My Beautiful Neighbor (The Greene Family Book 1) by Piper Rayne (phonics reading books TXT) 📕

apex of my thighs. “Have I told you I love the warmer weather? I love you wearing skirts and how easy it is to tease you.” His finger runs along my clit over my panties. I grow wet with his touch.

I slap his hand. “Three days, remember?”

“Now we’re on the same page.”

I grab my purse and jacket because spring in Alaska is still chilly at night. Once I’m ready to go, we walk out the back door and I lock up. He reaches for my hand but retracts it—remembering we’re in public, I suppose. Although I’m wondering who wouldn’t know we’re fooling around at this point.

We round the downtown parking lot, leaving his truck in the back since we’re walking to his parents’ house. He stops me right before we’re about to be in front of everyone, backs me to the brick wall of the shop, and looks around. Then his lips are on mine and his tongue is in my mouth.

The kiss happens so fast, I’m a fumbling mess when he stops and we both inhale a deep breath.

“Sorry, I had to do that before I lost my chance,” he says.

He waits for me to walk the streets of downtown Sunrise Bay. Most of the stores are closing for the day, but from what I hear, tourist hours are starting in ten days with my grand opening. I guess it’s a big thing here.

“Who doesn’t know about us?” I ask. Clara came by the other day with twenty questions and I didn’t cave, but I’m fairly sure all his brothers know.

“I think people probably assume, so it’s all about whether we want to confirm the rumors or not, I guess.”

“So we walk around like we’ve become best friends?”

“Unless you want them to know.” He shrugs.

“No.” I clear my throat. “I mean, we shouldn’t, right? Since it’s not a real relationship.”

He stops us when we reach the end of the square and we’re about to cross the street toward a huge house on the hill. Is that his family’s house? I thought it was a museum above the start of the town. He tugs me into a small alley. I never knew there were so many hiding spots around here. I kind of like it.

“It doesn’t matter what we tell people. They’re going to believe what they want. There are people in this town probably rooting for you to break my heart or vice versa. Others swear we’re soul mates. Others are indifferent. Others are optimistic but doubtful because of our pasts.”

“And you?”

He hovers over me, his arm pressed against the wall. “I like you a lot. And I’m enjoying the friendship we’ve developed along with all the fooling around, but I’m assuming all the reasons that made us decide to be friends with benefits still stand? They haven’t changed. But if this is getting too close for comfort, we can call it off.”

Talk about your heart falling to the pit of your stomach. He just released a wrecking ball on me. Not that I didn’t already know it, but hearing him confirm that nothing has changed for him in these past weeks is hard to swallow. I guess small-town manners and expectations are why he took me to the hospital, gave me a place to stay for minimal rent, and is making sure this week isn’t too strenuous for me.

“No.” I shake my head, lying through my teeth. “I’m great with how it is. We’re on the same page.”

I guess maybe it’s not a complete lie. All the reasons I shouldn’t be in a relationship right now are still there. They still hold weight. Hell, he just proved them correct. I’m already suffering from the fear of abandonment, which is why his words cut so deep. I had to go and find the one unavailable sweet guy in Sunrise Bay. It’s like a running joke on me. Happily ever after for Presley Knight. Then an evil laugh cuts in… NEVER!

“We should go. I don’t want to be late,” I say, wanting desperately to leave this conversation behind.

“You sure we’re okay?” There’s genuine concern in his eyes.

Cade isn’t a bad guy. He didn’t change the rules—I did.

“I’m great. Just wanna make sure we can make it to the dinner and meeting.”

He gives me a chaste kiss. No tongue thankfully. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have the gusto to give him a kiss that wouldn’t make him second-guess my lie that I’m fine.

We walk up the hill toward the big house that is in fact his parents’. He doesn’t ring the doorbell but walks right in, and I hear a lot of voices in what I assume is the kitchen at the back of the house. He takes off my coat and purse and puts them in a room near the entryway.

He lets me walk in first, but I stop upon entering and he runs right into my back.

“Reese stopped in just to say hello,” Mr. Greene says as Marla slams the fridge door closed, turning around with a bottle of white wine in her hands.

This is the fucking cherry on top of the damn sundae of disappointment.

We all end up sitting in the formal dining room, Reese across from Cade, Rylan across from me. Thankfully, no other siblings are here tonight to witness my mounting humiliation and frustration, though it makes it more awkward that it’s just the six of us.

“My mom wanted to make sure I dropped off her famous brownies to Mr. Greene. She always did have a thing for you,” Reese coos.

Marla brings her wine glass to her lips, clearly a fake smile on her face even though I barely know the woman.

“Until Marla snuck into town and snatched your heart away,” Reese adds.

I drop my napkin and it falls to the floor.

“Let me,” Cade says from beside me.

“No, I’ve got it.” I have to pick it up because I’m paranoid her foot is in Cade’s crotch.

It’s not, so I pick up my napkin and