Seduced by You (Taken by You Book Two)

by Young, M. L.

  The crickets were surprisingly tame. I ate every single one in the bowl. They weren’t chewy or soggy, and were pleasantly crisp. The vegetable and noodle mix complemented them perfectly, as did the mango sauce.

  “I have to say, I’m impressed,” Blake said, after I ate most of my bowl.

  “I told you I could do it,” I said, before letting out a small burp.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Blake

  Having a nice night out with Penny was starting to become one of my favorite things. I never thought it could happen, but it did, and I couldn’t help but love it in every sense of the word.

  To me it didn’t matter what we did, where we went, who we saw, or anything else. I didn’t care if we were at a gourmet restaurant, a dive bar, out shopping, at a movie, or anything else. Hell, we could just go walking by the bay and I’d be more than content, even on a chilly night like tonight. Just as long as I was with her, I was fine.

  My feelings for her had grown almost tenfold since we got back together. We were to a point, at least in my mind, that was better than when we split up those dreadful days ago. We weren’t in a bad place then, but this experience seemed to make us both grow, and I was doing most of the growing. I was such a cold soul before I met her, and if I hadn’t come out of my office that morning when she was sitting in my building, I might not have ever changed.

  There she was that day, essentially sitting in a glass box, staring at me, as I stared back at her and wondered who in the hell she was. I was so enamored out of the gate by her beauty, though it was unconventional, and I knew I wanted her. My feelings were, of course, carnal in the beginning, but I believe that’s how it is under most circumstances. You’re attracted to a person’s body and physical stature before you’re ever attracted to their mind or the essence of the person. When I got to know her, though, I tossed all that aside and realized I was really starting to like her.

  Every time we were together my feelings grew and grew until I didn’t even know what to do with myself. I wasn’t myself anymore, and I couldn’t say it was a bad thing. It was definitely good, but scary at the same time. I’d had to rediscover the things that made me, me. I’d given up a slice of the control I so desperately craved and instead filled it with a level of trust I hadn’t felt in what seemed like ages.

  Then, things came crashing down. Even though I still love him, Tom spilled it all, just when things couldn’t have been at a worse time. Penny stormed off, leaving me at the party, and I just wanted to scream and throw something through a window. Heartbreak is never a pretty thing.

  I mostly stayed at home that week, though I still consumed myself in my work to try to get over the pain. I thought that if I could just occupy myself long enough I’d get over my feelings for her and move on with my life again. I’d meet some new women, go out to a few clubs, and find someone even better than her. That didn’t happen. Instead, I thought about her constantly, sending her a few messages that probably reeked of desperation.

  I’d finally given up when I got another chance, and I’d decided not to throw that away. Sure, I still liked being in control, and sure, I probably exerted that sometimes, but it wasn’t anywhere near like it was before. She didn’t even mention what happened between us, and I wasn’t sure if she just didn’t want to relive it, or if she’d just moved on and forgiven me for it. She hadn’t tried to punish me yet, so that was good—although I might be fine with a spanking or two.

  As Penny and I walked out of the restaurant, I grabbed her hand and held onto it for dear life as I looked at her smiling shyly back at me. She always had a way of making me melt a little inside when I made her smile. We walked past scores of people on the sidewalk, none of them recognizing me. The cold air couldn’t keep people from going out.

  As we approached our lot, which was around the corner, I saw a man sitting on the side of the street with a cardboard sign and a cup, which was halfway full of loose change. He kept his head down, presumably because of the cold, and was bundled from head to toe in wool clothing.

  “Here,” I said, as I took two twenty-dollar bills from my pocket.

  He looked up, his eyes turning bright, and I almost thought I saw a few tears forming when he noticed what I was handing him.

  “Thank you so much, sir,” he said.

  I nodded, grabbed Penny’s hand again, and off we went. I caught her looking at me with admiration, as if I’d just ended world hunger, but I didn’t say a word. We got to the car, I unlocked it, and opened her door vertically as I grabbed her hand again and helped her inside. I closed her door, got into my seat, and locked us in as my stallion of Italian engineering roared as loud as a thousand hungry lions before I pulled out and we stampeded off.

  We had no other real plans for the night except for going back to my place. It was the go-to place, nothing special, but extremely memorable for the two of us. There was nothing I wanted more than to just hold her and kiss her and never let go. I think that was why I pushed for her to come over as often as I did. I was never like that with past girlfriends or flames. I guess I’d never had the kind of feelings for them that I had for her.

  We pulled into my garage and up my special elevator, looking out over the lights of the city while we ascended. I looked over at her, slyly, and saw her big eyes shimmering like diamonds in the light. She was so beautifully perfect. I still couldn’t believe I’d snagged somebody as great as her.

  The elevator soon stopped and we got out of the car as the doors opened and walked into my apartment. The floors were sparkling. Rosa, one of my housekeepers, must’ve cleaned them today.

  “Drink?” I asked, as I walked into the kitchen.

  “Have any wine?” she asked.

  “Of course. All rich guys have wine,” I said, smiling.

  I grabbed a bottle from the fridge, nothing fancy, and got two glasses before walking over to her and nodding off to the side.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “The media room. I thought we could watch a movie or something,” I said.

  “Sounds perfect,” she replied.

  We walked inside, dimmed the lights, and got into our favorite oversized seats before I uncorked the bottle and poured some in our glasses. The white nectar, a gift from a business partner, tickled my senses before I set my glass down and picked up the remote. We scrolled through a few movies before deciding on a romantic one, which was more her choice than mine. Whatever, though, I was just happy to be here with her right now.

  The movie started and Penny, who was at my side, grabbed my hand, pulled her feet up onto the sofa, and snuggled up to me. I smiled, though she couldn’t see, before I kissed her forehead as she got even closer to me.

  I put my arm around her a few minutes in, and felt a warm feeling in my stomach as she turned to me and kissed me softly on the lips. I didn’t want to admit to those types of feelings, but I guess I wasn’t ashamed of them anymore. Some might think it’s not manly to get butterflies, but I think admitting when you get them is the manliest thing of all.

  The movie, which had some humor peppered in around the undying romance, soon ended and we were both left tired and ready for bed. I turned off the entertainment system, set our glasses down, and grabbed Penny’s hand as I whisked her away towards the bedroom. She giggled, I smiled, and I even chased her inside as she pranced around so I couldn’t tickle her, which I admittedly tried to do.

  She got on the bed and I jumped on top of her. Her smile and laughter were contagious and I couldn’t help doing it myself. I rolled onto my side, the two of us both still in our date clothes, as I propped my head up with my hand and looked at her. A soft glow from the moonlight outside came in and reflected in her eyes.

  I leaned in, kissing her softly, tasting the lingering alcohol on her lips. They tasted as sweet as her, and I only wished I could taste them even longer. With her hand on my jaw, and mine on her hip, we began to make out like hormonal and very horny teenagers who were finally left alone for the first time
. It didn’t lead to anything, as we’d knocked that out of the park earlier, but I still couldn’t help but feel entirely turned on as I kissed the only woman who mattered in my world.

  After fifteen minutes we stopped, and she slowly pulled back as our lips still stuck together until the very end. Our eyes opened at the same time, and as I gazed into hers I swore I could see a glimpse of her perfect soul. She smiled, causing me to smile too, as I tried unsuccessfully to hold it back.

  “I’m sleepy,” she said, as she yawned a little.

  “Need some clothes?” I asked.

  She nodded and I got up and went into my closet before pulling out some old pajamas and bringing them to her. She slipped off her dress, pulled up my pajama pants, and slipped the old, tattered shirt over top before hopping back into bed.

  She might have been in my old pajamas, but she looked like the most beautiful girl in the world. She picked up her phone and checked her email as I slipped out of my clothes and pulled on some black pajama pants that were by far my favorites. As she set down her phone, she looked at me, and as she locked eyes with me she started to smile.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” I replied, as I got in bed and under the covers.

  “Thank you for today,” she said, as she cuddled up to me.

  “Thank you for suggesting it. It was a little out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I tried it. It’s always good to try something new,” I said.

  I extended my arm and she nuzzled herself up towards me as she wrapped her right arm around my torso and put her head on my chest. I tried to control my breathing as my heart rate picked up every time she cuddled up against me. I was like a teenager again with her. I might not want to relive those days, but I couldn’t say I minded this all too much.

  “Sweet dreams, beautiful,” I said.

  She squeezed me a little harder and I turned off the lights with the remote before tossing it aside and closing my eyes. This was almost too perfect.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Penelope

  Waking up next to Blake was something that I never wanted to stop. I missed it when I was gone and loved it when I was here. His hard body was warm against my arm as I found myself still wrapped around him like when I went to sleep. Had I moved at all during the night, or was I like this the entire time? All I knew was that I loved being here more than anything in the world.

  He was still asleep, his eyes firmly closed. I let go of him and rolled over before grabbing my phone. With my eyes squinted, I unlocked my screen and opened my email app like I did every morning. Five emails loaded, mostly spam or store sale notifications, though one was from my school.

  It said that graduation was around the corner and if we planned on graduating at the end of this semester, we needed to apply for graduation by the end of this coming week. Making a mental note, I exited the app and locked my phone before setting it on the nightstand and cuddling back up to Blake.

  I couldn’t believe I was so close to graduation. I’d spent so much time in school, and I was afraid to do anything else but school. My entire life had consisted of sitting through class, from kindergarten to college, and I didn’t really know anything else. How was I going to cope when quizzes and homework went away? How was my life going to be without stressful finals? What about the friends I’d made and the memories I’d crafted? That would be all I’d have—memories. I knew I’d never get a Masters degree, mostly because of the cost associated with it, so this was really it.

  Blake soon opened his eyes and I looked at him before he turned over, squinting, and looked right back at me. He didn’t say a word, instead just looking at me, as his eyes softened and I leaned in and kissed him.

  “Good morning,” I said.

  “Good morning,” he replied, in a tired-sounding voice.

  “Why are you so tired?” I asked.

  “I didn’t sleep that great last night,” he said.

  “How come?” I asked.

  “Well, I wanted to change positions, but you were still on me,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you just move? I probably wouldn’t have woken up!” I said.

  “I didn’t want to chance it. You looked so peaceful,” he said.

  Butterflies tickled my stomach and I couldn’t hold back my smile. He was so sweet, and he put my needs above his even when he really wanted something. He cared more about my happiness than his, and that really said a lot about the guy he was becoming. It made me even more nervous to tell him what I had to after our trip. It was becoming more and more difficult as these things happened.

  “Thank you,” I said, smiling.

  “Anything for you. Are you hungry? I could use some coffee,” he said.

  “I could eat something,” I said.

  We soon got up and went to the bathroom before going downstairs and shuffling towards the kitchen. The sun was bright and plentiful as it shined brightly through the floor-to-ceiling windows. My eyes were half open at first, as they tried to adjust and not be shocked into staying open. Blake opened the fridge, put some food in the microwave, and started coffee for the two of us. I grabbed a glass of water, as I drank some after waking up every morning at home, and smiled as the cool rush of my drink felt as if it were coursing through my veins.

  “Should be a few minutes,” he said.

  “So, you haven’t burped up any legs, have you?” I asked.

  “Mine didn’t have any. You’d be the one burping them up,” he replied.

  “I don’t have any stuck in my teeth, do I?” I asked, before smiling.

  “Not a single one in sight, thank God,” he replied, with a smile.

  The food was soon done in the microwave, and Blake pulled out the steamer box and ripped it open. The pancakes, which were steaming, filled the room with buttery aromatics as my mouth started to salivate and beg for a bite.

  Blake poured two mugs of coffee, got out the creamer and sugar, and brought it over to the table as I brought the food. He got two plates and silverware before pulling out a tub of freshly cut fruit from the fridge. I picked up three pancakes and put them on my plate before spreading butter around, cutting them into little pieces, and drizzling pure maple syrup over top. I closed my eyes as I took my first bite. I almost thought it was better than one of the orgasms Blake gave me. I didn’t tell him that, of course, so I wouldn’t hurt his feelings, but it was damned good.

  “So, what are the plans for today?” I asked.

  “I figured we could have a lazy morning and then I have to hit the office for a little bit,” he said.

  “Do you work every single day or something?” I asked.

  “Pretty much. It never stops, but I don’t like stopping anyway. You’re free to stay here until I come back,” he said.

  “No, I’ll probably just go home and work on some homework or something. Besides, I don’t want to sit here all alone. It’s big and can get lonely,” I said.

  “Now you know why I like having you over so much,” he said.

  “Oh, I thought it was because of my good looks,” I said, smiling.

  “That too,” he replied.

  “When am I going to see you again?” I asked.

  “When do you want to?”

  “Soon,” I said.

  “Then soon it is.”

  We mostly talked about our days as Blake asked more about school and how I got into coding. I told him about a time when I was introduced to it by a family friend and basically taught myself from tutorials online. I guess it was just a way for me to escape the everyday happenings of my mundane life, and he understood completely. He said that his own life as a kid wasn’t too thrilling, but his mother was a housewife and tried to provide everything she could for him, though it wasn’t always enough.

  She drank every now and again, which was code for often, and while she was a good mother and loved him a lot, it consumed her more times than he could remember. He said he didn’t hate or despise her, but he just wished that the circumstances could h
ave been better. He said his childhood was good overall, though, and he didn’t have any major complaints.

  I loved learning more about Blake and getting to delve deeper into his psyche and discover things about the man I ultimately saw myself with. We weren’t dating yet, or at least we weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend, but I almost thought he was starting to lean that way. After all, you wouldn’t just invite any old girl to come on a business trip with you unless you really liked her and saw some kind of future with her.

  Even though Blake and I were technically dating and seeing each other, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to actually be official with him. Would things change much, or would we pretty much stay like we were now, but just with a title attached? I’d have to take him home to meet my friends and family then, and I couldn’t say I’d enjoy that. They could be pretty rough even with guys back home. I couldn’t imagine how they’d be with a billionaire.

  They’d probably try stupid shit like asking him for money or for a job, and I wasn’t looking forward to putting him in that situation. I guess part of that was the reason I barely ever went back home. What’s the point of seeing people like that, who only want to use you or get something from you? It was part of the reason I moved so far away and why I only went back once in a blue moon. They all thought I’d turned city since coming here, but I’d gladly take the compliment they meant as an obvious insult. I’d rather be city than what they called country any day of the week.

  As I looked at Blake while he read the news on his tablet, I also wondered what things would be like if we ever moved past the relationship phase. Well, at least past the boyfriend and girlfriend phase. Would we ever get engaged, or married, or have kids? I didn’t want any of that right now, I was too young and I still had my entire career and life ahead of me, but what if it happened? We got along just great, and even though we’d had a few hiccups, and we could possibly have another one soon, I didn’t see why we couldn’t move towards that. It would certainly be a whirlwind of a romance story. But I knew I couldn’t just sit around and be the doting trophy wife that maybe at one point in time he’d wanted. I was pretty sure he’d abandoned that idea once he really got to know me, though. I had no desire to leave a career and life just to sit in this apartment and watch television all day. Nicolette might like that, but not me.