Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1)

by Folsom, Rene

  “Please,” I whispered.

  Before I could react further, he pulled the door open and led me in with the hand he was still holding.

  My heart pounded and my stomach dropped as I heard the click of the lock on the door. I turned on the light, set all of my items up in a strategic manner, and told him I was ready. He shut the light off, plummeting us in complete darkness.

  Chapter 15

  “If he wasn’t going to offer his lips to me, I was going to take whatever part of him I could get between my teeth.”

  The electricity in the air told me he was coming closer. Footsteps, barely audible, whispered along the floor behind me.

  My hands fumbled for the canister. I needed to pop the top off and carefully remove the film.

  I could feel him close behind me. He was really close. As I successfully removed the film from its canister, I could feel him move even nearer. I felt his breath by my ear and heard him gasp slightly as a curl fell forward and must have brushed against his face.

  I was just about done putting the film around the reel when I felt his finger slowly push the tendril of hair back behind my ear.

  I deftly finished coiling the film and placed it in the developing tank. Once the lid was in place, effectively protecting my film from light exposure, I spoke.

  “Okay. I’m good.” My voice was barely a whisper. I didn’t seem to have the strength to muster any more volume.

  “Mmhmm…” he moaned in my ear. “Your hair smells divine, Angel.”

  I felt his hand brush against the back of my ear and push my hair to the side, exposing my neck to his touch. I felt his breath on me and, suddenly, it was as if all the oxygen in the room had been used up completely. I couldn’t breathe.

  “You’re so beautiful, even in darkness,” he said adoringly and I felt the tickle of his breath on my neck.

  Warmth sizzled through my abdomen, my clit pulsed, and my nipples hardened. His words whispered through my ears, seductive and alluring.

  His body pressed against my back and he wrapped his hands around my waist, sticking his thumbs into the waistband of my jeans. His fingers gently touched my hipbones. His touch made me arch my back and tilt my head to rest on his shoulder.

  His lips, hot as fire, brushed along the column of my neck. I wanted to turn my body and wrap myself around him, but he held me in place.

  “Aiden, I thought we were going to try and behave ourselves,” I said breathlessly as he continued his assault on my neck.

  “I don’t care,” he mumbled, clearly aware he was melting me to the bone.

  Animalistic lust took us over. Grabbing my shoulders, he quickly turned me so my chest pressed against his and shoved my back up against the wall with just enough force to tell me he was turned on as much as I was.

  As if attempting to control his urges, he let go of me and I felt his hands press against the wall on either side of my head, just above my shoulders.

  “Oh, God. I want to touch you,” he said hoarsely. “I want to touch every inch of you.”

  I could tell his lips were so close. The tip of his nose brushed against mine, causing me to involuntarily tilt my head upward, attempting to close the gap between our lips. As if he sensed me pouncing, he turned his chin up, causing me to meet the scruffy facial hair on his jaw.

  Unable to see my prey, I reached out and dug my nails into his strong back, pulling him closer to me and lightly sinking my teeth into his jaw. If he wasn’t going to offer his lips to me, I was going to take whatever part of him I could get between my teeth.

  As if on cue, a rumble echoed from his throat. His hands snaked down my body, grabbing my ass and pulling me against him.

  The move was so bold; I thought for sure he was going to kiss me. Instead, he tilted his head up, exposing his neck to my nibbling assault.

  His body, hot and hard, pressed me against the cold, concrete wall. His hands, still on my ass, lifted me slightly so I was forced to the tips of my toes.

  I felt his mouth on my neck again and couldn’t help voicing my pleasure.

  “Oh, Aiden. Kiss me now,” I begged. I didn’t know why I had to beg this man to press his lips against mine. I only knew I needed more. So much more.

  “Tell me, Juliana. Do you want me?” he asked softly, caressing my ear with his lips.

  “Christ, yes!” My answer left my mouth before I even had time to process what I was saying. I was quite simply speechless.

  “Then you shall have me… eventually.” With that, he let go, opened the door, and walked out.

  I was left standing there, completely overwhelmed, and aching with desire.

  Utterly pent up with sexual frustration, I had to continue with my film development. After I agitated the developer chemicals in the tank and set it in the flow of water to rinse, I made my way to the lab table and pretended to busy myself. In reality, I was trying to make tabs on where Aiden could have gone.

  As if I summoned him, he came strolling out of his private office and made his way around to his large desk. He looked like the perfect picture of composure, while I felt like I was going to wither away with yearning. This time, aware there were no other students using the lab at this hour, I wasn’t embarrassed as I watched him sit at his iMac and begin to work.

  His movements, as he manipulated the image in Photoshop, were nothing short of impressive. A new thrill roared through me as I thought of him teaching me new and exciting things… and that could be taken so many different ways, which made it even more stimulating.

  Suddenly, as if lightning struck me and jolted my cerebral cortex to function properly, I recognized the photo he was working on.

  It was me.

  He must have taken a photo of me while I was working the other night. The blue glowed around me like an oceanic halo and made the wispy curls that fell out of my hairband around my face look like my hair was flowing in water. I was smiling, my head slightly tilted back as if I was in mid-laugh. There was a slight blur to the photo and I knew it was because of the low lighting. He had to leave the shutter open slightly longer in order to get the proper exposure.

  Not realizing what I was doing, I must have moved across the room to where he sat. My hand rested on his shoulder as I stared at the screen.

  “That’s me…” I whispered, unable to clear the lump that had taken residence in my throat.

  “And it doesn’t even do you justice, Angel,” he said with a hint of adoration.

  I couldn’t help but continue my stare as I dropped to my knees in order to get a view of the screen straight on.

  “Oh, no, Juliana. The last place you belong is on the floor.”

  He swiftly picked me up and placed me in his lap.

  I panicked and looked up around the room. Just as my eyes landed on the closed, locked door, I heard him chuckle.

  I glared back at him with a little annoyance in my stare for laughing at me. Delight touched his eyes as he wrapped his arms around my waist and said, “I closed them shortly after you came in. Technically, I’ve changed the lab time so it doesn’t start until eleven. The changes have been posted, so no one will be surprised. According to Mr. Barnes’ notes, only one student showed up for lab early on Tuesdays or Thursdays… and now I have a strong suspicion, that one student was you. I actually made the decision to do so before I met you. Of course, now I am convinced that I am a pure genius, because this means I have you all to myself, Juliana."

  I just sat there in stunned silence. Not only was I speechless, but my mind was completely blank as well.

  “Do you like it?” he asked, nodding his head toward the computer screen.

  “It’s amazing. You were able to make something so ordinary look absolutely stunning,” I admired.

  “You are anything but ordinary, Juliana. You take my breath away.” His words, whispered into my ear, sent a surge of tingles all over my body.

  I closed my eyes and relished the feel of his breath so close to my skin. I felt him lightly brush my hair to the sid
e and his lips almost touch the puff of my lobe.

  “So beautiful…” he whispered, causing his mouth to brush the edge of my ear. I could feel his excitement press against my backside as I sat in his lap.

  He placed a small peck at the soft skin just behind my ear. Leaning back into the office chair slightly, he let me lay my head on his shoulder and snuggle my nose into the crook of his neck.

  God, he smelled so good. Just the way a man should smell. I wanted to taste him, kiss him, lick him. Luckily, my brains were somewhat aware that we were on campus and I restrained my desires.

  A soft moan left my throat and I felt his hand tuck into my hair at the back of my neck in response.

  He just held me for several moments. I felt so safe and secure in his arms. I barely knew this man and yet he made me feel safer than I had ever felt my entire life.

  His hand slowly left the back of my head and I didn’t move. I didn’t want to move. I felt him move the mouse around and heard a few keystrokes. I could tell he was continuing to work on the photo.

  Feeling a little awkward for being in his way, I slowly tilted and opened my eyes, still keeping my head on his shoulder. I watched him gracefully work with only one hand.

  He must have known I was now watching, because he spoke and said, “This was the only photo that turned out well with the low light.”

  “How many did you take?” I asked.

  “Oh, roughly twenty to thirty. I didn’t count. I wanted to take more, but since I haven’t officially asked the owner if it was okay, I didn’t want to offend anyone and get kicked out,” he chuckled, although I could tell he wasn’t completely joking.

  Just after he saved the photo, his hand came up to my face and cupped my cheek, rubbing light circles around with his thumb. He touched my lips and trailed his fingertips around my jaw.

  He put his hand down to rest on my hip just as I lifted my head and looked at him.

  Our lips were inches apart when I whispered, “I should get back to work.”

  I didn’t make any attempt to move. All it would take is for one slight move in his direction and sparks would fly. I could tell kissing him would be nothing short of mind-blowing. I also knew getting involved with him, especially here, was not wise.

  He brought his hand back up to my face and caressed my skin some more. His finger touching my lips was my undoing. My eyes fluttered shut and I let out a sigh of appreciation.

  Just as I thought he was going to kiss me, he grabbed my face in both his hands and gently placed a kiss on my forehead.

  “Go work, Angel. I promised I’d let you get some work done alone. And I’m nothing if not a man of my word,” he assured me quietly while looking straight into my eyes.

  I got nervous. I didn’t want to be alone, but I also didn’t want to divulge my reasons why. Still, I couldn’t resist…

  “You’re not leaving, are you?” I asked, panic clear as a bell in my voice.

  He chuckled and shook his head, “No, Julia. I don’t have the strength to leave you right now, or possibly ever. I plan to stay in here while you work in the darkroom. I really want to see how those prints turn out and don’t want to be a distraction, unless you need me.”

  “Okay,” I said in a sad, almost scared, sounding voice. I hated myself for sounding so vulnerable, but I couldn’t help it. “Even though you are a distraction, I still want you to stay with me,” I said with a fake smile, trying to recover from my fear-laced response.

  I looked at him with pleading eyes, hoping he wouldn’t ask questions.

  “What are you scared of, Angel? Is everything okay?” Of course, my luck, he asked questions.

  “Yeah, it’s nothing. I’m being silly. I don’t want to burden you,” I said, a silent request visible in my eyes.

  “Of course, I won’t leave. I’ll stay in this room until you’re ready to take me,” he said with a wag of his eyebrows and a grin on his face.

  I thanked him with a hug around his neck and then got up from his lap. I’m sure I was probably breaking his leg from sitting on it for so long.

  The rest of the morning was spent in the darkroom. He did just what he said he would do… he left me to work alone. I knew he was around, which made me feel comfortable, especially since I really didn’t want to be truly alone.

  I was surprised at how focused I managed to keep myself. Every time I heard the darkroom door open, my heart took a flying leap, knowing it would be Aiden’s beautiful form coming through the door.

  By quarter till eleven, I had several very successful prints and couldn’t have been happier with the turnout.

  Noticing the classroom doors were now open, but still no other students were around, I walked to the lab table and laid out my work. Aiden walked over and stood behind me. Since no one else was in the room at the moment, I wished he would touch me, talk to me, breathe on me… anything. But he just stood there, gazing at my work.

  He stood so close he was almost touching his front to my back. But he kept a hairs’ distance between us, which made me excited and disappointed all in one breath.

  Finally, he spoke. “Phenomenal.” It was barely a whisper but it held such sensual truth.

  I turned to him, but he was still looking down at the prints. I just stared at him and smiled. His genuine reaction to my work gave me courage I never knew I had.

  “I was hoping we could eat somewhere a little more private than the courtyard. There’s a little path leading out to…”

  “I’ll go anywhere you take me, Angel,” he interrupted with a shy smile on his face.

  Chapter 16

  “His taste was the anti-venom that would save my life.”

  As soon as the lab volunteer, Angela, showed up at precisely eleven, I knew Aiden was free to leave. Excitedly, I packed all my work away and stashed my things in his office. Aiden smoothly placed his camera around his neck and one shoulder, making it fall effortlessly by his sculpted waist. I smiled as I remembered seeing him wearing his camera like that when he shrugged off my curses in the parking lot on Monday.

  “What are you smiling about?” he asked, just as I was about to head out.

  “Oh, nothing really. Just remembering you wearing your camera like that when I screamed at you Monday. I remember being somewhat surprised that I didn’t know you because I thought I knew all of the photography students. I used to assist some of the beginning students in Mr. Barnes’ other classes. So, when I saw you with the camera, it made me question why I had never seen you before,” I rattled on.

  He chuckled, put his arm around my shoulder, and said, “Well, I’m glad the experience was so memorable for you.”

  I lightly elbowed him in his taut six-pack and gave him a sly grin.

  I grabbed our lunch cooler and led the way out to the back parking lot.

  One thing I liked about Angela, she kept to herself. She just gave us a courteous nod as we headed out the classroom doors together.

  Aiden looked at me curiously but didn’t ask where I was taking him. It was as if he wanted to prove he trusted me, although picking a picnic spot wasn’t really something that earned trust, now was it? Knowing we didn’t want to get caught spending this much time together, I guessed the location was rather important.

  I smiled at the thought of us getting a little too close during our picnic date.

  In the center of the back parking lot was a large gazebo with a sidewalk going straight through. The gazebo, covered in vines of jasmine, smelled divine. Even though I loved the faux-garden paradise, it definitely wasn’t private enough, considering it was smack in the middle of rows and rows of cars.

  Continuing to follow the sidewalk, we walked side by side without speaking. I led him off the sidewalk and through a small canopy of trees.

  This was what I loved about the pine tree forests that lined the backside of the college campus. There were so many beautiful and peaceful places to relax that most people were completely unaware of.

  We followed the small, dirt path th
rough a thicket of trees until we stepped into a small meadow with springtime wildflowers just beginning to bloom.

  I was glad I decided to wear tennis shoes instead of sandals today.

  Since the college had a zoology department, there was a small zoo of animals several hundred yards from this private, little meadow. In the opposite corner of where we stood, we caught sight of a beautiful male peacock with his feathers splayed for us to marvel at his natural beauty.

  Aiden immediately grabbed his camera and began snapping a few shots, squatting down low to get some of the flowers within the viewfinder.

  The peacock was so graceful as he ducked back into the rim of trees and disappeared from our sight. I could faintly hear other peacock calls in the distance and it made me grin. They sounded like crying cats.

  “I remember when I first started going to this school, I had no idea what the sound was that sounded like crying cats,” I chuckled as I continued. “It was probably a few months before someone finally told me there was a zoo department back here.”

  “Yeah, this is a pretty good school,” he said with conviction.

  I just nodded and kept walking.

  Bravely, I grabbed his hand and sparks tingled through me with the slightest touch of skin against skin. His touch was so warm and inviting. Staring at each other, we both just stood there and enjoyed one another’s contact.

  I smiled, knowing I was holding a forbidden fruit in my hand, and caring less whether I ended up banished from the Garden of Eden. In my mind, this fruit was well worth it.

  Breaking our gaze but keeping a tight grasp on his hand, I led him toward a clear spot amongst the wildflowers. Regrettably, I had to let go to spread out a small blanket I was carrying in my arms.

  As I spread the blanket, he kept his hand suspended, as if he pretended my fingers were still enveloped in his.

  Grabbing his hand again, I knelt down on the blanket and looked up at him. At this moment, I saw the carnal desire in his expression.

  Just then, I noticed he still had his camera in his other hand, and by instinct, a smile broke across my face. Noticing my grin, Aiden brought the camera up with the one hand, leaving his other hand still grasped in mine, and took several quick shots of me looking up at him and even a few of me looking away with a bit of embarrassment.