Zaria's POV

As soon as we were done with the laundry, we moved to the garden to water the flowers. Joel had put off his T-shirt again and I was trying my best not to get distracted like before. I put off my grey sneakers and borrowed a pair of Joel's flip flops that were pretty big for my leg, but I really liked it.

We tried to make small conversations after the little moment we had in his room. I was still feeling hot all over and a little giddy. Truth be told, I wanted him to kiss me. I've never really kissed a guy back and I wanted to know how it felt like. My "first kiss" was nothing to write home about so I shoved the disgusting memory down the drain.

But now I wanted to share a real first kiss, with Joel. I can already imagine how romantic the kiss would be.

Look at you! Nonsense child!  I thought to myself and chuckled.

We got to the garden and then I realized that they also had a vegetable garden where tomato, cabbage and other vegetables were growing. There was also a large swimming pool at the side of the house. Joel took the two long hoses and fixed them to the mouth of the taps and turned it on.

"Do you swim?" I asked him as I picked one of the hoses up and started to water the plants and flowers. He came to join me and picked the other hose, joining me.

"Once in a while. Mostly when I feel like. You know, being really busy with school work and all. I swim when I want to relax my head." He explained.

"Ohhh." I nodded. My mind on its own began to conjure images of him in swimming trunk and I had to bit down against my lip to keep from giggling.

Oshey! Mumu button activated. Chai, see how man has turn you into didirin(idiot). I thought to myself, unconsciously chuckling out loud.

"What has got you all smiley?" His voice pierced through my lucid thoughts and I looked up at him. He had his eyes on me but was still hosing the flowers.

"Nothing. Just I series of thoughts." I told him. Why would I disclose that I was imagining him in a swimming trunk. He chuckled in response.

"I always wonder what goes on in that head of yours." He said and I smirked.

"Well, too bad you are not telepathic." I replied and he laughed.

"Touché." He muttered and I giggled in return."Can you swim?" He asked me. I giggled again but shook my head.

"I have never tried it before." I replied. "The irony of it all is that, we have a swimming pool at home but no one has ever touched it. I can remember my parents forbidding my sister and I from ever going close to it." I told him and he nodded.

"You know, I really don't know much about you, or your family." He said normally and a frown creased my face at the mention of my family. I quickly covered it up with a fake smile.

"You know a lot about me, Joel." I said, trying to by pass the topic

"Well apart from fact that you are very intelligent, a freakishly fast runner and a beauty..." He said that last part with a wink and I giggled. "...that's all I know about you. When I asked to be friends, I said I wanted to know the real you." He added. I sighed.

"There is really nothing to know about me... or my family. Honestly, there is nothing interesting going on that's so special like that. My parents are politicians, my elder sister is a Law student at Unilag. There really is nothing. Our lives are pretty boring."

I was trying to downplay everything to look like nothing in the best way I could, trying not to be suspicious. I saw Joel watch me intently, an unreadable expression on his face for a moment before he broke into a grin.

"It's okay. About the swimming though. Maybe one of this days, I'll show you how. Is the okay?" He asked with a smirk on his lips. I giggled, glad at the change in subject.

"No problem. Although, you can drop the act and admit you just want to see me in a swim suit." I smirked, trying to flirt. Joel let out a hearty laugh.

"You know me so well. I am pretty sure you will look smoking hot in one. I mean..." His eyes ran over my body quickly. "Look at all of that. Damn." He flirted right back, winking at me. I gasped.

"You are such a pervert!" I snapped at him and my hands shot towards him and water shot out from the pipe fast, hosing him in the process.

I widened my eyes when I saw what I did. His eyes went down to his drenched cloths.

"Oh my gosh!! I'm so sorry." I quickly apologized. He shook his head, an evil smirk forming on his lips as he picked his hose.

"You are so gonna pay!" He said and immediately sprayed me with water. I screamed as I felt the cold water hit me with a rush. Joel's hearty laughter filled the compound. When he was done, he let the hose fall to the floor, still laughing.

"Oh my God! Joel!" I shrieked. My body was drenched, all the way from my now damp hair to sole of my feet. I looked at him, a evil smirk still played on his lips.

"I warned you." He said with a shrug and I growled.

"Ohhh, You are so dead!" I began to run after him. He laughed as he ran and I chased him. He got to the edge of the pool and stopped, panting. "You know I am way faster than you." I said when I got to him.

"Okay, I give up!" He rose his hand in mock surrender, trying to catch his breath. I laughed as I moved closer to him, hitting his chest with my fist.

"You messed up my hair and my dress!" I shrieked. He laughed.

"Well, I'm not yet done!" He had a evil glint in his eyes and my eyes widened.

"What are you... "I started but was cut short when Joel held me and dived into the pool.

I screamed as I got engulfed with water. Joel's hand was still around my waist to keep me from drowning. I flapped my hands up as I tried to get to the surface. When my head came up to the surface,I gasped for breath.

"Joel! What the hell were you thinking?! I could have drowned!" I snapped as I saw his head come out of the water. I watched as his muscles flexed while hoisting himself up from the water

"That was why I held you." He replied, also out of breath. He stretched his hand to help me out but I huffed, getting to the edge successfully lifting myself out of the pool, ignoring him.

"Zaria..." He held my hand as I tried to walk pass him. I turned to him furiously.

"What if your hands slipped away? I can't freaking swim! I just told you I couldn't." I snapped. He sighed, a ghostly smile playing on his lips.

"But you didn't. I was trying to be spontaneous." He replied, his thumb caressed the back of my palm that he was holding. That tiny little gesture was distracting me from being mad at him

"But... I ..." I tried to gather my words but  then his skin brushing against mine tentatively wasn't helping matters.

"Hey," He muttered, moving closer to me. He held me by my forearm, pulling me gently towards him and looking at me intently. My breath hitched in my throat at the way he was looking at me.

"I would never have let anything happen to you, you and I know that. I'd never let anything hurt you." He brought his finger to remove my wet hair from my face and I shuddered when his fingers brushed my skin.

"I've got you and I'm holding you tight. I'm not letting you go. That's a promise." He whispered.

For some reasons, I felt he wasn't talking about me drowning anymore. Like, he was talking about something deeper. I swallowed and looked away, my breathing laboured and my chest heaving. I ran my tongue across my suddenly dry lips.

"I'm sorry." I let out a nervous laugh. "I get steamed when I am really soaked." I told him, gesturing to my body.

"I'm sorry, should probably have warned you before dumping you into the pool." He replied, not so subtly checking me out beneath my wet cloths for a nano second. I suddenly felt hot.

"Lets go inside. I will get you something to wear from one of my shirts." He took my hand and led me into the house and Into his room.

Immediately we got to his room, he went through his dress drawer and brought out a big red Jersey and handed it to me.

"Change into this in that bathroom and keep your dress in the drier. This should size you. You have a tiny body." He teased.

"You are just looking for a means to call me small." I feigned hurt.

"Aren't you?" He smirked. I giggled.

"I'd need a comb. Can I get one?" I asked. He gave me an afro comb and I thanked him before going into his bathroom. I inhaled the Jersey and smiled at the his unforgettable scent. I immediately cringed at how deranged I just acted.

I changed to his big Jersey that only got to my upper thigh. Thankfully, my latex spandex didn't get to wet and it easily dried up so I left it on. I combed my hair and packed it into an afro bun before leaving the bathroom.

Joel wasn't in the room so I decided to go down stairs. I heard him humming from the kitchen and I walked towards it. I leaned against the door post and watched him. He was washing some vegetables, his bare back facing me. As he chopped the vegetables, his back muscles flexed. I bit against my lips again, another check on my list of Dream guy Criteria.

Who doesn't love a guy that knows his way around the kitchen?

"I never knew you could cook." I said, smiling. He chuckled, not yet turning.

"There are a whole lot of thing you don't know about...." He finally turned and his eyes landed on me, his voice trailing off. I saw his eyes roam around my body, his mouth opened a little bit. His eyes found its way back to my eyes and I saw his green orbs darken.

"Damn, you look so hot!" He muttered, loud enough for me to hear. I looked away shyly thanking God silently that I was dark skinned.

My eyes fell on his tanned bare chest, feeling my cheek heat up. I wanted to run my hands on his chest and feel his heart beat but I didn't even know how to do that without chickening out. I cleared my throat and looked away from my weakness.

"What are you preparing?" I asked, walking past him to the gas cooker and opened the pot. It had rice inside, obviously still cooking.

"Its my turn to make dinner. So I decided to make boiled rice with efo." He replied, coming up behind me.

I could feel his minty breath on my neck and I swallowed inaudibly, my insides turning. I moved away from him and went to the island where he was cutting the vegetables and started to cut it.

"Let me help." I told him, smiling and he smiled back. I continued to cut. The knife didn't seems sharp enough. "Do you have cleavers?" I asked.

"Yeah. They are up in that cabinet." He pointed up. I stretched but couldn't reach it. I decided to stand on my tip toes but the more I stretched, the more the Jersey pulled up, revealing my thigh.

I heard a grunt from behind and the next thing I felt was Joel's breath on my neck as he stretched his hands and helped me get the cleaver. I turned around and came face to face with his chest...