The Promise (Neighbor from Hell #10)(65)

“I also know that Anderson is planning on bringing you back in two months with a substantial raise, a new contract, and a heartfelt apology so that you can re-design their Forensics Program in time for Fall Semester,” he said, and just like that, she felt herself relax.

“Oh, thank god,” she said, closing her eyes and sighing with relief because it was almost over.

In two more months, she would have her well-thought-out, organized life back and she would-

“Hopefully by then, Reed will be able to find a new teacher,” Jackson said, making her realize something important.

It was almost over.





Chapter 38

“I’m sorry,” Joey said as soon as he opened the tent door.

“I see,” he said, placing the bag that he’d gone into town for in the corner as he took in the small woman sitting in the middle of the tent, wearing a large tee shirt that better not belong to Matt, hugging a flashlight against her chest, and looking so damn miserable that it had him inwardly promising to make this up to her.

“Really sorry,” Joey assured him as he closed the tent door behind him.

“And what are you sorry about?” Reed couldn’t help but wonder as he sat down next to her and pulled the bag closer.

“For making your brother cry,” she said, nodding solemnly only to frown when they heard Matt yell, “I didn’t cry!”

“They’re on the other side of the campfire,” Reed said as he focused his attention on the bag.

“Oh,” she murmured absently as she shifted closer to see what he was doing and gasped when he handed her a small bottle of Dr. Pepper and followed that up with a bag of food from McDonald’s that he hoped was still warm.

“Bless you, sir,” she said with a sniffle, hugging the bag as she quickly moved between his legs and sat back against him with another, “Bless you.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her and pressed a kiss against the side of her neck as he savored the way that she felt in his arms.

“Starving,” she said even as she held up her Big Mac so that he could take a bite.

“Jackson didn’t manage to catch anything?” he teased.

“I caught plenty!” his best friend said in outrage from his tent, making Reed chuckle.

“He really did,” Joey admitted with a nod as she took a bite of her burger. “And then he made the mistake of cutting them open in front of me.”

“Bit squeamish, are we?”

“Very,” she admitted, moving her attention to her fries. “What about Matt and Jackson?”

“Dropped their food off to them when they informed me that I drew the short straw again,” he said with a forlorn sigh.

“Wait! I volunteer as tribute!” Matt yelled, which was immediately followed by the sounds of rustling and-

“Ow! You mean bastard!”

“What else do you have in that bag?” Joey asked, holding up a fry for him as she glanced into the bag and went still.

“Is that a Kindle?” she asked on a reverent whisper as she reached into the bag with trembling hands and picked up the reason that he’d abandoned her earlier.

“I couldn’t find anyone that could fix the one the little prick broke-”

“It was an accident!”

“-so, I bought you a new one. I managed to get it charged on the way back. I even managed to sign into your account and download all your books,” he explained as he ignored the bastard that was lucky to be alive.

“I love it. Thank you,” she said in an awed whisper as she handed her unfinished burger back to him, swiped across the screen and quickly became absorbed in a book on The Dark Ages.

Realizing that he’d lost her for the night, he finished off her burger, secured the bag filled with junk food in his backpack while Joey crawled back onto her sleeping bag and curled up with her new Kindle. Once he was done, he pulled off his shirt, tossed it aside, laid down, and closed his eyes, resigning himself to another night of not being able to touch her. He wasn’t sure how he was going to survive, but he didn’t have much of a choice, he thought only to groan when he felt Joey climb onto his lap.

“We can’t,” he whispered, biting back another groan as he reached up and cupped her face as he leaned up so that he could meet her halfway for that kiss that he’d been dying to give her for the past two days.

“What if I promise to be very quiet?” she whispered softly against his lips as her hand slid down his stomach and unsnapped his jeans.

“I’d say you were lying,” he whispered back only to drop his head back on a soft groan when he felt her small warm hand slide beneath his boxer briefs and-

“Do you want me to stop?” she whispered as that same hand wrapped around the tip of his cock and teasingly stroked him.

“No,” he said, reaching for the hem of her tee shirt and pulled it off her.

“Good,” she mumbled on a soft gasp when he kissed his way down her neck as his hands reached between them and cupped her breasts.

Her hand continued working his cock with slow teasing strokes as he kneaded her breasts, biting back a groan when he felt her nipples harden against his palms. He gave her breasts one last squeeze before he trailed his fingertips down her sides over the small of her back and down the back of her panties. He grabbed her bottom and pulled her down tightly against him as he sat up, forcing her to release her hold on him so that she could wrap her arms around him.