Taylor

It had been a long and nervous day at school. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but I'd been scared. Keeping up the brave facade had been exhausting and I was glad to be back inside the apartment where—despite the fact that the stalker had left a note on the door—I still felt safe.

I glanced at Matthew. He was also the reason I felt safer. He never stopped scanning the crowds of students passing by us today.

"Thanks," I said to him out of the blue.

"What for?" he asked as he took his eyes off the TV and glanced at me.

"For everything."

"You're welcome. I'm just doing my job," he replied.

I didn't know how he could do the job he did. Putting your own life on the line for someone else wasn't easy so I had the utmost respect for him and what he was trying to do for me. I made a mental note to try and do as he told me and not to be difficult.

Jordan was still dealing with her heartbreak. She'd tried to hide her it, but I'd seen right through it. The moment we'd gotten back from college she'd disappeared into her bedroom. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't really know what to say. Maybe she needed to deal with it on her own.

There was an unexpected knock on the door and my eyes shot to Matthew.

"The stalker wouldn't knock," Matthew said in a teasing tone as he shook his head at me.

He was right of course, but I couldn't help that nervous edge of fear that shot through me. He went to the door and opened it while I remained seated with my hands digging into the arms of the chair.

"It's for you," he yelled at me.

I hadn't been expecting anyone and as I got closer to the door, I was surprised to see Sin standing outside the front door waiting for me. I smiled at him and he smiled back at me as our eyes met. It was a nice surprise and my nervousness evaporated.

"Hi," he said as I invited him in.

"Hi," I greeted back, feeling so happy to see him.

Matthew was seated in front of the TV again, flicking through the channels and he turned to watch us. It was like having an older brother around and he was making it a little awkward for me so I reached for Sin's hand and led him to my room. I heard Matthew laugh as I closed the door.

"Sorry about that—the disadvantages to having a bodyguard," I joked as my eyes met his.

"The advantages are he won't let anything happen to you," Sin shot back, but there was no teasing in his face.

He was right—Matthew was all I had standing in the way of some crazy stalker trying to get me. I had no idea what the stalker would do to me if he got me and it scared me.

Sin's gaze caressed my face as he stepped closer and I held my breath. I could feel my skin tingle under his intense gaze as he leaned closer and I felt his warm breath on my face. My hands reached up and I put them against his chest as his lips lightly touched mine. No matter how many times he touched me, it always felt like the first time and I felt the rush of desire to be as close to him as humanly possible.

His tongue stroked my bottom lip gently and I opened my lips. His tongue pushed into my mouth as my hands crept up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. I needed more. What started out soft and gentle grew more fierce and insistent as his hands pulled me closer, closing the slight gap between us.

He broke the kiss, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his gaze held mine. I couldn't pull my eyes from his as my fingers touched my bruised lips. I wasn't sure why he stopped so abruptly, but before I could ask him, he reached for me again and pushed me firmly against the wall as his mouth slammed against mine. I didn't think; all I wanted to do was feel what he was doing to me.

He lifted the hem of my shirt and pulled his lips from mine long enough to get my top off. It was a good thing I was wearing a skirt because I felt his fingers reach underneath it, hitching it up as he pulled my panties off. He reached for a condom in the back pocket of his jeans and tore the foil packet open with his teeth. He unbuttoned his jeans and let them drop. Once the protection was on, his mouth was on mine again as I felt him press up against me.

This time the sex was different. The last time we'd been together it had been soft and gentle, but this time it was nothing like that. He turned me to face the wall and I put my hands against the wall to steady myself. His hand reached for my breasts that were still covered by my bra and pulled the bra down. I felt his fingers tweak my nipples as he pushed into me and my breath hitched as he began to move inside of me.

I moaned and placed my hands against the wall, trying to steady myself as he began to move inside of me. At first he moved slowly, but as he began to push into me with more force, it became more difficult to take. His hands were holding onto my hips so hard I was sure they would leave bruises, just so he could penetrate me deeper. I gasped as he reached a new angle and began to pant as he worked me closer to my release.

I felt the graze of his teeth against my shoulder and I closed my eyes and savored it. Just when I didn't think I could take any more new sensations, I felt his fingers move to the front and begin to stroke the front of my core. Moments later, I felt my whole body tense and then I exploded. The orgasm pulsed through me as I felt him push into me harder, trying to find his own release. His body tensed and he groaned against my neck as he came inside of me.

For a few moments, we stayed that way—me leaning against the wall and him breathing hard against my neck, still inside of me. He pulled out of me and pulled up his jeans. I turned and leaned against the wall as I pulled my skirt down. Sin went into my bathroom and came back out after a few minutes. I'd put my panties and top back on. I was just running a hand through my hair when Sin looked at me.

There was something going on in his mind and I wished I knew what it was. The sex had been great—don't get me wrong—but it was like he was trying to prove something to himself. It was like he was trying to make it all about sex and nothing else. I swallowed hard as I held his gaze, feeling vulnerable.

"I'm sorry if I was a little rough," he apologized as he ran a hand through his hair, making it untidy and disheveled, which just made him sexier.

"You weren't," I said with a shrug.

I loved this guy even though there was no guarantee that this, whatever it was, would last. He didn't date and I didn't know how long I could do this without wanting more. Eventually it would come to a head and then it would fall apart.

I sat down on my bed and Sin sat beside me. I loved being so close to him. A calmness that eluded me when I wasn't with him settled over me as he took my hand into his and gave it a squeeze. We started to talk about anything that wasn't related to the stalker. I wondered if it was his way of taking my mind off it. We were both lying down on my bed, talking, when I realized I needed to go to the bathroom. I went to the bathroom and closed the door.

"Have you got any headache tablets?" I heard Sin ask through the door.

"Yeah, in the drawer by my bed," I answered. Once I finished up, I walked into my room.

Oh. My. God.

Sin was sitting on my bed next to my side table. The small drawer was open and in his hands was the folder that my brother had given me. His face was tense as he paged through the folder and I felt my heart sink as dread crept into the pit of my stomach.

"I can explain," I said nervously as I walked over to him, but he closed the folder and stood up.

He refused to look at me as his lips pressed together and I watched his jaw tighten. He was trying to rein in his temper. He had every right to be upset, but I could explain everything.

"I don't think you can explain this," he said in a level voice that was waiting to explode. "I think it speaks for itself, doesn't it?"

His eyes lifted to mine. And the look he gave me made me flinch and take a step backward. My heart sank at the hatred in his eyes.