The Jeep is already parked in front of the cabin when you pull up, letting you know your dad had already returned.
You find him in the kitchen attempting to cut up some vegetables, “Hey dad.”
He jumps and spins around, knife still in hand and a large frilly apron tied around his waist. Once he realizes it’s just you, his shoulders seem to fall. “I was hoping to surprise you.”
With a soft giggle, you step closer to inspect his progress. Furrowing your brows, you eye him playfully. “What exactly are you trying to make?”
Puffing out his chest with confidence, he proudly announces, “Veggie lasagna!”
Scrunching your nose, you grab a second cutting board and knife, moving to help him cut everything properly.
Noticing you may be more aptly suited for the job, he instead turns and fumbles around the cabinets for a dish to bake everything in. “So.” He sets the dish on the counter and starts lining it with foil. “Where did you run off to?”
Shrugging, you begin to layer the veggies, making sure to put plenty of sauce in between, just like your dad loves. “I was just taking a look at that old cabin, it looks like the guy is fixing it up beautifully.”
After sliding the dish in the oven, he leans against the opposite counter, facing you with his arms crossed and head tilted in curiosity. “I think I heard Janice the clerk rambling on about a new owner making repairs to the place. So, you were able to meet the new neighbor then?”
You nod. “I did. The guy seems really nice. He already completely rebuilt the porch. I might have to hire him to redo ours while we’re here.”
Eyeing you, a sly grin tugs at the corners of his lips. “I see… So, you decided to use up your full vacation afterall?”
A meager, nonchalant shrug is your response. Knowing you to be a notorious workaholic, your dad, aunt, and uncle had taken bets to see how many vacation days you would actually use. Even your business partners had playfully made threats to have someone watching you, making sure you were actually taking a full holiday.
His grin broadens. “Ah. So, the mystery man has intrigued my daughter?”
Inadvertently, a coy smile ghosts briefly along your features, which doesn’t go unnoticed.
Your dad claps his hands, rubbing them together in excitement. “And when do I get to meet the lovely gent?”
“Dad…” You groan, rolling your eyes. “I’m 23! I don’t need to introduce you to everyone I meet anymore. And besides… I’m on vacation. I’m just happy to see someone fixing the place up instead of tearing it down.”
“Well.” He leans forward over the island countertop between you. “I heard there was going to be a nice Halloween party at the Geller’s this weekend.”
Perking up at the mention of Halloween, you quirk a brow at him. “What about the weather?”
Smirking with smug satisfaction, knowing he had you on the hook, he leans back. “Turns out the rain will be gone by tonight, just in time for the puddles to be cleared up by tomorrow, and then Saturday night is the party.”
Pursing your lips, you deflate slightly. “That only gives me 2 days to figure out a costume.”
Your dad chuckles, keeping that strange smirk plastered on his face, earning a curious glance from you. He puts a finger to his chin in exaggeration, pretending to think. “Gee… How will you EVER find someone to help you decide on a costume?”
You narrow your eyes at him. “Dad. I’m not asking our new neighbor to dress up and go to a party with me.”
He simply keeps smiling at you in response.
“Dad. No.” Pointing a finger of warning at him, you repeat it one last time, “No.”
——–
That evening, after the weather clears, you find yourself standing at Jerry’s door with a homemade apple pie in hand. Hesitantly, you raise your fist to knock, but the door opens before your knuckles make contact.
“Sorry.” Jerry’s throaty, playful chuckle greets you. “I always seem to be scaring you, don’t I?” He seems surprised, and maybe even happy, to see you as his hands slide away from the door-frame. (((See GIF)))
You return his flirtatious smile with a somewhat coy one before clearing your throat, and offer the pie towards him. His fingers lightly graze against yours, seeming to linger before he takes the pie and peels back a small edge of the foil.
Raising a brow in question, he looks to you. “Apple pie?”
“Yeah, my dad goes through phases of hating apples.” Shrugging, you shake your head. “Something about a guy he didn’t care for being really obsessed with them.”
“Apples are my favorite.” With a strangely amused smirk, he moves aside, keeping the door wide open to invite you in.
Again, you feel somewhat hesitant, but find yourself moving inside before you even realize you made a decision.
The house is somewhat messy, although you expected it to be. Construction equipment strewn about, paint swatches all over the walls, various furniture covered in protective tarps, and several moving boxes in different corners.
He seems to notice your wandering eyes and gives a somewhat apologetic shrug. “I would offer to give you a tour but… I’m still figuring out what to do with the place.”
Nodding, you feel yourself following him toward the kitchen. He opens the fridge to find a spot for the pie and grabs a bottle of beer, offering one to you. With a polite shake of your head in decline, he shrugs, opening the bottle for himself, and kicks the fridge shut behind him.
Seeming to sense your tentative demeanor, he lifts himself slightly to sit on the counter, and then pats the space next to him. Unable to resist his charming, playful smile, you roll your eyes jokingly before hopping up onto the counter next to him.
Feeling his eyes on you, you glance up. “What?”
With a light chuckle, he takes another swig of his beer before shaking his head. “Nothing.” His eyes land on you again, meeting yours, his brows slightly furrowed. “I feel like you wanna ask me something but don’t know how. Or maybe I’m wrong?”
You shake your head and laugh it off. “No, I mean I was thinking about something my dad mentioned but it’s kinda stupid.”
Before you can gather what he’s doing, he has already gotten to his feet to stand before you, and trapped you by placing a hand on the counter at either side. He leans in slightly, seeming to study your reaction. “Try me.”
Having only a second to compose your thoughts, you find yourself surprised at how little his bold action bothers you. “Well… There’s a Halloween party Saturday, 2 nights from now.”
He shifts ever so slightly closer, making it so that you have to move your knees further apart. “Halloween party?”
Whether you don’t fully register that he is now between your legs, or you have found a random new sense of confidence to act as if it doesn’t affect you, you aren’t entire sure. But, you manage to remain nonchalant, shrugging your shoulders before elaborating on the party. “My dad and I usually go when we’re here but he doesn’t feel like it this year. It’s really fun, and everyone dresses up, but I’m not sure I’d want to go alone.”
With a furrowed brow, he feigns confusion, apparently wanting you to spell it out for him. “Are you asking me on a date?”
Deciding to play along, you find yourself trailing a finger lightly, and somewhat teasingly, along the edge of his shirt, feeling the chain of his necklace beneath the fabric. “I’m not saying we have to find a couple costume, but it could be fun.”
You feel his chest rise and fall with an amused, and slightly distracted, chuckle. “Couple costume hm?”
He leans in closer, one of his hands finding your lower back and pulling you to the edge of the counter. You flatten your hand out on his chest, keeping him at a distance, albeit a very small distance. “But I said NOT a couple costume.” With a joking roll of your eyes, you pretend to try and scoot back away from him. “See, you didn’t even listen.”
Catching on, he holds you firmly in place, one of his hands still on the small of your back, and the other finding its way up to hold your neck. His hands are rough, callused from the construction on the porch, but his grip is gentle enough where you barely feel pressure. “I know it’s probably overused, and maybe your dad hates the idea … being who he is … but I think I know what we could do.”
Running his thumb firmly up closer to your jaw, all while keeping his grip, you’re sure he can feel your pulse as his lips twitch up in a satisfied smirk. Unable to find the words to respond, and not trusting yourself to speak for the possibility of letting a moan escape your lips, you opt to quirk a brow of curiosity instead.
He trails his other hand from your back down along your leg, hinting for you to wrap them around his waist, which you happily oblige. Dipping his head, his lips barely ghost along the skin of your neck, his hand shifting slightly to grip closer to the back of your head and prevent you from pulling away. The warmth of his breath sends chills up your spine, causing a slight shiver, which he definitely notices.
You feel his breath move to your ear. “You could be my little vampire queen.”
“Would that mean you have to bite me?” You question, intending it as a joke, but Jerry’s breathing shifts.
His thumb presses into your jaw, coaxing your head further to the side. Feeling his lips lightly brush along your pulse point again, you grip his hips in an almost involuntary reaction. With a hum of satisfaction, more of a soft growl than anything, Jerry’s grip becomes almost painful.
With his voice seeming much huskier than before, and his breathing now definitely labored as if trying to control himself, he asks: “Do you want me to bite you?”
You bolt upright in bed, but immediately regret it when your entire skull starts pounding. Cradling your head in your hands, you take deep breaths until it passes. With a sigh of relief, you glance around your room, struggling to remember the previous night.
Brief flashes of Jerry’s hands on your hips bring a blush to your cheeks, and more pain. Taking a few more deep breaths seems to relieve it, bringing more flashes of Jerry’s lips on your neck, but then it all goes blank.
Feeling a dull throb through your entire body, you throw off your covers and get up to move toward the bathroom. As soon as you flip the light switch, you catch your reflection in the mirror; you’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday, with the exception of your jacket.
“What the hell?” Leaning forward over the sink and notice your eyes looking darker than usual. Turning slightly side to side, you also notice a light bruise forming on your neck.
With a sigh, you turn on the shower, cranking the heat way up before stepping in.
The hot water relaxes your tense muscles, and the steam seems to ease your headache. However, you still can’t remember much of last night, especially not how you got back to your room.
Wrapping a towel around yourself as you step out, you decide to check the mirror again. Wiping the steam away with your hand, you lean forward, happy to see that your eyes seem back to normal. Your neck however… may have gotten worse. Pursing your lips, you run a finger along the tender skin, wishing you could remember exactly what had happened.
Throwing on some clothes, including an oversized hoody to pull up around your neck, you make your way downstairs.
Before you can escape out the door, you hear your dad call out for you from the kitchen. Taking a few steps back, you manage to give him a smile from where he sits sipping his coffee at the counter.
“When did you get in last night?”
He offers you a cup, but you shake your head. “I can’t really remember to be honest, but I think I left my jacket at the neighbor’s so I was gonna go pick it up.”
With a sly smile, he leans back in his chair, wiggling his eyebrows in insinuation.
“Yeah, no.” You narrow your eyes at him in warning. “Nothing happened dad.”
“Well you seem to be spending a lot of time together.” He shrugs, and then motions to the counter beside you. “Your phone was ringing earlier by the way.”
Assuming it was one of your business partners calling with an emergency, you check it immediately, but it’s from a new number and there’s no voicemail. Opening your messages, you notice 3 new messages from the same unknown number.
‘Hey it’s Jerry, checking to make sure you made it home safe.’
‘I’m assuming you fell asleep. ’
'Hey I have a huge favor to ask.. ’
Assuming you had gotten his number last night and just didn’t remember, you type out a quick message in reply: 'Sorry I definitely knocked out last night. What did you need help with at 3 am??’
Shoving the phone in your pocket, you rummage through the pantry to find a protein bar for a breakfast snack. You dad pretends to not be watching, but you know better.
With an exasperating huff, you turn to him again. “What is it?”
He sips his coffee innocently.
“Dad….”
“Did you ask him to the party?” He asks curiously.
Groaning, you roll your eyes. “Yes, I asked him.”
He leans forward, waiting patiently, but before you can say anything else, your phone dings with a new message.
Jerry: 'Design advice again.’
Your phone dings again with a second message. 'Would you be able to come over for a bit?’
Glancing up to your dad, you notice you must have been smiling at your phone, because there’s a huge 'I told you so’ style smirk plastered across his face. Rolling your eyes again, you type out a quick response. 'I can be over in a few minutes.’
Jerry: 'I’ll be in the basement. Feel free to let yourself in.’
With a quick goodbye to your dad, not waiting to listen to his questions about the strange neighbor he knew nothing about, you grab a bottle of water and your keys.
It only takes a few minutes to get to Jerry’s, as promise, and you decide to text a quick 'Here.’ before moving to let yourself in. But you can’t help but smile to yourself as you notice the newly painted porch; he had taken your suggestion.
The house still seems in a state of disarray, but you distinctly notice 2 wine glasses by the sink, along with an empty bottle of wine, and several beer bottles. That could definitely explain your foggy memory… Although you could have sworn you didn’t drink anything.
Moving around the corner, you call out, “Jerry?”
It doesn’t take long to hear his somewhat muffled voice. “Down here!”
Turning in the general direction, you find an open door with a staircase leading down. You take the first step, but Jerry comes around the corner, a broad smile forming as soon as he sees you.
“Hey there.” He easily takes the stairs 2 at a time, coming to stand beside you. Seeming to notice the hoody and your less enthusiastic greeting, his brows turn up in slight concern. “You feeling alright?”
Shrugging, you shove your hands in the pocket of your hoody. “I just woke up with a headache, and last night is a bit foggy.”
With a chuckle, he moves into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and tossing it to you before grabbing another for himself. “Always helps when I’m hungover.”
You set the apple on the counter, pulling your protein bar and water out of the big pocket that makes large hoodies your favorite thing in the world.
He shrugs, rubbing the apple against his shirt with a smile on his face before leaning back against the counter to watch you. (((See GIF)))
“So…” Motioning toward the wine and beer beside the sink, you look to him in question. “I really am a bit fuzzy on last night.”
Seeming to ponder an explanation, he takes a bite of his apple, keeping his eyes on you as you hop up onto the counter and crack open your water.
“Where does it go blank?” He takes another bite, seeming very nonchalant and unconcerned with your memory loss. Which you suppose should be comforting, it at least meant nothing too serious happened.
Warmth rises in your cheeks as you tug off your hoody, exposing your bruise.
His brows turn up in concern again as he tosses his apple in the trash and then moves closer, running his thumb gently across the discolored skin. “Does it hurt?”
You shake your head. “Not really, but I don’t remember much after talking about the party. Something about you wanting to dress up as vampires?”
He smirks, tugging the collar of his shirt down to reveal a bruise just below his collar bone. “I suppose you don’t remember returning the favor then?”
“I don’t even remember drinking anything.” Pursing your lips, you begin to feel a light throb return in your temples.
Jerry seems to notice. He places his hand under your chin, tilting your head to the side so he can get a better look at your neck. “Are you sure this doesn’t hurt?”
“I just keep getting these weird headaches.”
He leans in closer, pressing a soft kiss to your bruise. “Maybe you should lay down.”
Before you can protest, he places another kiss, then another, each more eager than the last, until you forget about your headache. In fact, everything seems so warm and comfortable. Fuzzy even…
You barely even register when his tongue trails along your pulse point.
Slowly blinking awake, you glance around your room and smile. Finally, you awoke with no pain, and a full memory of the previous evening. You had stayed up with your dad for a bit, happy to spend time together when it felt so rare the last few years.
He even brought down quite a few boxes of his old show props and costumes, and proceeded to help you dig through them. It had been quite late when you finally went to bed, but you were happy to have a costume picked out. While your dad was partial to the old style, blood dripping from your mouth and a ton of jewelry type of vampire, you wanted to go a little more subtle; a modern vampire if you will. Whatever that may be.
To you, this meant a black corset that had a hood attached, black skinny jeans, and a pair of your converse. Heels would usually be your go to, but as intimidating as Jerry is, you’re actually the same height.
Stretching, you decide to get out of bed, opting for a shower before attempting to take on the day.
As you step out, you wipe steam from the mirror as usual, and smile tugs at your lips when you catch your reflection. The bruise on your neck had completely healed, leaving no trace it had ever existed in the first place. Even though you could have made it work with your costume, you no longer had to worry about your dad seeing it. As if he wasn’t suspicious enough of Jerry as it was, seeing a bite mark on your neck might cause him to implode.
With the party not being until tonight, you throw on something casual. You grab your phone before heading downstairs and notice a few messages. Swiping your thumb across the screen, it unlocks to show they’re from Jerry.
‘Goodmorning beautiful.’
‘I can’t wait to see you tonight.’
'You’re more than welcome to come over if you want to figure out the costumes.’
'I was thinking more casual, less cliché.’
When you look up, your dad has a rather large smirk, letting you know that you must have been smiling at your phone like an idiot without even realizing.
Rolling your eyes, you both share a laugh, and he pushes a plate of your favorite breakfast toward you. “Thought you’d enjoy this.”
Eyes lighting up, you giddily sit at the opposite side of the counter, immediately digging in to the delicious meal. “I didn’t even know you remembered how to cook this.”
Shrugging, he leans back in his seat, seeming quite proud of himself. “I’m pretty great when I want to be.”
Finding yourself rolling your eyes again, you manage to tap out a quick message in response to Jerry, letting him know you had thought the same about the costumes.
“So.” Your dad’s voice tears your attention away from your phone, he sets a small box on the counter between you, sliding it slowly in your direction. Immediately knowing what it is, you sit a little straighter. “I managed to find a little something when we were digging around, thought you might need it.”
Bringing the box closer, you flip the latch and push it open, smiling with fond memories as it reveals custom made vampire fangs. “I’m surprised you still have these.”
With a chuckle, he throws his hands up. “I’m not even sure they’ll still fit. Afterall, we got them done when you were what? 18? 19?”
Running your thumb along one of them, you think back to that day. You had just told him you were moving away, and instead of freaking out like you had anticipated, he ended up taking you out for what could only be described as the perfect day. A trip to the museum, your favorite restaurant, he even took you shopping for nice luggage, but the day ended at a specialty shop run by of his old friends. That’s where you were fitted for custom teeth, which you’re sure would have seemed weird to anyone else, but for you and your dad… it was special. It was his way of saying goodbye, and it meant a lot.
After breakfast you sit and reminisce with your dad for a bit, but when you part ways, you realize the day had almost gone by. Having been snacking during your chat, you knew you wouldn’t be hungry again until the party, so you opted to go ahead and figure out your makeup.
The first step, of course, is brushing your teeth, followed by trying on your fangs. Carefully, you pull one from it’s safe little velvet cushion, and then lean over the sink to get closer to the mirror. It pops on almost effortlessly, and you jump with giddy excitement.
Although you could have figured something else out, these fangs were going to be the best part of your costume, you’re certain of it.
Placing them both back in the box, you begin playing with your makeup. With plenty of time, you end up starting over several times, trying numerous different looks before deciding on one. Finally feeling happy with your eye makeup, you lean down to grab your lipstick bag. You take out every dark shade and arrange them in a line on the counter, trying one after the other.
You pop off the cap on a dark burgundy shade, twist the bottom, and then trace your lips. Turning your face to one side, then the other, you wiggle your brows playfully at your reflection and giggle. A mix of giddy excitement and nervous butterflies turning in your stomach. Your look had turned out just how you wanted, and you couldn’t wait to see Jerry’s reaction.
Leaning in closer to the mirror, you smile wide, running your tongue along your teeth to ensure there’s no lipstick on them. (((See GIF)))
Just as you’re about to zip up your makeup bag, you feel the hairs on the back of your neck bristle. Your entire body goes rigid, and your eyes slowly trail back up to your reflection. Hesitantly, you lean in closer again, feeling your heart beating through your chest as you slowly bare your teeth.
Jumping back, you bring your hands to your mouth, feeling 2 fangs. But you could have sworn you took them out!
Quickly, you rummage along the counter to find the box, tossing everything back into your makeup bag. Yanking a towel away, you hear the box clatter to the floor, and spin to retrieve it. Luckily, it’s unharmed, but also somehow remained shut. Picking it up, you slowly press the latch and pull the lid back, revealing your 2 fangs sitting perfectly still in their cozy home.
You can actually feel the color drain from your face, and your entire body runs cold.
Slowly, you turn back to face the mirror. Your eyes wide and lips pressed firmly together. With a deep breath, you set the box carefully on the counter, staring at the contents in panic before returning your attention to your own reflection.
You bare your teeth again… and exhale a large sigh of relief as you expose only your normal teeth.
A loud ding startles you, making you jump. With another breath, you manage to laugh at yourself, chalking it up to obviously having some sort of sickness in the previous few days. Picking up your phone, you check the new message from Jerry.
'Do you wanna come over for a few minutes before the party?’
Taking one last look in the mirror, you again confirm your regular teeth. Tapping out a quick reply to Jerry, and taking a few calming breaths to lower your heart rate back to normal, you shake your head, laughing again at your strange daydream. Because there was no other explanation, it had to be in your head right? Afterall, you had been feeling really strange lately. But tonight would be fun, and you felt the excitement from earlier welling up in your chest again as you grab your keys.
You wake the next morning to a dreary, overcast day, barely able to tell the time from the dim light. Rolling out of bed, you stretch and glance at the clock, curious about the overly quiet, empty feeling in the house.
Even knowing that there’s no way your dad is still asleep, you decide to check his room anyway.
Empty.
Rounding the corner to the living room, you purse your lips, also finding it to be empty. Turning around to pad into the kitchen, you find a note stuck to the fridge. ‘Gone to town. Forecast to rain all day. Picking up movies, food, and gas for generator. See you soon. Stay out of trouble. - XX Dad’. Smiling to yourself, you toss the note away, certain he couldn’t have left that long ago. It takes a full 50 minutes just to get to town, so you would be left to entertain yourself for at least 2 hours, maybe 3 if he ran into that chatty store clerk.
Glancing around the kitchen, you suddenly recall last night’s strange interaction with your new neighbor. Chewing at your cheek, you check the time again, 8:30 a.m. You weren’t used to sleeping in so late, and you definitely weren’t used to not having a mile-long to do list.
With a sigh, you eye the couch, debating whether you should take the opportunity to sit back and relax. However, you find the idea quite unappealing, and decide instead to grab your laptop bag. Setting everything at the kitchen counter, you open your computer and unsuccessfully attempt to connect to the WiFi.
Your dad must have shut off the cabin’s internet, knowing your tendency to be workaholic.
Shutting your laptop, you again eye the couch with a defeated huff of frustrated boredom. You didn’t want to be cooped up, alone, in this big old cabin, without even your work to keep your mind busy.
Resting your elbows on the counter, you again find your thoughts drifting toward the mysterious Jerry.
Knowing you have nothing better to do, you let your curiosity get the better of you.
After changing into some shorts and a tank-top, you hop into your car, and make your way down the long driveway to the main road. You look left, then right, the thick fog making the empty, tree lined road seem almost ominous. It feels as if the tall pine branches would reach down and swallow you; never to be seen or heard again.
Shaking your head, you adjust your rear-view mirror, and take a quick look back at the cabin before easing your foot off the brake. You turn right onto the road, knowing it would only take a few minutes by car to make it to the next cabin’s driveway.
In what feels to be the blink of an eye, you find yourself turning slowly onto an old road, almost unrecognizable as anything other than an abandoned, overgrown trail. But as you continue, the old cabin comes into view. There’s a truck parked just in front, wooden boards sticking out the back, and construction supplies strewn about the front porch, which seems to have been recently reconstructed. Throwing your car into park, you quickly step out, admiring the quality of work Jerry had clearly already put into the place. You almost don’t notice as a figure comes around from behind the truck.
“Hey.” His voice startles you, causing you to jump slightly and spin to face him, which he clearly finds to be amusing. “Sorry, didn’t realize I had snuck up on you.”
With a smile and a light chuckle, you shake your head. “It’s fine, I just wanted to stop by and see what you’ve done with the place.” You motion toward the porch. “Did you do this by yourself?”
Wiping his hands with a rag, he comes to stand a bit closer, his white tank-top and bare shoulders equally covered in black grease and dirt. Placing his hands on his hips, he glances between you and the porch, his brows slightly furrowing. “Is it that bad?”
You laugh and roll your eyes at his sarcasm. “It looks amazing. So, I’m assuming you work in construction then?”
He nods. “I did for a long time.”
Moving up the steps, you admire the quality up close, dragging your fingers along the smooth, freshly painted portion of the railing where several different colors are swatched next to each other. “Can’t decide on a color?”
“I can build it… ” He comes to stand beside you, flashing that sly grin of his. “But I’m clueless with decorating.”
Shaking your head, you catch yourself smiling again. “Maybe I should hire you do redo ours, I’m sure you noticed how creaky it’s getting.”
Crossing his arms, he leans back against the railing directly next to you. “I’m sure we could work something out.”
You look up to meet his eyes with a questioning quirk to your brow.
Chuckling, he uncrosses his arms, tapping a single finger on the painted portion of the railing. “Help me with this kind of stuff and I’m more than happy to build whatever you want.”
Cocking your head to the side, you keep your eyes locked. “Gray.”
“Gray?” He inquires, his eyes seeming to dart momentarily to your lips as you allow yourself to smile again.
Looking down to the railing, you point to the light gray portion. “You should paint the railing this lighter color,” then you move your finger to the darker gray, “and the shutters should be this charcoal tone, maybe do some of the trim in white.”
He turns to look at the house, then back to the paint swatched railing, then back to the house, and finally rests his eyes on you. He draws his bottom lip between his teeth in what you assume is contemplation over your suggested color scheme. “I never would’ve thought of that.”
Shrugging, you lean over the railing, glancing up at the now even darker sky. “Weather is supposed to be really bad this afternoon.”
Grabbing your hand gently, he again meets your eyes, his dark and yet somehow heated gaze seeming to dare you to protest as he turns your hand over in his own. He checks the time on your watch briefly before returning his attention to you, and then nods toward the door. “It’s not supposed to hit for another hour at least. Why don’t you come check out the inside, maybe you can give me more advice?”
Noticing him still caressing your hand, his thumb moving slightly, barely grazing along your skin. You clear your throat to both regain your train of thought, and to draw his attention. Although, as he releases your wrist and shoves his hands into his pockets, you feel a strange sense of loss.
Fighting the urge to reach out, you turn your head back toward the sky. “I really think I should get going, but I would love to help out next time.”
When you turn back to face him, his eyes seem to dart from your neck, to your lips, and then finally to your eyes, and he realizes he’s been caught. With an amused grin, he follows you out into the yard again. He glances back toward the house as if contemplating asking you again, but then turns his gaze up to the sky and chuckles. Looking down at you, he notices your keys already drawn, and seems to give up on the attempt. (((see gif at beginning of chapter)))
Instead, he walks you the last few steps to your car, holding the door open for you as you lower yourself inside. “I’m glad you came over, maybe we can have dinner once this weather calms down?”
After latching your seat-belt, you look up at him, his hopeful smile and brows raised in patient curiosity surprise you. He seemed so cocky before, but you find yourself sharing in his smile with a soft giggle as he seems to give you puppy eyes.
Nodding, you start up your car, indicating to him that you really should be going. “That would be great.”
Smiling triumphantly, he takes his bottom lip between his teeth again. He moves to shut your door, but pauses, adding a quick “Drive safe.” before finally closing it and patting the roof of your car in goodbye.
You glance in your rear-view as you make your way out to the main road, seeing him still standing there. His hands are on his hips, and lips turning up into his sexy signature grin seeming overly pleased with himself. Again, his teeth seem sharper as he fades out of view.
