Chapter 2 Next door neighbors

Sophie's POV

As Jackson drove off, I felt down, I wished that my parents had not appeared anytime soon. He left a trail of dust as he drove off, I looked forward to meeting him again but what are the chances that we might meet. I needed something to do, something to take my mind of the handsome man that just caught my attention. There was still something to worry about, he was visibly older than me and my parents might disapprove if anything should result from the attraction between us.

"Hi, I'm Carlie." The woman that accompanied my parents appeared before me and pulled me into a hug.

I grimaced but quickly forced out a smile. "Nice to meet you, I'm Sophie."

"Let me be the first person to welcome you and your parents to town." She giggled.

I frowned and shot a disapproving glare at my mother, she noticed it and shot me a glare of her own. I didn't like her enthusiasm, I didn't want to be here, I was exhausted, what I wanted to do was to lay on my bed and think of my next meeting with the perfect man named Jackson. I recalled that Carlie had called him 'Marshal', what did she mean? I couldn't ask while I was around my parents.

"Come on Sophie, Let's get you to your new home."

I looked at my father and he nodded. "Go with her Sophie, I'll have to go back and get the car, your mother will come along with you."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes but I followed my mother and Carlie who were chatting like old friends. When we arrived in front of the house, it unnerved me but I loved the structure and appreciated the balance of materials with the artistry of designs. I entered the house and took a room far from my parents room, I didn't want them monitoring my every activities. I unpacked my suitcase and rearranged the room which was already clean and spotless, thanks to my mother.

I thought of fixing myself lunch but when I recalled that my mother and Carlie were probably in the living room having a conversation that I don't want to be involved in, I lost appetite and chose to remain in my room.

A few hours passed,

It was already evening and I was bored, I couldn't remain in my room for so long without doing anything, at least I needed to explore the town and meet new people if possible, run into Jackson. My heart fluttered as I thought about him, I wondered what he must be doing and whether or not he was really attracted to me or whatever we did earlier was just harmless flirting. So many thoughts came to my mind and I couldn't sit still anymore. I would start my job as a secretary in the Federal Court House soon and I was pretty excited about it even though I might be busy most of the time.

I needed answers and there was only one way to get it and it was way better than shutting myself in my room to avoid conversing with my parents. I grabbed my jacket and left the house without informing my parents about where I was off to, I was nineteen and definitely old enough to take care of myself.

I had moved away from my house and was approaching the next building on the street when I ran into someone I least expected but in my mind was thrilled. "Hi." I felt awkward. Jumpy. I was face to face with someone that had been on my mind since we first met.

He stared at me with an expressionless face, I started to wonder if I was too expectant and forward. "Don't you think that you should smile more Jackson?"

"How do you know that I'm not grinning in my head?" He asked me, his face still expressionless.

"At seeing me?" I joked.

"Sure." He shrugged.

"Are you serious?" I didn't want to get my hopes up but I was looking forward to his response.

He delayed for a moment before he grinned. "Yes, I was just thinking about you"

I wanted to turn away, I wasn't averse to flirting but this didn't feel as harmless as flirting normally did. At the same time, I felt reckless because I knew that the pull between us wasn't going the way of idle flirtation that would end anytime soon.

"Why are you here? Were you stalking me?" I raised my eyebrows.

He shook his head and chuckled lightly, it was melodious to my ears. "Well no, infact I live here." He started walking towards the next building, I was dumbfounded because I had been wondering how I was going to meet him again but in the end, he was living in the building next to mine. We were neighbors which meant I could see him whenever I wanted to.

I didn't wait for an invite but I followed after him as he entered his house, it was different from mine, the colors were black and white and a mix of grey here and there but I loved it. As I admired the living room, he came out of the kitchen with a plate of egg salad sandwich and thrusted it in my direction.

"Thank you." I muttered and settled into a sofa and he sat besides me with a bottle of alcohol in one hand and phone in the other. My eyes lingered on him, I had intended no intimacy with my prolonged gaze, still an awareness spiked in the air like a fever between us. Jackson dropped his gaze from his phone and studied the beads of cold sweat on his alcohol bottle.

"What?" He suddenly asked.

"Uh- nothing." I took a bite of the sandwich.

"Tell me." His eyes was fixed on me and there was no chance for me to hide.

"Nothing, I was bored at home and I was lucky to run into you."

"I would say the same, How old are you Sophie?"

"Nineteen," He didn't reply. "I'm not a kid." I blurted out, I didn't want him to avoid me. He leaned closer, cupped his free hand around my throat, lowered his mouth to mine and teased my lip apart with his tongue. I felt the rush of need, sharp edged wave of it that left limo. He didn't bring me closer nor did he deepen the kiss, instead it was slow, cool and devastatingly controlled. When he drew back, I kept my eyes closed, still absorbing the flood of sensation. My heart was pounding in my ears after I opened my eyes. "God," was all I managed to say.

"Problem?"

"No." I pressed my lips together and pressed a hand on my stomach where a hard ball of need had hotly lodged. "Jackson," I touched his cheek and gently stroked it with my thumb. "Don't think too much about it."

He cracked a smile, the feel of it beneath my hand filled my heart with a myriad of emotions. "I'm flattered."

I shook my head.

He turned his head ever so slightly till his parted lips reached the mound of flesh below my thumb. My pulse began to speed up and a tremor of desire rose inside me, his breath warmed my skin. I watched as his lips part further and close over my skin, pressing kisses to the sensitive insides of my wrist. The tip of his tongue slowly traced the creases of my palm but then I couldn't watch anymore because the sheer pleasure of it became to fierce and the sensual ache inside me scattered so near and so far, so hard and deep as pleasure overwhelmed me. My head fell back, exposing my neck and inviting his lips but his lips never reached my throat, instead he pulled back, lowered my hand, his jaw clamped tight.

Afraid to know why, I forced myself to meet Jackson's eyes, to understand why but frustration was evident on his face

Jackson's POV:

Her lips were soft and inviting and I couldn't resist, it was like water, pure sweet water after an agonizing thirst on a hot day. She was nineteen, damn she was so young. I got lost in thought and couldn't help but think that everything happening between us was wrong.

"It's too early for regret." She smirked at me, I could see the gleeful look in her eyes.

I couldn't misunderstand that, she must have tasted the emotions in the kiss but I didn't know how to respond her provocation. I let my ragged breath excuse my silence, I stretched out my legs and faced her once again, not knowing what would happen. Whether the hard and certain reality of falling for her would add up to anything lasting, it felt like pure lust and nothing more, not strings should be attached. But I couldn't throw in the towel on myself or her yet, if nothing ever came out of it, if whatever there is between us wasn't meant to last, I wanted to know it wasn't because attachment or longing.

"This shouldn't have happened Sophie."

"Ever?

"Ever is a long time. I'm twenty seven."

"And so?" She slightly tilted her head to the side and pouted her lips with an innocent smile on her face.

She was going to be the death of me if she kept up with her attitude. I forced myself to think of something aside her lips, something like how boring my job could be sometimes but it doesn't work because she kept coyly blinking her big green eyes at me which becomes a distraction from my thoughts. I coughed lightly "So tell me, how come your parents haven't gone in search of you yet?"

She rolled her eyes. "They are probably busy and they didn't think I would get lost in a town like this."

"Well, there are chances that you can. You can't be too careful around here."

"So what do you do in the town? I heard Carlie call you Marshal earlier."

"What do you think?" I raised one of my eyebrows, it was pretty obvious as long as she really thought about it.

"You are a federal marshal?"

"Yes. Come on, it's time to get you home." I stood up and pulled her to her feet, I stiffened as she wrapped her arms around me.

"But I don't want to leave yet."

"But you have to," I needed an excuse to get her away from me before one thing led to another. "We can't give your parents a chance to worry about you, besides you can easily show up another day." That seemed to convince her and she followed behind me as we went to her house.

I rang the doorbell, for a minute there was no response, Sophie hugged me from behind. I forcefully break out of her clutches and placed her beside me. Before she could utter a word of protest, the door opened to reveal her mother.

"Sophie! Where have you been?" Lexi demanded with a stern expression.

"I was just here and there but look who I ran to." Sophie flashed her a cheeky smile.

Then Lexi finally noticed me, "It's nice to see you again Jackson. Come on in"

I shook my head. "Maybe some other time, I have a few things to attend to."

"That's fine then, thank you for bringing my daughter back. I hope she wasn't a lot of trouble."

I glanced at Sophie who brazenly winked at me because her mother wasn't watching her. I stiffened and forced out a very convincing smile. "No she wasn't."

"Mum! I didn't wander too far, in fact he lives in the next building."

"That's nice-"

"I would be taking my leave now. See you some other time Sophie." I gave a curt nod to the both of them before I started walking away. When I got back to the solace of my home, I let out a huge sigh that I had been holding in