Mutually ending a long-term relationship had been very difficult for Jess. Even though the break-up was relatively painless, it still was a hard thing to do because she and her boyfriend had been together for approximately twelve years.
Inherently a private person, it was easy for Jess to be professional at work and share her personal life with only the few coworkers that she considered close friends. However, the recent separation was a unique situation so she just couldn't shake her melancholy mood.
Her days consisted of going to work, quietly doing her job and then going home to an empty house and her month-long routine probably would have continued if her boss hadn't summoned her to his office one day. In the two years that she had been with Walters Incorporated, she had never heard her English employer speak to her in anything but his warm and friendly accented voice. So, to hear him request her immediate presence in a crisp and grave tone caused Jess to quietly panic. Had her mood affected her job? Was she about to get fired?
Fearing the worst, she entered his office and received quite a shock. Her boss, Pierce Walters, informed her that he was moving back to England and really valued her work so he wanted to take his favourite assistant with him. If she wasn't still speechless from his revelation then she would have quipped that she was his only assistant.
She had grown close to Pierce over the years and although Jess was 32 years old and he was in his late 40s, they had a father/daughter type of relationship. He was also quite astute so even though she had never mentioned the break-up, she wasn't surprised when he told her that the change of scenery would do her good and that this would help her to finally put the past behind her.
Pierce gave her a week to decide and although Jess' family were devastated at the possibility of having her move so far away, she felt that she made the right decision. She would be moving to England.
- - - - - - - - - -
Upon arriving in England, the whole new culture scared and intimidated her but Jess also felt exhilarated. It helped tremendously that her new coworkers were warm, inviting and willing to help Jess get settled.
She was given an already furnished apartment that contained so many personal items that Jess wondered if she'd be getting a roommate. However, it turned out that the previous tenant was an ex-employee of Walters Incorporated. Apparently, a handsome German businessman had offered the woman a job at double her salary and had promised to replace all the items that she was leaving behind since he was in a rush to get back home. Then he had promptly whisked her away.
It wasn't her coworkers that gave her this little tidbit of information. Nope. In fact, the employees were rather tight-lipped about the whole affair. So, how did Jess find out? Just by some overzealous neighbours in her apartment complex. Perhaps it was because most of the tenants had lived in the building for a long time or they were nosy but when Jess had moved in, far too many people were curious about her. Her accent, or lack of one, intrigued them and they wanted to know all about her but Jess had no intention of telling virtual strangers her life story. Therefore, whenever she was questioned, her typically standard response always was, "I just moved here for a job."
About a week after she moved in, Jess met the neighbour that lived to her right. She was approaching her door, encumbered with bags of groceries, and he had just exited his apartment and was locking his door. She surreptitiously checked him out and felt her stomach plummet… damn but the man was quite attractive. He was tall, lean, dark-haired and handsome and just the sight of him gave her the eerie feeling that if she gave him the chance, he'd turn her life upside down with very little effort. What an odd sensation to have but also pointless since Jess was here to heal. She had never really lived alone so she needed to prove to herself that she could make it on her own.
She quickly averted her face when he unexpectedly turned and his cocky grin plainly told her that he knew that she had been checking him out. Lowering her head to hide her blush, Jess fumbled with her keys and tried to open the door while holding the groceries but as a bag dropped, she heard the sickening crunch of eggs breaking. She glanced down at the bag in dismay and then her gaze flew upward when she heard her neighbour laughing.
Normally Jess was quite easy-going but her confidence had plummeted over the last few months and so his laughter seemed to be mocking her, which just made her feel defensive and angry. Glaring up at him, she met his dark gaze and froze. Some sort of emotion stirred inside her and she didn't like it one little bit. So without saying a word, Jess turned away, shoved open the door, placed one of the bags just inside then bent to pick up the other bag that had dropped. As she straightened, she glanced over and noticed that he was staring avidly at her ass. With an 'if looks could kill' glare, she entered her apartment but just before her door slammed shut, Jess heard a very sexy and very male English voice say, "Welcome to the neighbourhood."
- - - - - - - - - -
Jess would have been content if she never saw her neighbour again but unfortunately, the reprieve only lasted a week. The landlady was hosting an informal party and really wanted her to attend so that she could meet all of the tenants in the building. Jess wasn't fooled, she was quite aware that her invitation was mainly due to the fact that people wanted to find out more about her but in spite of that knowledge, she didn't want to spend another night alone in her apartment. So she accepted.
After approximately an hour of deflecting far too personal questions, Jess wearily stood against a wall, off to the side, simply surveying the crowd and that's when she felt the skin at her nape suddenly tingle. Perplexed, she glanced curiously around and then felt her mouth go dry when her gaze collided with her neighbour's. Taking a quick sip of white wine, she watched as he slowly approached her. That sexy strut of his was creating havoc with her heartbeat and her reaction to him simply confused her.
"Well, well, well… if it isn't my new neighbour. Fancy meeting you here."
At a loss for words, she just stared up at him and with an amused expression, he held out his hand. "I'm Don."
Blinking, she glanced down at his hand and then slowly placed her small hand against his much larger one. "I'm Jess," she replied, then quickly pulled her hand away.
If possible, he seemed even more amused as he placed his left hand flat against the wall, close to her head, with his arm outstretched. Alarmed at his proximity, she glanced around then sidled slightly away.
Don glanced down at her body, encased in snug jeans and a short top and the curves that were subtly on display intrigued him. Glancing back up into her dark eyes, he murmured, "I bought extra eggs, Jess. How about coming back to my place and grabbing two large ones?"
His innuendo wasn't lost on her and glaring up at him; she moved away from the wall and put a little more distance between them. "Awfully bold aren't you? You don't even know if I'm married or have a boyfriend and you certainly don't know me. I could be a... a... an axe murderer." She wanted to yell at him but worked at keeping her voice low since she didn't want to attract any more attention from the busybody tenants.
"I was just asking if you wanted eggs," he said smoothly. "But while we're on the subject, are you taken?"
"Am I
taken
? What are you, a throwback from another era? No I'm not taken, nor do I want to be." She normally was in control of her emotions but with a few simple sentences, this man had her practically foaming at the mouth.
Grinning, he reached out to grasp a soft tendril of her hair and idly toyed with it as he murmured, "In case you're wondering, I'm not seeing anyone. Oh and Jess," he tugged on her hair and bent closer. "It won't be long before you're begging me to take you," he whispered.
Her face blanched as he slowly sauntered away.
The audacity of the man! What makes him think that every woman he focuses on, just wants to spread her legs for him
, she fumed.
- - - - - - - - - -
After that encounter, she was intent on avoiding him but Don always seemed to unexpectedly turn up. She saw him at the grocery store, in the laundry room, outside the building, and at the local pub. Jess saw him so often that she was beginning to believe that he had her place wired and was following her. The idea was quite ridiculous but a testament to how crazy he was making her.
It also didn't help that he plagued her dreams, her very erotic dreams. In fact, it had been after a particularly restless night when she exited her apartment the next morning and smacked right into him. A combination of frayed nerves and lack of sleep made her lash out, "Why the hell do you keep following me! Leave me the fuck alone!"
With an arched eyebrow, he regarded her silently and finally said quietly, "I apologize if I've disturbed you but I haven't been following you, it's just a happy coincidence."
"I don't believe you," she growled and folded her arms across her chest in an angry stance.
Taking in her posture, he eyed her quizzically and then responded, "Are you always this distrustful of people?"
"Yes," was her succinct retort.
"Well I assure you that I haven't been sitting by my door, waiting and listening for you to leave. I have better things to do with my time."
Feeling like a fool, she blushed and conceded, "Okay, I'm overreacting but I'm new to this country and I'm not ready for a relationship and I want people to stop prying into my life and… and I want you to stop coming on to me."
Smiling, Don gently cupped her cheek and lightly stroked his thumb across her bottom lip. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable Jess and I do want us to be friends," he said as he gazed into her eyes. Leaning closer, he whispered, "But just so you know, I want more than friendship. I would love the opportunity to cum on you."
With those words he departed, leaving a trembling Jess leaning weakly against her door.
- - - - - - - - - -
The next day dawned beautifully warm and bright and it was a perfect day for procrastinating Jess to finally hold a garage/lawn sale to sell the items that the former tenant had left behind in her apartment.
Jess had been chatting with a lovely elderly woman when she noticed Don approaching her. Inwardly groaning, she somehow managed to continue the conversation even though all her attention was focused on him.
Damn, he looks so handsome this morning
, she thought.
As the woman left with her purchase, Jess turned to her neighbour. He was holding a Barbie doll and idly flicking his thumb over the doll's breasts as his gaze perused Jess' body, taking in her halter-top and cut off shorts that accentuated her curves. Feeling slightly aroused, she practically shivered when he mumbled in his ever sexy accent, "How much is this?" He held up the doll in his right hand, smiling slightly.
Not believing for one second that he wanted the doll, Jess grinned. "That's not for sale," she said, staring pointedly at a little girl that was looking up at Don with a vexed expression, her fists planted on her hips.
"That's MY doll, go find your own!" she said angrily, snatching it out of his hand and storming away.
Nonplussed, he turned back to Jess with an amused expression. "In that case, how much do you cost?" he leered playfully, arching his eyebrow when she burst out laughing.
"Sorry fella but I'm not for sale either."
