Cassie thumbed her last page for the current romance book she took to reading. Her insides were melting with the thought of Sean treating her that way; passionate yet reckless, dangerous yet gentle. Sean MaCauley, she sighed as his name passed over her brain. Her next door Irish neighbor in their apartment building; she met him the day she moved in and her brain all but turned to goop the first moment she laid eyes on him, two years ago.
Rounding twenty-two and still haven't touched a man in an intimate way since ever, her mind always catered back to him. With his roguish good looks and accent, her dream man. His rust colored hair always looked tousled and slept in and it complemented his blue-green eyes perfectly. He owned a pub downtown and was always coming and going. Some early afternoons she would catch him just waking up and stepping out onto his balcony in just loose shorts and nothing else. He must work out in order to keep his chiseled chest and flat, six-packed stomach. His shoulders were broad that narrowed into his waist but proportionately.
And his face, oh God, his face! Never has she seen someone look like him before. Straight nose, luscious lips, firm jaw, and high cheek bones that all accentuated him flawlessly. There was no way he could be her neighbor when he belonged in a magazine and not here.
Cassie heard his balcony door slide open and she jumped at the opportunity to catch him just waking up. It was almost one in the afternoon so no surprise there. She smoothed her blonde waves back, feeling them land just below her shoulder blades. Today was Saturday so she still wore her light pink silk shorts and matching camisole top because she had absolutely nothing to do. She pinched her cheeks to add a little color and moistened her lips.
"Hi," she nervously greeted as soon as she stepped onto the veranda.
"Hey," he replied, his voice thick with drowsiness. "Good mornternoon," he laughed. It was a hearty laugh. He glanced over at her and her stomach fluttered.
"Good mornternoon to you too." It was their signature greeting to each other, a combination of "good morning," and "good afternoon," and she always tried to imitate his accent but failed miserably.
"You're getting better at that," he noted and moved so he was on the side closest to her. Their balconies were a few feet apart but it felt like miles to her.
She mimicked his move and leaned over the railing, her chest resting just above her arms. She caught his eyes sweep down but only for a moment before he looked back up. "Aren't you cold?" She asked him, pointing towards his naked torso and basketball shorts.
"Nah, you?"
"A little," she softly replied.
Cassie was in fact cold. With the first days of autumn gone, the wind had a bitter bite to it and wearing these skimpy clothes did no justice to her bare skin. Her heart fell when he left to go back into his apartment but her eyes lit up once she noticed he held a hoodie in his arms.
"Here, wear this," he tossed it to her and she caught it effortlessly.
"Awe," she pushed her arms through the oversized openings. "I guess chivalry isn't dead after all." She breathed in his musky scent that clung to the jacket.
He winked. "You'd be surprised. Is that better?"
She nodded vigorously, thankful for the warmth. "Thank you," she looked down at her bare feet.
"No problem. Did you just get up?" God, his accent was so sexy.
"No, I've been up for a while, just really lazy." She replied and he laughed.
"Someone your age should be still sleeping so they can party the following night." Sean's eyes roved over her.
"I'm not like most girls my age." When she saw his frown she quickly continued. "How old do you think I am anyways?"
He brought a finger to his lips and looked up; debating her age and Cassie spotted his large Celtic cross tattoo over his heart. "Hmm, I'd say eighteen?"
Cassie's mouth dropped. "Eighteen? Gosh, do I really look that young?"
"Well it isn't a bad trait." Her cheeks flamed. Was he flirting with her?
"I wish I was that young again. No try more like twenty-one."
A sexy smile crossed his lips. "Twenty-one, eh? Still, you are pretty young. Younger than me." His eyes gleamed as he traced her outline with them.
Cassie shifted her feet, feeling more nervous than ever. "How old are you?"
He swiped his hand through his hair, mussing it up but it still looked incredibly good. "I'm a dinosaur compared to you."
Her brows knitted together. "Wait, don't tell me you're like forty-five or something."
Sean chuckled before he stretched, giving Cassie an all-out view of his front. "Let's just say while you were probably being conceived I was hitting puberty."
"Thirty four?!" She asked disbelievingly. There was no way this man can be thirteen years her senior.
"My birthday is in three months so almost thirty five, princess." He winked at her and she held onto the rail more tightly for balance.
"Mine is a week from today," she added thoughtfully. She noted the look in Sean's eyes the moment she mentioned her birthday.
Something had changed with their friendship since they first met: from causal greetings and small talks to flirting and roving eyes. It all changed one night in which Cassie tried not to think about for it brought up ideas of it never happening again. But she was sure Sean remembered it.
"Oh really?" His eyebrows rose. "Well, we'll definitely have to celebrate it then." He smiled at her.
"Like how?" Her curiosity increased as she tilted back, rocking on her heels.
"I don't know but I'll come up with something." He looked at his cell and cursed. "Hey, I've gotta go but we'll talk more okay?"
Disappointment swept through her. "Alright, have fun."
"Oh I will," One side of his mouth came up and he whisked back into his apartment. He poked his head back out just as Cassie was turning away, feeling empty. "Oh, keep the jacket; it looks better on you than it did on me."
