I was putting the key in the lock of my door.

"Jesus Christ, Dan! You couldn't have said something?" I squealed, trying to regain my breath after my shock.

"You wouldn't have turned around. Why did you run away like that?"

"I didn't run, I walked home."

"You know what I mean." Dan sighed with exasperation.

"What's happening between us Dan, it's taken me completely by surprise. I'm just feeling overwhelmed."

"I get that baby, I do. But does that mean you want to go back to your house where Attila doesn't live and watch TV alone? Or would you rather come back to mine, use me for my dogs and body, and watch a movie and eat some grub?"

He was making himself irresistible. He knew damn well I didn't want to watch TV alone. I let him take me back to his house.

I woke up all too warm, with thick drool on my shoulder and heavy breathing in my ear. Focussing my eyes on the hot mass in my arms, I saw Attila sleeping peacefully, and Mathius at my feet. I didn't remember falling asleep Dan's sofa, but here I was. I glanced around the room and saw Dan sleeping on one of the other sofas in what I assumed was solidarity. I looked back at Attila in my arms. The soft rise and fall of his chest was mesmerising and relaxing, and before I knew it, I was drifting back to sleep.

The second time I woke up, I was much cooler and a cup of coffee was being wafted near my face.

"Well good morning there, bug-a-lug. Sleep well?" Dan said as I sat up and took the coffee from his hands.

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to stay!"

Dan leaned in to kiss me, and thinking of my morning breath, I kept my kiss closed and chaste. But Dan wasn't having it. With the same strong male force he showed me in bed, he forced me in to a kiss more passionate. He kept one hand firmly on the back of my neck, not allowing me any room to move, and he enslaved me with his tongue. I was helpless against him as he commanded more from me with out words. I didn't notice when the coffee cup in my hands was gone, I just slowly came to realise it wasn't there anymore.

With his hands under my knees, Dan spread my legs wide over either side of his hips while he kneeled on the floor. He roughly hooked a thumb into the crotch of my panties and pulled them aside, his breathing ragged.

"Always ready to be fucked, aren't we Ms Jensen?" Dan growled as he plunged inside me.

I lifted my hips, giving back whatever I could. I began quivering as soon as Dan's finger flicked at my clit, and I came vocally. My pussy clenched around Dan, but he remained inside me only until my orgasm subsided, his eyes closed in concentration. When he pulled out, his dick was glistening and I watched breathlessly as Dan rubbed frantically at his hardness and came in thick ropes over my stomach.

I felt used in the most delicious way. Dan slumped forward, his head resting between my breasts. He looked down at his come that was now pressed between our bodies.

"Come on." Dan pulled me to my feet and kept me steady as my head spun with a dizzy spell.

"What the hell was that all about?" I asked, still sensitive between my thighs.

"I wanted to kiss you. I just pushed my advantage."

Dan ushered me into the shower and washed me with soaped hands. This wasn't something that would lead to fucking; this was tender and sensitive touch.

He invited me to stay for breakfast, but he graciously accepted when I made my excuses to leave. I truly needed time to think.

Back in the seclusion of my own space, I unpacked my stereo and began the labour of emptying the boxes that were still cluttering my home. It was mindless work, and my thoughts wandered to Dan.

Sure, I wasn't opposed to another serious relationship, but so soon? Was this even going to become a serious relationship or were we just going to sleep together and slowly become friends in the process? What did Dan want? More importantly, what did I want? My head was swimming.

By the time night fell, most of the boxes were unpacked and I found myself in bed, wishing that I had seen Dan just once more. After all the questions I had asked myself, the only answer was that I wanted to have him in my life. I didn't know much more than that.

I was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep, when one thought came into my head unbidden: you should find Dan on Facebook.

I grabbed my phone from my bedside table and immediately put it down. I scolded myself before picking up the phone again. I searched his name, but not one profile looked like the Dan I knew. Was I interested in a man who was so mature that he didn't have Facebook, even? Frustrated and relieved, I threw the phone back down and stared at the ceiling.