Chapter 2

TWO

Jake

After that fateful pool party,all bets are off. I'm like a madman.

I stalk Kaitlyn Hawkins. I follow her social media pages. I make a point to discreetly go places where I might see her. Hell, if I didn't know Nate had so many security cameras around his place, I'd break into her room and look for a diary or something.

Better yet, I'd put a camera up in there. So I could just watch her sleep.

But I"m not that crazy.

Not yet.

Instead, I hover at the edges of her world, a shadow she hasn't noticed—or maybe she just pretends not to.

Last night was another of those glittering events at the Hawkins Mansion. Nate threw one hell of a party, celebrating yet another win for the team. The lawn was scattered with high-profile guests, local celebrities, and a few of our teammates who could outdrink an entire bar. And then there was Kaitlyn, floating through the crowds like some ethereal goddess, laughing that musical laugh of hers that hooked deep into my guts.

She was wearing this little number, a shimmering gold dress that clung to every curve as if it revered her body. It made my mouth dry and every other part of me ache with want. I kept to the shadows, nursing a whiskey, watching her spin and twirl under the fairy lights strung up around the garden.

I"d give anything to be the reason for her smile. To be the one she looks at with those sparking hazel eyes full of mischief and lust. But every time I get close, Nate's there—big brother act in full force—reminding everyone who"s within earshot that Kaitlyn is off limits.

And I supposed I should be grateful for that. Nate is keeping everyone else away from her.

The only problem is he's keeping me away from her too.

I'm parked across the street of their house tonight, drumming my fingers on my steering wheel, imagining what it would be like to just waltz through the doors and take her into my arms.

To kiss her…

I imagine she'd taste like cherries. Ripe and sweet. Her skin would be soft as I graze my lips down her neck. A soft intake of breath, maybe a little whimper.

Fuuuuck…

My cock is so hard it's about to burst through the seam of my pants, so I unzip myself and take it in my hand.

Thinking about her, just her, I start stroking slowly at first. And then faster. The urgency builds up inside me like a wildfire ready to consume everything in its path.

I picture her laughing at something I say, her head thrown back in delight, those lips parting as if inviting me to shut them up with a kiss that could promise the world and deliver hell at the same time. Her body pressed against mine as I explore every inch of her, each curve under my fingers burning my skin with desire.

And then in my mind's eye, she"s pulling me towards her bedroom—the one place in the entire world I want to be right now. In my fantasy, there are no barriers, no Nate to cockblock me. Just Kaitlyn and me, tangled in sheets that whisper secrets with every friction.

Her hands are everywhere, pulling me closer, urging me to lose control. And boy, do I. I forget the rules, the world outside, everything but the feel of her beneath me. My hand moves faster over my length as I imagine driving into her wetness, hearing her moan my name like it"s a prayer or maybe a curse.

I"m close now, so fucking close I can almost taste it—taste her.

I tilt my head back against the headrest of my car and close my eyes for a moment. The sound of my heavy breathing mixes with the fantasy echoes of Kaitlyn's moans.

With a final stroke, my release crashes over me like a tidal wave. I come hard and fast, groaning her name into the night air, filled with nothing but my ragged breaths and the faintest scent of jasmine from the gardens across the street.

I open my eyes slowly. The reality of the dark car interior greets me along with a sharp pang of guilt and frustration knotted together tight in my gut. It's maddening how much hold she has over me without even knowing it.

I wipe myself clean with some tissues from the glove compartment and tuck myself away. Glancing once more at the silhouette of the Hawkins Mansion under the moonlight makes my heart twitch uncomfortably.

"Fuck," I mutter under my breath as I start the car engine. A part of me is disgusted by this obsessive desire, but another part—a darker, much more honest part—whispers that it"s far too late for regrets or what ifs.

Tonight was just another night of countless ones spent yearning from afar.

But something deep within tells me it won't be long before fantasies aren't enough—before I'm driven to do something about this inferno Kaitlyn unknowingly stoked in me.