Chapter 4

The fact that Katherine's bathroom window is always ajar bothers me to no end, especially since it's big enough for a man my size to squeeze through. Today, however, I'm thankful for her recklessness. Just this once.

Adrenaline courses through me as I stand on the metal landing by the fire escape door, scanning my surroundings to make sure no one can see. I tuck my hands in my pockets and try to appear nonchalant because the first rule to avoid any suspicion is to act like you have every right to be where you are.

Maybe I'm just a guy out for a smoke or enjoying the night breeze.

Five minutes pass and I make my way along the narrow walkway, excitement buzzing under my skin. This is probably how it feels like when your girlfriend texts you to come over because nobody's home.

Except…

Someone's home. Multiple someones.

I haven't seen Katherine in two days, not since I claimed her at the hotel pool. She didn't leave her apartment, so I spent most of that time watching her from my window. Half an hour ago, she knew I was watching with my binoculars because she cast a glance over her shoulder, smirked, and slowly slid out of her oversized t-shirt.

As if that wasn't enough, she bent at the waist, offering me a full view of her smooth, round ass and a slight peek of her pussy.

The next thing I knew, I was crossing the street on the way to punish her for teasing me like that. The fact that her parents are here doesn't faze me in the slightest.

My heart races as I hoist myself up onto the ledge and push the window open wider. For a few beats, I hang suspended in the air, my feet dangling inches above the walkway. With one hard push, I swing through and land on the bathroom floor with a soft thud.

Katherine is there standing under the shower. The curtain falls back on the window behind me when I step in, the smell of vanilla wrapping around me like a blanket.

She knows I'm here, but she pretends like she doesn't. She hums a tune while she lifts one leg and rests her foot on the edge of the bathtub. She slathers herself with some kind of body wash, running her fingers from her toes to her calves and slowly to the inside of her thigh.

When she finally turns to face me, her eyes blaze with heat.

"Kate, how much longer will you take? We're gonna be late!" Someone pounds on the bathroom door, and Katherine jumps.

"I'll be done in ten minutes, Mom!"

"I'm gonna leave you if you take any longer!"

The other woman doesn't answer, but we listen to her footsteps recede. She's talking in hushed tones with someone, probably her husband, Katherine's father.

I crook a finger at her, and she grins before stepping out of the shower and in front of me. Fuck. She's perfect. Keeping my hands to myself around her is no longer an option. We're a tangle of limbs as I slam my mouth against hers and kiss her like I missed her for a year, not a few days.

"You summoned me, cupcake?" I say in between kisses, trailing kisses along her jaw and the side of her neck.

"I did. We don't have much time."

I swallow back a growl when, in all her naked glory, Katherine turns her back to me and leans her elbows against the sink, bending at the waist and pushing her ass in the air.

Fuck me. Who am I to say no to this feast offered before me?

Lowering my head, I lightly bite her shoulder and whisper, "You're being one needy girl, cupcake. You want this cock inside you? You want my come to coat your walls until you're a whimpering, trembling mess?"

"Oh, God. Yes."

I dip a finger into her cunt, only to find her already soaked. "But you can't be loud, all right? You keep quiet like the good girl you are."

Katherine's thighs trap my hand, and she shamelessly rubs herself against it. With my other hand, I wrap it around her throat and lift her face, locking eyes with her in the mirror.

"Look at yourself while I make you come apart."

I hold her gaze and reach for my staff in my sweatpants, already hard as a crowbar. Wedging an inch inside her, I let out a soundless chuckle when she tosses her head back and pushes her ass against my crotch.

"Greedy, needy girl." I reach for the faucet and turn it on, the sound of running water drowning my voice, her wet skin soaking my clothes.

My knuckle caresses the back of her neck, and when she arches her back, I ram my hips forward. A low moan escapes her lips, and I gently wrap a hand around her throat again, whispering, "Keep quiet, Katherine, or I'm leaving."

Her eyes fly open, and she stares daggers at me. The moment I drive myself home, though, her face softens, eyes at half-mast. Her nipples turn to little peaks, and I reach around to roll one in my fingers and pinch it. Everything about her is soft, and I fucking can't get enough of it. I can spend my whole life buried inside her, and it still won't be enough.

Katherine bites her bottom lip, hands white-knuckling the sink.

"Kate, I swear to God, if you're not out in five minutes, we're leaving you!"

That's my cue to go harder and faster. My hands clutch her hips, and I slam into her from behind. Color floods her cheeks, and she struggles to stop herself from moaning. "Y-yes, M-mom. I'm coming."

That naughty double entendre earns her another hard thrust. My hips continue rutting, but I lean forward, cup her tits, and knead them roughly while trailing kisses along her back and shoulders.

Katherine pulls my one hand away from her breast and guides it between her legs. With her fingers over mine, she begins teasing her clit, and fuck if it isn't the hottest thing ever.

My eyes are glued to the mirror, and I can't look away from the flush on her cheeks, neck, and chest, and the way she bites back every sound she wants to make.

Katherine's lips part on unsteady inhales as she comes, her body quivering under my touch. It's a picture I want to store in my memory forever. I continue sliding in and out of her slick channel, but it doesn't take me long to follow her. A knot of tension winds tighter in my belly, my balls drawing up.

Resting my forehead on the crook between her neck and shoulder, I muffle my grunts by pressing my lips against her skin while I fill her with hot, endless spurts.

Three minutes later, I head back to my own place, spent and milked dry.

Nervous excitement bubbles within me,and I cast a glance at Katherine, with her hair in a loose ponytail and a glow on her face. I slip my fingers through hers, and we walk hand in hand towards the river. She's wearing a simple white cotton sleeveless blouse and a light blue A-line skirt paired with white boat shoes.

Her outfit is perfect for what I have planned.

We round the bend, the river coming into view. She furrows her forehead and raises a brow at me.

Understanding the unspoken question, I plant a kiss on her temple. "Just trust me, cupcake. You're gonna love this."

It doesn't take long before her gaze is drawn to the small boat tied by the dock. Realizing what I have in store for her, her face splits into the sweetest smile I've ever seen.

"Is that for us?" Katherine asks almost breathlessly.

"Yes."

Thanks to months of stalking and access to her diary, I found out how much she loved the water—rivers, lakes, beaches. She liked how the water sparkled in the sunlight and how calm and relaxed she felt whenever she was anywhere near them.

The last time she went on a trip was three years ago. She hasn't left the city since.

Katherine's excitement grows as we approach the boat. I help her settle into it and sit across from her, grabbing the oars and pushing off from the dock.

Her face is illuminated by the golden glow of the afternoon sun, her eyes shining with happiness. I'll never get tired of staring at her, of wondering how such a stunning creature exists, and of shaking the constant disbelief that she's finally mine.

The boat glides along the river, the soft water lapping against the sides. I steer us towards a spot that offers the best view—the river against a backdrop of luscious green grass and an array of colorful flowers.

When we reach it, I let go of the oars and watch her. She's lost in the beauty surrounding us, and I'm unable to look away from the beauty in front of me. God, who would have thought I'd eventually end up a hopeless romantic because of this girl? I must have done something right in my past life—like maybe saved the world or something. There's no way the universe just randomly handed me this gift.

Katherine reaches for my hand and squeezes it, our knees touching as we sit in comfortable silence.

When she finally returns her gaze to me, she gives me a smile that makes me want to yank her up against my body and get lost in her sweetness.

"Thank you, Kieran."

I hold up a hand. "I'm not done yet."

I fumble with the lock on the small box under my seat. It clicks open, and I take out a bouquet of pink and white tulips and a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat, her favorite. I had to order it online because I couldn't find it anywhere else.

She peers up at me through her lashes and levels me with a look that says she has just realized something. Blush blooms in her cheeks, and she purses her lips. "Kieran, tell me something. Did you read my diary?"

Without missing a beat, I rest my elbows on my knees and nod. "I did. I wanted to learn everything about you."

For a few tense seconds, I wait, once again wondering if this is when she realizes how creepy and unhinged I am. To be honest, I can't believe everything I've done, either.

At some point in the past few months, I woke up and thought I'd gone insane because this wasn't how a normal guy behaved. Normal guys asked the girls what they wanted, learned things the usual way—endless talks, texting all through the night, dates, all the getting-to-know-you stuff. They didn't break into homes, smelled their underwear, and read their private musings.

If I heard about me, I'd be the first to call the cops.

"I'm sorry, Katherine."

She turns her head to the side and stares at the flock of birds gliding above the water, skimming the surface with splashes before soaring high into the sky. When she swivels back to me, she pins me with a strange look. "You see me."

"What?" It's the last thing I expect to hear from her.

"You see me, Kieran."

"Of course, Katherine. I see you. I see every inch of your perfection. How can I not? I'm not blind."

She laughs softly, and when she lifts her gaze, her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

Fuck. Is this the last straw for her? Have I gone beyond what she can tolerate? Shit.

"I should be upset, right?" She smiles, lifts the bouquet, and runs a finger along the velvet petal. "I should call the cops to report a stalker. Tell them about the guy not just following me but breaking into my home and going through my stuff. That's what I should do, right?"

I clench my hands into fists and swallow hard. "If that's what you want, Katherine. I won't stop you. I'll even go with you to the station."

"That's the thing. I can't."

My heart stops. I don't know where this conversation is headed, and it makes my head spin. "What do you mean?"

"For the first time in my life, someone sees me. Someone actually sees me." She whispers the last part, as if she's talking to herself. "Why are you obsessed with me, Kieran? What do you see in me? I'm not as beautiful?—"

"Stop right there, Katherine. When I told you you were perfect, I meant every word. Now I'm sure you don't see yourself the way I do, but you just have to trust and believe me. At first, it was your beauty that knocked the breath out of me. Then, one day, I just woke up and felt tethered to you in a way I've never felt before."

"But what if you realize I'm not all that?"

"I don't know what you mean, cupcake. I've put my life on hold and been doing nothing for the past three months except following you and getting to know you inside and out … without your knowledge and consent, sure, but yeah."

I extend a hand and cup her cheek. Instead of flinching and backing away, she leans into my touch and turns to kiss my palm. A simple gesture that makes my pulse pump madly. Jesus Christ, I have never known this kind of happiness. "You have to believe me, Katherine. I love your beautiful face and your banging body, but more than that, I realize I love the whole package."

A single tear slides down her cheek, and I wipe it with my thumb. "I believe you now, Kieran. I still don't know what you see in me because I've spent my whole life being nothing more than an afterthought."

"Are we talking about your selfish parents or your egoistic siblings or opportunistic friends or all of the above?"

The sorrow that passed her features disappears, and one side of her mouth curls up. "All, I guess."

"Talk to me. Tell me everything. I already know from your diary, of course, but I prefer you share them with me. Everything you've never told another soul. I want it all, Katherine."

And so we spend the next hour with Katherine pouring her heart out. Like I said, I know everything. I had to physically restrain myself from tossing her diary into the fire when I first found out how her family treated her. But with her sharing it to me while her voice breaks and she's trying to keep it together?

Well, let's just say, I'm gonna need an extra layer of self-control the next time I see her parents.

"Kieran, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, cupcake. Anything."

"What do you say when someone pisses you off and you're too angry to say anything sensible?"

I lift my shoulder. "I just tell them to go fuck themselves."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Why?"

"Nothing. Just curious how someone like you deals with bullshit."