The Neighbor #2 (The Neighbor Romance Series - Book #2) Read online

“You are sexy when you’re focused,” I said and Ryder smiled.

  “Lay on your back like me. We are going to stretch out your hamstrings. These should come naturally to you. Lift your legs up, one at a time and pull them towards you.” Ryder demonstrated the move. Boxer briefs were in place beneath his shorts for support. “Pay attention to the hammy pulls and stop looking at my dick.” Ryder laughed.

  “I can’t help it.” I blushed. “I am getting used to this rouse but my mind wanders sometimes.”

  “Okay, now we are going to do a side stretch. The swing of the club is jarring to the tissue and muscles in this area.” Ryder gently placed his hand under my arm. He came close to touching my breast. He moved his finger down my side tracing the outline of my hips. “Now reach up for the stars and rock to the side. If you pay attention on television, you will see the pros doing this all of the time. It will become something you do involuntarily. A simple exercise makes a great deal of difference”

  “How long should I do these stretches?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. Plus, I was hoping he would say “not very long” because I was beginning to feel the burn.

  “I think they are vital. About twenty minutes a day.”

  “I think you will have to keep a close eye on me. Make sure I do them.”

  “It will be a chore but I think I can manage.” Ryder smiled. “Are you up for some lunges?”

  “How about a water break?”

  “Sure, we can discuss my instruction fee over water.”

  “Seriously Ryder?”

  “Seriously Jenna. I am providing a service so you will provide payment. It is how things operate in the real world.”

  Was he screwing with me?

  Shit.

  We walked to a lounge that was set up for breaks. It was stocked with energy bars, bananas and bottled water. Without thinking I grabbed a banana and slowly started to tear down the peel. I placed half of the fruit in my mouth and devoured it. The entire time, my eyes were fixed on Ryder’s.

  “Okay Ryder. Let’s talk payment,” I said, swallowing my banana as I spoke.

  “I know that you are a broke college student.” Ryder steadied himself against the wall. “I will let you pay whatever you think you can handle.” He almost slid down the wall.

  “I will give it some thought,” I lied. I wouldn’t be paying him. Unless he could wait until I was out of college. He’d have to find that out later.

  For about thirty seconds we stared at each other. It reminded me of staring contests I used to have with my brother. The only difference was that Ryder was definitely not my brother.

  Ryder finally blinked and suggested, “How about a conditioning run? I realize that it’s late but you will be safe with me.”

  Was he trying to get me alone?

  “I will go slowly to accommodate your pace,” I said as a grin spread across my face.

  “My legs are longer than yours are and I’m a man. I am sure I can hold my own.”

  “You are going to wish you hadn’t said that. You’ll realize you’re not the man. You will be chasing my wagging ponytail,” I said.

  “No, if I am chasing anything it will be your perky little ass.”

  I laughed. “Yep and I’ll still be winning if that’s the case.”

  Ryder chuckled. We planned a four mile loop around campus. The area was buzzing with students. The campus did not shut down after dark and many of the people were rushing in or out of the library. Only a few of them were actually studying.

  We ran past Leach Hall and I saw my room light still on. Kelly must have been studying instead of going out. The girl would probably sleep in late to accommodate her night hours, which usually stopped at 3 AM. We would have to work on a compromise.

  He really didn’t mind the other students seeing us together. I did though. I wanted people to think he was really my coach.

  “Too fast for you coach?” I spoke easily. Running was my thing and I was hardly winded.

  “Easy Jenna. I think I am in trouble,” Ryder said gasping.

  “What the hell is wrong? Are you having a heart attack?” I fumbled for my phone.

  “Stop! Don’t call 911. I am in trouble because I am having a huge endorphin rush from staring at your sexy body.” Ryder laughed and he stopped to catch his breath.

  “Asshole.” I liked his eyes on me though. “Don’t scare me like that.”

  “I am 33-years old, not 60.”

  “You take golf seriously and I take running seriously. When I commit to a four- mile loop I stick with it. They have great showers at that so-called secret gym of yours. I’m sure Seth will be happy to show you the way. I’ll finish my run.”

  “You are fucking evil Jenna,” he said and grinned.

  I laughed and started running again. I looked over my shoulder and he followed me. The thought of him chasing after me was weird. I usually chased after guys. He was 10 feet behind me at this point. The bushes were tempting but I was enjoying the game. I also did not want to make any impulsive moves that would blow our cover. It would only take one student to see us doing anything slightly inappropriate to ruin everything.

  We finally arrived back at The Gym.

  “That felt excellent. Especially since I kicked your ass.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, a work-out is a great way to end the day. You definitely have promise,” Ryder said and my eyes widened. “As a golfer I mean.”

  “Yeah, my golf game is coming along nicely isn’t it?”

  “Well, there’s plenty to still work on. I am thinking we should hit the greens in a couple of days since I know you have classes the rest of the week. How about 3 PM on Saturday? We can work on your chipping. We don’t want your time in the gym wasted. Let’s put it to use,” he suggested and then winked.

  I never knew if he was joking or not about making me a better golfer but I’d do anything to spend more time with him.

  “I think I can fit it into my schedule. I will meet you at the public course. There will not be many of your students there.”

  “It’s a date,” Ryder said.

  “No Ryder, it’s a lesson – remember?”

  “I remember…”

  “I will see you in class in the morning. It is a large class. See if you can pick me out.”

  “That will not be a challenge since you’re the most beautiful woman in class,” Ryder said and then smiled as he walked back into the gym.

  All I could do was blush and wave goodbye.

  I decided to skip showering at the gym. Knowing Ryder was lathering up in the next room was more than I could handle. I ran on the path back to Leach hall.

  Chapter Five

  It had become routine. I would roll out of my twin bed to see the fuzzy slippers of my roommate. Kelly slept with the blankets pulled over her head. Her odor did not emanate until she awoke and yawned. It was at its worst first thing in the morning. Morning breath was common but Kelly’s was unbearable.

  Kelly started to stir. She sat up and as I expected she yawned. Like a hippopotamus, her mouth opened wide. She had good teeth so the bad breath was not a result of tooth decay. I had looked up the possible causes of bad breath. The fact that there was so much information on the topic led me to believe that I wasn’t alone. I could imagine the questions.

  Q. How did your roommate end up in the hospital?

  A. Bad breath.

  It was not going to end well.

  “Good morning Jenna. You were out again last night. How is the professor?” Kelly asked.

  It made sense that she was curious. It is not every day your roommate comes with such a fascinating story. Even the cleaned up version of my time with Ryder sounded spicy. She probably loved it.

  “I am taking golf lessons from Ryder. We talked about it and concluded that his career and my college education were more important than a silly tryst,” I lied. I felt guilty because one lie often led to another. I did not want to go down that road.

  “Well, are you considering
exploring what you and Max have then? He is your age, well at least closer in age than Professor Curran is. He came by to see you a couple of times when you were out the past few nights. He is a jokester and cute too,” Kelly said.

  “Max and I are old friends. We were more than friends at one point but we are nothing more than pals now.”

  “Just curious,” Kelly said casually.

  “Are you crushing on Max?” I guessed.

  “I have no clue what you are talking about. I am so busy with classes. I don’t have time for Max or anyone else.” Kelly was turning a curious shade of red.

  “I don’t know why the hell I didn’t think of it sooner. You would be perfect for Max. I am not just saying that. I think you’re a nice person and very pretty. You take good care of yourself in terms of fitness. You are also smart. I have seen your course load and it’s heavy That is saying a lot coming from me because I am extremely protective of who Max goes out with.”

  “Wait a moment. Max is a popular guy with a ton of friends. I am a girl from Kansas who has very few friends on this campus. I don’t have the confidence to go after a guy like Max.” Kelly needed some help.

  “At least allow me to test the waters for you. I will see what is going on in his brain.”

  “Ugh. Well please tread lightly.”

  “I promise. Speaking of Max, I have to go with him to Sex Ed. I missed the last class so I’m relying on him to bring me up to date.”

  “Well, have fun with your golf instructor.”

  “It’s just class today.”

  “Sure it is.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  ****

  Outside of Tobin Hall, I met Max.

  “Right on time. How have you been Max?” I asked.

  “The usual stuff Jenna. I am behind in all of my classes. I have rush week at the frat so I have been mucho busy.”

  “I can tell you have been hard at work in Spanish class,” I joked.

  “Not so much. I am no linguist. I am in secondary Española and all I can manage is mucho.” Max had bags under his eyes. He looked wiped out.

  “I can see you are short on sleep…Anyways, I have a couple of things to talk to you about Max. One is I think I am skipping lecture today,” I said and waited for his reaction.

  “No way Jenna. Have you not talked to Professor Curran yet? I wondered why you have been avoiding me. Are you scared to go to class?” Max asked.

  I still hadn’t been to Sex Ed since the first day. It still felt awkward even though Ryder and I had been seeing each other since.

  “I’m not avoiding you. I’ve been busy. All I can say about Ryder is that it is handled. Give me some time before I fil you in. I want to keep things private for now. Please understand,” I begged. He hated to be left out. Especially when it concerned me.

  “Okay, but I want you to promise that you will come to class next week. It’s actually a good class. You might learn a thing or two. Ryder is an excellent professor and he’s funny as hell. He has been detailing different methods of birth control. I never knew what an IUD was. Few people guessed correctly when asked what the acronym stood for. He had us write down what we thought and less than 10% of students answered correctly. I guessed Inter-Underwear- Destroyer.”

  I laughed. “Nice job Max,” I commented.

  “Today is all about condoms. We all know what they are but he will tell us how to use them properly. I think he is gonna give some out. I’m not missing this class. I love free stuff. So what is second on the agenda?” Max asked.

  “I hear you have met my roommate Kelly Womack on several occasions,” I said probingly.

  “I didn’t know that meeting your roommate was front page news.” Max was clueless.

  “What do you think about her?”

  “I don’t think about Kelly. She seems nice, cute girl.” Max was still clueless.

  “Fabulous. That is all I needed, cute girl. I can work with that.” I said goodbye and split.

  I was intending to go to class but I still couldn’t get myself to. Oh well, I’d see Ryder at the golf course on Saturday. The sexual tension between us was building. We were constantly aware that what we were doing was taboo to some people…and that made it even more exciting.

  ****

  I changed into my golf garb on Saturday. I only had a couple of outfits and needed more. I put on my best bra and panties. Ryder would not see them, but they made me feel sexy.

  Westlake was the public course. I was early for our lesson. I had made a habit of arriving early and I thought that perhaps I seemed too eager. The course was situated on a slough that was connected to West Lake. It was definitely not designed for the country club set. The greens were brownish and as far as I could see, there were no carts. Walking was fine with me but it would be disappointing to a golf aficionado like Ryder. The clubhouse where we could rent clubs and pay greens fees was a doublewide trailer. There was a stand that sold soft drinks, cans of beer and snacks. I thought Westlake was charming.

  “Hey beautiful. This place puts Magnolia to shame. I expected a little more but you’re here and that’s all that matters.”

  Ryder gave me a peck on the cheek. I had to remind myself that he was only my golf instructor to the public. To me he was so much more.

  He was wearing typical golf khakis and a shirt that pulled tight around his muscular body. His golf cap was firmly in place.

  “I think we will have to increase the intensity of the workouts. I’m not sore at all. The 4-mile run did nothing. I should expect that you are a step behind considering your age.”

  “With a comment like that, I guess you don’t want your surprise,” Ryder teased.

  “Depends what you got me?”

  Ryder revealed a shiny new set of golf clubs in a light pink leather bag. A black “J” was embroidered along the side.

  “You got me my own clubs?” I hugged him. “I hope they weren’t too expensive. I am sure I won’t need so many clubs. We can return a couple or I can share them with you.”

  My hands started to sweat as I felt his heart beat against me. I slowly pulled away.

  “I got a good deal from my friends at Callaway in Carlsbad CA. It’s a set and I’m sure you will use them all. Ready to work on your chipping game?”

  “Yep. Let’s get going.”

  “I love the fact that you are earnest but you have to have control when we hit the greens. Forget for a moment that we are anything more than an instructor and student,” Ryder said seriously.

  I had never seen Ryder display this side of himself. He brought intense to a completely new level. I focused on my new set of clubs and knew in the back of my mind that I could loosen Ryder up.

  “Are carts available?” Ryder asked the man in the trailer.

  The man laughed. “We stopped using carts years ago. We are required to keep a few around for folks who can’t walk. We are called Westlake Public because the taxpayers provide for us. They have been grumbling about throwing up some low-income housing. That is a lie because they will probably sell the land for condominiums. I can tell by your garb and your set of fancy clubs that you have golfed at some resort spots. We cater to the average Joe or the duffer. Most people buy a few cans of beer and pay their greens fees before they head out. Some I never see again. I expect they are passed out in a bunker or they dropped in the slough. Why are you and your wife in a place like this?” the man asked.

  “I am actually her golf instructor.”

  I smiled in agreement.

  “Golf instructor. I have heard that one before.” The man grinned and handed us the scorecard. It had a photo of Westlake taken about 10 years ago and a cheap printer had produced it.

  “Thanks” I chirped as we left the trailer. The jingle of a bell secured to the door accompanied our exit.

  “First we will refresh the skills you have already learned. How’s your grip? Now that you have your own clubs, you can keep one by your desk. Pick it up when you are studying or watching television.
It will help the grip feel natural.”

  He was really taking this too serious.

  “Yeah, I can use it for personal protection too, if I leave it lying around. I know some women keep a baseball bat next to their bed.”

  I had completely forgotten how to hold the club properly.

  “Allow me.” Ryder placed his hands over mine. The electricity between us was immediate and undeniable. I had missed his sweet breath and the firmness of his touch.

  “Much easier this way. It is all coming back to me now.” I looked into Ryder’s green eyes and he seemed to connect with me as a woman and not as a golf student. The moment was fleeting as he took golf too serious. He pulled his hands away slowly as he caressed the length of my arm to my shoulder. My heart paced faster and my hands began to sweat.

  “Okay, where were we. Stance. Let me see your stance. Show me some posture like your mom taught you,” Ryder said.

  “My mom never corrected my posture.”

  “Well, bend at your knees and keep your upper torso straight. Feet should be spread and aligned with the shoulders. Now curl your shoulders in.” Ryder provided verbal cues when I preferred a manual assist.

  “I feel like I am sitting on an imaginary toilet, poised to take a shit,” I said and Ryder laughed.

  “I have never heard it put that way. It is something that might come out of John Daly’s mouth but not Byron Nelson’s or Ben Hogan’s.”

  “John, Byron, Ben. It is coming out of Jenna Walsh’s mouth,” I said with a smirk.

  We practiced some of the fundamentals before moving on to chipping. I thought it was sexy the way Ryder took command of his space on the golf course. I wanted to invade his space and I would when the time was right.

  After chipping for a while Ryder asked, “So what two types of chips you do not want to hit?”

  “I have a full schedule of classes. I was not aware I had a quiz today. I have no idea how not to hit the ball.”

  “Okay smarty pants. I will tell you. First; do not tell me about your full schedule when you have been skipping my Sex Ed. classes. I hope you’re not expecting special treatment from the professor.” Ryder smiled. I was relieved because I though he had left his sense of humor in the car.