Chapter 8

• Claire
• I cheered myself when I managed to get the key into the hole and unlock the door to my apartment. It was a miracle I managed to climb the two sets of stairs without stumbling over my feet and rolling down them like a burrito. Ugh, my stomach growled.
• I rushed to the living room in a desperate need for a snack, but as soon as I entered it, my chest expanded, and I examined the space. It was my favorite moment when the moon lit everything inside, and I felt like I was in a fairy tale. It mixed so well with my dark blue accent wall and white kitchen cabinets. The atmosphere somehow shifted and turned... mystical. Magical. All it needed was a few fireflies, and I could almost believe I was in another world. It was easy to say I loved this place.
• Seeing movement from the house across, I ran to my laptop and turned it on. My neighbor was awake. And judging by it, he had just gotten out of the bath. His lower half of the body was covered with a towel, and his hand was on another towel, brushing his neck. His four-pack was gleaming in my face as he approached the window and took a sip from the glass in his other hand.
• He was a sight to see.
• I blinked a few times and rubbed my cheeks, trying to shove the impressive sight out of my mind. I sat on the chair, opened a new text file, and wrote, “Hey!”
• He put his glass on the desk and read my message. He shrugged and waved at me with a smile. Dude!!!
• “Why do you keep shrugging?!” My nostrils flared, and I glared at his half-naked figure.
• His smile widened and turned into something cocky as he bent to his monitor, at the same time letting me enjoy the view, and wrote something.
• “Because it’s fun.”
• Huh?!
• “And it annoys you,” he added.
• I shot up on my feet, and he laughed. Taking a deep breath, I sat back on my chair and typed.
• “Asshole!”
• “This is not the first time you’re typing this. Are you looking for one?” he wrote, and I started fuming.
• I wanted to talk, I felt like it, but if he was going to act like this, then I was going to sleep. What was I even thinking, speaking to a pervert? My lips pursed, remembering the awkward times we had communicated until now. I glanced at him and rounded my eyes when I saw him desperately pointing at his monitor.
• I squinted and read, “Don’t go yet! I want to talk to you!”
• What?! About what? My cheeks tingled.
• He wrote, “How about we put blinds on our windows? I won’t bother you this way.”
• I frowned and put my hands on my hips.
• “That way you wouldn’t have to worry when you touch yourself again.”
• I gasped, and my mouth fell agape. I looked at his face and shot him the best death glare my scary eyes could make.
• He laughed. Wow, he really took everything as a joke.
• “You’re a fucking joke!” I wrote but then immediately deleted it. Unfortunately, he had already read it and cocked an irritated brow.
• “Yeah, and you’re too tight.”
• I gaped at his response and blushed even more. Damn him! How could he just say things like that and still pretend to be as innocent as a newborn baby! Or was I taking everything the wrong way? I wasn’t that crazy... I hoped.
• “And you’re a dick!”
• I started deleting again, but his laughter caught my eyes.
• “A dick you were eager to see come for you!”
• I slammed my palm over my eyes and sighed. I couldn’t defeat him. And I didn’t really have to. I wanted peace, not war. And maybe... something in between. My eyes turned to him and roamed over his body.
• “Look... why don’t we leave things as they are?” I cleared when he read and filled his expression with surprise. “Believe it or not, I’m happy with the current situation.” My face was on fire. I was insane.
• “I want to have a view and let the moonlight enter my apartment. This is the only view I have to the outside in this room. I love watching the rain fall. I adore the snow. I don’t want to lose this just because”—I paused writing, making sure not to insult him again—”I have a neighbor who likes peeking at me. I peeked at you too. So, we’re even.”
• I stared at him, waiting for an answer. My palms started sweating. This was something I never thought I would propose to someone. Much less to a stranger whose name I didn’t know. But he didn’t look like a creep. If I had to be honest, I was the psycho. I cringed and grunted, glancing at the writings on my TV. Yep, I was definitely the creep.
• After a few more torturing for me moments, he rubbed his chin and wrote, “What does this mean?”
• I stiffened, my hands outstretched to the keyboard. What did it really mean?
• “Do you have a girlfriend?”
• He frowned, and his brows furrowed the most I had seen them till now.
• “What does that—” he deleted. “Never mind, I’m sure you have a crazy idea for such a question.”
• OMG, I squealed in my mind and bit my lip.
• “No,” he answered.
• “How about”—I halted—” we make a deal? We could enjoy each other’s presence without any barriers and—”
• He didn’t even let me finish my sentence before he pulled his curtains and disappeared from my view. This was the most mortified that I had ever felt in my life. I ruined our peace by offering something ridiculous! My hands started shaking, and I was suddenly bathing in my own sweat. Damn me! I shouldn’t have drunk that much! It made my brain cells die!
• But if I had been sober, there was a chance I would’ve suggested something like this again. My neighbor was hot, and watching him masturbate, I felt my core clench tighter than the last real fuck I had. Also, seeing him from my windows felt surreal. We hadn’t even spoken in person. He was far away, and he couldn’t break my heart. He could just make it drum in excitement as I stared at his magnificent physique.
• I slumped on my chair and leaned my elbows on my knees, putting my face in my hands. Did I have to move now? But I had a contract for half a year more!
• Glancing at his window, I saw his curtain moving, and he showed up, now with slacks hanging over his waist and legs. I lifted my head a bit and balked at him, blinking away the two tears trying to spill from my eyes.
• His face was serious, and his usual grin was gone. My guts twisted in horror. What had I done?!
• He turned to his keyboard and typed something.
• “Something like neighbors with benefits?”
• My chest heaved at his question. Was it filled with relief or excitement? I couldn’t tell.
• “Yeah, but without the actual sex. I don’t want anything serious right now.” I stilled and bit the inside of my lip. Should I write it? The hell with it, I should. “I also enjoyed watching you cum.”
• My eyes moved to him, and his face from that night appeared in my conscience. The small smirk, the tempting lip that he bit... The way his muscled body tensed while he was jerking his hand up and down. I remembered how I nearly stopped breathing when his hips twisted up. My belly tightened, and I returned to the present.
• My neighbor had a similar smirk plastered on his face, and he looked so... proud and strong. So sinful. I was pulled like a magnet, and I loved it.
• “You enjoyed it, huh? I’m not the only pervert here?”
• I rolled my eyes, deciding not to answer that question. I didn’t want to fall into a trap.
• “Dream on!” I wrote but when I looked at him, I saw he had written the same thing. How the...?!
• He burst out laughing again and shoved his hand through his hair. His muscles flexed, and I gulped. I was starting to enjoy the distance between our buildings.
• “Any other conditions?” he asked and waited for my answer.
• I thought for a moment. There were so many opportunities to this, and I believed I would enjoy them all.
• “Just let’s not meet in person.”
• He blinked a few times, his brows shooting up.
• “I think it might be awkward.” I smiled and lifted my shoulders.
• My neighbor propped his ass on his desk and folded his arms. He sent me a knowing look. Grabbing the keyboard behind him, he typed.
• “We’re neighbors, accidents happen.”
• “They haven’t happened until now,” I returned.
• “For what? Two weeks?” He was good with the keyboard, he didn’t even have to look at his monitor. “Do you want me to change my schedule so I wouldn’t happen to meet you downstairs?”
• I could feel his sarcasm even here. I narrowed my eyes.
• “Fine, if we do meet, we’ll pretend we don’t know each other. Deal?”
• His gaze remained on my message for a moment.
• “Deal. When do we start?” He grinned.
• “Are you in a hurry?” I teased, but I could feel my body tense in impatience.
• When he started writing, he turned to the other side and lifted his finger for me to wait. He grabbed his phone, and a small scowl appeared on his face when he answered.