The Man Next Door by Roya Carmen
Publication date: May 21st, 2020
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
I was just a girl, a young neglected girl with issues. I was a mess. A mess he wanted nothing to do with. He knew better. But I certainly didn't. All I knew was that I liked what I saw.
I grew up in small town Michigan, raised by a single alcoholic father and two older brothers who never gave me the time of day. All I had were my best friends, Izzie and Gavin, a reclusive broken man, ten years my senior. My father forbade me to see him, but I didn't listen. I was crazy about him and he adored me. Even when our small community was rocked by a heinous crime and Gavin was the main suspect, I still loved him.
When tragedy struck, I finally escaped. As far away as I could.
I've been in Chicago ever since, trying to forget all about my past. Yet, I find myself still thinking about my past, about Gavin and Izzie, about my other life. I'm not truly living anymore, just going through the motions. Until...
Noah Reed. My new neighbor. Beautiful, sweet and intoxicating. There's something about him I just can't put my finger on. He's the first man since Gavin I truly let myself fall for. I think he might be the one. Until...
... the day I discover his secret.
Available at:
Free in Kindle Unlimited!!
Praise for The Man Next Door
"I absolutely loved 'The Man Next Door'. It is a fantastic story and really original." -- Louise
"Wow! This was steamier than I thought it would be." -- Angela
"I couldn't put it down. You outdid yourself. The character and story are perfectly developed, all of them, from main characters to supporting characters. This is the best one you have written so far." -- Melissa
Excerpt
"Making you happy makes me happy."
Such simple words, but they were the most beautiful words I'd ever heard.
I leaned forward and set my mug on the coffee table. I turned to Gavin whose eyes were all over me, anticipating what I would do next. I think he knew, but couldn't believe it. I inched slowly closer. He didn't move, just stayed still like a deer caught in headlights. He was under my spell. I splayed my hand on his chest, against the thick fabric of his sweater. He exhaled, and I moved closer still, testing the waters. He was stiff, restrained. "Abigail..." he whispered.
"Gavin..."
I pressed myself against him, and slid my mouth against his beard, wanting to know what it would feel like. Both prickly and soft. And intoxicating.
"Abigail..." he breathed. The rise and fall of his chest and his labored breathing told me everything I needed to know. He wanted this as much as I did. When my lips finally reached his, he was hesitant. He did not invite me in. I closed my eyes, and pulled away--
That's when he grabbed my face and stole the breath from my lungs. He took me with more force, more passion than I could have ever imagined. His mouth parted against mine, vulnerable. My tongue explored his and my body was suddenly on fire, aroused, wanting more. The feeling was completely foreign to me, yet it was delicious and exhilarating. I'd kissed a boy or two before, but it was nothing like this. It had been awkward, all sloppy tongues. But this, this was something else.
I wrapped myself tightly around him, my mouth greedy, desperate, my hands tangled in his thick hair.
"Abigail..." he breathed heavily. "We can't..." He pleaded me to stop, but I was completely lost to him, out of control. The more he pushed me away, the more I tempted him, a hand under his sweater, the other tangled in his hair.
That's when he pushed me off him. A little too hard. Just like that. I fell to the floor, just missing the corner of the coffee table. Magnum's ears were standing to attention.
Gavin dropped to his knees next to me. "I'm so sorry, Abigail. Are you okay?"
I was shaken and heartbroken, but otherwise fine. "I'm okay."
"You need to go," he said and I knew from his tone that he meant business. I scraped myself off the floor.
"I should have never kissed you." He turned from me, rubbing furiously at his face. "You're fifteen years old, for fuck sake's. You shouldn't even be here at all."
I stood, shaking, my legs wobbly. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or the intense heartbreak. To this day, I've never experienced those shakes again.
"I'm the one who kissed you," I pointed out.
He whipped around. "That doesn't make a goddamn difference, Abigail. I let you kiss me, and that makes me a fucking pig."
I shook my head. "But... I wanted it. I wanted you," I tried to explain.
He drew a long breath, at a complete loss for words. "You need to go."
"It's okay because I love you," I said, my words a whisper. I'd never told anyone I loved them before, save for my parents when I was a kid.
Gavin winced, and he didn't say the words back, which absolutely wrecked me. I wanted to hear those words. I love you too, Abigail.
"You need to go, kid," he said instead, and I understood that I needed to listen, that this was a lost cause, that he'd probably never let me in his trailer ever again.
I trudged back slowly to the back door and shrugged into my winter jacket. He couldn't even look at me, he stared at the floor the whole time. Magnum looked at me with sad eyes, almost as if he knew how heartbroken I was. I bet he did. I slipped into my cold wet boots and gloves and grabbed my snow pants. I didn't say goodbye. I just opened the door behind me and stepped out quietly.
I couldn't look at him either.
As I headed back home, I carefully watched my surroundings, making sure there were no witnesses. It had become habit by then. My heart was heavy, aching with the thought that we might not be friends anymore.
I had gotten my wish. A kiss from Gavin.
But at what cost?
Such simple words, but they were the most beautiful words I'd ever heard.
I leaned forward and set my mug on the coffee table. I turned to Gavin whose eyes were all over me, anticipating what I would do next. I think he knew, but couldn't believe it. I inched slowly closer. He didn't move, just stayed still like a deer caught in headlights. He was under my spell. I splayed my hand on his chest, against the thick fabric of his sweater. He exhaled, and I moved closer still, testing the waters. He was stiff, restrained. "Abigail..." he whispered.
"Gavin..."
I pressed myself against him, and slid my mouth against his beard, wanting to know what it would feel like. Both prickly and soft. And intoxicating.
"Abigail..." he breathed. The rise and fall of his chest and his labored breathing told me everything I needed to know. He wanted this as much as I did. When my lips finally reached his, he was hesitant. He did not invite me in. I closed my eyes, and pulled away--
That's when he grabbed my face and stole the breath from my lungs. He took me with more force, more passion than I could have ever imagined. His mouth parted against mine, vulnerable. My tongue explored his and my body was suddenly on fire, aroused, wanting more. The feeling was completely foreign to me, yet it was delicious and exhilarating. I'd kissed a boy or two before, but it was nothing like this. It had been awkward, all sloppy tongues. But this, this was something else.
I wrapped myself tightly around him, my mouth greedy, desperate, my hands tangled in his thick hair.
"Abigail..." he breathed heavily. "We can't..." He pleaded me to stop, but I was completely lost to him, out of control. The more he pushed me away, the more I tempted him, a hand under his sweater, the other tangled in his hair.
That's when he pushed me off him. A little too hard. Just like that. I fell to the floor, just missing the corner of the coffee table. Magnum's ears were standing to attention.
Gavin dropped to his knees next to me. "I'm so sorry, Abigail. Are you okay?"
I was shaken and heartbroken, but otherwise fine. "I'm okay."
"You need to go," he said and I knew from his tone that he meant business. I scraped myself off the floor.
"I should have never kissed you." He turned from me, rubbing furiously at his face. "You're fifteen years old, for fuck sake's. You shouldn't even be here at all."
I stood, shaking, my legs wobbly. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or the intense heartbreak. To this day, I've never experienced those shakes again.
"I'm the one who kissed you," I pointed out.
He whipped around. "That doesn't make a goddamn difference, Abigail. I let you kiss me, and that makes me a fucking pig."
I shook my head. "But... I wanted it. I wanted you," I tried to explain.
He drew a long breath, at a complete loss for words. "You need to go."
"It's okay because I love you," I said, my words a whisper. I'd never told anyone I loved them before, save for my parents when I was a kid.
Gavin winced, and he didn't say the words back, which absolutely wrecked me. I wanted to hear those words. I love you too, Abigail.
"You need to go, kid," he said instead, and I understood that I needed to listen, that this was a lost cause, that he'd probably never let me in his trailer ever again.
I trudged back slowly to the back door and shrugged into my winter jacket. He couldn't even look at me, he stared at the floor the whole time. Magnum looked at me with sad eyes, almost as if he knew how heartbroken I was. I bet he did. I slipped into my cold wet boots and gloves and grabbed my snow pants. I didn't say goodbye. I just opened the door behind me and stepped out quietly.
I couldn't look at him either.
As I headed back home, I carefully watched my surroundings, making sure there were no witnesses. It had become habit by then. My heart was heavy, aching with the thought that we might not be friends anymore.
I had gotten my wish. A kiss from Gavin.
But at what cost?
About the Author:
Roya Carmen is a busy mom, romance writer, designer, bookworm, chocoholic, and hopeless romantic. There's nothing she enjoys more than making up stories about love, and sharing them with her readers.
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