Tempted By You

by Stephanie Nicole Norris

  “You got somewhere to be?” Carla interrupted.

  Jasmine cleared her throat. “Luke’s taking me out, and I don’t think I’m coming home tonight.”

  Carla’s eyes widened with euphoric glee, and she clapped her hands. “Good for you!”

  “Yeah,” Eden said sarcastically, “good for you.” Eden sat the glass down and sulked out of the room.

  Carla and Jasmine watched her exit.

  “Should you go after her?” Carla asked

  “No, give her some time. Besides, I’ve got to get ready.”

  “You were never going to call me, were you?”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “Mmhmm.”

  Carla wiggled down off the stool and grabbed the bottle of pinot grigio.

  “You’re taking the wine?” Jasmine asked.

  “I sure am, you don’t need it, you’ve got Luke,” she said with emphasis.

  “And you’ve got Jacob,” Jasmine returned.

  Carla winked. “Not officially, but I’m sure working on it.”

  Jasmine shook her head and watched Carla saunter to the door.

  “Your piercings are cute by the way.”

  Carla turned back to Jasmine with a smile on her lips.

  “Why thank you, dear.” She winked. “Jacob likes them, too.”

  “You already told me that.”

  Carla snickered and sashayed on to the door where she opened it, glanced over her shoulder, winked at Jasmine, then left.

  Chapter Ten

  The Mercedes-Benz hit eighty miles per hour as it shot down the expressway. With the top down and the wind blowing in her hair, Jasmine turned her face up to the dark clouds and closed her eyes. It was so refreshing being with Luke in public, showing their affection and not having to hide how they really felt. She almost couldn’t believe she’d been missing out on such an opportunity for years. Yeah, Jasmine knew what was at stake, but it was her choice to give in to fears that he would be unfaithful or give this relationship of theirs her all. That’s exactly what she planned to do, and as far as she was concerned, it would always be that way unless Luke gave her a reason to take her love back.

  Luke shifted gears in the sports car, and Jasmine reached for his hand. He glanced at her with heavy dark eyes and a piercing gaze that sent shivers racing through her bloodstream. He was comfortable in a black button-down shirt that revealed his thick neckline where the collar stood unfastened against his honey brown skin. The spicy scent that drifted from him watered her mouth and lugged her body closer to him.

  Leaning further over, Jasmine’s hand dropped to his lap and skidded across the denim that covered his muscled thigh. Now Luke’s gaze pricked her skin as his lids fell further, giving off waves of unbearable heat. With his orbs dark as ever, Luke shifted gears again and took his attention back to the road while giving off a single warning.

  “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

  The deep groove of his voice sent a whispering tickle over Jasmine’s skin. Her lips lifted at the corners of her mouth and spread naughtily into a rising smile so high her eyes became a squint as her cheeks crushed into them.

  “What makes you think I can’t finish?”

  Luke’s tongue curved against his teeth as he sucked wind through them. He steered the sports car around a sharp curve with precision, and they glided effortlessly as if Luke owned the road, and it bowed to his will. He glanced back at her. “I’m attempting to be a gentleman and take you to dinner, but you’re really testing me, Princess.”

  Jasmine smirked. After Carla left her condo, Jasmine showered, oiled, and coiled her hair into a Farrah Fawcett curl that feathered off the sides of her face and danced in a spring on her shoulder blade whenever she moved. As she had toured her closet, thoughts of she and Luke’s interaction in front of the mayor’s office pulled her under a spell, and before she could snap out of it, Jasmine found herself drowning in the heat of his mouth and the scent of his masculine fragrance. A full fifteen minutes later, Jasmine came up for air, snapping out of her reverie so hard it was as if she’d been brought back to life. Her intake of breath was frantic as she gasped and groveled to get control of her breathing. She tried to shake it, tried to tell herself this thing between them needed to advance at a snail’s pace. Besides, how else would she know that Luke was trustworthy of everything that made her a woman? Jasmine’s heart ran rampant as she stood in the depths of her vast walk-in closet going back and forth with herself. But it was no use, she was weak for him. Not in a way that made her irresponsible, or gullible but in that mystical way that caused her heart to lurch by just the notion of spending quality time with him. It was then that the riskier side of Jasmine began to win over the logical side. Didn’t she tell herself earlier that she would let her guard down and try love with him head-on? The urge to let loose and be free with Luke curled inside her soul and beat against the makeup of her being in the way a sound wave bounced off the walls.

  Jasmine straightened her shoulders and broke out of her shell. Strolling deeper inside her closet, she picked out a dress that was sure to give Luke the impression that Jasmine wanted him tonight in a way that was carnal, unruly, and downright reckless to the point of leaving her throbbing and aching for mercy without being granted the leniency. She’d never felt such a raw animalistic need for another human. The uncanniness of it frightened her just a bit but not enough to halt her forward progress. The dress lied thin against the soft flesh of her midthigh, but her romp lifted the back, turning the cocktail wear into a mini skirt. If that didn’t send the message, the garment underneath would, and Jasmine had never felt such courage to expose herself to him.

  Jasmine smiled to herself as the breeze continued to whip through her hair. Her hand squeezed his hard thigh.

  “I’m not looking for a gentleman tonight.”

  Her brown eyes never left him, and at her implication, Luke’s grasp on the steering wheel tightened while his right hand shifted the car’s gears again. He glanced back to her and saw the dare in her dark brown gaze. She’d morphed into a siren, and his libido kicked up tenfold.

  “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” he said.

  “Maybe not, but I’m ready for the ride of my life.”

  Jasmine crossed her legs, draping the silky brown limb over her thigh. As a result, the edge of the gown rose, giving Luke greater access to the milk chocolate highway that was her thighs. They hid her valley below just by a shimmering thread, and Luke’s heart thundered in his chest just as his dick pitched in his pants. He’d wanted Jasmine for so long that even though she was giving him permission to take her Luke knew that she couldn’t understand the virility of the beast that lied within. The thing was Luke had no control when it came to her. She was the one person who could rule him. She was more than his princess. She was his Queen, and whatever she required would be hers in a heartbeat.

  “Change of plans,” he said, his tongue cruising across his bottom lip. Luke divided his attention between the road and Jasmine’s sultry eyes and divine face. “Take a ride with me to a place that can only be approached by water.”

  Jasmine’s eyes glimmered in the moonlight.

  “I’m with you,” she said. “Wherever you take me now, I’m your hostage and we don’t need negotiation.”

  Luke’s body flared with heat. He would try and control himself tonight. It was a promise he was making internally, and although that was so in the same notion, he didn’t trust his resistance.

  “Damn it.”

  “What’s wrong?” Jasmine asked.

  Luke grinned, and his dimples pierced his skin. The depth of them only turned Jasmine on more, and her hand sailed down her thigh as she squeezed them together.

  “You,” he said, letting a gruff breath grizzle from his throat.

  Jasmine’s eyes brightened, and her widespread smile knocked the wind from him. She winked, and he winked back as he exited the freeway and hit a few sharp turns then drove down a dirt
pathway.

  Luke pulled the Mercedes-Benz up to a shipping dock and parked then got out the car and swiftly went to the passenger side to offer Jasmine a helping hand. With her palm slipping into his, Luke led her to a three-story white yacht with gold chrome outlining the exterior. Across the hull read “The Alexandria.” The name caused Jasmine to pause, and her mind to shuffle.

  As her eyes cruised across each letter in the gold title, the heavy lashes that shadowed her high cheekbones soared in surprise.

  “Could it be a coincidence that you named your boat Alexandria?” she asked.

  Luke tugged her hand, pulling her attention from the lettering to his sharp, assessing gaze.

  “No,” he said, watching her. “I named her after you.”

  A flutter in Jasmine’s heart caused her mouth to part and take in a roughhousing breath.

  “Are you really that surprised?”

  Jasmine opened her mouth to speak as her vision returned to the yacht’s lettering. “Why would you?”

  Luke’s head tilted, and he stepped closer his chest grazing Jasmine’s breasts. The heat from his closeness made her center thump and her body glaze with warmth.

  “She’s my safe harbor. Whenever I needed to disappear, me and Alexandria would take a ride on the calm seas. It was the only thing that could relax me.” He cleared his throat. “While the storm that raged inside me was because of you, Jas, ironically you were also the thing that calmed my spirit and put me to rest. I know this may be confusing, but to try and be clear, the years after our meeting in your father’s orchard were rough for me.”

  Jasmine squinted. “But you were making so many moves. You graduated college with honors, you became a professor, you learned how to ride a motorcycle and practically ruled the road once you were an expert.”

  Luke smirked.

  “You excelled in every way there was to rise. How could you have needed reprieve from all of that?”

  Luke lifted her fingers to his lips where he kissed the back of her hand lightly.

  “Because within, I was tortured.” He stared at her, holding Jasmine’s full attention. “I know it was my decision to end our relationship before it had a chance to begin and trust me, I suffered many sleepless nights following that choice. But it was necessary.”

  “How can you say that?” she said, taking a meager step back.

  Luke pulled her back close. “What do you mean?”

  “It was necessary for you to turn your back on me, on us? I thought you just weren’t that into me to be totally honest.”

  Luke’s gaze darkened, and his heart thumped as intense astonishment hit him full force. “What?” his baritone voice brimmed, unsure that he’d heard her correctly. His fingers roped through hers and tightened as the other hand lifted to her chin to caress her there. “You mean to tell me when your lips touched mine that day you couldn’t tell how much I needed you?”

  His lips were a breath away from hers now, and Jasmine’s pulse rocked against her flesh.

  “I—”

  “Come here, let me show you what I’m talking about.”

  Luke brought his lips down to meet hers, and his warm mouth moved between the plump outer lay of her lips. She was crushed in a passionate flare of fire that crawled down her body, drenching her in heat that spread to the nails in her toes. As if on cue, Jasmine’s toes curled and stretched, responding to the flame that settled in the soles of her feet. Her lips followed Luke’s lead in a dance that allowed them to taste each other so thoroughly that their nerves played off the exuberant energy that clung between their mouths. Static sparks cracked around them, and a wave of chills assaulted their flesh. Luke pulled off Jasmine’s mouth but hovered above her top lip as warm minty breath continued to kiss her furnaced brims.

  “If you didn’t know then,” Luke said, “how about now?”

  Jasmine’s gaze faltered, and her body vibrated from the stimulating kiss.

  “I know I messed up,” Luke said.

  “Damn right you did,” came Jasmine’s quick retort. “You dated other women, knowing how I felt about you.”

  Luke’s heart constricted. “I thought it was the right thing to do. You were young. I was ashamed.”

  At Jasmine’s crinkled nose, Luke reiterated. “Not ashamed to be with you, but ashamed that I had fallen in love with my best friend’s little sister.”

  Jasmine’s eyes widened, and her cheeks swelled with heat.

  “You were in love with me?” she asked, her voice cracking at the realization of his words.

  “Am,” he restated, “I am in love with you, Princess.”

  Jasmine’s heart soared, and every part of her immediately became hungry. As if sensing her inner flustering, Luke moved at the same time Jasmine did. She reached for him and leapt into his arms as his long arms circled her, branding thick masculine hands into her backside. Their bodies crushed against one another as their lips smashed and their hearts pounded off their breastbones. An unyielding moan filtered the air as it slipped from Jasmine’s mouth between the barrage of tense, hot kisses. Arching in his arms, Jasmine yearned to be joined with him, and Luke’s kisses sent new spiraling desire racing through her.

  Luke turned and carried her up the metal ramp that led to The Alexandria. Once on board, they both pulled apart long enough to stare at each other with awe-inspiring appreciation.

  “You never told me where we were going,” Jasmine said, shaken to her core.

  “My lakeshore house,” his lids draped heavily, holding her between his hypnotic gaze. Grabbing her hand, Luke kissed each and every one of her fingers before sliding one into his wet mouth. The heat from his tongue put Jasmine’s emotions into overdrive. Her engine had been utterly ignited, and the more Luke touched her, the wetter her inner thighs became. This was why she hadn’t worn panties in the first place.

  “Let me show you around.”

  This was Luke’s attempt to show restraint. Not that he wouldn’t fill the cup that she’d so openly offered to him, but that he would do it without tearing her apart, at least until he was sure she could handle it. Luke sat her down on her feet and slipped his hand inside hers.

  The deck had hardwood floors that traced around to the helm where the steering wheel sat in gold chrome. As they strolled, Jasmine traced her fingers over the frame of it, admiring the detail. Luke released her hand, pulling

  Jasmine to his front, where he swept her into the cover of his chest with his arms. He kept the gap between her bottom and his crotch closed, and Jasmine could feel the evidence of his arousal as they strolled slowly together. Jasmine was comfortable tucked between his chest, and the natural scent that spilled from him made her turn her face to snuggle under his neck. A surge of heat sailed over Luke, and when he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbled against Jasmine’s upturned nose.

  “You wanna give it a ride?” Luke asked, trying to stay focused, but his comment had the opposite effect.

  She turned around to face him, her hands trailing up his shoulders where she gripped his shirt and pulled him in even closer. She knew he was trying to be a gentleman, but he also knew that she wasn’t looking for that tonight. Jasmine stuck her tongue out, trailing his lips, a purr of a moan leaving her mouth. Luke’s eyes faltered, and he welcomed the soft prod of her tongue. He could taste the mint she’d retrieved from his mouth during their make-out session moments before, and it only fueled his starvation for her.

  Another moan left Jasmine’s mouth and traveled down Luke’s throat which was met with his own barbaric stimulated growl. As if Luke’s body disagreed with his “taking it slow approach,” Luke’s hands reached behind her and fiddled with the strings that held her dress together. The tug of war within himself was real, but Jasmine knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. She reached behind her head and met his fingers. With a smooth pull of her necktie, the strings came undone, and the fabric slid down her body along with an electric current that followed its way down to her feet. Luke’s gaze was midni
ght as he combed over her chocolate frame with a meticulous assessment. His nerves leapt with boisterous vigor as he gained a satisfying view of what she wore underneath the dress. Red and black lace adorned Jasmine’s breast with straps that traveled down her smooth chocolate skin to red see-through panties.

  “Jas …” his deep voice trembled across her skin. “You are so beautiful.”

  Jasmine blushed and dropped her head then twirled to give him a look at her backside. Instinctively, Luke reached down and grabbed the fullness of her derriere with a smack, lifting just slightly enough to have her on the tips of her toes. It caused a yelp to shoot from her mouth and, with cock-strong strength, he twirled her back by her ass to him, planting Jasmine against the rock that was his chest. His lips crashed into hers, rolling over and under as they hungrily ate each other’s mouths, turning their coupling into a game of who could consume the other first. Their heartbeats synchronized as both pounded one against the other. Luke’s lips left hers to nibble along her face, neck and, earlobe. Jasmine’s mouth led its own trail of kisses along his face, to his neck where she bit softly into his flesh. Another primal sound left Luke’s throat, and Jasmine’s lips spread into a wicked smile.

  She removed herself from his grasp, stepping back from him just an inch to come out of her heels and sweep them to the side with her feet. Feeling bereft, Luke reached for her, but Jasmine evaded his grasp.

  “Hold on there, fella,” she said, wagging a finger at him.

  “Don’t make me go another second without touching you.” His voice was gruff, and his pupils dilated as if he’d transformed into something primitive and supernatural. She sashayed with a feminine sway of her hips around to the bow of the yacht, bending to stretch her long shapely limbs, and climbed on top.

  “Play some music,” she said.

  Luke grabbed a remote that sat on a mahogany brown tray next to a built-in table top and hit a button. The surround sound transported them as Ciara began singing “Dance Like We’re Making Love.”