Gage smiles as he walks toward me, his body soaked from jumping in the lake. A mischievous grin covers his face. I back away so as not to get wet, but he grabs me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist, making me break out into laughter. I hear Laura laugh, as Ace has done the same to her. She smiles and finally manages to get away after he whispers in her ear. She approaches me and tells me not to wait for her. Ace grabs her hand and leads her to his car, leaving Gage and me to ourselves in the midst of everyone drinking and dancing. Worry crosses my face, and it seems as though Gage can see that.

"Don't worry, she will be okay. Ace is a good guy." He tries to assure me. I nod but can't help but think of the glow of their eyes. I don't trust them, and yet here I am with my heart beating faster every time he smiles at me.

"I think it's time for me to go. Thanks for tonight. I really needed this." I kiss his cheek and start walking away. I don't know where I'm going, but all I know is that I need to leave. Gage runs up behind me, yelling that he will drive me home. I reluctantly agree with the premise that I have no idea where I am.

After climbing into the truck, I rest my head on the window. I look at the time, and it's a quarter past one. Silence fills the truck, and I finally decide to break the ice. "What are your plans for the rest of the summer? It's only two months, but it goes by very fast." I ask

"Not sure," he says as he keeps his eyes on the road. Well, that was very informative.

We finally arrive at my house, and he walks me to the door. "Thanks for tonight; it was fun," I tell him. "I hope to do it again sometime," he smiles. "Goodnight, Gage," I say as I watch the summer breeze whisk through his hair.

"Night, Star." I unlock the door and head inside. Closing the door behind me, I lean against it and smile. I think of his lips and how they felt against mine earlier tonight. The memory sends shivers down my spine as I make my way to my bedroom, already looking forward to the next time we meet.

I slip out of my swimsuit and throw on an oversized t-shirt. I pull back the covers on my bed and turn on the TV. A knock at the door stops me from crawling into my nice, warm bed that's calling my name.

Who the hell would be knocking at this time of night?

I take a look through the peephole and see Gage standing there. I open the door, and he looks me up and down. A smile crosses his face, and I realise I'm just in a t-shirt. "Hi," I say.

"Hey, sorry to bother you," he says, running his hand through his hair, "but, um, it seems like Ace and Laura are busy, I guess, and I don't feel comfortable being in the house." He lets out a little laugh.

"Come on in," I say, opening the door wider for him, "you're more than welcome to stay here." He thanks me and walks inside. I close the door as he sits on the couch. "I'll grab you a blanket and pillow."

"Thank you," he says, and I give him a little smile. I head to my room and search my closet for a blanket and an extra pillow. I see a red blanket and pillow sitting at the bottom of my closet. I grab them and head back out to the living room. I hand Gage the items and bid him goodnight. I close the door to my bedroom and lay back in bed. I flip through the channels and come across one of my favourite horror movies. I decide that I need a snack to go along with my middle of the night screening. I quietly get up, hoping not to disturb Gage as I make my way to the kitchen. I see a light glowing in the dark and see him on his phone, watching the same movie I am. I walk toward him and lean against the wall.

"Hey," I quietly say. He puts his phone down and turns his head toward me. "Hey." I bite my lower lip and finally take the plunge and ask. "I'm watching the same movie; want to watch it together?"

He smiles and nods, saying, "Sure, that sounds great." He gets up and follows me to the kitchen. We grab some snacks and head back into my room. I close the door, press play on the TV, and take a seat on my bed. He sits on the floor, and I begin to laugh. "What?" he says.

"You can kiss me, but you can't sit next to me." I question him. He shakes his head and laughs. He gets up and sits next to me. We sit in silence as we watch the movie. After what seems like an eternity, he finally speaks.

"You asked me what I plan on doing for the rest of the summer. I thought about it." He puts his head down, and I can tell he is nervous. "Oh, ya. What are your plans?" I ask him, curious about his answer.

"I'm hoping to get to know you more." He looks at me; his eyes sparkle, and I feel butterflies in my stomach. "And this," he says as he cups my face and kisses me.

His tongue parts our mouths. As we kiss, I feel a surge of desire, and my body responds to his touch. Our passion intensifies as our tongues dance together in a sensual tango. I lose myself in the moment, forgetting everything else around us. The taste of his lips lingers on mine, leaving me craving for more. But this is wrong, "I'm sorry, I can't do this." I push him away. He lays back, runs his hands through his hair, and kisses his teeth.

He gets up and heads back to the living room, "I'm sorry," he says as he walks out. I take a deep breath and lay back in bed. I pull the covers over my head and internally scream. As much as I want to, he's the bad boy, the one who only wants one thing, and I can't put myself through that again.

☾

I fall into a deep sleep, and it's like I didn't sleep enough as the sun shines through my window. I hear laughter, and someone shout, "Get up." I believe it's Ace. I slowly make my way out of bed and into my bathroom. I brush my teeth, comb my hair, and pull it into a bun. I throw on some sweats and a black sports bra before heading out to the kitchen.

I walk in and pour myself a cup of coffee as Laura, Ace, and Gage sit there. "So, how was your night?" Laura asks with a grin.

Gage pipes up. "Nothing happened. I stayed here, and she stayed in her room. That's it." He says with some disappointment in his voice.

"Damn," Ace says as he covers his mouth. "You didn't hit it?"

"Why would I let him? I know his type; he can't go a day without sex." I walk up and say, "And I wasn't going to be his one night stand." I head outside and let the warm sun soak into my skin. I can hear Ace laughing his guts out as I embarrass the bad boy.

Laura joins me and begins with the questions. "What the hell happened? I definitely thought if you were to have a one night stand, it would be with someone who looks like that!" Her eyes divert to the direction of the front window.

"Trust me, I wanted to, because– well, have you seen him? But I don't want someone who can just be with me one night and screw someone else the next. I've been down that road before, remember?"

She nods her head and says, "I get it." She hugs me as the boys walk out the front door. Ace kisses her and invites us over to the party they are having tonight. Laura excitedly agrees and begs me to join. "Ugh." I get up and head inside.

I lay back in bed and think of how his lips tasted. The memory of his touch sends shivers down my spine, and I can't help but crave for more. I know it's wrong to want him, but the thought of being with him again consumes me. I try to push the desire away, but it's like a fire burning inside me that won't go out.

☾

The day goes by as I sit there and read a book. But my mind keeps wandering back to the sensation of his touch, and I find myself lost in thoughts of him. As much as I try to distract myself, the memory of him lingers.

The sun goes down, casting a warm orange glow across the room, but I can't seem to shake off the feeling of longing for him. It's as if his touch has left an imprint on my skin, and I can't help but yearn for it again. Music flows through the air as I look out my window and see everyone at Gage's place in the backyard.

"I'm leaving; hurry your ass up!" Laura shouts as she leaves the house. I stand there and watch all the girls all over Gage. A smile crosses his face as he enjoys the attention. I let out a laugh and roll my eyes. I knew it. He can't go one day without bringing someone home with him.

I slip on my runners and decide to walk over. Laura runs up, and a shocked expression crosses her face.

"Why are you wearing that?" She says this about my sports bra and sweatpants. "Um, because I'm not here to impress anyone."

She shakes her head and guides me to the cooler, pulling out a beer and handing it to me. I crack it open and take a sip. I look at Laura. "See, I told you he couldn't go one day." She begins to laugh and agrees. As the night goes on, I sit and laugh with Laura and Ace. I look around and see Gage in a very intimate conversation with another girl. I sit back and laugh. Ace shouts.

"Gage, are you bringing her home tonight?"

He pulls away from the girl and gives him the finger. "Was I right, or was I right?" I say to them.

"Right about what?" Gage says from behind me.

"Oh, that you can't go a day without sex." I smile, knowing it's the truth.

"Really?" he says. I seemed to have struck a nerve within him. I stand up and face him,

"Dead serious." My eyes lock on his, knowing his type. He can't go a day without having some girl giving him attention.

"Ohhhhh, I smell a bet coming on." Laura teases.

We all look at her, and Ace questions her, "Star is notorious for her bets because, win or lose, she's a champ." I smile at her and look back at Gage.

"Alright, I'm in," Gage says.

Laura sits there and thinks for a moment about what we can do. Then her eyes brighten. "Cards," she says. I internally smile, knowing I have the upper hand in this. Ace quickly gets up and heads inside, grabbing a deck. He comes back out, and Laura speaks.

"Can you play black jack?" She asks Gage. He nods. "Good," she says. At this point, everyone is surrounding us. Watching me take on Mr. Popular.

"What are the stakes?" Gage asks her.

"Hmmm, good question. Gage, if you lose, you have to go the rest of the summer with no sex; actually, no sex, no kissing, no touching, and you can't even flirt with any girl that comes your way." She tilts her head and smiles.

He licks his lips, "Alright," he says, "and if she loses?" He slowly looks at me.

"You pack a bag and live with her for the summer. Doing whatever your little heart desires, making her uncomfortable. Torture each other; I don't care, except stay out of my room." She tells him.

"Where will you stay?" I question her, and Ace wraps his arm around her, "Let's just say I'm betting on you losing." He says and I clench my jaw.

"Fine." My eyes narrow in her direction. If I win, he suffers for the rest of the summer; if I lose, I suffer... I better win. "Wait," Laura states. "He sleeps in your room."

I kiss my teeth and take a deep breath. I've got this. I'm good at counting cards; this should be an easy win. My eyes lock on him and I wish him luck.