https://youtu.be/tgi-BuHRDTo

(Author's Note: If you would wish to listen to Chapter 25 parts 1 and 2 on audio, please click the videos. Enjoy!)

  I drop my arms on the counter and sink my head in them. He's challenging, arousing, and confusing all at once. Did I just think he was arousing? Is he arousing? Who am I kidding? He does allure my interest. I have never felt this way for a man, or any man. He's remotely a stranger to me, but he does get my heart racing, blood starts pumping, and a reaction deep inside of me; I never felt before, until him.

  Then here's the confusing part of him, first, he just wanted to be friends just like I did, then he kissed me, and then he didn't mean anything to him. I tell you he's a confusing man! Whatever this is, whatever we are... is just insane. I really don't want to be affected by him, but I am. 

  Breaking my outrageous thoughts, there's a light tapping at the door. It's probably Ms. Nelson wondering who's at my house and what are they still doing here. I lift up my head and roll my eyes as I walk over to the door. I check over my shoulder and see the door to the bathroom is still closed. Alright, time to face the music with nosy Ms. Nelson.

  "Who is it?" I ask before opening the door.

  "It's Camille," her voice travels from outside. Camille? "Now open the door."

   "Alright, hold your horses," I shout and open the door to find Camille, dressed to kill. Her hair is stylish with it in tight curls. She has on a full black lace bodysuit, with a lace shape V-neckline and fitted long sleeves; wearing black high heel shoes to go with the outfit. I know this outfit, it's one of Camille's designs...

   But I'm getting preoccupied and I need to focus on what in the hell is she doing here. Is she a spy now? Because it seems she's always following me around.

   I step outside and close the door behind me. "Camille, what are you doing here?" I ask in confusion.

  "You left your bag at work and I came to bring it to you," she says as she brings around my bag from behind her back, and holds it in front of me.

   "Oh, thank you." I smile and grab the bag from her. Now go! I want to shout but decide against it.

   "You're welcome. I see you had fun yesterday as I told you to," she smirks when she turns around to look at Chris's car.

   I shrug. "It's not what you-" 

   She cuts me off. "Did you guys-"

  "No!" I yell as I cut her off. I'm horrified. I know what she was going to say and I didn't want her to finish that sentence. "Nothing happened, he just spent the night over."

   Fuck! Why did I tell her that? Now she's looking at me with wide caramel eyes.

   I continue quickly before she gets the wrong idea. "It's not what you think," I sigh. "It's a long story and I'll tell you later."

   I'm glaring at her to-leave-now-please.

  "Alright, but you better tell me later," she demands when she heads to her truck.

  "I will." I start to head back inside, but then a thought stops me.

  "Camille?" I turn my gaze at her.

  "Yeah?"

  "Why did you tell me to have fun with Chris, knowing that you dislike him and you don't get along with him? I was giving you hints I didn't want to go with him, but you insisted I go with him anyway. Why?"

 "I'll tell you later," she smirks and gets into her truck. "As soon as you tell me what happened between you and Chris. I'll tell you why you needed to have fun with him," she shouts out of the driver's window and drives off.

  Aargh, Camille! You are a pain in my behind and so is the man in my shower. Now it's time to face him.

  I head back inside and gently close the door behind me.

  I turn around and jump when I see him standing under the bathroom threshold with his arms crossed. I flush at the sight of him. He's wearing only a towel around his waist, the water from the shower is dripping off him, and it's taking a lot in me not to stare at his wet muscular body.

 "Who was that?" He grinds firmly.

  I blink a few times and I know my mouth is wide open. Just stop staring, but it's hard to not stare at him. Why did he just come out in only a towel, anyway?

  I eventually find my voice. "No one important," my voice is way too high, betraying me. Dammit! Get a grip woman. 

    I don't want to tell him it was Camille. I know he doesn't like her, but now I don't know if he's fond of her. Do they like each other now? I have no idea, they're both confusing me.

  "Oh..." He puts his hand through his wet hair. "Well, I didn't think this through. I don't have any clean clothes with me." His eyes narrow, and then he smirks.

  I'm in a trance and it's because he's standing here half-naked. Okay, stop staring. I try to focus on his eyes, but my eyes keep darting to his body, so I look down at my knotted fingers.

  "I have clothes you can borrow."

  "Thanks, but I don't think your clothes will fit me."

   I laugh. "No, I have men's clothing."

   He doesn't say anything and I decide to look up from my fingers to notice his eyes become hollow and dark. He's scowling at me.

  What? What did I say to make him look at me like that?

  "How many men have been here? I thought you said no one has ever kissed you before. I knew you were lying to me, I figured someone had to kiss you before because no one is that good of a kisser their first time," he growls at me.

  Anger lashes through me. How dare he? The bastard!

  "For your information, I have never been kissed before!" I start crashing my hands in the air, out of anger. "Fine, don't believe me, but it's the truth! And it's none of your business, but no guy has stayed here, until you. But go ahead and don't believe me, I know it's the truth!" I scream. Probably my neighbors will hear me, but right now I don't care because I'm enraged at Chris for accusing me of a ridiculous thing.

  "Those are my dad's clothes if you must know-" I start to say, but I stop talking when he begins to slowly pursuing toward me with caution.

   Oh no, you don't. Don't come next to me, especially in only a towel. I start backing up, however, my heel hits the wall.

 "Stop," I hold my hands in the air, halting him in his tracks. But it's too late and he's in front of me.

 "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. Please forgive me for what I said." He grabs my hands and moves them to his chest. I don't stop him. I feel his firm chest again, but this time he has no shirt and it feels wet and hard. His heart goes into overdrive and so has mine.

 "I think I would like to kiss again," he whispers darkly. 

  Hmm... I smell my lavender body wash on him, and then another scent invades my nose, I smell toothpaste on his breath. Did he brush his teeth and used my toothbrush? I know, I don't have another toothbrush; he must have used mine. That's very unsanitary, but kind of kinky. I don't know if I feel angry, if he used my toothbrush, or if it feels pleasurable to me. 

 "I think I would like that too," I whisper back- begging him to.

  He shakes his head. "I won't kiss you, not until I have your permission."

  I remember he said that the last time and we ended up kissing anyway.

 "But I want you to."

 "You don't know what you are saying. You're using your body and not your head," he says as he pushes my hands away from his chest and lets go of them. 

 "But I want-"

  He puts his long finger over my lips. "Shh... Don't say anything else. Or I'll think if you speak, I would do something I'll regret later."

  He uses my toothbrush, but won't kiss me. This is just frustrating! He's not playing fair, then again, I don't think he has ever played fair, to begin with.

  He bites his lower lip. Gosh! He's driving me crazy and biting his lip doesn't help; it's making it very difficult to resist him. I want him now and I want those lips on me.

  "But you are so hard to resist," he murmurs. I could say the same to him. He touches my lower lip, tracing over them with his thumb. He pauses and shakes his head yet again. No, don't shake your head and nod your head yes.

 I can't wait anymore. Insistently, I wrap my arms around his neck and try to kiss him, but he pulls away. He grabs my wrist and pins them to my sides. "No Sussianna... I can't."

  "You don't want to kiss me again. Do you?" I ask and look down. I feel ashamed for what I just did and I can't believe I'm being desperate. If he doesn't want to kiss me, I shouldn't force him to. 

   He lifts my chin up to look at him. "Yes, I do, even so, I don't want to hurt you, again."

   "Then don't hurt me."

     He sighs and closes his eyes as if it's hard for him to speak. "I should leave, I'll just put on the old clothes that I had on." He steps back away from me. 

  What? I don't want him to go. I want him to kiss me, but at the risk of him going I say, "No, you can use my dad's clothes if you like."

  "Are you sure?" He asks.

  "Yes," I tell him when I head to my closet and pull out a cardboard box, with black labeling that says, "moms and dads belongings." I sigh, it's been a while since I have looked at this box, let alone opened it. I open it slowly and see all my parent's old clothes. I start to cry and feel a dodging pain in my heart. This is painful for me, but I did offer him to borrow my dad's clothes. I wipe away my tears and say, "I can do this." I lift up my dad's red velvet shirt, with short sleeves and U-neckline. My dad was a little bigger than Chris, but this should fit him well. Then I grab my dad's black old sweatpants and head back to the living room.

   He standing by the kitchen counter; I go directly to him and hand him the clothes.

  "Thanks," he mutters. Grabbing the clothes from my hands, he darts into the bathroom and closes the door behind him.

   Huh... He certainly went to the bathroom quickly. He doesn't want to hurt me. What does that mean? What more can he do to hurt me?

  He's hiding something from me, but what? I have no clue, but I'm going to find out sooner or later.