Loving the Enemy (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 0)

by Charmaine Pauls

  “Hey,” he said, “that’s not kind, seeing that I’ve been considerate and dived far from you.”

  She laughed again. “The water’s freezing. You could have warned me.”

  “And spoil the surprise?” He grinned.

  “You’re evil.”

  He tread water next to her, wiping the drops from his face. If she had any idea how evil, she’d run, as fast as she could. Only, now, out here in the middle of the ocean, she was pretty much his prisoner. Not unlike she’d been all along, without realizing.

  “Why do you always look like that?” she said.

  “Like what?”

  “You get this strange, moody look.”

  She was too observant for his peace of mind. Before he could think of a reply, Lily squealed. She turned in a circle, looking down.

  “Jacob!”

  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him, her back against his chest. “What’s wrong?”

  “Something touched my leg.” She shivered. “What is that?”

  “It’s probably just a jellyfish or seaweed.” He hugged her tight. Her skin was soft against his, the cold water amplifying just how warm her little body was. His dick realized it too, and it twitched as she pushed her ass deeper into him, getting as close as she could. He wanted nothing more than to bury his cock between those ass cheeks, but he was growing hard against her, and had no choice but to put some distance between them, holding her at arm’s length.

  Lily turned in his grasp. The minute he looked into those blue eyes, he knew he was fucked. Her eyelashes dipped, shining with drops, and her mouth parted as she looked up at him. Despite the cold water her cheeks were flushed. She was perfect, from the top of her shiny black head to the tip of her tiny toes. He couldn’t get enough of her, and while he was getting his visual fill, she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, pressing their bodies together. He froze. His erection was like a steel rod between her legs. He tried to untangle her ankles, but she let go of his neck and kept her balance with one hand on his shoulder, while the other stilled his fingers on her feet.

  “Don’t,” she whispered. “I like this feeling.” She tilted her hips forward. “And so do you.”

  Yep, he was definitely fucked. And so was she, if she didn’t let go. “My body naturally reacts to friction, Lily,” he lied. “If you rub up against me, I’m going to get hard.”

  For a second disappointment flickered in her eyes, making him feel like a jerk. “Are you saying you don’t like me?”

  “Like’s got nothing to do with it. You’ve got a beautiful body, sweetheart. Any single man in his right mind will have the same reaction.”

  “So, you’re single.”

  Clever minx, using his own words against him. “That doesn’t change anything.”

  “Why not?”

  “For starters, you’re too young. And you don’t know me, Lily. You don’t know what kind of man I am.”

  “But I know how you make me feel.” She guided his hand from her ankle to the front of her body, pushing it down into the elastic of her bikini briefs.

  Jacob stilled. She was bare. The pressure building at the base of his cock was going to detonate, and when it did, it was going to blow his mind to pieces. She slid his hand over her slick skin, and fuck it, she was hot and wet. He ached with a need he had never known before. She took his hand lower, and the gods of evil helped him, but he couldn’t resist cupping her small mound and curling his middle finger, dipping only the first digit into the moistness of her tight folds.

  She threw her head back and gasped, her long lashes brushing her cheeks, even if his touch was nothing more than a gentle probe. Her reaction jerked Jacob back to his senses. He pulled his hand from her bikini briefs and pushed her away harshly. Lily opened her eyes to stare at him in dazed confusion.

  His chest felt tight, the air stuck painfully between his ribs. “Unless you want to be thoroughly fucked, don’t do that again.”

  She gave a little breathless laugh. “I was kind of hoping for a gentle initiation, but I think I can handle being fucked.”

  “Shit.” He moved away from her, as far as he could.

  “We’re attracted to each other. And it’s not like my virginity’s sacred to me or anything. I’d like you to be my first.”

  “Fuck.” He swam back to the boat and climbed up the ladder. He didn’t even give a damn that she could now see how hard he was for her with his wet swimming suit molding his crotch. “Get up here, and fix dinner.”

  She did as she was told, her head low. When she walked past him, he grabbed her wrist.

  “It’s not that I don’t want you, sweetheart. As you’ve said, it’s obvious. But you need a man who you can love, and who can love you back, and I’m not loving material.”

  She gave him a cutting look. “Stop assuming to know what I need. You don’t have to baby me. I can take no for an answer. And you don’t owe me any explanations.” She gently freed her arm and picked up her towel, starting to dry her body.

  Jacob watched her warily. Under different circumstances, he wouldn’t have hesitated to make her his, to claim her and mark her. But this was as fucked up as a situation could get.

  He had his shower, and when he went back to the kitchen, she wore the yellow dress he liked so much because it made her look even more feminine than she already was. Tears streamed over her cheeks. She sniffed as she diced an onion.

  Chuckling, he took the knife from her. “Let me.”

  She stepped aside obediently, allowing him to continue the task. When she emptied a packet of spaghetti into a pot, he knew she was going to boil it soggy, like the previous time, while not giving the sauce enough time to simmer.

  Distracting her, he reached around her for the sugar pot and said, “The secret of a good tomato sauce is a teaspoon of sugar and Worchester sauce.”

  “Really?”

  “Here.” He handed her the sugar and watched as she measured a spoonful carefully with her slender fingers, her brow pleated in concentration.

  She stirred it into the pot. “Like that, or more?”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “That should do it.”

  “How come you know so much about cooking? That curry was amazing.”

  “My granny. She was a good teacher.”

  Lily smiled. “My mom liked cooking too, but I guess she never needed to.”

  Her expression became clouded then. Jacob knew her mother died young, and he also knew she grew up in a house where she was served and pampered. Actually, he had expected a brat, not this sweet girl who played havoc with his hormones. She reached for a jug of cold water to fill the pot in which she had placed the pasta.

  “Why don’t we have a glass of wine on the deck while the sauce simmers?” he said, trying to be subtle. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that her attempt at cooking pasta sucked.

  “Okay,” she said with a shrug.

  He took a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from the fridge and uncorked the bottle. When they came back, he’d explain to her that the water needs to boil before she put the pasta in, and that it doesn’t need to cook for thirty minutes. Lily had much to learn, but of everything she lacked, her skills in survival concerned him most.

  Chapter Six

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  The nightmare kept on returning. Sometimes she only woke from it in a cold sweat, but tonight her waking was accompanied by screaming. Lily shot up in the bed, her chest heaving. Jacob came running into her room, dressed only his boxer shorts.

  “The dream?” he said sitting down next to her and taking her into his arms.

  She rested her head on his chest. “How do I stop them, Jacob? How do I keep the dreams from coming?”

  His arms tightened around her. “I don’t know, sweetheart. If I could take them away from you, I would.”

  She pushed away to look at him. “You’d do that for me?”

  “I’d do anything for you.”

  “Except fuck me.”
/>
  He took a ragged breath. “Lily…”

  “I know, I know. I’m too young. How old are you?”

  “Too old.”

  “How old?”

  He sighed. “Thirty.”

  She smiled into his chest, inhaling his male fragrance. “That’s pretty old.”

  His laugh was soft. It vibrated through her body, stimulating her nerve endings until they all came alive.

  “Want me to stay?”

  Her reply was to lie back down, pulling him with her. When Jacob settled next to her, she put her head on his chest. His heart was beating as fast as hers was. She placed her hand on his tight stomach and felt his muscles bunch. She trailed her hand lower, until it rested over the erection now tenting his boxer shorts, and for once he didn’t stop her. He hissed as she wrapped her hand around his thickness. He was so broad, her fingertips didn’t meet.

  “Why aren’t you stopping me?”

  His voice was strained. “I’m a man, Lily.”

  “I can feel that.” She increased the pressure of her grip and moved her palm down. “Meaning?”

  He groaned. “Meaning my self-constraint is wearing thin. I’m no saint. In fact, I’m far from it. Do you have any idea how many hand jobs I’ve needed since you came into my life?”

  “Really? You get off thinking about me?” She stroked up, causing him to curse under his breath.

  “Fuck, Lily.” He caught her wrist. “Do you please yourself?”

  It wasn’t like she hadn’t tried. It just didn’t feel right. She couldn’t turn herself on. But that was before she knew Jacob.

  “No,” she said.

  She squeezed and he grunted.

  “You’ve never had an orgasm?”

  “My hands don’t seem to do the trick.”

  “And you’ve never tried a vibrator?”

  “My dad is very controlling, Jacob. He monitors all my purchases.”

  “I see.”

  “Maybe I should try again. I could think of you, now.”

  “Lily,” he sat up, “you’re too honest, baby.”

  “And that’s wrong? Why can’t I tell you your body turns me on?”

  “You can tell me, because I won’t abuse that knowledge, but you can’t tell another man, because I don’t trust any other male to be as honorable as I am.”

  He said it jokingly, but from the way his fingers gripped and released hers, it was evident he had a hard time controlling himself.

  “I’m sorry, Jacob. You asked me not to come onto you but I just can’t see why if we both want it. I’m not asking for a love declaration, or forever, I’m asking for a one-night stand. But I respect your decision. I won’t bug you about it any longer.”

  His body went rigid. “A one-night stand? That’s what I am to you?”

  “No. I could have many nights with you, but since you’re so reluctant, I would have settled for one night.”

  He lay back down. “I think it’s a good time to shut up now.”

  “Right.” She put her head back on his chest. “Thanks for staying. I know it’s not easy for you. I can help you out with that hand job if you wish.”

  “Fuck, Lily.” He gave her a soft smack on the ass. “If you don’t restrain that tongue of yours I’m going to break the only rule I’ve ever had and make you wrap it around my cock.”

  Heat coursed through her, lighting her body with a fire at the thought. “I’d like that.”

  He was quiet, but she felt his muscles flex under her cheek.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean to turn you on.”

  He flipped her onto her back so fast that she gave a soft cry of surprise. “Jacob?”

  He stared at her for a while, as if battling an internal fight. Finally, he said, “You don’t know me, Lily. Remember that every time you have an urge to lay your hands on me.”

  “I know enough. I know you’re willing to help me, to risk your life, without knowing why or what happened in my family.”

  His eyes widened. “This is about payback, to thank me for helping you?”

  “Not at all. This is about my body coming alive when you touch me, about wanting you to fill me, to make love to me.”

  He uttered a low groan. “Just go back to sleep.”

  “Okay.”

  The boat rocked gently in the ocean. She nestled against him, and as always, when he was next to her, she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

  After ten days on the sea Lily had picked up a beautiful golden color and a glow on her cheeks. Jacob studied her every moment that he could. He could never get enough. She was still skinny, but she was eating well, and in another month or so her curves would push out beautifully. Already there was a new roundness to her breasts, the upper halves spilling over her bikini top. She’d practically been living in that bikini, to his detriment. But for now, he had other tasks to focus on. They were nearing Durban.

  “Go get dressed,” he called. “We’re almost there.”

  Lily obeyed immediately, disappearing below deck. When she returned, dressed in her yellow sundress and cowboy boots, the jetty came into sight. Jacob was like a string ready to snap, considering all the possible dangers.

  “Whatever you do, don’t leave my side,” he said. He slipped the revolver into the waistband of his jeans, and pulled his denim jacket over it. Next, he slid their passports into his pocket.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We need provisions.”

  Once he had docked, Jacob paid cash for renting a car, and then headed for a wholesale market in the industrial area. He wanted to go in and get out as fast as possible. He had contacted a supplier in advance and found his order ready when he and Lily arrived. He settled the bill in cash, and then drove Lily to a small shopping mall to replenish her toiletries.

  “I need the bathroom,” she said after they had loaded their shopping into the boot of the rental.

  “There’s a public restroom.” Jacob motioned at a sign. “I’ll wait outside.”

  Near the bathroom, Lily stopped.

  “What is it?” Jacob said.

  “That man.” Lily pointed at a tall man with a mall security uniform approaching them. “He was inside the shop as well, and he was staring at me.”

  Jacob’s palms turned hot and sweaty. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the main path. “Walk past.”

  By then the security guard was next to them. Jacob kept an eye on the man, but he walked past with a brisk pace. Before rounding the corner, the guard looked back over his shoulder at them.

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Jacob said. “Let’s go.”

  Glancing around, he walked back to the parking lot. It wasn’t impossible that they had been found. The only connection was Gustavo, which meant Gustavo was tortured, and dead. Jacob clenched his jaw.

  The parking lot wasn’t busy. He had deliberately parked in the middle, far away from the bushes on the side that could hide attackers. Lily was tense next to him. Her arm had gone as rigid as a stick in his grip. There was a frown on her face and she kept on looking back toward the restroom. She had to take plenty of small, fast steps to keep up with him, but he wasn’t going to slow down until they were miles away.

  As they neared the rented car, he pushed Lily behind him and removed his revolver, indicating wordlessly for her to wait while he checked the backseats. Next, he unlocked the door and popped the trunk.

  Satisfied that it was clear, he motioned with the gun toward the passenger side. “Get in.”

  Lily scrambled to obey, fumbling with the door handle and managing to pull her door open after the second attempt. He waited until she was seated, surveying the area over the roof of the car, before he followed. Dropping the gun in the cup holder between the seats, he started the engine and put the car in reverse, aware of Lily’s eyes on him.

  “Is everything all right?” Her voice was small.

  He wasn’t going to lie to her. Not about her life. “Put on your seatbe
lt, sweetheart.” He allowed himself only a glance in her direction to ensure that she executed the command.

  Her fingers shook as she secured the clasp and her eyes were moist, but she did a good job of containing her tears.

  Jacob threw the car into gear, and took off in the direction of the exit. In five seconds he built up enough speed to be caught for reckless driving in the parking lot. He couldn’t wait to get out of there. In the rearview mirror a red sedan came up on their tail, quickly closing the distance. As he put his foot down on the accelerator, causing the vehicle to speed forward with screeching tires, a pickup pulled out right in front of them. Instinctively, he jerked the wheel left, but the collision was unavoidable. The windscreen shattered as the nose of their car folded inward from the impact. His airbag popped, trapping him and obscuring his sight. His first thought was Lily.

  “Lily!”

  She was slumped forward, her body limp, but a soft moan came from her lips.

  He reached for his gun. “Lily, baby, get out! Run!”

  His fingers felt down the seam of the seat until he found the hard plastic of the console, and the cold shaft of the revolver. Lily’s scream pierced the air, and Jacob was aware of her door being yanked open. He turned his weapon to the side and up, aiming for his window, but there was little space to maneuver in the confines of the airbag. He was sweating profusely, trying to aim straight. The last thing he needed was to shoot off his dick, or take a bullet in the leg, or worse, hit the petrol tank. In the precious seconds it took to twist the gun into position and to get the safety off, Lily’s scream turned more distant. Fuck! They had her. And they didn’t need her alive.