Bother Me Read online

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2014 Elizabeth Monvey

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-927-1

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Melissa Hosack

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  A big thank you to everyone at Evernight Publishing. And thanks to my family and friends for your support.

  BOTHER ME

  Romance on the Go TM

  Elizabeth Monvey

  Copyright © 2014

  Chapter One

  Tighe grabbed his bag from the passenger seat and closed his truck door with a hefty bang. It was early morning and he’d been driving for almost two days straight to get home. All he wanted to do was crash, but he smelled like horse and his belly rumbled. Shit, did he even have groceries? He couldn’t remember.

  As he approached the apartment building he noticed a sign on the wall stating the elevator was out of order. For a moment he just stood there, staring at it, not quite believing he had to now walk up three flights of stairs.

  Fuck, why’d he take the apartment on the top floor?

  Stifling a yawn, he began the trek upward and tried to put a positive spin on things. Walking was good for him, especially after sitting in the cab for so long. The exercise really did feel great. He’d initially picked this apartment online when he’d decided to move to Los Angeles to be closer to his mother. She’d had a stroke, so he dropped everything in Texas to move here and help her recuperate. Her nursing home was only two blocks away, which was the major reason why he’d picked this complex in the first place.

  At the third floor, he pushed open the fire door and headed down the hallway to his apartment. Music blared from his neighbor’s place and he couldn’t help but picture the good looking man he’d seen on occasion in the past few months he’d lived there. Tighe had shied away from forming a friendship with the man simply because he was too damn attracted and he couldn’t go there.

  Not again.

  His one affair with another man had ruined his life and he’d be damned if he went there again. He opened his door and walked into his sparsely decorated place. Setting his bag on the bar, he stretched his arms over his head, loving the way his muscles twisted and pulled. Another yawn hit him and he decided to see if he had any food before crashing into oblivion.

  Tighe opened the refrigerator door and looked, seeing nothing but three day old pizza and milk.

  “Shit,” he mumbled.

  He shut the door and decided to just sleep hungry. Wasn’t the first time and he doubted it’d be the last. But his bedroom wall shared the wall with his neighbor and the music was so loud he could see the wall thumping.

  “Damn it.”

  He hurried out of his room and without thinking left his apartment to go knock on his neighbor’s door. His first knock wasn’t heard, so he banged louder. A second later the music was turned down just before the door opened.

  Tighe blinked. Scotty Tilden, a tall young man wearing swim trunks and nothing else stood smiling at him. Streamlined muscles, a long torso, and rock hard abs brought together the delectable package. Tighe felt his gut tighten as desire swept through him and his jaw clenched as he desperately willed his dick to stay down.

  “Tighe! You’re back!”

  “Uh, hi Scotty,” he said, looking everywhere but at the man’s amazing body.

  “The music, right? Sorry, I’ll keep it down. Hey, you wanna come in?” Scotty asked, holding the door open. Tighe got a peek of a somewhat messy place with surfing stuff scattered about. “I just went shopping and bought some lunchmeat for sandwiches.”

  Tighe’s stomach rumbled. “Um, I shouldn’t—”

  Scotty waved the protest away. “I also got some beer.”

  Despite the warning signs going off in his brain, Tighe found himself taking that step into Scotty’s apartment. It was the mirror image to his except this one had that lived in chaotic feel that only a twenty-something male could create. It was filled with worn furniture that no doubt came from IKEA, looking more comfy and inviting than it actually was. There were several surfboards propped against the walls while the coffee table had a plethora of sunblock, board wax, surfing magazines, even a bong was jammed in the plethora of stuff.

  “Oh,” Scotty said, looking embarrassed. “That’s just…um, well, do you smoke weed?”

  “No,” Tighe replied, repressing his amusement. “I did back in my college days, which was a long, long, long time ago.”

  “You’re not that old,” Scotty said, almost teasingly. His plump bottom lip curled up a little in a playful manner.

  I am for you. Tighe blinked and turned away. “Perhaps I should—”

  Scotty placed a hand on his arm, halting his retreat. The spark that singed along Tighe’s nerve endings from that one little touch had his cock hardening in his jeans.

  “Come on, stay,” Scotty said, urging him. “Please?”

  His mouth going dry, all Tighe could do was nod. His heart hammered like a wild thing, and his brain was flashing a big old neon sign warning of danger, but damned if he was paying attention. Like any male moron with a hard-on, he was thinking with his little head and not the bigger, logical one.

  So he followed Scotty into the kitchen and sat at the breakfast bar to watch the handsome kid make him a sandwich. Mayo, lots of meat, cheese…Tighe’s mouth watered, but it wasn’t for food. He couldn’t stop staring at the sculptured back leading down to a nice, round ass encased in well-worn board shorts that magically hung onto his hips. Scotty Tilden had been his next door neighbor for three months now, and they’d interacted several times, but if he’d known the gorgeous lithe body Scotty had, he’d have been having a lot more conversations with the man. Sure as shit, Tighe knew what he was going to be jerking off to later — the memory of Scotty’s perfect body.

  When Scotty slid a plate of food toward him and plopped down a can of beer, Tighe forced his eyes to look away from his scrumptious neighbor. He didn’t want to be labeled as the creepy older man next door.

  “So where’ve you been for the past couple days?” Scotty asked, fixing his own plate of food.

  “Um, took a couple of horses east to a ranch in Arizona.”

  “You work with horses?”

  Tighe nodded. “On a ranch near Valencia.”

  “You drive that every day? Why didn’t you get an apartment there?”

  “My mother,” Tighe said softly. “She’s in a nursing home three blocks from here, recovering from a stroke.”

  “Oh. I’m so sorry, Tighe.”

  Tighe shrugged and took a bite out of his sandwich, wanting to end the conversation. He’d never been comfortable talking about his emotions and seeing the sympathy on Scotty’s face had him clamming up.

  They ate in silence, and although Tighe was acutely aware of his growing attraction for Scotty, it didn’t seem like Scotty noticed the tension one bit. He’d started talking about surfing, about catching a perfect wave once when he was in Hawaii, and the inane chatter allowed Tighe a moment to collect himself.

  Once his sandwich and beer were gone, however, he knew it was time to go back to his place. Lack of sleep plus this constant state of arousal was making him jittery.

  “Thanks for the food,” he said, pushing off the bar stool and standing
. “And the beer. I’ve been driving two days straight, so I’m a little bushed.”

  “Oh, right,” Scotty said. “I’ll keep the music down. Sorry to bother you.”

  Tighe gave a tight smile. “Thanks.”

  He turned to leave the apartment with Scotty right on his heels.

  “Oh, hey Tighe, what ‘cha doing later this evening?”

  “Not sure. Maybe sleeping. Maybe nothing. Why?”

  Scotty took a deep breath. “Well, me and some friends are heading up to Dumas Point. Got a permit for a fire pit so we’re all going to do s’mores and drink some beer. Why don’t you come with me?”

  Tighe felt those tingles start up in his belly again. Absolutely not, no way could he ever feel comfortable lying on the beach, staring at the stars with Scotty beside him. His dick would have a zipper tattoo from straining so hard against the fly. Talk about a perpetual hard-on.

  “Okay,” he said.

  What the fuck did I just say?

  Chapter Two

  Not quite believing what he’d agreed to, Tighe went home and stripped off his clothes, being very careful to unzip around his erection. No need to be reenacting “There’s Something About Mary”, when Ben Stiller’s character zipped his dick up in the teeth. He still couldn’t think of that movie without wincing.

  Scotty had been the one who’d helped him move his meager belongings upstairs and from the start Tighe had felt a tingle every time the younger man came near. Of course, he’d shied away from any form of attraction because it’d been his desires that had lost him everything. And he couldn’t go back to that time, when he’d been so down and out he’d had to sell every single possession he owned, including his horse. His ex-wife had made sure he paid dearly for his one moment of indiscretion.

  Of course, everything screamed that Scotty Tilden was all kinds of wrong for him, but his dick didn’t seem to be of the same opinion. He sprouted wood whenever he was near the young surfer. They were as opposites as two people could be, but thinking of having Scotty on his knees before him, sucking down his cock had pre-cum leaking from the tip.

  As he stepped into the hot shower, there was no way he could ignore the temptation of jerking off. Hell, his hand had become his best friend the past year and lately, all his fantasies centered around one man. One man with a swimmer’s body, all perfectly shaped muscles and hairless chest.

  Tighe moaned as he palmed his cock, gripping the base and using the water to lubricate his jerking movements. He rubbed from the bottom to the top, taking extra care around the sensitive mushroom head. Ah, he could picture Scotty on his knees, sucking him off, looking up at him with those sky blue eyes of his. Unable to take any more, he’d lift Scotty up and turn him around, bend him over, and fuck him. He would drive his rock hard cock deep into his lover and make him scream out his name like a benediction. Ah hell, the image was so strong in his mind that his body jerked and he couldn’t stop himself from pumping his dick. He’d have Scotty bent over while he fucked his tight little hole, holding onto his hips as he pounded into him, going deeper and harder with each thrust.

  Oh, shit. There was no way to stop his orgasm as it crashed through his body, and he moaned Scotty’s name, unable to help himself. Cum splashed against the tile wall, only to be carried away by the water beating down upon his head. His heart raced furiously in his chest and he almost crashed to his knees. He reached up and turned off the shower as he gulped in deep breaths of air.

  Oh man. He was so screwed.

  * * * *

  The climax and long ride had him crashing as soon as his head hit the pillow. He slept deeply and dreamlessly until a sharp pounding on his front door roused him. He sat up and wiped his eyes before heading to answer. He looked through the peephole and saw Scotty. He went from sleepy eyed to wide awake in a nanosecond.

  “Open up, Tighe,” Scotty said. “I know you’re at the door. I heard you.”

  Tighe took a deep breath and opened the door. Scoot stood there in a new pair of board shorts, a t-shirt that hugged his muscles, and an unzipped hoodie covering his sun bleached hair.

  “Hey!” Scotty greeted. “Sorry to bother you, but I’m getting ready to—”

  He stopped talking as his gaze wandered down. Confused, Tighe looked down as well and saw that he was naked. And hard.

  “Shit!” He slammed the door shut. “I, ah, I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Not waiting for Scotty to reply, he hurried back to his bedroom and dressed. He didn’t really have a swimsuit because he never had time to swim. If he wasn’t working, he was usually with his mother. So he put on a pair of sweatpants, knowing he was going to need the flexible material to hide his erection, and a t-shirt. He slipped on his running shoes, grabbed a jacket, and moments later he was opening his front door again where Scotty still stood, looking at him wide eyed.

  “I’m, uh, ready to go.”

  “Sure,” Scotty murmured. He shook his head and turned, leading the way down the stairs. “You want to follow or want me to ride with me?”

  “I bet there’s a lot of traffic right now on the PCH. I’ll ride with you.” As soon as he said the words, Tighe was wondering if he was just dealing himself more temptation, sitting next to Scotty for a long ride.

  Scotty drove an old Jeep and the thing squealed as the engine rumbled to life.

  “Your belts need to be tightened,” he said, and although it was a perfectly innocent statement, he couldn’t help but imagine a sexual spin on the words.

  “I know,” Scotty said ruefully. “Don’t really have the extra cash.”

  “I’ll fix it for you.”

  Scotty looked at him in surprise. “You will?”

  Tighe shrugged. “Sure. Not that hard to do.”

  Scotty smiled and Tighe felt it like a kick to his solar plexus. He needed to stop this now. Stop…flirting with his neighbor. He didn’t even know if Scotty liked men in that way. One inappropriate thing and he’d get his jaw busted for sure, never mind that he was bigger than the surfer. He’d never do anything to hurt Scotty, not even in self-defense. Hell, he probably deserved to get punched a couple of times because of all the wicked thoughts he’d had about him.

  They took off, leaving Santa Monica by way of the California Incline down to the Pacific Coast Highway, heading north. The traffic, as predicted, was heavy as people came to and from the beach. Summer was tourist season, but it also drew locals for weekend fun on the sand and surf. It was late afternoon and as they passed by some restaurants, his belly rumbled again, reminding him that the last thing he’d eaten had been the sandwich earlier today.

  “You hungry?” Scotty asked.

  “Yeah,” Tighe said with a grimace. “I’m way off my normal schedule.”

  “How about Taco Bell? It’s got a drive through.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Scotty pulled into the fast food area and circled around to the drive through. Moments later they resumed their course and Tighe happily munched on his tacos. He’d be paying later for his unhealthy dinner choice, but it had been a long enough time since he’d munched on greasy fast food that it tasted amazing.

  “So, do you surf?” Scotty asked.

  “’Fraid not,” he said. “I grew up in the middle of Texas. I hadn’t even seen the ocean until I moved here three months ago.”

  “Is your mom going to be all right?”

  A lump rose in his throat and he swallowed it down. “I don’t know. She’s pretty messed up. She wasn’t with anyone when it happened, so she didn’t get any medical help for a while.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Scotty said. “If there’s anything I can do…”

  “Thanks.” Tighe cleared his throat. “So, how long have you been surfing?”

  “Oh, let’s see fifteen years now. I started when I was ten.”

  So that made him twenty-five, thirteen years his junior. Tighe didn’t know how to feel about that age difference. He’d thought Scotty was younger, closer to barely able to buy beer legally,
but knowing there was only a thirteen year gap didn’t sound so bad.

  “So you work on a ranch,” Scotty said, obviously trying to keep the conversation going.

  “Yeah. I take care of the horses.”

  “You know, I’ve never ridden a horse. How about we make a deal.”

  “Deal?”

  “How about you learn to surf and I learn to ride?”

  Scotty flashed Tighe a smile which he felt like a punch in his gut. Scotty Tilden was a handsome young man, with shoulder length sun bleached hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a light dusting of white-blond whiskers on his cheeks. Tighe had never thought he’d find himself attracted to a beach loving man, then again, he never thought he’d ever admit to himself that he found men attractive.

  A lot’s changed in the past year, he thought sourly.

  “So, we got a deal?” Scotty pressed.

  “Um, not sure. I don’t even own swim trunks,” he said.

  “Seriously? Dude! Come on!” Scotty laughed. “I’m going to turn you into an ocean lover yet.”

  Scotty was infectious, smiling and laughing all the time, and Tighe couldn’t help but smile back. Being around his neighbor was a double edged sword. On one hand he walked around in a constant state of arousal, but on the other hand, Scotty’s carefree outlook on life was a balm to his battered soul. This past year had really knocked him for a loop.

  For the rest of the journey, Scotty kept up a running commentary on his more adventurous surfing pursuits, having traveled to places like Hawaii and Mexico to catch a wave. Tighe half wondered how the kid managed to finance these adventures when it didn’t seem like he had a job, but he figured right now it didn’t really matter. He was grateful for Scotty’s inane chatter because it allowed him to just sit back and let his brain wander.