Chapter 1: Introduction
Hannah wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to the window. She glanced out at the gentle sway of the tall oaks that lined the front of their home. The sun had only just begun to set, bathing the perfectly manicured lawn that surrounded their split-level house in a soft, golden glow.
It was quiet today. Everyone seemed to be hunkered down in their own perfect little households, taking refuge from the ever-encroaching world outside.
Her gaze lingered on the sight of a moving truck parked next door. Hannah’s breath caught.
a few days later she heard a knock at her door. She opened it and saw a man she had never seen before. And boy he was hot.
“Hi! I’m Jackson and I’m just introducing myself to my neighbors” he said, holding some brownies out
to Hannah as if offering a peace offering. Hannah found herself momentarily speechless as she took the container from him. The aroma of freshly baked brownies enveloped her senses, bringing back a flood of memories from college days spent lounging in the dorm kitchen, baking late into the night.
Jackson’s widemouth smile and piercing blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through her, making her stomach flutter with an unexpected zing. Hannah quickly regained her composure and stepped aside in welcome, inviting Jackson into her home.
She noticed how tall and muscular Jackson was, his body honed by years of manual labor from working on cars. She bet he was good with his hands; her mind immediately wandered to thoughts she hadn't had in years.
She chastised herself for thinking such things. After all, she was a married woman, and Nick, her husband, was an incredible person - kind, intelligent, handsome, and deeply committed to their marriage. He was utterly devoted to their shared family, and worked tirelessly as a doctor to ensure their happiness.
“So what brings you here?” Hannah asked trying to come up with things to say.
“just needed a change of scenery, I would’ve done it faster if I’d known my neighbor would be so attractive” he joked , flashing Hannah a boyish grin. Hannah found herself laughing for no apparent reason.
Jackson handed her the plate of brownies and she accepted them, balancing the dish carefully in her hands. “Does your wife cook for you too?” she asked, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
“No, I’m actually single” Jackson replied, with a sly glint in his own. Hannah felt her heart skip a beat.
“Well, in that case, I might just have to keep some for you,” she flirted.
Jackson laughed and glanced around the room, and his gaze caught on a family photo framed on a nearby shelf. “Are you sure about that? I don’t know if he’d be happy if you were hiding food for me.”
“what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him” she said, she was shocked he had said it. “But- I- I don’t mean it like-“ she stammered
, trying to find the right words to convey her feelings.
Jackson smiled, his gaze never leaving hers. “I know exactly what you mean, Hannah. I’m almost eight years younger than you, you don’t need to explain anything to me.”
She felt a warmth spreading through her chest and stomach, a feeling she had not felt in a long time. It was unnerving, but also thrilling. Hannah had thought she had locked away those feelings, buried deep within her, but they were suddenly back, alive and pulsating.
Hannah hesitated for a moment.
She pondered if it was wise to be engaging in this kind of playful banter with Jackson. She was still married and had vowed to remain faithful to Nick, despite the fact that they had grown apart somewhat due to his ever-consuming job.
But then she looked into Jackson’s eyes, and saw the spark of excitement and wanderlust reflected back at her. It was as if he could see straight into her soul, all the way back to her wild, college days, when she had been single and carefree, when life had seemed like one never-ending adventure.
“Anyway, I should go” he said. “I definitely want to see you around” he said with a wink . Hannah felt her heart race, a mixture of panic and anticipation filling her chest. She knew she should probably stop this now, before it got out of hand. But there was just something about Jackson that intrigued her, that drew her in like a moth to a flame.
As she went about the remaining dinner preparations, her mind kept replaying snippets of their conversation, in between reminiscing the college days. She wondered how it could be that mere conversation with a stranger could leave her feeling so alive, so exhilarated.
She decided there was nothing to stop, it was just two adults engaging in harmless banter. Nothing would come of it anyway.
——————
A few weeks passed. Jackson and Hannah had only a few conversations in these weeks. Brief chats in their front yards, she brought him leftovers one time. All the conversations had what she kept telling herself was harmless, playful banter. But it was fine, it’s not like she was actually flirting with him right? They were just joking right? Then why was she thinking about him when she was alone. Touching herself thinking of him then forcing her to stop. It’s fine she said, lying to herself. She should’ve put a stop to it that first day, but she couldn’t stop, she loved his attention. They had barely talked but she found herself checking outside to see if he was there, and if he was she would just “happen” to walk outside. What was coming over her? Nothing, she lied to herself.
One weekend, as Nick left for a work conference for the weekend, he mentioned that Jackson would be over fixing their car this weekend, so not to be surprised when he shows up.
“He’ll be over here all weekend?” Hannah said, sounding maybe a little too excited, but Nick didn’t notice.
“Well not ALL weekend, but a lot of it, it’s a big job and he said he could do it for a good price” nick replied , “Anyway, gotta run, love you, don’t wait up” He kissed her on the forehead, and then he was off.
She thought to herself, this is bad, why am I feeling this way, what is wrong with me?
She spent the whole morning pretending to read a book, when really her mind was consumed with thoughts of Jackson’s arrival.
She heard a car pull up and glanced out the window to see a sleek blue sedan pull in. Jackson stepped out, his hair ruffled slightly from the wind.
Her heart did a backflip.
She quickly checked her reflection in the mirror, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. A rush of insecurity washed over her, and she wished she had just taken a little more effort to get ready this morning. It was too late now, though, and she sighed, cursing her indecisiveness.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that there wasn't any reason to get worked up over this. After all, Jackson was just a neighbor and he was just going to be working on the car all weekend. It was no big deal.
Lost in thought, she jumped when the door knocked.
Taking a deep breath, she pasted a friendly smile on her face and went to open the door.
"Hi there, I was hoping to catch you at home," Jackson said, flashing her his dazzling smile. "I had a question about the car and then I'll let you get back to what you were doing."
Hannah's heart leapt at the sight of him. She tried to think of something to say, but her mind was a blank slate. "Um, sure, come in," she stammered.
Her heart was racing as she guided him to her living room. He sat down on the couch, stretching out his long legs and crossing them at the ankle. She felt the heat in her cheeks as she tried to maintain her composure.
Hannah could feel her anxiety rising as they began to discuss her car. She kept finding herself getting lost in his eyes, forgetting their original intentions. She caught herself on a few occasions and fought to steer their conversation back on track.
She glanced down at her loose fitting t-shirt and the worn sweatpants she had chosen for a lazy Saturday at home.
It didn’t matter, she rationalized to herself, he wasn’t here to judge her on her appearance. He was here to work on a car.
“So where is this car that’s in need of work?” Jackson asked, looking around unsure of the direction he should go now.
Hannah blinked, surprised at the realization that she had never actually directed him to the garage door. Her thoughts had kept her rooted to the ground and removed her from the current situation. She was having trouble thinking straight around someone like him.
“Um, yeah.
Let me show you the way.” Hannah quickly stood up, brushing down her oversized t-shirt and attempting to regain her composure. She led Jackson out to the garage, steeling herself for the awkward interaction she was sure was coming.
She opened the garage door and there it was.
The old, battered family Volvo.
It had been a gift from Nick, back when their relationship was brand new and they still had the energy to go on adventures together, before the long hours of his busy schedule took over their lives.
She could recall their first big trip in it: A weekend getaway to a nearby state park, where they had spent their days hiking through the woods and lounging by the lake, with nothing but their own thoughts for company.
Thinking back on it, Hannah felt a pang of sadness deep within her chest. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.
“Well I’ll get to work” Jackson said, brushing her arm as he walked by and sending a shiver down Hannah’s spine. She could swear she had seen a glimmer of something in his eyes, like he knew exactly what he had just done to her.
Hannah stood there for a moment, just watching him as he set to work on the car. She told herself she should go back inside, or at the very least maintain some distance from him as he worked. But she couldn’t bring herself to move an inch from her spot.
Jackson looked up at her, his fingers stained with grease.
“You’re not going to just stand there the whole time, are you?”
Hannah blushed, realizing she had been staring. “Oh, sorry. I was just...thinking,” she stumbled awkwardly. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
She turned to go back inside, when a sudden thought struck her. She glanced over her shoulder at Jackson. “Hey, do you like pizza?”
Jackson looked puzzled. “Uh, yeah. Who doesn’t like pizza?”
Hannah grinned. “Perfect.
How about I order us one as a thank-you for working on the car this weekend?” Hannah asked, the words tumbling out before she could even second-guess herself.
Jackson's expression shifted to surprise, but it soon melted into a warm smile.
She added nonchalantly, “It’s just repayment for the labor, please don’t get the wrong idea.” Even as the words left her mouth, Hannah couldn’t believe she’d suggested that. Yet, a thrill ran down her spine.
“Sure,” Jackson replied.
Jackson worked on the car all day. Late in the evening when the pizza arrived, Hannah popped her head out the door and told him the pizza was here.
Jackson emerged from under the hood of the car, his hands black with grease.
“Come on in and wash up. I don’t want you getting that stuff all over the pizza.” She joked.
He wiped his hands on the greasy shop rag and walked towards her front door, his white t-shirt stained with oil and sweat. As he neared her, Hannah felt her pulse quicken. She stepped back, allowing him to enter her home, trying to ignore the sense of attraction that was building up inside her.
he paused, “actually do you mind if I go chnage? I’m a mess” he said.
“sure!” Hannah said. She had already chnaged, she was wearing some black leggings and a sports bra, with a cropped zip up jacked covering it. She had unconsciously picked the most revealing socially acceptable clothes.
Jackson came back in grey sweatpants and a white tshirt. He had to know what he was doing right??
She wondered again. It's fine if he were, right? Absolutely not, she couldn't even fathom the idea of cheating on Nick. But now it was almost as if a magnetic pull was drawing her in, but she had no idea whether this pull was coming from her side or his.
Once they settled at the table and began unboxing the pizza, their conversation ebbed and flowed with ease, as though they were old friends reuniting. They talked about everything from books to movies to cars.
Hannah found herself enraptured by Jackson's charm and wit, and she couldn't help but feel a spark of attraction flicker between them.
"So, Hannah, tell me more about yourself," Jackson said, an earnest expression on his face.
Hannah hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to begin. She had never been great at talking about herself, always feeling somewhat self-conscious and inadequate in light of others' successes.
She took a moment to gather her thoughts, collecting her words before finally speaking.
“Well, there’s not much to tell really,” she said, her voice low and soft. “I’m just Hannah, a wife and mother who lives in the suburbs and spends most of her time taking care of the household. I used to have a life before this, life was so exciting, if I’m being honest.
I used to live my days outside the confines of my perfectly maintained suburban home, surrounded by lush hills and towering oaks, a life far removed from the sterile white walls of the hospital where my husband, Nick, works tirelessly as a doctor. I used to be free, to roam the earth unencumbered by societal expectations and responsibility, my days filled with laughter, camaraderie, and adventure. My college years were the highlight of my life, those days when I could run wild, completely untethered, and feel truly alive.
It's not that I dislike my life now, or anything like that. It's just that sometimes I can't help but miss the wild, adventurous spirit I used to have. My friends and I used to do all sorts of things, from attending wild parties in the city to hopping on a train with no real destination in mind.
As the years went by, I did find myself settling down. I got married to Nick, who was and is still, an amazing partner.
“that’s awesome” Jackson said.
the pizza was nearing finished. Hannah really didn’t want Jackson to leave. “So how much is Nick paying you for that work?” She said desperate for conversation.
“oh like a few hundred bucks” Jackson replied.
“That’s it?” She said surprised . “I insist on paying you more, you’re doing so much work.”
Jackson looked up, surprised. His blue eyes met hers and she saw a glint of something in them that she couldn’t quite place.
“I don’t need more, Hannah,” he said, his voice low. “I like working on cars and I’m happy to do it as a favor for you and your husband. Besides, it’s not like I have anything else going on right now.”
She opened her mouth to argue, be he said “you already got me pizza” as he stepped closer to her and put his finger on her lips to shush her, the other hand in her arm.
She was stunned for a moment, but as she made ey contact with him, her heart skipped a beat. He was standing so close.
He retracted his hand slowly and whispered "relax, I am not trying to hit on you it's just a job and you're being kind." Hannah nodded in agreement, but she couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards him.
Despite herself, she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him, to feel his lips on hers and to have his arms around her. She quickly shook her head, banishing those wayward thoughts.
She couldn't afford to let her mind wander in such a dangerous direction. Nick was still her husband, after all, and she loved him deeply.
"Well what if I was hitting on you?” She said, her words immediately betraying her thoughts. She couldn’t believe she said it, but she couldn’t take it back.
Hannah felt the blood rushing to her cheeks as she watched his reaction.
Jackson's eyebrows shot up in surprise, then he flashed her one of his irresistible grins. "Well, if that was your intention, then I guess I would warn you that it would be very unfortunate if every time you had sex with Nick after this you would just wish it was me. Could you deal with that?," he said, his voice low and smooth. “If you were hitting on me of course” he joked
.
Hannah felt her heart racing as she looked into his eyes, trying to gauge if he was serious or not. Her breathing grew shallow as perspiration began to dot her brow.
“Well if I was hitting on you, I would tell you that yeah I think I could deal with that.” She said. What was she saying?? It was like she was possessed. Her mind was saying stay loyal to nick, but her whole body wanted to fuck Jackson.
What the hell was happening?
Hannah wondered if she could deal with the consequences of her actions. She had made the decision to flirt with Jackson, and now she had to live with whatever came next.
Hannah felt like she had made the choice in a trance, but now she was snapping back to reality. She glanced up at Jackson nervously, unsure if she was being serious with him or not. She couldn't tell if he was teasing her or not, and she was too shy to ask.
“Also, if I was hitting on you, Nick wouldn’t find out right?” She asked. She knew it was a risky thing to say but something just wouldn’t let her stop the game they were playing.
Jackson raised an eyebrow at Hannah's boldness. He cleared his throat and replied, "Well, Hannah, that's not really for me to decide, is it? I would assume that if you were hitting on me and we were to do something about it, it would be a secret between us."
Hannah nodded slowly, mulling over the potential consequences of her actions.
“Besides” he said “you’re just giving me a little extra for working on your car right?” He said with a smirk.
“Sure, just a little extra for the hard work” Hannah found herself saying, her rational mind completely gone at this point.
She was playing with fire and she knew it, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. The pull towards Jackson was strong, stronger than anything she had felt in a long time.
She wondered if she could really go through with this, if she could actually betray her husband and her marriage vows. It went against everything she believed in, but still, her body screamed for his touch.
Jackson stepped forward. Putting his hands on her waist that the cropped jacked and sports bra exposed. “Yeah, just a little extra” he said , for all the hard work” she reiterated.
Hannah knew she was playing with fire. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she couldn’t stop herself. Her heart was racing, and her breathing had become shallow. She was shocked at herself, but also thrilled by the excitement and the anticipation of the moment.
Jackson leaned in closer, his lips barely an inch away from hers. She could feel his warm breath on her face, and she closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her.
Just one kiss, she thought, that’s all I need. Just one taste of what it would be like to kiss him.
But as the moment stretched on, she began to doubt herself. Was this just a game to him? Was he toying with her emotions, leading her on only to reject her in the end?
Her heart sank as she considered the possibility. She had been so sure that there was something between them, something more than just friendship. But now, she wasn’t so sure.
Just as she was about to pull away, she felt Jackson’s lips on hers.
A soft, lingering kiss that sent a jolt of electricity throughout her entire body. She felt her body respond to him instinctively, her arms wrapping around his neck as she deepened the kiss.
It was a kiss that felt both familiar and foreign, like a distant memory that had suddenly come back to life. It was a kiss that she wanted to hold onto forever, but she knew that was impossible.
When they finally pulled apart, Hannah felt weak in the knees.
She leaned against the counter for support, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the weight of what they had just done bearing down on her, and she knew that there was no turning back now.
She looked into Jackson's eyes, and saw the same intensity and longing that she felt in her own heart. It was as if they were both on the same wavelength, both pulled towards each other by some cosmic force that neither could resist.
The tension snapped. They both moved towards each other into a passionate make out.
Their hands roaming all over each other bodies without stopping, the lust between them was palpable, with no regard for the consequences of their actions. She couldn't believe it, all the time that she spent thinking about the moment she could finally let go and be herself, she didn't know this was what she wanted.
Hannah hadn't been with anyone else but Nick in many years. Her body had been craving this sensation of desire and lust for so long without her knowing it, and now that she was feeling it, she didn't want to stop.
She wanted to give herself to Jackson, to surrender herself to the passion that was burning inside her.
But she was starting to hear a small voice in the back of her mind, whispering warnings about the consequences of her actions. She pushed the voice aside, convincing herself that she deserved this intimate connection, that she needed it.
"Jackson," Hannah whispered as they kissed . "This is so bad."
“And it feels so good” Jackson whispered back
, his lips trailing down her neck as he spoke.
Hannah closed her eyes, unable to deny the truth in his words. The thrill of their passionate embrace was addictive, and for the moment, she felt like she could escape the confines of her mundane life. She had waited for this moment for such a long time.
She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she couldn't stop either. Every touch, every kiss, sent a surge of pleasure coursing through her veins. She could feel the tension building inside her, a hunger she couldn't ignore.
Jackson’s hands moved to the zipped on her cropped jacket. She nodded as he looked at her.
She didn’t need to say anything; she wanted this as much as he did.
Jackson pulled down the zip slowly, revealing her toned abs, but kept his gaze focused on her eyes. He was trying to be respectful of her, but the passion between them was too great. As he brought his lips to hers once more, he slid the jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor behind her.
Hannah broke the kiss momentarily and leaned her head back, closing her eyes as Jackson gently kissed and nibbled his way down her neck.
Jackson’s hands wandered to her butt and lifted her up easily, making Hannah wrap her legs around his waist instinctively. He carried her to the couch and laid her gently on it.
He gazed at her, taking in the sight of her in just her sports bra and leggings, her toned, slender body stretched out beneath him. He couldn’t resist any longer. He leaned in and kissed her again, desire washing over him.
Their bodies moved together in rhythm as they fervently explored each other, their hands wandering over the other’s body, tracing lines and curves, igniting sparks of passion with every touch.