Chapter 9

Chelsea

I didn't see or hear much from Mr. Harding over the next couple of days. I worried a little that he was avoiding me; that maybe he was embarrassed or no okay with what we’d done the other night in the windows across from each other. And the school-girl crush in me panicked a little that maybe I’d pushed things too far and that now he was going to avoid me until I went back to school and he could forget about having watched his best friend’s daughter come for him.

It was especially muggy and hot out on that fateful day - The Day - that would change everything. My parents had left early in the morning to take Dennis on the first round of that wonderful experience of awkwardly checking out colleges, and I'd managed to spend the day so far doing not much of anything. But I guess that's what a school break was all about.

My ears had pricked up when I heard the backdoor of the Harding's house slam open, and then my interest was really piqued when I heard the lawnmower start up. Grinning like a shy little school girl, I went to the window, only to grin even wider as I saw a shirtless Mr. Harding pushing the rumbling lawnmower across his backyard. He'd been outside for barely five minutes, but sweat was already glistening on his muscled chest, and I watched almost spellbound as his arms rippled and glistened in the heat as he pushed the mower around.

I'm not really sure what prompted me, but I supposed it was being young, it being hot out, and me feeling especially like I wanted to get his attention again that day. It wasn't like I was trying to "make a move" or anything; again, I guess I was just feeling flirty. But when I went to my dresser and blushingly pulled out the brand new bikini I'd picked out at school with my roommate, I already knew I was probably toying with a line of some sorts.

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Out by our pool, I lay a towel across one of the lawn chairs, making sure it was at least partially facing the Harding's yard. I grinned to myself thinking about how much I'd changed in a few months of being away at school. I really was just having fun and being a bit of a flirt being out here like this, but I realized I couldn't even imagine doing something like this before!

Of course, I couldn’t imagine stripping and then playing with myself like some sort of porn-star for the older man next door while he jerked his cock to me, either.

The lawnmower was still whining away in the Harding's yard when I lay back with my shades on in my brand-new, white bikini. It wasn't especially slutty or inappropriate or anything like that; not like it was a thong or anything. But, it was certainly a change from the conservative one pieces I'd have worn before.

I relaxed under the glow of the sun, feeling myself sink back into the chair as the world sort of dimmed around me. Actually, I was so zoned out and starting to melt into that sort of sun-trance where I started to think about taking a nap that I never even noticed the lawnmower shutting off.

"You've got sunblock on, right?"

I snapped out of my daze and jerked my head up to see Jake standing a few feet away from me, smiling at me as he toweled his face and neck off with a t-shirt.

"Skin cancer is no joke you know."

I grinned at him, feeling that heady rush I got whenever he was around. “Yeah, I'm coated."

"Good, good. Man, I bet you're glad you get spend most of your time out of Florida and this fucking heat, huh?"

I blushed slightly as he swore. In a way, it felt like un-censoring his language around me was his way of saying ‘yeah, you're an adult now’. It was also us avoiding talking specifically about the other night.

"But school's going well?"

I sat up then, curling my legs beneath me. "Yeah it's fine I guess. It's definitely nice to be home though too; I guess I missed more about Florida than I'd thought I would."

Jake grinned at me and took a seat on the other lawn chair out by the pool. "Stranger things, huh?"

He ran his hand through his hair and toweled off the back of his neck with the t-shirt in his hands. Behind my sunglasses, I stared at him; watching his tanned muscles ripple and glisten with sweat. God he was hot. I thought of that cock I knew he had in his pants; the one I’d seen from afar the other night. Only now, I wanted to see it again; much closer.

"So, any boys?" He winked at me as he said it, stressing the last word in a teasing way.

I felt my cheeks burn a bit. “No" I said, suddenly shier than I'd meant to say it. “No boys."

"Well, just you wait. I can't believe you're not fending them off by the truck-load at this point."

God, was Mr. Harding flirting with me? I could feel that now-familiar feeling I got around him welling up inside of me, making my skin tingle and my pulse race a bit faster. I grinned and turned my head a little, as if I was looking at something across the yard but keeping my eyes looking at him from behind my dark sunglasses. His eyes instantly dropped to my bikini-clad body, and I felt a hot ripple shudder through me as I realized that he was totally checking me out. His eyes slowly and hungrily traveled down my slim torso, over the tiny patch of material between my thighs and then down my long, tanned, slender legs.

“Especially if you keep up those window shows of yours, you know,” he growled.

I swallowed heavily and turned back to him, the color rushing to my cheeks as grinned bashfully. I guess we were going to talk about that.

“Mr. Harding, I’m sorry if- if-” I stammered, trying to collect my words. “I’m sorry if that was-”

“Hot?”

I froze in my words, staring at him and the grin creeping across his chiseled jaw. The very hungry grin.

“Oh.”

That’s what I came up with in response; oh. I mean, what is wrong with me?

Mr. Harding grinned at me. “Look, Chelsea, I haven’t been avoiding..” He shook his head. “You’re Mike’s daughter, Chelsea,” he said quietly. “And you’re just a kid.”

I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth as took my sunglasses off my face and looked up into his deep, gorgeous eyes. “I’m not a kid anymore, Mr. Harding. I’m legal.”

I could see his jaw tense up, his eyes flashing at me as just the smallest sound of a growl rumbled in his throat.

“You’re- you’re too young to be playing with fire like this, Chelsea,” he said darkly, his eyes quickly flicking over my bikini-clad body before looking deeply into my eyes.

“I’m old enough, Mr. Harding,” I said slowly, feeling the color blush into my cheeks at how bold and how forward I was being.

I could see his eyes flash at me again, his jaw tightening as he stared at me, almost hungrily. I knew what I was doing; I knew that I was temptation on a stick, sitting right there in my too-tiny bikini, with my legs curled under me and my tongue darting out to tease my lips. I knew I was pushing it, and being way sluttier and more forward than I’d ever dared to act before. But I couldn’t ignore what I felt, or the raw need I had inside for this man.

Slowly, I started to uncoil my legs as I sat up and forward. I leaned closer, closer to Mr. Harding and watching the muscles in his neck tighten as I moved closer to him. My breath came haltingly, my pulse racing inside as I prepared myself to take that next big leap.

And of course, right then is when the house phone rang inside, shattering the moment.

Perfect time for a check-in, mom and dad.

I jumped out of my chair, feeling the flush swell up in my cheeks at what I'd almost just did.

"I got it!"

But as I leapt up and ran around the edge of the pool, I suddenly felt my feet slip and slide right out from under me. Suddenly, as my breath froze in my throat, gravity went topsy-turvy on me as I went toppling over, and everything went black.