“I will definitely let you know.” I took a step back, almost stumbling on my own two feet. He caught me before I hit the shelf next to me, holding onto my elbow. “Careful,” he murmured.

My breath caught in my throat, the proximity depleted. He was standing right in front of me, his hand still on my arm, now working its way down. It was unintentional, I was sure, but it didn’t prevent my body from heating up, my core from constricting.

He looked at my lips again, wanting so badly to steal a taste, but before I knew it, his hand was no longer on my arm and he’d taken a step back. His eyes were still soft, mellow, and full of a soft, blazing fire. His pink lips moved, fixing in a way that was all too familiar to me. I don’t think he could help it anymore. He wanted to do what was going to happen next ever since he set eyes on me in the market.

It truly was unexpected.

He leaned forward and placed a smooth, slightly damp kiss on my cheek.

“I’ll see you soon, Chloe.” His voice was deep, humming right to my panties, his mouth only a few millimeters away from my ear.

“See you, Theo,” I whispered, brown irises holding hazel. Finally, I tore them away and turned around, stumbling out of the garage and hurrying across the street before I did something drastic. I took a glance back when I met at my front door.

He was still there, standing inside, only a few inches away from the garage door. From the streetlights, I could see him smiling beneath that well-trimmed goatee. One of his hands was in his pockets, the other on the wall in front of him where the switch was.

I said goodbye with a small wave, opened my front door, and before I could shut it, I heard his garage gate close, guarding me from his presence.

I didn’t see him the next day.

But I did see him the day after that… and he wasn’t alone. All the giddiness I felt from the dinner we shared to that small peck on my cheek immediately disappeared when I saw the same blonde girl pull up to his house in a white Honda with pink rims.

I stood at my window, staring out, waiting to see what would happen next. They came back out of the house together, hopping into his Charger and taking off. They left around seven that night and didn’t come back until midnight.

When they arrived, I heard his car pull up. I frantically climbed out of bed, watching as he kissed the girl goodbye through her car window. She pulled out of the driveway, leaving Primrose, though I was sure it was just for the night.

This time, my curtains had been pulled aside, and I may have purposely kept them that way to see when he’d return. I continued my watch. He entered the house, a few lights flashed on, and then the bedroom light came on.

What I did not expect was for his blinds to open, and for him to be standing right there. Right at the window, looking right at mine. Gasping, I backed away, pressing my back to the wall.

Did he see me? Know I was watching?

I didn’t know.

I dared another look, and saw him still standing there, his head in the tilt he normally held it in. Innocent. Curious. He’d gone without a shirt, the jeans he wore hanging low on his hips, showcasing two slices of a delicious V.

My brows knitted. I wasn’t sure if he could see me. He left the window, and I waited. Seconds later, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I looked towards it, heart slamming still. Walking back, I picked it up but went back to the window. He was there again, the phone to his ear.

And then it hit me. I looked down at the person’s name that flashed on my screen. Mr. Black. Surprised, my heart caught speed, and I answered, my voice soft. “Mr. Black?”

“Hey Chloe.”

“Everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” he said, voice low. “You tell me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You just gonna stay in your room and watch me, or are you gonna come over and actually talk to me?”

I huffed a laugh, looking up, heat bombarding my cheeks. Being embarrassed would have been an understatement. “I’m—I don’t know what you mean.”

“Turn on your lamp,” he demanded.

“Why?”

“I want to see you.”

I looked towards my lamp, hesitating. He was quiet, waiting for me to follow through. I blew a breath, going for my lamp. Then I met at the window again, and he was still there. His expression had changed though. He was smiling now. It was gentle. Sweet.

“Damn. Is there ever a time you don’t look good?”

“Please,” I laughed, tugging on the hem of my tank. It was then that I realized I had no bra on. I covered my chest with my arm.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Cover up. Just stand there… let me look at you.”

Slowly dropping my hand, I stared ahead, allowing Mr. Black to get an eye-full. I was in my most natural state—hair up in a bun, shorts low, revealing too much leg, and sporting a white camisole that exposed firm, brown nipples.

“What are we doing?” I asked, voice barely heard.

He was quiet for a moment, his face serious now. “Picking up where we left off.”

“I don’t know if we should…”

“I don’t know if we should either.” I saw him fidget and look down. “You know I never stopped thinking about you, Chloe.” He lifted his head. “You haven’t even been here a week, and I already want you back.”

“What about the girl that just left?”

“She’s… a friend.”

“That you kiss and sleep with?” I retorted, voice full of sarcasm.

“I can easily drop her. It’s nothing.”

I scoffed.

He was quiet for a moment. “I’ll definitely drop her if you let this be…”

“What do you mean let it be?”

“I know you still keep up with Izzy. I know you feel guilty about it. Shit, I do too. She’d hate me if she knew I ever placed a hand on you in that way…”

“But?”

“But, I feel better around you. Like your soul is filling me up, providing positive energy. I don’t think I should deny that feeling. It feels too good—it’s almost like a high.”

I was quiet for a moment, meeting his eyes as he held a full smile. “I’ve felt empty for a while now—well, ever since leaving Primrose.”

“So have I. You know that night when you helped me to my room?”

I knew exactly which night. “Yeah.”

“I’d never felt more alive, Chloe. I was afraid of going too far with you—I mean you’re young and you hardly knew a damn thing back then—but I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t control the urge you gave me. I wanted to caress every part of you. I wanted to hold your face in my hands, stare you in the eyes all night as I made the sweetest love to you. You may have thought I considered it a quick fuck—easy pussy.” He shook his head. “Nah. Trust me. It meant way more to me than that. Like most of my worries had faded in that one single moment. Like I could… live and not feel so fucking blue.”

His words lit my soul on fire. I battled a grin with a straight face. “I figured you did it just to feel something... release some steam, ya know?”

“No…” His head moved side to side with disapproval. “Can’t believe I’m even saying this, but you know damn well I’ve felt something for you for a long time. I know to others it seems fucking perverted and maybe like I’m fucked up in the head, but you’re a good girl.

“Other than Janet, you’re the only person that knows me. I connect with you. I don’t even have to speak and you already know what’s wrong. I feel good around you. Content. And when you left, it hurt like hell. Watching you go but knowing I couldn’t stop you because you weren’t mine. I’d considered you mine for years,” he laughed. “In some crazy way, I made you mine and wanted you for myself and nobody else. It hurt to let that go.”

“Really?”

“Yes. For years I’ve always felt the unnecessary need to protect you. Perhaps that need merged into deeper places, places that I can’t control or stay away from, no matter how hard I try or how much it may burn.” He was quiet for a moment. We stared at each other. “Just give me the summer, Chloe. Let this summer happen for us. I know you’ve been curious. I know you’ve been craving me. Know how I know?”