by Lan LLP
Squeezing herbal soap onto a washcloth, Carson offers to lather my back. I know I shouldn’t accept, but I couldn’t resist his temptation. Both rules are completely out the window before our bodies are even wet. He drapes my hair over to one side of my neck, gliding his fingertips across the vulnerable area of my nape. I seal my eyes shut, hoping to lock out the fire he’s igniting from just one touch, but it’s useless. My entire backside is now the focus of his attention as he runs a sudsy washcloth over every receptive nerve. I don’t know how much longer I can restrain myself. He inhales the fragrant path along my neck to my shoulder. The feathery pressure of his breath is all that it takes to release my burning desire for him. Desires I’ve been struggling to hold back all day.
I turn around to face him and see his eyes are still closed. Stepping in closer, I lace my fingers together behind his neck and lower his face down to mine. I boldly press my lips against his. His body falls back against the glass wall from shock. Immediately, he pulls me into his arms and our lips meet again. My hands tangle in his hair, and his are at either side of my neck. I can’t explain my assertiveness. Could it be the alcohol’s influence or just the fact that I’m incredibly attracted to him? He finds my hands, intertwines his fingers through them and holds them captive behind my back. Breaking away from our kissing, he attempts to regain control of the situation. He steps out of the shower, leaving me in there, breathless. After a few seconds of reflection, he grabs a towel and heads back into the shower.
Carson turns the water off, wraps me in a thick, body towel and carries me into the bedroom, leaving a slippery, wet path behind us. My body is carefully settled in the middle of the bed again. I lay there in agonizing anticipation, wondering what he’ll do next. He finally climbs into bed and places his damp body, towel still around his waist, over mine. He nestles his pelvis between my thighs and continues where we left off in the shower.
“I think I’ll have my dessert now if you don’t mind,” he murmurs softly while sporting his irresistible dimpled smile. The towel around my chest is slowly unwrapped to expose my breasts, feverish from the shower. Oh god is he…are we…going to…? I want this, don’t I? Of course I do. I thought I was pissed at him. He’s going to think I’m easy, but I don’t care. My mind is attempting to reason rationally, but all I hear is I want him. I want him. His hazel eyes widen with desire. I arch my head back on the pillow and feel his burning tongue trace along my neck and down to my breasts, leaving a blissful path on my damp skin. Panting and gasping is all I’m capable of expressing.
“You’re beautiful everywhere.” He gently points his index finger to my head, draws it to my face, and then down to my heart. Cupping my breast with one hand, he slowly licks the sensitive tip of my nipple with the tip of his skilled tongue. My body arches in response, and I exhale a pliable moan. He pauses briefly before sealing his mouth firmly over my breast, tenderly sucking it. “I love hearing you moan because of me,” he whispers in my ear before offering the same attentiveness to my other breast. The sensation is unbelievable, and I feel justifiably aroused. If I thought I was hot before, I’m scorching now.
The spinning in my head is taking a backseat while this new sensation is overtaking my entire body. I need him to satisfy the ache between my thighs, but he doesn’t attempt to remove the towel barrier between us. I’m more desperate now that he’s given me a taste of what I’ve been missing all these years. I refuse to resist his relentless teasing any longer. My hands daringly make their way down to his defined waist to loosen his towel, but he quickly clasps them above my head, keeping them both constrained on either side of my face with his fingers laced between mine. “Lily, I want you so fucking bad, but I can’t.” His jaw clenches tightly, holding back his hunger. “You’re still under the influence of alcohol. I won’t take you until you sincerely give yourself to me.” His piercing green eyes stare dead seriously into mine.
“Carson, I’m freely offering myself to you right now. Please,” I plead fearlessly. I’m shameless and not above begging for him to take my body. Who is this sex-craved woman anyways?
“Sweetness, you’re making it very difficult for me to resist you, to control myself.” He lowers himself intimately close to graze his soft, moist lips on my forehead, bridge of my nose and then intensely over my lips. The urgency of his need for me is translated through his kisses. Biting down firmly on his lower lip, it appears that he’s forcing the strength of his will to remain tame. Our eye contact is broken when he seals his shut to blind the temptation lying underneath his body. His hands grip the sheets desperately, clawing and then fisting. I think this is his last hope of hanging onto his dignity. “Goodnight Lily, only offer your body to me when you believe it in your heart,” he murmurs and rolls off of me. Lying flat on his back, he attempts to steady his labored breathing.
It warms my heart to know that he respects me tremendously to be able to put his personal needs aside. I’m positive this evening hasn’t been a walk in the park for him either. Somehow or someway, he must have a special place for me in his heart. This is definitely not the direction I was planning on taking with mine. But after today, how can I imagine a life without him? With this final thought, I move my body closer to his, place my head against his chest and close my eyes to sleep in the comfort of his protective arms.
Chapter 8
Lillian Ly
Ah…I don’t think I’ve slept this well since I’ve moved to this island. Stretching my arms wide to release a satisfying yawn, I suddenly realize that I’m completely naked, so I modestly pull the bed sheet over my chest, hoping Carson isn’t watching. Urgh, this tension headache is going to bother me all day. I close my eyes, press the heels of my palms on my temples and move them in a circular motion to relieve some of the pressure in my head. The last thing I remember is shamelessly offering my body to Carson. How embarrassing was that? It’s too late to fret about it now; I have a class to catch. What time is it? I panic. Why isn’t Carson in bed with me? I scan the room frantically, searching for him.
Calmly sitting at a table full of breakfast food, he observes my every awkward move from the terrace. I wonder what time Mr. Bright-and-Early Bradley got up this morning. He’s fully dressed in dark gray slacks and a striped, button-down, dress shirt, already looking compellingly handsome. I gather the bed sheet around my body, tuck it securely under my arms, and head for the terrace, dragging my make-shift gown along the floor. His amorous eyes intently follow my every move, making me self-conscious. I inhale his freshly showered, herbal scent combined with his light cologne. Oh god, he smells heavenly and delicious.
“Good morning beautiful! Did you sleep well last night?” he greets me cheerfully with an irresistible tight-lipped smile while sitting nonchalantly with one foot resting on the opposite knee. His elbows lean comfortably on top of the chair arms and his hands are loosely laced together.
“Good morning to you also and yes, I slept like a baby. Why didn’t you wake me up sooner? What time is it? I still have to get back to the dorm to get dressed and be in class by 9:00 a.m.” I worriedly ask. His arched brow and partial grin tells me he’s amused with my rapid fire of questions. I must look like a hysterical mess to him.
“So many questions to start the morning, Lily, how about breakfast first, and then we’ll work our way through the other the issues.” His response is amazingly calm and collected which helps settle my nerves quickly. I sit down across from him. “Juice or coffee?” he offers. I point at the crystal flask with orange juice, and he pours it into a slender glass for me. “I’m not sure what you normally eat for breakfast, so I had them bring a variety of everything.” He lifts all four metal dome lids to reveal my choices.
“Carson, you’re too considerate. I can eat just about anything except for melted ice cream. Remember? Lillian equals low maintenance,” I smirk and take a bite of a sweet, juicy piece of papaya. He serves me an egg white omelet with cheese and spinach and a piece of wheat toast with orange marmalade. He also adds the same i
tems onto his plate. I assume these are his breakfast preferences.
“I’ve never seen anyone quite as beautiful as you. What my eyes see, words can’t describe. Your barely dressed body wrapped in a single sheet is sexier than hell. It’s a challenge for me to control myself around you.” His penetrating eyes tell me his compliment is honest. He shifts his foot down, so his legs are crossed, attempting to conceal the obvious bulge between his thighs.
“Thank you. That’s the most flattering compliment I’ve ever gotten.” I shyly wrap my arms around myself and look away from his doting eyes. He thinks I’m sexy and beautiful, and I can’t help, but feel delighted and flattered.
“It’s now 7:37 a.m.” He glances down at his watch. “I wanted to let you sleep in longer since you were drunk from the Moscato last night.”
I look bashfully away from him again, remembering how I threw myself at him. He pretends not to notice my blushing. “I saw you reach for your head earlier. Here’s an Ibuprofen for you if you need it.” He hands the pill to me. “Owen stopped by your dorm last night and asked Miss McFarland to pack your clothes for this morning. I’ll drop you off for your 9:00 a.m. class and pick you up when your 11:00 a.m. is done. We can have lunch together before you dedicate the rest of your time to studying. I think I have everything covered. Does this answer all your questions?” He has a smug look on his face, knowing he’s already thought and planned every detail out. It’s eerie that he has every hour of my day accounted for even though I’ve never offered him any of that information before.
“No more questions here, well, maybe just one. How do you know my entire schedule?” I grill him, wondering how this man is able to access my information, overstepping some personal boundaries. It’s a little creepy to me, especially since we’ve just met several days ago.
“I make it my priority to know everything about you.” His tone is completely serious, making me even more nervous. First, he tracked me down to the beach and now he knows my daily routine, hour by hour…maybe even by minute. I hope he’s not some crazy stalker. Really? Just the thought of it is absurd. A man as handsome and affluent as he is doesn’t need to stalk anyone. I’m positive he probably has women beating down his door daily for an opportunity to be with him.
I open the bag of clothes Amelia packed for me last night and pull out a pair of capris jeans, a pink cotton t-shirt, and a sexy matching bra and undies set which doesn’t belong to me. There’s an amused look on my face as I force myself to suppress my giggles. I guess Amelia wanted to make sure I look hot for my mystery man. She’s unbelievably thoughtful and sweet. I’ll have to thank her tonight. Carson arches one thick, dark brow up, curls his lips sideways and gives me a look that says, How incredibly sexy would you look in that?
Feeling quite embarrassed, I sloppily hug the items into my arms and rush over to the bathroom to dress myself. There’s a brand new toothbrush and some feminine toiletries especially for me to use. He’s certainly attentive to details. After I freshened up, I walk over to the terrace to thank him with an innocent morning peck. My aim is for his cheek, but I end up on his lips instead. What a sly guy, he purposely turns his head so our lips would meet. “I can get used to starting my mornings like this, thank you,” I whisper against his mouth while blushing.
He licks his lips, savoring the kiss he practically stole from me. “Give me the okay, and I can definitely make it happen for you.” He detains me in his arms and helps himself to more of my lips, enjoying our playfulness.
____________________
The drive to school is peaceful with a cheery, golden sunrise that reminds me of a radiant sunflower. Pathology is what I’m trying to absorb as Carson centers his attention on the GPS direction. His reflecting eyes are completely distracting, pulling me away from my focus. “Carson, what are you thinking about?” I interrupt his pondering, wanting to know what’s consuming his thoughts, the morning after our first night together.
He reaches over for my right hand, brings it up to his lips, kisses along my knuckles and says, “Why couldn’t I have you in my life sooner?” The sincerity in his tone is crystal clear.
“Because I’d be jailbait,” I tease him and giggle.
He gives out a throaty laugh. “I was wrong about my first impression of you. You’re not coy at all. You’re independent, strong willed, and most definitely capable of handling yourself.” He looks impressed and almost proud.
“By the way, is it rude for a woman to ask a man his age?” I, of course, already know this information from his medical record, but wanted to see his reaction when he tells me we’re ten years apart.
“Would you like to know how old I am, Lily?” He narrows his eyes and gives me a playful and skeptical look.
“Well…yes!” I excitedly urge him.
“I’m thirty-two.” There’s a combined look of guilt and hesitance on his handsome face as he anticipates my reaction.
“Wow, you’re really old!” I continue to tease him.
He laughs and pretends to look hurt at the same time from my old age comment. “Ouch! That hurts, Lily. I didn’t think you had that in you.” He releases my hand and presses his hand to his heart as if I just stabbed it with my evil comment. “Just to let you know, along with old age, there’s wisdom and perfected skills,” he adds and looks over at me with his sultry eyes.
“Is that so? I can’t wait for you to share some of your wisdom and perfected skills with me.” He smiles and shakes his head at my amateur flirting. I enjoy this more personable side of Carson. He’s not as arrogant and cold as I initially pegged him to be.
Carson reluctantly drives up to a gated entrance. I flash the guards my school ID badge and they grant us permission into the school with friendly smiles. The idea of leaving him for a few hours is already unsettling. How did I let him affect me so easily? The answer is obvious, just look at him. He’s everything a girl wants in a single package; sexy, charming, thoughtful, attentive and mysterious. I hope he doesn’t catch me visually lusting over him while I pretend to study my notes.
My gawking stops the minute the SUV stops. “Where should I drop you off?” Carson asks, and I point to a sign for Journey Hall. He pulls up along the sidewalk and puts his SUV in park. Carson is promptly on my side with the door opened before I can even reach for my books in the backseat. He offers his arm while unloading my books from me and then closes the door. I grab my books from him as he proceeds to lean into me. Automatically, I step backward and fall against the metal door. He steps forward and cages my body against the SUV between his long, toned arms. His focus is only on me while locking his beautiful eyes with mine.
“Thank you for an amazing time,” he whispers into my ear. Curious eyes target us, but it doesn’t faze him. He tilts my chin up and plants an intense kiss, one that I know will stay with me for the rest of the day. He pulls away, leaving me tongue-tied and verbally unresponsive. “I’ll meet you here at 12:30 p.m. sharp. Don’t keep me waiting because every minute counts when I spend them with you.” All I could do is nod my head in response while trying to hide my satisfied expression. It puts an instant smile on his face, knowing his kiss is responsible for my reaction.
I finally break free from his trance and assure him, “I’ll be here at 12:30.” He watches my unsteady legs carry me towards Journey Hall, waves his hand and then drives away.
Amelia had witnessed my knee-buckling moment with Carson. She was among the crowd of curious, staring eyes. Her arm excitedly waves me over to our usual seats, and I’m ambushed with a hundred questions before I could even sit down. Thank god Richard isn’t here yet. “Shh…Ame, I’ll tell you everything tonight, but you have to keep it on the down-low when Richard gets here. I need to explain Carson to him. I owe him at least that much.” She pretends to zip her lips shut and sticks her pinky finger out to me. I roll my eyes at her while linking my pinky with hers. Amelia is super smart, but I sometimes wonder if her parents sheltered her too much. She can be such a big kid sometimes.
Ri
chard greets me with a simple, “Hi,” and then takes his usual seat to my right. He seems withdrawn as he stares directly at the professor’s podium with tunnel vision. I have to talk to him soon. His stiff body language tells me he’s upset about something or with someone. Obviously, it’s me since he refuses to look into my eyes. I can’t imagine how more disappointed he’ll be when I tell him I can’t meet for lunch today. Forcing myself to stop overthinking, I relax in my seat, and direct my attention to Professor Roentgen.
Minutes later, I’m restless again. It’s impossible for me to concentrate, knowing Richard is unhappy because of me. I fidget restlessly in my seat while I plan out my talk with him. My eyes avoid his as I formulate the words I think will hurt him least. But no matter how I put it, the truth is, Richard isn’t the man my heart wants. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t have any chemistry between us. However, with Richard, my emotions are suppressible, but with Carson, it’s impossible. He makes me desire things I thought I could wait for until later on in life.
Richard finally turns to look in my direction, but still avoids any prolonged eye contact. I think he’s noticing that I’m not taking any notes like I routinely do. A concern expression spreads across his face, causing me more anxiety and guilt. Fortunately, the class ends, and we make a mad exodus for the next one. Seeing how tense he already seems, I decide our talk can wait until we’re finished.
The second class drags on forever, and I’m thankful when it’s finally over. My anxiety feels like the carbonated pressure behind a well shaken soda can ready to explode. Richard leads the way to our usual seats in the lunch room. I elbow Amelia subtly, signaling her to disappear, so I can have a private moment with Richard. She fabricates an excuse about leaving something back at our room and will meet us in a few minutes.