“This is going to be fucking torture,” I huff to myself.
Living next door to Sasha is already going to be complicated enough. But now, knowing I could see her like this any night if I wanted to? It twists me up.
I try to tell myself I won’t be tempted to look again. That I’ll keep my curtains closed from now on and that I will respect her privacy and forget all about what I saw tonight.
Yeah, right. Even as the thought crosses my mind, I know it’s a lie. Because now her image is burned into my brain.
The rain picks up, drumming against the roof. My dick is still excited, making it hard to think about anything except Sasha’s naked body.
With a frustrated groan, I shove my hand into my shorts, knowing sleep won’t come until I take care of this first.
My hand wraps around my cock, and I squeeze. All I can think about now is how screwed I am—and not in the way I wanna be.
BOOM!
The room explodes with blinding light, thunder cracking so loud it rattles my windows. I bolt upright in bed, heart hammering against my ribs. Before I can even get my bearings, the room goes dark again.
“Shit.”
Blinking rapidly, I wait for my eyes to adjust, then realize the power is out.
Perfect. Just what I need at—I fumble for my phone—two in the fucking morning.
It sounds like someone’s throwing rocks at the window as the wind, howling through the trees, pelts the rain hard against the glass.
BOOM!
Another clap of thunder makes me twitch just as I hear a high-pitched shriek come from next door.
Sasha.
I shoot out of bed and yank my shorts back on, nearly tripping over my own feet as I rush down the stairs, my knee screaming in protest.
The rain is coming down in sheets, hitting me hard when I step outside, soaking me in seconds as I sprint across the yard.
Lightning flashes, illuminating her house for a split second before plunging everything back into darkness.
Rain streaming down my face and chest, I pound on her front door. “Sasha!” I pound again. “Sasha, it’s Jax! Open the door!”
After what feels like an eternity, but is probably only a fewseconds, the door swings open and my breath catches in my throat.
Illuminated by the beam from her flashlight, her red hair is tousled from sleep. Wearing nothing but a pair of tiny sleep shorts and a cropped T-shirt, the thin material does nothing to hide her hard nipples. I barely manage to force my eyes back up to her face.
“Hey, you okay? I heard you scream.”
The flashlight beam wobbles in her hand as her eyes widen, traveling from my face down to my bare chest and back up again.
“I, um...” Her cheeks flush as she swallows hard. “Yeah, I’m fine. The thunder just startled me, and then everything went dark.” She hugs herself, inadvertently pushing her breasts together. “Sorry if I woke you.”
Another flash of lightning illuminates the sky, followed almost immediately by another deafening crack of thunder. Sasha jumps and the flashlight clatters to the floor as she lets out another small yelp.
“Fine, huh?” I say with a half-smile, bending over to retrieve it.
When I straighten, I notice she’s shivering. Whether it’s from the cold or fear, I’m not sure, but I’m going to nip that right in the bud.
“Can I come in?” I chuckle as the water continues to drip down my chest. “Or would you prefer we continue this conversation with me drowning on your doorstep while you eat me alive with your eyes?”
nine
