“Then I guess I better find my umbrella,” I say with a smile. “And next time it rains, I’ll come find you.”

His response is a sizzling kiss that nearly melts me into the car door.

“C’mon. Let’s go inside.”

The way he says it makes me think he’s somehow gotten into the abandoned house, but as I follow him up the driveway, he passes the walkway leading to the front door and leads me to the backyard. He holds my hand as we walk through the wet weeds toward the shed. A dim orange glow illuminates the small window, and I assume he must have his lantern on inside. The door of the shed is open a crack, and Acorn pokes his nose out when he hears us approaching.

“Hi, little guy,” I say as we step inside, and he immediately starts wagging his tail and bouncing on his front paws.

“I think he likes it here,” Evan says.

I stand near the door and peer around the small, dim space. I’m afraid if I move, I’ll walk right into a spider web. A sleeping bag is on the floor under the window, and Acorn’s dishes are on the other side of the room, next to Evan’s guitar case.

“We can sit on the sleeping bag.” He moves the lantern from the middle of the floor to one of the corners. “Or we can sit on these old lawn chairs I found. I just have to clean them off.”

“Um….” I gnaw my lower lip and try to fight off all the phobias that are engulfing me.

“What’s wrong?”

The breath I’ve been holding whooshes from my lungs. “It’s just a little scary in here.”

“Scary how? What are you scared of?”

“Spiders, mostly. And bats.”

“The only thing in here that can hurt you is me.”

A shiver creeps down my spine. “Would you?” I whisper. “Hurt me?”

He backs me up against the cobweb-strewn wall and leans his arms on either side of my head, trapping me.

“I don’t want to, but I will. And you’ll keep letting me.” He brushes his lips across mine. “You falling in love with me will destroy us both.”

My heart pounds so hard I’m certain he can feel it against his own chest.

I force out my next question. “You think I’m falling in love with you?”

“Why else would you be here?”

I tremble as he grabs my waist and presses his hard body against mine. I want to deny his accusation, but his lips on mine stop the lies from spilling from my mouth. I’m pinned like a butterfly specimen, splayed open with no way to hide, vulnerable to his physical and emotional scrutiny.

“I know you want me, Piper.” He slides a gentle hand along the curve of my hip, then down over the back pocket of my jeans. He cups my ass cheek in his hand and squeezes hard—like he’s claiming ownership. “And I know you’re falling in love with me.”

“Blue….” I say his name like what he’s saying can’t possibly be true.

“Don’t worry, baby. I think I’m falling in love with you too.”

He lifts me off the floor in a single motion that seems effortless. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck and hold on tight while he carries me to the other side of the room, releasing my hold on him only when he lowers me onto the thin sleeping bag.

“And….” His eyes darken for a moment and it fills me with that flash of worry that he’s got one foot ready to run if I get too close. He’s scared. Maybe as much as I am. “… it’s scaring the fucking hell out of me.”

He climbs between my parted legs and lowers his mouth onto mine, kissing me in that crazy, desperate way he does, like there’s something inside me he needs and can’t find.

When I can’t breathe anymore, I pull away. His long hair falls into my face as I stare up into his eyes. The thin sleeping bag offers no protection from the wooden floor, and I shift slightly beneath his weight while I gather my thoughts.

“We can be scared together,” I whisper reassuringly, trying to convince both of us that it’ll be okay. Although honestly, I’m not sure anything can extinguish the fear his eyes convey.

He nods, his eyes locked onto mine, and slowly rubs his thumb across my bottom lip. The shaking of his hand is like a vise around my heart, and it clenches and explodes into millions of little pieces aching with love and protectiveness over him.

“Have you been in love before?” I ask softly. Did she hurt him? Was she the reason he left his home? Did she kick him out?

It takes him a few moments to answer, and he uses those moments to slowly remove my clothes while I use those moments to hope his answer is no.