The front door of the beautiful house with bay windows opens wide, and the man on the other side is as tall as Brian's dad. As soon as he sees us, his eyes light up, and his lips stretch in a broad smile.
"Look who's here!"
Brian chuckles and hugs his grandfather. "Pops senior."
"Senior, my ass. Why didn't you say you were coming? I talked to the little fucker this morning, and he kept quiet, too. Sneaky boys."
"Dad didn't know," Brian says. "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision cause I had to rescue Kitten. She has claws, but using them takes practice."
O'Brien's grandfather laughs, looking at me. "I'm Benjamin, but call me Ben. My wife Evelyn's in the kitchen getting our dinner ready. Come on in."
Brian smirks. "Feel free to call her Kitten. She loves it, but Leah's okay, too."
"Thanks." I blush and roll my eyes.
"Come on, little fucker junior," Ben says. It's weird to think he's Brian's grandfather - although he has some wrinkles and gray hair, he looks youthful and full of energy. The men in their family have that in common.
Brian's grandmother, Evelyn, is a tiny woman. She squeals as soon as she sees Brian and hugs him tightly, kissing him on the cheek. "Handsome as ever, dear. And who's this cute girl?"
O'Brien doesn't let me say anything and blurts out, "Kitten, also known as Leah. I had to whisk her away, and here's the only place her evil mother isn't gonna find her."
Brian's grandparents laugh, and his grandma hugs me. I'm a bit taken aback by so much affection — I'm not accustomed to it. It's been a long while since Mom hugged me. Lately, all we do is argue.
Brian notices the change in my mood and places his hand on my shoulder. "What's for dinner?" he asks.
Evelyn steps aside to let him see a pot with an aromatic concoction on the stove. "I made a new recipe with rice and fish. It's like a stew. It's almost ready, so leave your things and come here. You're staying at your cabin, right?"
Brian grins. "Yeah. I missed it."
"I bet." Ben chuckles. "You basically built it and have no time to enjoy it."
"I'll try to visit you more often," Brian says. "Kitten, come on. Let's leave our stuff at the cabin."
Outside, he takes the bag from Fat Boy and leads the way down a narrow path. The scent of pines permeates the air. Despite the darkness surrounding us, I can tell Brian's grandparents live close to the woods. I wonder if Brian's love of the outdoors comes from it.
"My grandparents own all of this; the forest included," Brian explains as we approach a wooden house. "The villages nearby are full of tourists in summer, but it's quiet here. Jimmy and I built this cabin to have somewhere to relax. I stay at the main house sometimes, but I thought you'd want some peace."
"It's beautiful," I say. "I had no idea you knew how to build."
"We had some help, but it's not that hard. Pops senior taught me. He used to work in construction before he decided he enjoyed making furniture and fishing more. Jim's good at repairs, too. The fucker's more than decent at everything he does, not gonna lie. So, Kitten, welcome to my cave."
Brian trudges up the steps and unlocks the door. We enter a small, cozy hall with a comfortable-looking couch and a TV. A spiral staircase rises to the second floor, and Brian says, "The two bedrooms are there. You're gonna sleep with me, Kitten. I can't risk you flashing your panties again, and if you hang out of the window here, you might fall and drown. They say cats have nine lives, but I'd rather not check if that's true."
I frown. "What do you mean, drown?"
Brian scratches his head. "Damn, I forgot you've never seen it."
Then, he takes my hand, and we walk toward the patio doors. As he opens them, I gasp at the view in front of me.
"Kitten, meet the sea," Brian says, laughing at my wide eyes.
"But how? I didn't see it!"
Brian shrugs. "It's dark, and there are trees. We'll go to the beach after dinner. Now come on, let's get changed."
I follow Brian upstairs. The view from his bedroom window mirrors the one from the porch. Everything in the house is wooden, even the panels on the walls. Brian puts the bags with the things we bought on the bed and stretches. "I'll get changed in Jim's bedroom. Don't take long cause I'm hungry as fuck."
I don't waste time getting rid of my skirt and tights and putting on the new jeans and sweater. Giving myself a once-over in the full-length mirror, I smile. For once, the clothes fit, and I look pretty despite my untamed hair. When I go downstairs, Brian is sitting on the couch, looking at his phone. His gaze darts to me when he hears my footsteps.
"Whoa, Kitten." He smirks. "Your ass looks cute in these jeans. I should've bought you another pair."
Brian's words make me blush. I'm sure he says them to every girl, so I tell myself not to believe him.
"Let's go, Princess," he says, rising from the couch and shoving the phone in his pocket.
We stroll to his grandparents'. The mouthwatering smell makes my stomach growl as soon as we enter the kitchen.
"Time to eat," Ben says, pointing at a pot in the center of the table. "Dive right in; there's stew to spare."
He isn't kidding. Brian serves our food, and there's still a lot even after his grandparents fill their bowls.
I moan as soon as the steaming goodness is in my mouth. It tastes of fish and vegetables and melts on my tongue.
Brian coughs and nudges me. "If you moan again, the boy will forget he's a dude with manners," he whispers, and I nearly choke on my bite.
"So, how did the two of you meet?" Evelyn asks, saving me from her grandson.
"We're neighbors," I say. "My window faces Brian's."
Ben booms with laughter. "And let me guess, he climbed into your room through the window, sat on your bed, and said, 'Hello, beautiful.'"
I giggle and glance at Brian.
He chuckles. "Wrong brother, Pops senior. That would be Jim, and the dude wouldn't sit on the bed; he would totally lie on it, hopefully with his pants on."
Evelyn throws a napkin at Brian. "Hush, you. Don't you dare say things about my Jimmy."
Ben grins. "Because he dedicated a song to you? That little fucker can charm anything that moves and breathes."
Brian laughs and winks at me. "I guess I can do that, too."
"Nah, you'd scare them or make them mad with that mouth of yours. Not every girl can handle you." Brian's grandfather shakes his head.
Brian chuckles. "True. Right, Kitten?"
I say nothing and go on eating the delicious food. We chat with Evelyn and Ben and say goodbye when dinner is over.
"Follow me," Brian says when we're outside. We stroll along the narrow path leading into the woods, and although I can hardly see anything, Brian seems to know where he's going.
A few moments later, the view changes. The trees part and the sight of the small waves lapping against the rocks takes me by surprise. Brian shrugs off his jacket and spreads it on the ground. "Sit."
I lower myself onto the sand and hug my knees, marveling at the soothing scenery in front of me. The light from the full moon reflects in the ocean water that bathes the shore, and my worries dissolve in the salty air. The night feels magical.
"So, you can cross one item off your bucket list," Brian says quietly.
"Thank you." I turn to him. Brian laughs a lot, but the serious expression he sports now doesn't make him less handsome.
"It's nothing, Leah. You'll see the rest tomorrow in daylight."
I open my mouth to reply, but a cold droplet lands on my forehead.
"Shit," Brian says under his breath. "It's gonna rain. Come on; we gotta head back."
I leap to my feet. Brian snatches his jacket from the sand and holds it over our heads as we run back to the cabin, laughing. Water drips from our clothes by the time we climb the wooden steps of the porch.
I slide my wet sneakers off and wait for Brian to do the same.
"Go shower," he says, pushing his hair back. "The bathroom's in the bedroom, and there's shampoo. I'll take one in my brother's room."
Upstairs, I rummage in the shopping bag. As I pull out some underwear, I notice a pair of PJs I didn't buy. They're pink and soft and way girlier than any other I've got. I hold the top to my chest before leaving it on the bed and darting to the en-suite.
The hot water feels heavenly against my cold body. I take my time in the shower and dry myself off. Eager to get dressed, I clutch the fluffy fabric to my chest and bolt out of the bathroom. The air leaves my lungs when my body crashes with Brian's full force.
"Whoa, Tiger," he says, steadying me.
A towel like mine hangs off his tapered waist. My cheeks burn when I look up at his handsome face. Brian's lips are slightly parted, and I can't deny what I feel anymore — I'm crazily attracted to him. I thought I couldn't stand him, and yet, here I am, enjoying the way he keeps me pressed to his sculpted body.
"Leah," Brian whispers, and one of his hands cups my cheek. My heart beats faster with every second and skips a beat when Brian presses his lips to mine.
It's gentle. He cups the back of my head and caresses my mouth with his, barely touching it. I hug him to me and slide one of my hands up his broad back until I can tangle my fingers in his wet hair. Brian stills and then kisses me harder, capturing my lips with his, the bottom one first. The tip of his tongue darts out and licks my lips slowly, too slowly. My experience is almost non-existent, but I somehow kiss Brian back, and my tongue plays with his, caressing it.
Brian breaks the kiss and presses his forehead to mine, swallowing. "God, Kitten, wait."
And because I'm a confused, overwhelmed mess about to turn eighteen, I let out a nervous giggle and say, "I think the boy's awake."