Death, divorce, moving. These are three things described as the most stressful events for a person. Grief over loss of a loved one could make you unable to do anything, struggling with sorting out finances and possessions could be infuriating, and dealing with uprooting your life and planting it somewhere else could be stressful beyond measure.
Moving to a new neighborhood was scary, but from my end, it could only be a plus. No more apartments, no more screaming kids or fighting neighbors, no more loud parties at three in the morning, no more landlords. I was getting a house, a proper dwelling.
Thankfully, I didn't have much to move; I saved a bundle just by renting a trailer and driving over myself. A mere five hours late, and I was home.
I pulled into the driveway and stepped out, ready to get to work. Getting my things inside would be easy, though I
do
wish I'd had a bit of help. Many hands make light work, after all. And as if someone was listening, I heard the sound of a throat clearing behind me.
I nearly dropped the box I was holding (I scare easy) and whipped around. A man stood behind me. No, that was an understatement. He was less of a man and more of a mountain. Barrel-chested with thick, burly arms, dressed in a tight-fitting flannel shirt, jeans, and heavy work boots. He looked at me with soft, brown eyes, and a Stetson sat atop his wavy black locks, his clean-shaven face sporting a strong, squared jawline.
"Oop, didn' mean ta give ya a scare there, darlin'." he said with a chuckle. "You jus' movin' in?"
I nodded, caught off-guard not just by his sudden presence, but his appearance. Whatever god made him broke the mold, flawlessly combining virility, masculinity, and beauty. "Y-Yeah, just arrived today."
He stepped inside the trailer and took the box from me, tucking it under his arm and extending his hand to me. "Well, on behalf'a tha neighborhood, lemme welcome y'all to this lil' slice of heaven." he said. I took his hand, my own disappearing inside his as he shook firmly. "Name's Kyle Johnson. Pleasure ta meetcha, darlin'."
I gave him my name and said it was nice to meet him, too. Which was true. He was like some suburban Adonis at 6'7" with a southern accent. It was good there was work to be done, otherwise I'd have probably stared at him the whole day.
He was able to carry stacks of boxes like they were feathers, and a job that should've taken an hour or two was done in less than thirty minutes.
"Job well done, ah'd say." Kyle said as he surveyed the now-empty trailer.
"Thank you so much for your help." I replied.
'And the eye candy.'
"Ah, shoot, 'tweren't nothin', darlin'. Hell, could even consider that mah workout fer tha day."
We shared a chuckle, and I offered him inside for a glass of water, but he politely declined. "Ain't right fer me ta impose, it bein' yer first day'n all." But he promised to take me up on that offer later, which I hoped he would.
He left, and I saw him walk across the road to a house directly opposite mine. Day one and I was already making friends. Well, acquaintances. Maybe, hopefully, friends further down the road.
-/-/-/-/-
Two weeks had passed and I was settling in just fine. My new job was paying well and less stressful than my old one, and my house had become a home very quickly.
Kyle had also taken a bit of a shine to me. Something I noticed was that he never addressed me by name, always "darlin'' or some other cute nickname, like 'honey' or "sweetie" or "cutie." He seemed to delight in how flustered that made me. Now and again we'd run into each other, or I'd catch him outside doing yardwork, or in his garage, fixing up his car. I was thankful my house had large windows; I could ogle all I wanted while I was at home.
Then one day, things took a bit of a turn.
Friday evening, I was sitting at home, unwinding after a long day at work. I had something on, but I wasn't particularly focused on it, my attention more drawn to my phone as I scrolled through Twitter.
Three heavy knocks on the door pulled my attention away, and upon opening the door, I was met with Kyle. He towered over me, dressed in a white vest top that was soaked with sweat. Gone was his Stetson, his messy black hair flowing in free, unfettered waves.
"Hate ta be imposin' on ya, darlin'," he spoke. "Wonder if ah might take ya up on that offer'a water from tha other day?"
"Of course!" I replied, maybe a little too fast, and waved him in.
Kyle had been mowing, which explained his attire, as well as the scent of fresh-cut grass mixing with his own musk. I all but forced him into a chair at the kitchen table and went to get him a glass. I figured he might want something to eat, too, so I went for the bread box. I'd just barely opened it when I felt his presence close to me, followed by his hand on my shoulder.
"Now, jus' what are you doin' there, cutie? You gettin' me a snack, too? You ain't gotta do that."
I blushed, stammering out my words. "O-Oh, it's no t-trouble at all. I figured you could use something quick to recharge."
His grip tightened as he turned me around. I just barely reached up to his chest, and his massive hand titled my chin up to meet his gaze. "Well, ah know sumthin' that'll charge me up better than bread and water, that's fer sure."
Before I could say anything, he pressed his lips to mine. He was rough, yet firm, keeping his grip on me tight. His tongue pushed its way through, invading my mouth, and I was hard in no time at all. It felt so much longer than it was, even though it was only a few seconds. When we broke apart, he smiled down at me with a hint of smugness. "Yeeeeep, that works jus' fine. Feel like I could go tha whole rest of tha day at full speed."
His eyes then turned to the tent I was pitching in my shorts, and he chortled. "Ain't that jus' tha sweetest thang. Lil' kiss like that got y'all all hot'n bothered?"
I was at a loss for words, still in aroused shock at Kyle's sudden move. His hand moved to palm my erection and I couldn't help but let out a moan.
"Ah believe ah asked y'all a question, darlin'. Ya liked that, didn't ya?"
"I did..." I whispered in reply, feeling my knees go weak.
"Well...iffin' ya want more, why don'tcha stop by mah place 'round nine tonight?"
Was this happening? Was this really happening? I all but shouted "Yes!" and after Kyle finished his water, he left. I blinked a few times and pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Still awake.
-/-/-/-/-
Kyle said nine. I arrived at 8:30. I almost felt silly. It was like I was a high school girl with a crush, excited at the prospect of a first date. Would he think I was desperate? What was he really planning?
Despite being early, Kyle seemed to be expecting me; opening the door not long after I arrived. I'd always seen him in casual wear, and this was his house after all. But seeing him in the same outfit he wore hours before was a bit surprising.
"You sure don't dilly-dally, do ya, cutie?" he chuckled.
"S-Sorry, I must seem overeager."
He gave me a pat on the head, and my knees got that weak feeling again. "Ain't nuthin' wrong with bein' eager, darling. Ah like that, mahself. Step on in. And leave yer shoes by tha door."
I complied as I stepped inside, being met with the sight of a house teeming with rustic charm. Mellow earth tones blending with suburban charm to create a home that was cozy and freeing. What gave me pause, however, was a large deer head mounted over the fireplace.
"Oh, don't you mind that none." Kyle said as he caught me looking. "It's fake. Can't stomach tha idea of hurtin' a poor creature jus' ta prop it up like some fancy decoration."
God, could he
get
any cuter?
Something else I quickly noticed about Kyle as we toured the house. He was, to borrow some UK slang, teetotal. No drugs, not even cigarettes, and no alcohol anywhere in the house apart from medical supplies. He didn't even have cooking sherry. Such a thing was so exceedingly rare I almost didn't believe it.
"Hope you're alright with lemonade, darlin'." he said, making his way to the couch with a pair of glasses. He handed one to me and downed half of his in a single gulp, while I took sips of mine.