John knew it wasn't a good idea to bring her to his place and have her spend the night with him.

A part of him yearned her presence.

The conversation they had just had kept replaying in his mind, and he found himself wanting to pull her close and claim her mouth—to seize the moment, to take what was already his.

The thought of owning her, of having her completely, burned in the back of his mind like he couldn't shake.

John was a man of control, of discipline.

He had spent years perfecting the art of keeping his emotions in check. But with Charlie? It was as if all that training, all that restraint, was unraveling thread by thread.

She had no idea what she was doing to him.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he found her quiet and the passing streetlights illuminated her baby face—the soft curve of her cheek, the way her lips parted slightly as she exhaled.

They left the restaurant before nine, all this time he did his best to help her with her thesis before calling it a day. The silence between them wasn't awkward either.

When they reached her small white sedan, parked under a glowing lamp.

He slowed his pace, and Charlie looked up at him. His towering frame and broad shoulders cast a shadow over her, and the edges of his strong, bearded jaw highlighted by the street light.

"Well," John began, "here we are."

She fiddled with her keys, the cold metal biting into her palm as she smiled at him back.

"Yeah," she managed, her voice barely audible and uncertain.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

She paused and almost laughed, breathily as she shoved her hand behind her left pocket.

"I know I've already used my three questions for a day."

"You have," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of sternness but curious. "And you know the rules. If you want more answers, you owe me for an exchange."

Her breath caught in her throat at his words, and she slowly asked.

"What sort of exchange?"

"That," he said, his eyes dropping to her lips before meeting hers again, "is for me to decide."

A shiver ran through her body as his gravel and raspy tone enveloped her like a warm blanket. She couldn't tell if it was his tone or his intense gaze that made her stay still.

"Can I ask you anyways?" she asked.

John tilted his head and his lips curled into a small smile. "Go ahead."

Her cheeks burned, and she paused before the words escaped her lips. "Have you thought of settling down... like get married and have kids?"

Her question caught him off guard.

That was a surprise.

John had come to terms with the fact that marriage and children were not in his future long ago. He chuckled almost cynically.

"Curious?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"Why?"

She paused, taking a moment to think before she answered.

"Uhm... I was wondering if... you know... you wanted to know why I was interested in you, right?" Charlie said, laughing nervously. "And I said I wanted to know you."

John nodded slowly. "Yes."

Her cheeks became warm from the effort it had taken to ask the question. The way John looked at her—steady, unblinking—only made it worse.

"I... I wanted to know what your vision is like, you know?"

"Vision?" John repeated, but curious.

Charlie swallowed, her grip tightening on her keys from her other hand.

"I figured it was worth asking," she admitted, her voice soft.

He didn't respond until he let out a low hum. She watched him look away briefly, looking at the street and the surroundings, he looked back at her.

"Tell you what," he continued. "How about we turn the tables, eh?"

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Tell me, Charlie," he said smoothly but in firm. "What are your vision?"

Charlie blinked, caught off guard. "Mine?"

"You ask me a question," John said, crossing his arms to his chest, "it's only fair I want to know firsthand. So, what's your future like, hmm?"

Her lips parted as she scrambled for an answer. She hadn't expected him to turn her question back on her, and now that he had, she exhaled.

"I—" She paused, fiddling with her keys again. "I want what most people want. Live and make a difference."

"Specifics, Charlie," John pressed, his tone gentle but insistent. "What do you see yourself in four years?"

Charlie hesitated before she began to organize her thoughts.

"Land a job and work in United Nations," she continued, and her cheeks flushed when she looked away and back to him as if she wanted to add more. "I'd like to get married and have kids... and grow old with someone I love."

Her heart hammered as she waited for his reaction.

To her, it sounded almost dreamlike since this is what she wanted. But telling somebody like him about her vision, it was almost like she had told him a secret that she could never take her words back.

His face didn't give much away. There was a faint shift in his posture—a subtle softening, a slight tilt of his head.

"That's a lot to take on," John commented. "Marriage, kids, a dream job, it's not easy."

Charlie gave a small laugh, shrugging. "It's what I want. And I'm willing to work for it."

Then, it was his turn to chuckle and smirked. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

"Guts?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "For wanting a normal life?"

"For being honest about it," he clarified. "You're not afraid to say you want more."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and she smiled. "Well... can't a girl like me dream big?"

"I'd be a fool to argue with that," John said plainly.

"Isn't it normal to want more?" she said as she regained her confidence. "To want something meaningful?"

"Normal? Sure," John replied, but it was laced with humor. "But normal isn't the word I'd use to describe you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She raised her eyebrow, curious.

"It means you're not like someone who wanted to settle less," he continued. "You've got this way about you, makes a man think twice of your high standards."

Her cheeks burned even hotter, and she glanced away. "You're just saying that."

"Am I?" he shot back, still smirking. "Don't sell yourself short, Charlotte."

Her heart raced at the way he said her name—like it was something he didn't throw around lightly. She managed a nervous laugh, hoping it would mask how flustered she felt. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should," he said when his smirk softened into a faint smile.

For a brief pause, Charlie cleared her throat, and her nerves pushed her to speak again.

"Your turn, what's your vision?" she asked.

His smile faded, and he looked away again. John inhaled and exhaled before he answered.

"What I want... it's not something I've let myself think about much. Haven't had the luxury." He paused, his eyes meeting hers again. "But if I had to be honest, I'd say I want something simple like yours. A family. A place to call home. Someone to come home to. I thought of wanting to settle down, but I don't think that's not going to happen anytime until my last breath."

Charlie stared at him. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say next, but the way he said made her heart sank on his last words. She felt sympathetic to him suddenly. A shy smile tugged at her lips.

"Someone to come home to," she repeated. "Does she have to be normal?"

"Nah," John shook his head and said, "I'd prefer she tells me what she wants since I don't play casually."

She held her breath. The way his eyes hadn't moved away from her. His words play in her mind—someone to come home to. Charlie leaned back against her car and let out a sigh.

"Your life is different than mine," she added.

He nodded before he moved towards her, his imposing frame blocking out the light of the streetlamp above them and her heart skipped a beat when he stopped near her. Her eyes lifted to meet him above that her chin stop to his chest.

"You're right," he said gruffly, never leaving his eyes from her. "We are different."

"But what if I like you?" she challenged.

He felt his pulse quicken at her words, but he shook his head with a frown.

Steady, Price.

"You deserve someone better than me."

Then, it was her turn to frown back to him. She chewed on her lower lip, contemplating. He frowned, causing her to release her grip on her bottom lip.

"You really have to stop biting your lip like that," John remarked.

"Or what?" Charlie tilted her head.

"Or else it cannot be reversed."

She searched his face, looking for any sign of annoyance. But his eyes were dark, and his expression became serious.

"Then, what if I don't want things to be reversed?" she challenged him again.

This time, John inhaled sharply through his nose. He seemed conflicted, desire warring with reluctance. She held her breath, waiting for his response until he closed his eyes and opened them again.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, Charlie," he said huskily.

She had been silent before speaking up.

"What if I do? Do you want to kiss me, Johnathan?"

He stood still, and he was taken aback by her request. John inhaled through his nose and exhaled before he chuckled, the way it sounded from him was warm yet rough like she couldn't forget how it sounded to her ears. Rough, but gentle like there was a hidden scouse accent in him.

When he paused to gather his thoughts, he smiled but in a devilish way. In a calm and confident tone, he replied, "That's quite daring of you to ask, Daniels."

Before she could say a word, her heart skip a beat as he lowered his head down to her. She held her breath when his hand gently caressed her cheek, she closed her eyes. Her lips almost parted like she was expecting his lips pressed against hers.

Instead, his lips pressed against her forehead.

Charlie almost gasped. Her stomach pooled within her as she felt a rush of disappointment. She moved her hand out from the pocket and clenched into fists, along with the key she still has. Trying to stay calm, she felt his hot breath kissing her forehead once again.

His beard brushing against her skin as they tickled her. But while his lips linger on her forehead, Charlie listened to him groan before he exhaled through his nose. They were close, and Charlie inhaled his scent—earthy and masculine. They suit him. Her heart continued to pound against her chest after he pulled away.

When she opened her eyes, she found him staring back at her. His hand remained cradling her cheek on one side.

"You didn't kiss me," she whispered, but it was also a statement.

John smiled ruefully. "Trust me, love. You're not ready."

Charlie stared at him, her eyes wide as the word "love" echoed in her ears. Her heart skipped a beat, and she blinked, trying to process it.

"Uhm... what?" she said hoarsely.

"You'd best get home," he ignored her words after removing his hand from her cheek and shoved his hands in his front pockets. "It's late."

Her lips parted as if to respond, but her voice didn't come immediately. She could argue or question him. But instead, she found herself nodding. Totally immersed of how he was handling 'this' moment between them.

"Right."

He gave her a quick smile. "Goodnight, love."

There it was again.

That word.

It rolled off his tongue so easily that she almost doubted she'd heard it the first time. Almost.

"Goodnight, John," she said before turning her back from him.

He watched her fumbled with her keys and unlocked the door while he was stepping back. John watched her like he always did—with intensity that made her feel seen in ways she wasn't sure what it was going on.

When he turned and walked away, Charlie turned around over her shoulder and watched his figure cut a solid shape under the streetlights. Standing still, she exhaled softly before going inside her car and closed the door with a soft thud.

She watched him through the windshield as he disappeared into the night. The air in her car felt heavy after the encounter, and she could feel her cheeks flushed before a giddy smile spread across her face.

"Love," she said to herself, testing the word on her tongue. It sounded foreign yet rousing.

With one last glance at where he was heading, she started the engine and drove off.

***

When John climbed inside his truck, he sat in the darkened interior of the truck.

Staring at the front view, he sighed hard. He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel and his hands gripped tightened.

The way her eyes held with hope when she asks him questions and the kiss. The question she wanted to know about his vision—he knew the longer she's around with him, the harder it is for him to suppress his desire.

Her vision aligned with his.

That would be true but their lives are different.

She doesn't know what wars were like on the high ground.

He doesn't know how to live or be normal like her.

Ye, the risks of being involved with someone younger. He knew their worlds were like oil and water—impossibly incompatible.

He had to keep himself in check.

Because if he give in...

He wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop.

----

🔥 When a Simple Study Date Turns into a Full-Blown Crisis 🔥

So let's get this straight—John Price spends an evening helping Charlie with her thesis, sees her off like a proper gentleman... and yet somehow ends up having a whole-arse emotional breakdown in his truck. 😂

Like, sir, WHY are you gripping the steering wheel like you just survived a battlefield?? 💀

But let's be real:

Charlie is playing with FIRE. 🫠 She's throwing out lines like, "What if I like you?" and "Do you want to kiss me, Johnathan?" GIRL, DO YOU WANT THIS MAN TO LOSE HIS SANITY?!

John is absolutely FUMBLING. The forehead kiss?? The "You're not ready." EXCUSE ME, SIR?? Did you just Jedi mind-trick her into being even MORE obsessed with you??

Also, him calling her "love" so casually?? 🫣 You just KNOW she's going to be replaying that in her head on the drive home.

AND THEN, this man sits in his truck, gripping his steering wheel like it insulted his mother, knowing damn well he is two seconds away from risking it all. 🤦‍♂️

❓ Reader Check-In: Let's Talk About THIS CHAOS ❓

John thinks he's being a gentleman by holding back—do we think he's doing the right thing, or is he just making things worse? 😏

Forehead kisses: The ultimate soft moment, or the most frustrating tease of all time? (Because Charlie was not okayafter that one.) 😭

John says "You're not ready." If you were Charlie, how would YOU respond to that?? 👀

📢 REMINDER! 📢

📖 I release 3 new chapters every Friday!

📖 And if I'm feeling generous, I might drop a surprise chapter on Wednesday! 🎁

Alright, drop your thoughts—because I am unwell after this one. 😩🔥