Falling for the Boy Next Door

Chapter 12

Baylee's P.O.V.

My eyelids fluttered open as Kane pulled away. The imprint of his lips on mine had left a burning desire for their return. His kiss was soft, and gentle, yet still shot a million fireworks off inside of my body. No boy I'd ever kissed had been able to kiss me like that.

For a moment, Kane and I just looked at each other. I wondered if he was going to kiss me again, then he spoke.

"Baylee," He breathed. God it sounded sexy. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-- but you looked so-- I just-- i should go."

Before I could tell him not to, Kane was up and out of the jacuzzi, making his way back to his lawn holding the back of his head.

"Kane! Kane come back!" I called after him. Either my words failed to reach his ears, or he chose to be deaf to them.

I replayed the moment over and over in my head, as I sat becoming pruny. The eyes looked before, the way his lips locked perfectly into mine, the way his scent made my mind go in circles. There was no way that could have been a dream.

I wandered my way upstairs, feeling like I was walking on a cloud. What had gotten into me? Guys didn't turn me to putty.... I turned guys to putty. As soon as I reached my room, I flopped down on my bed and looked out the window toward his house. Was he thinking about it, too?

I lay in bed for almost two hours before I decided to make my move. He'd run off after a stammered and unneeded apology, but I felt like I was missing something. I peeled myself off the now wet duvet, and pulled on white shorts and a royal blue v-neck tee shirt. It was late, but I found myself walking out the door and across the lawn to Kane's house. When I rang the bell, his mother opened the door.

"Oh, Baylee! How nice to see you! Congratulations on making the cut, Chloe was raving about you earlier. What can I do for you dear?"

"Well, I came over to drop this cookbook that my mom said you wanted," I lied. "But is Kane in? I have a, uh, school question."

Despite my awful fibbing, his mom let me in and told me Kane was in his room. I took a deep breath before ascending the stairs.

When I reached the top, I realized I had no idea where his room was. The hall spit into two different directions at the landing, so I scanned for any hint of where I should go. Sure enough, down the hall on the left, there was a closed door at the end with Kane's football number and school logo on it. This was it, I told myself.

I reached the door and knocked, holding my breath. I heard the soft thuds of footfalls on carpeting inside, and the knob jiggle. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.

The door swung open, and Kane stood in the doorway, dressed in only basketball shorts, a sight that made me drool.

He took a step backward, "Baylee?"

"May I, uhm, come in?" I asked, looking around his surprisingly tidy room. His mother probably made him keep it that way, given the immaculate condition of the rest of the house.

"I guess, yeah." Kane shrugged, closing the door behind me.

I sat down in an armchair in the corner and fiddled with the ends of my hair. The air between us was somewhat tense, and after a solid minute, he broke the silence.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"I think we both know the answer to that..." I closed my eyes, preparing myself for what I was about to ask. "Why did you kiss me, Kane?"

He bit his lip, a motion that made him look ten times as sexy as normal. He seemed to ponder his answer, lost in thought.

"First, I need you to promise me something." He paused. "Clarissa can't know."