Lovely Neighbor Read online

  “What happened?”

  “I don’t know. The supervisor Garry called me from home last week and said something about catching him looking at files he wasn’t supposed to be in.”

  “Why would he do that?” He’s in IT but he shouldn’t have had access to everything right away.

  “He said when he talked to him about it he said it was a mistake.” She shrugs as she looks at her notes. “I’ve got down here that he reported an incident to HR last week as well when he saw the guy go into some kind of emotional rage.” She reads a little more and makes a hmm sound.

  “What?” The hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

  “It’s just weird because we were both in the office that day and I don’t remember it. I think it was the day Erin and Betty came to have lunch with you.”

  I lean back in my chair as I try to connect the dots. Something is definitely off, and when it comes to things like this I trust my gut.

  “Send me the information on him. I want to pass it on to Jarico just in case.”

  “Sure, no problem,” Renee agrees, making a note. “I don’t ever recall meeting him in person, but I can ask Garry for anything he might remember.”

  I nod as I stand up and send a quick text to Erin. My hackles are rising and I have this urge to make sure she’s okay.

  “Do you, Devin? His name was Peter. Peter Green.”

  “No.” I shake my head as another chill goes across my back.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Erin

  “This is a lot to take in.” The dining room table is covered in books, fabrics, dishes, and things I don't recognize.

  “It is, but just remember it’s one thing at a time. How many people are you thinking?” I look to Grams for her answer because I only have her, Jenna, and Lucas. There’s no one else in my life and I didn't realize how small my circle was until now.

  “I’m going to guess around fifty. We’ll want to keep it intimate, but Devin and I will be inviting several people. I want to show my granddaughter off.” Grams beams at me.

  “Perfect.” The woman writes in her notebook before moving on to the next item. “Okay, the next thing is colors. We’ll need to know so we can have a theme.” I look to Grams again, who laughs at my panicked face.

  “Sugar, it’s a wedding and this is supposed to be fun. Don’t take it too seriously.”

  “A wedding feels serious.”

  “It is but it isn't. You’re madly in love and getting married. This day should be fun and filled with romance. Nothing you pick will be wrong.”

  She’s right. I let out a breath knowing Devin will be happy with anything I pick because he wants me to have the wedding of my dreams.

  “If I say pink is everyone going to cringe?”

  The wedding planner, Sasha, laughs. “No, lots of brides use pink. What shades are you thinking?”

  “Pastels, I think. I want it sweet and light.”

  She nods with a smile as she writes it down. “Now on to the date. I spoke to Devin this morning and he wants this yesterday. I bargained for two weeks since I’ll do most of the heavy lifting, but I’m going to need you to be ready for lots of random questions I’ll send you.”

  Excitement bubbles inside of me because this is all happening so fast. I’m going to be Erin Meade two weeks from now.

  “I can do that.”

  “Of course she can.” Grams pats my hand. “We can’t wait much longer than that or she’ll have a baby bump.” I snap my head over to look at her and she shrugs.

  “I’m not pregnant.” I put my hand on my stomach. I guess I could be, but it would be too soon to tell.

  The wedding planner laughs. “Now the one big thing I need you and Devin to start working on is your prenup. These things can take months to negotiate, but with Devin being a lawyer, I’m sure he can fast track you guys. I just want to put it out there now so we can get ahead of it. We don’t want it to be the day of the wedding and we can’t proceed.”

  I hadn't thought about that. Devin has so much, so I could see why he’d want one. I would never take what belongs to him and it hurts a little that he thinks I would. It’s the right thing to do so no one will ever have to worry over it.

  “Ha! Like Devin is going to sign a prenuptial agreement. This wedding is happening,” Grams chuckles. “They will handle all that, so let’s not worry about it.” She waves her off.

  Sasha goes to the next item, but I can’t stop thinking about what she said. It’s going to be awkward to bring it up, but I don’t bring anything to the table so there isn't anything on my end to protect.

  “Sugar, are you with us?” I snap my head up, not hearing what they asked me. “I think we’re done for today. Leave all this here and she and Devin can look at it tonight.”

  “Sounds good.” Sasha closes her notepad and puts it into her bag.

  After I walk her out, I turn to Grams. “That was a lot to take in. I had no idea how many things went into a wedding.”

  “But it’s fun.”

  “I’m happy I get to do this with you.” I walk over and kiss her on the cheek.

  “Don’t you worry about that other legal stuff,” she says, knowing exactly where my head is at.

  “I get it. I mean, Devin is a lawyer so he’s going to want one.”

  Grams rolls her eyes. “If you say so.”

  I follow her out and wave to the guard at the elevator. When I see Grams is safely inside, I close my door and lock it.

  I walk toward the bedroom in search of Moose and find him sprawled out on our bed. He jumped right in Devin’s spot this morning after he left for work.

  “Hey big guy, you want to go for a walk?” He opens one eye to look at me before he closes it again. “Come on. You need to go out for a little bit.” He sticks his head under the blanket, making me laugh and I pull it back. “I’ll get you bacon.” At those words he’s up running down the hallway. That magic word always does the trick.

  I walk into the bathroom, pull my hair up into a ponytail, and ditch my jeans. I jump when I hear the bedroom door slam shut.

  “Devin?” I call out, but I don’t hear anything. I step out of the bathroom, thinking maybe it closed behind Moose, but my heart drops when I see Peter standing there. When I notice the gun in his hand, I jump back into the bathroom and slam the door shut. I try to hold it but he’s banging on it hard and I can hear Moose going nuts outside the bedroom.

  “You’re making this harder than it has to be.” He slams into the door and throws me back as it explodes open. I land on the tile and hurry to scramble back, but there’s nowhere to go.

  “Peter, please stop.” I hold my hands out in front of me.

  “I didn't know you were such a whore! I thought you were playing hard to get. Then you go and fuck the first rich guy you see.” He stalks closer, his eyes scanning up my bare legs and then to my panties. He leans over me and I try not to shake, but I’ve never been more terrified in my life. “Is that what it takes? Money?” he yells in my face.

  Every time before now when I’ve seen him he was always so put together and clean. But now he’s dirty and smells strongly of urine and body odor. I hold my breath as I try to turn away.

  “Please, Peter, don’t do this.” My words come out choked.

  “What was wrong with me?” He’s so close I can feel his breath on my face and it’s rotten. He doesn’t move an inch while he waits for an answer.

  “I didn’t know you were into me.” I lie because I’m sure as hell not going to tell him he gave me the creeps. My intuition was right about him all along and the only thing I can do now is play dumb. “I thought you only wanted to be friends.”

  He stares at me, not saying anything for a long time, and I try not to look at the gun he has down at his side.

  “It’s too late for all that now,” he says through gritted teeth as his hand tightens around the weapon.

  “How did you get in here?” I have to keep him talking. There’s a guard right outside t
he front door and he’s going to hear Moose eventually. I just have to buy time until then. “You must have been really good to get past the guards.”

  If I know anything about Peter, it’s that he’s got an ego and thinks he’s the greatest thing to ever live. If I can keep him distracted by talking to me, maybe I can make it out of this alive.

  “I’ve been here since yesterday.” He laughs like I’m stupid. “After I broke into the security cameras through the IT department, I had plenty of time. I had so much fun tearing up your grandmother's place.” He fidgets as he paces the bathroom. “When I was finished over there I snuck in here and waited. I wanted you alone, but I had to suffer through hours of wedding shit, and let’s not forget the morning fuck you got right there!” he yells and points to the shower. “Do you think I wanted to hear that, Erin? From the woman I love?”

  My stomach churns and for a second I think I might throw up. I swallow hard and shake my head because he’s standing there waiting for an answer while Moose is still going nuts.

  “How did you get a job there?” I am careful not to say Devin’s name.

  “You think I don’t know everything about you?” He looks at me like I’m a small child and shakes his head. “Silly little girl.” He paces again and I can sense his hostility rising. “It was easy once I overheard that dumb bitch Jenna tell that big guy you were with your grandmother. Then it was a matter of getting as close to you as possible and that part was easy too.” He’s talking now like I’m not in the room, and I just keep praying it’s enough time. “I thought for sure you saw me that day when you were at the office, but you’re so stupid.”

  His laugh sends chills all over me and I wrap my arms around myself.

  “I’m sorry for what I did to your apartment. I really am, but I did it so you would run into my arms. I wanted you to come to me for safety and I was going to take care of you.” He kneels down in front of me, getting close again. “I love you, Erin, and it was the only way we could be together. But now here we are and I have no other choice. You won’t stop running from me.”

  “You don’t have to do this, Peter. You can leave and I won’t tell anyone about this.”

  “No. I’ve come too far now and there’s no going back. There’s another way we can be together forever. If we can’t do it in this life, then I’ll have you in the next.”

  My heart drops. He’s going to kill us both.

  I have to get out of here or die trying. I’m not as strong as him, but if I can surprise him then maybe I have a chance.

  He’s so close I do the only thing I can think of and I throw myself into him. It catches him off guard and sends him tumbling backwards with me on top of him. I throw a punch to get off of him as fast as I can, but his hands are quick and he snatches my ankle before I can get away. Adrenaline and fear rush through me as I kick one last time as hard as I can. I make contact with something and hear a crack just as he screams. The grip on my ankle loosens and I use the bathroom door to help me stand up and get out.

  A wave of dizziness hits me and I see black spots dance in my eyes. I grip the doorframe hard to keep myself from falling, but the world starts to spin.

  “You bitch.” A hand grabs me by the back of the head and I feel a burn at my scalp as he pulls my hair. I scream as loud as I can and he shoves me hard into the doorframe. “You’re going to pay for that.”

  I stumble forward and lose my balance but manage to fall on the bed. I roll over and see blood running down his face and his nose looks broken.

  “You’ll never get away from me again.” He raises the gun and I close my eyes, thinking about how much I love Devin.

  There’s a loud crash and the gun goes off. I scream as I open my eyes and see Devin has Peter pinned to the floor. The gun is lying next to them on the floor and Devin keeps hitting Peter. I jump off the bed and grab the gun because I don’t know what else to do.

  “Devin,” I call, but he doesn't stop. “Devin!” I shout it this time and his fist stops before it makes contact again. “I think he’s out.” There is so much blood everywhere, but I can see the rise and fall of Peter’s chest. “Don’t kill him. It’s not worth it.” He nods before he lands one last hard punch.

  He’s breathing hard as he stands up and faces me. I burst into tears and throw myself into his waiting arms.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Devin

  “A lot has happened in two weeks,” Erin says as I rub her feet.

  “You okay?” She looks up from the stack of papers in her lap and raises an eyebrow. “I know, I’m just checking.”

  She sighs and puts the wedding schedule on the coffee table and then moves to my lap. “When are you going to believe that I’m totally fine?”

  “When you say I do.” I smile and she shakes her head.

  “Less than twenty-four hours to go.”

  After the break-in at our old place, I decided it was time to move. I didn’t want memories of what happened in our bedroom to haunt Erin and I don’t know if I could have stomached it either. Our private space was violated and that night we left for good. We decided that our new place would need a few amenities, but at the top of the list was a place for Betty.

  When I found this house just a block away I thought it was perfect. One look at the smaller house connected to it and the deal was sealed that day. It’s amazing how fast paperwork can be pushed with an agreeable seller and a cash closing.

  We moved in last week and brought Betty with us. She and Moose have settled into a routine with Erin and me, and I’ve had some much-needed time away from the office.

  Peter’s in a mental health facility on the other side of the country and from what we’ve been told he’s never getting out. I would have been happy to end his life that day, but I try not to think about it. I’ve never thought of myself as violent before, but seeing Erin like that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

  But I’ve promised myself to move forward and to not let what happened define us. Erin is the love of my life and if anything, all of that reminded me just how precious our time together is.

  “You mean less than twenty hours to go.” I pull her close and kiss her neck. “But it’s not like I’m counting down the seconds or anything.”

  “I can’t wait to marry you. Even if you won't sign a prenup,” she teases.

  “There’s nothing I have that’s not yours, and you and I are forever. Sorry, but you’re not getting out of this so easily.” She laughs as I slide off the straps of her nightgown.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m going to make love to my fiancée one last time before I make her my wife.” I kiss down her collar bone and push the material up around her waist. “I won’t ever be able to do this again, so just let me enjoy it.”

  “You’ve been saying that every day since we set the date.” She moves her hips closer to me in anticipation.

  “I wonder if you have any idea how much I’m going to love having sex with my wife.”

  Her laughter turns into a moan as I brush my knuckle over her clit. Her hands move down to my pants and she frees my cock quickly. These past two weeks we’ve been ravenous for one another and I don’t see an end in sight. As of this morning her period is late, and when she told me, I fucked her right there on the kitchen floor.

  In one swift move I’m fully seated inside her and she’s rocking her hips while I suckle her nipples. I can’t seem to be sated and neither can she. She’s always wet and eager to take me no matter what time it is.

  “Slow down or I won’t last,” I hiss, but she only works harder on my cock. I growl and grab her hips, but she’s still wiggling. “I swear you love making me cum fast.”

  “You know it gets me off when you do it inside me,” she whines, and I let her hips go.

  “Fuck.” I lean my head back and watch her ride my cock.

  She’s so fucking beautiful with her tits bouncing and her wet pussy rubbing all over me. Tomorrow she becomes my bride for t
he rest of our lives and the thought has me harder and bigger than ever.

  “Devin.” She closes her eyes as she grinds her clit on me and I thrust up, giving her what she’s asking for.

  I cum fast in thick waves of pleasure just where she wants it. The heat of my seed spreads between us and her hot little pussy welcomes it. The barest touch across her nipples sends her over the edge and she squeezes my cock. She falls against me and I hold her as the orgasm washes over her body.

  “I love you,” I say softly, kissing everywhere I can reach.

  “I love you too,” she says as she looks up at me and smiles with heavy eyes.

  “I think my soon-to-be wife needs her rest.”

  “Mmm,” she mumbles as I carry her from the couch into our bedroom. “Beauty sleep.”

  “You couldn't possibly wake up more beautiful.” I kiss her and lay her on the bed then strip off our clothes.

  I crawl in behind her and breathe her in as I hold her close. The scent of her is still just as lovely as the first time and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep without it. Good thing I’m not going to find out. In a few short hours she’ll be mine in all ways, and then we’re setting out on our honeymoon. I can’t wait to see the world with her and then come back to have our family.

  She sighs dreamily as she cuddles closer in my arms and I kiss the top of her head. I can’t wait to see the beautiful life that awaits us.

  Epilogue

  Erin

  Six months later…

  “Are you sure you got this?” Jenna gives me a skeptical look.

  “I’m good. Devin will get it home for me.” I give her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for helping me feed my addiction.”

  “It was fun. Plus, that lunch was amazing.” We both let out moans thinking about it. One of my favorite things about living in a big city is how many places there are to eat. This works great for all the random cravings I have.