Page 17 of The Neighbor's Son

I tear my eyes from him, trying to ignore the heat the burns across my flesh as he strides across the yard to me. His footsteps thud on my deck until he’s standing too close for comfort.

“Casey,” he implores, voice husky. “Are you happy?”

I give him a small shake of my head.

He reaches up and cups my cheek. “Did he appreciate how sweet and beautiful you are?”

My eyes lift to meet his. They burn with such yearning that I want to get lost in them. I feel myself melting into him, drawing closer until my breasts brush against his chest.

“No,” I admit, shame flooding through me. “He did not. The date was awful, Brayden.”

He doesn’t relax at my words. His jaw muscle ticks as though he’s angry on my behalf.

“He doesn’t deserve you then,” he murmurs. His forehead rests on mine and his eyes squeeze shut. “Did I do something wrong last night?”

Pain lurches in my chest. “No, and that’s the problem.”

His thumb strokes my cheek, and his eyes bore into me again. “You are a fucking mystery to me, babe. How was that a problem?”

“You did everything perfectly right,” I whisper. “That terrifies me.”

He leans forward, lips ghosting over mine. “I’ll keep you safe. You don’t have to be afraid with me.”

After a beat, I let out a soft, “Okay.”

It’s a word that gives him more than permission to keep me safe.

It hands him a key…to everything.

Will he want to open that door?

Brayden

Ican’t hold back any longer, not when her supple lips are so close to mine. With a feral-sounding groan, I crash my mouth to hers. There’s a need to claim this woman as mine that I can’t begin to explain.

All I know is when Savvy texted me earlier, I’d been gutted.

Savvy: Just saw our neighbors Clara and Casey on a double date with a couple of hotties. How cute are they?!

She sent me a picture, too.

I took one look at the guy sitting across from her and knew I could never compare to him. He was good looking, around her age, and ripped.

I’m just me.

When she came home, I wanted to know what I’d done wrong during our date last night.

Nothing.

I did it right.

And now I’m kissing this sexy woman. She tastes like perfection and sweetness. I want to eat her alive.

A small moan escapes her and it’s a maddening sound. One of my hands slides into her silky blond hair and the other finds her hip. There’s a sliver of exposed skin and I can’t help but stroke the softness there.

She’s so out of my league and yet she’s kissing me like I’m not.

It gives me hope.

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