Mark’s displeased frown got replaced by a playful smile. I flinched at that expression, not having a good feeling about it.

“You’re so hot.” The sensuality in his voice sends alarm bells off in my head as I took cautiously a step back. My whole body went rigid as his crooked smile broadens and his eyes glistened with mischievousness.

With my wearily glare I glanced him up and down as I leaned away from him. “What are you planning?” I asked him accusingly.

He took a step in my direction and, as if he sensed my urgency to run away, lassoed his arm around my waist; pulling me against his sturdy chest.

I yelped and jerked my head back, glaring at him as anger swirled in my eyes.. “Mark, I swear to God I-!”

“You’re so alluring.” My anger got cut off by Mark. His eyes darkened, capturing mine, and he stroked with his thumb across my lips as he wet his own. Prepping them for something for which I wasn’t prepared for mentally.

Red blossomed across my cheeks; overshadowing my pigmented freckles as his actions and words stumped me. Words that I wanted to say were taken from my mouth and I struggled to form a coherent sentence as if I was playing tongue twister.

Mark chuckles at my bewildered expression and strokes my cheek. “And adorable.”

As if my tongue was paralyzed, I stumbled over my words. “M-Mark… w-what-I-I!”

Mark threw back his head, letting out a hearty laughter. “You sound like the engine of a car!”

I clamped my mouth shut as I felt the redness on my cheeks intensify, almost matching the color of my hair.

His laughter was infectious, bringing a soft smile onto my lips, but I promptly forced my lips to curve downwards and my eyebrows to match the action as I reminded myself of the fact that he was my stalker and a fucked-up person. I had to ignore the tickling feeling in my heart whenever I felt the vibration of his chest.

Glowering low at him, I tried to wiggle myself free, but Mark had me in a steel grip. ‘Why did I even bother?’ I sighed inwardly.

I pressed my hands against Mark’s chest. I grunted as I tried to push myself as much as possible away from Mark, as our compactness made me uncomfortable.

“Mark.” I gritted, feeling the stinging pain of my bending back. Mark ceased his laughter and focused his stare back at me with a fixed, tender smile.

“So what’s the deal with the le-”

“I love your eyes.”

My sentence was clipped short again by mark as he stared intensely in my eyes.

“Okay?” I drawled, my brow raised as I pushed his face away from me. “I know you love my eyes, but we really have to talk about the le-”

“I want to kiss you.” He hastily cut me off again.

‘The hell?’

Pressing my lips into a thin line, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Mark,” I called my voice even but filled with chagrin at his annoying behavior. “If you think that by being an annoying flirtatious jerk you can change the subject and have me forget about the letter, then you’re an even stupider person than James.”

Mark stilled; his pupils slightly shook as he turned his head away from me, grumbling something under his breath about him not being stupider than James.

I glared at him in disbelieve. “You seriously thought that?”

“Yes, but I also enjoyed your reactions.” He grins as he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I rolled with my eyes and groaned. “Mark…”

“Okay, fine I will tell you.” He caved in, letting his head hung low dejectedly.

“Finally!” I exasperated as I threw my arms in the air.

“But on one condition,” Mark added, and I lowered my arms down with a frustrated groan. “Kiss me.”

I felt the gears in my head come to an immediate halt, leaving me speechless.

“I am not kissing you Mark.” I said resolute through gritted teeth.

He shrugs with an irritating grin plastered on his face. “Then I will not tell you shit.”

“Fine, then I’ll just be on my merry way with the mysterious weirdo.” I retorted.

Mark’s eyes darkens as anger flashed through his eyes. A rumble could be felt underneath my fingertips that were splayed on his chest as a growl tore through his throat. “Not if I lock you away in a place that not even sun rays will penetrate through.”

His foreboding voice that was walking on a thin line of sanity set a shiver down my spine.

This bastard will really do it. He has done it once already.

But…

No matter how much my body was shaking right now, I refused to stand down and just glared at Mark defiantly. “Oh, yeah?” I scoffed, amused. “Try it if you can. I will just call for help, since you gave me my phone back.” I challenged, feeling the corner of my lips twitching in to a smirk.

Mark laughed and tutted with his tongue. “Oh kitten,” He sang. “Did you already forget that you’re living with your stalker, who hacked your phone and put a tracking device on it?” He queried, bemused.

He grabbed my chin and tilted it so that I would look him in the eyes. The thunder that was brewing behind those navy blue eyes whipped the smirk from my face and made me clamp my mouth shut. “I can easily jam your phone calls, kitten.”

I frowned, shifting my eyes away. “You’re such a dickwad.” I grumbled disgruntled, pouting my lips together.

Mark’s expression softens, and he lets out a low chuckle. “But I’m your dickwad.”

I gave him a sideways glare, my eyes flickering to his lips before meeting his eyes again. “You’re really not planning to tell me anything?” I questioned.

He shook his head. “Nope.” He said, popping the p. Seeing how he refused to relent, I let out a resigning sigh.

‘Fuck it.’

“Okay, fine.” I exasperated.

Confusion contoured Mark’s expression. “Wha-”

Before he could further usher his words out that would tick me off, I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for a quick kiss. Just like the wind, our lips connected and disconnected swiftly.

It was an ordinary peck on the lips. No feelings involved. Or at least that was what I tried to tell myself.

I let Mark go and promptly wiped my lips, acting as if the kiss disgusted me, but I was, in fact, trying to wipe away the tingling feeling that he left on them.

My head turned bright red and I couldn’t muster the courage to look Mark dead in the eye. “Happy?” My voice, that was enshrouded by embarrassment, came out shrill, making me curse under my breath as I awaited Mark’s stupid annoying remarks.

But none came. Only pin-drop silence was followed after that. The erratic sound of my beating heart increased as time went by and Mark’s movements were still stilled, leaving my mind with doubts and questions.

‘Was the kiss that bad? Well, it was just a peck, but did I even mess that up?’

‘Why is he so quiet?’

Not being able to handle the silence anymore, I forced to aim my gaze back at Mark. My eyes widen and my jaw dropped. Mark’s head was dyed with deep red that would even leave the tomatoes in the dust. The redness followed him all the way to his ear shells. His body was quivering and with his trembling fingers he tried to cover up his mouth as his eyes were broadened in surprise; the realization of what I did finally settling into his mind.

The man that would always try to make salacious advantages at me. The man whose mood swings would change so drastically that would leave me quailed. The man that always carried a stoic expression, as if nothing surprised him anymore.

That same man has showed me an unprecedented behavior, leaving me totally stumped as I was in awe at the sight.

My scrutinizing stare must have made Mark uncomfortable as he jerked his head away; his mouth still covered. “Don’t look at me…” He grumbled muffled.

‘Wow even his neck is red.’ I thought, shocked, as I stared at the pale neck that was slowly shifting from color like a thermostat.

A tugging sensation could be felt in my heart, my expression simpered, and I was overcome with exciting jitters that couldn’t be settled. Mischievousness was dancing in my eyes and my smile turned wobbly trying to repress it.

‘I want to see more.’

The desire to see the limit of his expression tickled my jester's side. With a sly smile, I took a step forward. Mark flinched and took a step back. “D-Don’t come any closer!” Extending his arm to create some distance between us, he tried to make his voice sound authoritative, but it came out like a flimsy squeak, enhancing my vindictive smile.

I scoffed and just ducked under his arm, continuing my strides. “What’s the matter Mark? You told me to kiss you in exchange for information and I did that, so why is your face so red?” I quipped.

He shots me a warning glare, but it only looked adorable in my eyes. “I didn’t expect you to really do it!” He yelled defensive. “I thought for sure that you would refuse kissing me and just let the whole situation go! But you did it… and my heart wasn’t prepared… and… damn it!”

At the end of the sentence his voice dwindled away into a soft whisper as he covered his face with his hands, letting out frustrated small grunts.

My heart squeezed at the innocent sight, thinking for the first time that Mark had a human side.

With a sardonic smile, I kept on teasing. “What do you mean you weren’t prepared? You’ve kissed me before.”

“This and that are two different things!” He yelled, his head flaring up even more.

I looked up heavenward as I tapped with my index finger thoughtfully on my chin. “But the two of them were actions that required to connect the lips together~.” I sang and glanced at him with a smirk.

He gritted his jaw shut, not able to retort back. With a smug expression, I folded my arms in front of my chest and stood in front of him in a haughty stance.

Despite the difference in our heights, I was able to look down on him. Feeling my shoulders raise up together with my ego as I snorted proudly of my victory.

Mark, who couldn’t stand that I was getting reveled in this, got ticked off. He glowered disgruntled at me, crossing his arms in front of his broad pecs. “Whatever, that kiss didn’t count anyway since I wasn’t prepared, so do it again.” He said, pursing his lips together.

The smirk was still tightly stuck on my face, refusing to diffuse away, and I only raised a brow in amusement as I let out a snort. “You said that the condition was for me to kiss you. You never said when I had to kiss you. So start talking already.”

Mark glared at me intensely before his shoulders slumped and let out a dejected sigh. “Fine.” He said. “Let’s go to the couch and talk.”

He walked past me and beckoned me to follow him. I giggled, pleased that for once the table had been turned.

“Oh!” Mark yelled and stopped in his tracks as he suddenly remembered something. With a cheerful smile, I hummed, oblivious to everything as I looked up at him. He cupped my cheek with his warm hands and leaned in with a vindictive smirk plastered on his face.

“But first…” and before he could finish the sentence, dipped his head down for a chaste kiss, letting his lips linger a little longer on mine before pulling back with a wide grin, revealing his teeth. “I want to kiss you again.” He finished, glancing down at a beet red me and walks to the living room as he whistles pleased.

Rooted in place, I stared at his back, feeling the heat rush through my body.

Which part of him was adorable?