A TASTE OF MINT
NEIGHBORLY GESTURES: A TASTE OF MINT
A short erotic neighbors and ex in-laws to friends-with-benefits story
Copyright © 2022 Leto Armitage – All rights reserved
Publisher: Libertalia Press
࿐ ࿔*˖𓇼 DEDICATION 𓇼˖*࿔࿐
I dedicate this series to Mr. Rogers. Fred Rogers taught generations to “love thy neighbor” on his children’s show. He may not have approved of all the ways they love each other, but I think he would approve of the real affection between them and the bonds they form.
࿐ ࿔*˖𓇼 DESCRIPTION 𓇼˖*࿔࿐
When your ex-sister-in-law needs money, and you have… conditions.
Adam has been living the good life since his divorce – no job, no responsibilities, just the sweet freedom that comes with a lucky windfall and a paid-off house. The last person he expected to see on his doorstep? Shannon Middleton, his ex-wife’s sister, immaculately dressed and desperately broke.
Shannon needs Adam to buy 500 boxes of cookies for her daughter’s scholarship. It’s a lot of money, and she’s already maxed out credit cards on cookies stacked to the ceiling in her garage. She hates asking. He’s an “irresponsible wastrel” who enjoys reminding her exactly what she thinks of him.
But Adam’s willing to negotiate. The price? Well, it’s not just about cookies.
What starts as a power play – a humiliating set of conditions Shannon never imagined she’d agree to – becomes something neither of them expected. Because hate and want aren’t as different as Shannon thought, and Adam’s very good at reading what people won’t admit they desire.
Some negotiations end with a handshake. This one ends with Shannon walking out his door, flushed and furious, knowing she’ll be back. Because her over-the-fence hatred has just become something far more dangerous.
Neighborly Gestures: A Taste of Mint is the first in a six-book series following Adam and Shannon’s escalating encounters, where every negotiation peels back another layer, every boundary crossed reveals new territory, and suburban propriety hides desires neither of them saw coming.
Content: Explicit sexual content, power dynamics, morally grey characters, taboo relationship (ex-in-laws), dominant hero, reluctant arousal. All characters are consenting adults. This series gets progressively steamier and explores complex relationship dynamics.
Perfect for readers who love: Enemies-to-lovers, forbidden relationships, power exchange dynamics, morally grey protagonists, suburban secrets, and series that escalate perfectly across multiple books.
࿐ ࿔*˖𓇼 EXCERPT 𓇼˖*࿔࿐
When the doorbell rang, I was hoping to see something blonde and well-stacked, and that’s exactly what I got. Just not in the form I wanted.
“Shannon.”
I acknowledged my former sister-in-law the same way I would a hyena on meth that insisted on speaking to me. She was immaculately dressed in black slacks and a cream blouse. The jade pendant she wore on a silver chain, the gold bracelets, and her wedding ring completed the look. It was all very tasteful. In her late 30s, Shannon was definitely worth the MILF label.
I grew up in this house, and Shannon and her husband, Greg, bought the one next door when I married twin sister, Susan. Now the sister is gone, and I would be a lot happier if both of them were. The divorce might have left me with issues.
“Adam.” It was late afternoon, and she stared at my pajama bottoms and rumpled Sex Pistols T-shirt. “Just getting up?”
“Up from a nap,” I said, yawning. “One of the joys of being a, what was it you called me, irresponsible wastrel, is that I can nap whenever I like.”
Her cringe told me she wanted something. That made me curious, so I opened the door wider. “Wanna come in?”
Shannon passed me with a brief nod, and she kept nodding as she took in my living room. “Your place is very nice,” she said approvingly.
“By which you mean you’re surprised I don’t have neon beer signs in here?”
“I didn’t say that,” she replied. The smile on her face would have convinced me if I didn’t know her better.
“Indeed.” I made a direct line to the wet bar. “It’s hardly a collection, but even I can coordinate brown and beige items from a catalog. And I have the cleaner come in three times a week. Can I get you a drink?”
“No, thank you.”
“Well, I feel like having one for the afternoon.” I wanted to keep a clear head. But being completely sober with a Middleton sister in the house would be too harsh a punishment for anyone to bear. Without pause, I fixed myself something fruity, but light on the rum with what I had on hand. Shannon took a seat in one of the brown armchairs by the coffee table. Drink in hand, I joined her, sitting on the couch across from her. “So, what can I do for you?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Janice. Your niece.”
There was that smile again. Damn, it was a good one, but her sister had inoculated me to it pretty well. “You mean my ex-wife’s niece, that Janice?” I said, as a voice in my head screamed, DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!
࿐ ࿔*˖𓇼 REVIEWS 𓇼˖*࿔࿐
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