Her Arrogant Demon Next Door

Chapter 1

I had finally done it , it was mine as of this morning when I had signed my name on the contract. Auntie would be so proud of me but my heart breaks all over again , knowing she wouldn’t see the two-story house I’ve just bought all on my own. With a little help from her too , she had left me ten thousand pounds when she had passed away three months ago , and the wound was still raw. I still ached for her hugs. It had only been me and my Auntie Alison for as long as I can remember. She has been looking after me since I was just a baby. My mum and dad had gone away on their honeymoon to a seaside coast. Aunt said we didn’t have lots of money. She had been looking after me for their mini breakaway , but their car had been run off the road by a drunk driver on their way home. Mum was pronounced dead at the scene and dad apparently fought for three weeks before his body gave up. Auntie Alison was dads sister.

My auntie Alison has been my guardian ever since. I had only been three , so I couldn’t remember them really, only the things she had told me about them. She told me they had both been hard working and that’s where I got my work ethics from them. She told me she used to tell them they needed to take a damned break too, always doing too much work and not enough living. They passed like ships in the night, one home from work, the other out to work. But she said I was in the world to them, they wanted to build a future for me . Looking up at the small two-story town house, I wish I could give her back one of my sarcastic replies. looking up towards the blue sky I smile “hard work paid off see auntie “ she would roll her eyes and say it’s just bricks. But to me it was mine, something I’ve achieved.

At the great age of 26, I owned my own home. Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely a fixer-upper. I’d bought it cheap because it needed modernising and there were things that definitely needed fixing. But for forty-five thousand pounds, it was a steal and I bought cash. I had some left over. Aunt had left me ten thousand pounds but she had never touched my parents' money they had saved. She was apparently going to give it me for my 30th or wedding present which ever came first. They hadn't saved a lot for me.But it would help me make this house a home, twelve thousand pounds .

I was still living in Auntie Alison's flat and I was going to be using all her furniture to start with. Her flat had been a rental. I’d officially handed in the keys, the removal van would be here any minute. I could only take three days' holiday from work so I had to get moved, quickly walking up the path. I put the key in the old wooden door lock and I took my first step inside as the home owner, to the smell of stale old smoke that was imbedded in the walls. The previous owner must have smoked a lot every day indoors. I quickly ran around all the rooms downstairs and opened the windows wide to let in some fresh air.

I walked down the hallway and went to the kitchen that had patio sliding doors leading out onto a porch. I opened it up and stood outside, looking out at the overgrown back garden. It had a lot of land to say it was only a small house , I couldn’t wait to be able to get the garden all trimmed back. A noise to my left drew my attention. I looked and I could see straight into the neighbour's garden just as a man around his thirty’s walks out of his back door in just his shorts and I’d be lying if I didn’t say he was definitely a good looking man. Olive skin has long dark hair that’s tied up into a bun. His shoulders and arms were covered in tattoos and his frame was muscular. A loud horn beeping draws his attention and makes me jump. He looks straight over the fence at me and s**t his face is just as perfect as his body.

The horn out front blasts again and I realise I’m staring and from the smirk on his beautiful face is anything to go by, he realises exactly what I’m staring at. Heat rises up my cheeks. I’m mortified. Quickly turning on my heel, I ran inside the house and back to the front door where one of the removal men was walking up the path. “ just checking we have the right house where you want all this stuff put ? “ he sounds bored his face matches it too and I wouldn’t be surprised if all my stuff is broken once it’s unloaded , they was the cheapest one I could find so I guess you get what you pay for.

“ Just unload it all in this room here “, I pointed to the living room “ except the bed , drawers and wardrobe, put them in the front bedroom “. He huffs and walks off annoyed that I’ve probably asked them to do five more minutes worth of work. Taking the hair band off my wrist, I quickly tie my hair up into a rough pony tail and get to work. Walking down to my old beat-up Ford Focus, I opened the boot and got out my cleaning supplies and the two tins of paint and paint supplies I bought yesterday. The first room I was in was my bedroom. I can deal with the rest of the house, taking time, but my bedroom and bed were always my retreat after a crappy day at work. With a glass of wine and a good book, my bed was like a whole other planet for me.

It takes the removal men a whole half hour to place all my stuff in the house. I pay them a hundred pounds and they are out the door quicker than I can count to three, but I don’t mind. I close and lock the door once they’ve left .I start on moving boxes to their appropriate rooms until I get to the bedding box and pull out some old ones, then I grab the cleaning box, take it upstairs and then come back down for the paints and brushes.

Half way up the stairs, I realise I’ve forgotten the key thing my Alexa, I quickly dump my arm load in the bedroom and run back down as I’m digging through a box hoping and praying the delivery men haven’t broken it there’s a knock at the door. I look at it like it’s insulted me and then realise how ridiculous I’m being that the door hasn’t done anything wrong to me. It’s whoever is on the other side and who knows who that could be. I don’t know anyone from around here. Already mad at whoever’s there, I stomp over to the door, yanking it open impatiently. I want to get started with my room so I will be able to set up my bed for tonight. “Yes “ I snap without even looking at who’s at the receiving end of my short temper. My eyes were drawn and stuck on abs.

“ whoa there firecracker “. My eyes snap up at the deep accented voice and words get stuck in my mouth as I realise it’s the man I saw next door , without a shirt, who knocks at a strangers door with no shirt on ? His green eyes are dancing with amusement, then he sweeps his intense gaze up my body and I instantly feel insecure .I have on a pair of joggers and a strap top and I wasn’t exactly the skinniest of girls. I have curves, thick thighs, a generous bum and biggish boobs. My belly wasn’t the flattest. It had a soft little pouch and him scrutinising me made me feel uncomfortable, especially when he looked like that.

I crossed my arms over my stomach. His eyes instantly snapped at mine, narrowing a little like I’d just made him mad somehow. “ Can I help you ?” I asked a question and his serious face slipped off and the smirk was back. “Just though I’d introduce myself to the new neighbour, I’m Adam. What’s your name pretty”. My eyes widen and he’s still smiling at me. I realise he’s making fun of me. He has to be a man like him who would never see me as pretty. Deciding to try and keep on neutral ground with my neighbour, I keep my tongue lashing at bay.

“ Chelsea “ comes out snappy. Maybe I hadn’t hidden my anger after all his eyebrows creased again so I sighed “ nice to meet you”. I forced myself to add with a very fake smile. But I don’t think he’s bought it. He smiles back but the atmosphere becomes awkward, he rubs the back of his neck, his tattooed arm flexing, showing off his muscles, my gaze gets stuck there for a second and when I look back he’s grinning again. " well if you ever need a cup of sugar or anything”, he laughs and I can’t help a bit of a genuine smile slipping through at the cliche I fetch my hand up to hide it not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

My first impression is, I don’t think we will be friends anytime soon, not that he would want to. A guy like him who would probably have a revolving door of women all model types. Maybe my own insecurities were putting him at arms length before even giving him a chance. I was rude to him, a complete stranger and that wasn’t like me. “ Yes, thanks the same here”, I replied politely. I’m really hoping he doesn’t take it as an invite to be knocking at my door all the time. “ Your other neighbours on the other side are having a bbq next weekend, you should come there, real cool guys “ he says casually, backing up, and I genuinely smile over the fact he’s leaving, he must mistake it for happiness over the invite because his smile turns megawatt as he walks backwards down the path “ see you there pretty”he winks and turns on his heel walking back to his house.

My mood sours as I close and re-lock the door. I mean, why would he come out of his way just to mess with someone? What sort of jerk would do that? Going back over to the boxes, I found Alexa and stomped off upstairs. I plug Alexa in and connect her to my hotspot. I’ll ring the internet company tomorrow. WiFi was a luxury I’d definitely splurge on, telling her to play my play list. I set up the room ready for decorating. I wash down all the walls first, then open up the paint tins blush pink and white happiness takes back over me at the colours I’ve always wanted a really girly bedroom but auntie Alisons landlord insisted of everything staying beiges and neutral boring if you ask me.

Opening my window, I set to work painting all the walls white. Soon I’m lost in my music and the mundaneness of decorating. I start singing the songs that keep playing over Alexa and I smile, I dance, swaying my hips and singing as a love song comes on a real power ballad , and I sing with everything I have like no one is watching. How wrong was I when the song ends? Loud clapping makes me realise how sadly wrong I was. I looked out the window to see Adam leaning over our adjoining fence, wolf whistling and more claps coming from the other side. Looking at the other side of my garden, there are two other men leaning on the fence clapping with massive grins on their faces.

“ Get them girl, if you sing like that, I’m definitely getting karaoke for the bbq “ one of the other men shouts and I instantly, start shaking my head. “ Liam, don’t scare the girl. Sorry Chelsea, that’s Liam, my other half and I’m Kyle. It’s nice to meet you” the blonde one shouts, a genuine smile on his face. Waving my hand, I tell them it’s nice to meet them too and then make my excuses that I need to crack on painting , before I turn back to my task, my eyes are drawn back to the tall drink of arrogant asshole water. His eyes, even from here, I can see burned with an intensity I’ve never seen ever in my life. I wish I had curtains to close them. This time I’m mindful not to sing as I turn away and start painting again. I’d have preferred to close the window but that would look like I was being a b***h or something .