Be My Forever: The Complete Series Box Set

by Lauren Wood

  I breathed a sigh of relief and let out my breath after holding it for way too long. They had no idea of my secret crush and the way that I pined for him from afar.

  “You would have to be blind to not be able to see the progress he has been making. I don’t think that we should let them wait any longer. We are already going to be making a fashionably late entrance.” I felt like the dress was choking me, but the material had a lot of give.

  “Nobody is willing to take the risk of making a move. I’ve come close a couple of times, but I always pull back before it’s too late. I just hope that I can control myself when he takes off his shirt tomorrow in the hot sun. His muscles will ripple and glisten. I’m feeling a little bit flushed just thinking about it.” I suspected that she was part of the secret club. She probably wouldn’t admit it, but being a virgin had become something of a craze.

  “I never thought of that.” It was the only thing that I had been thinking about since I had decided to go on the trip. It was all about getting him naked. Starting with the top and working my way down to the bottom didn’t sound like a bad thing.

  The elevator announced its arrival on our floor and we got in as it descended to the lobby. The red dress would hopefully make him focus on more than just the food at the table. I wasn’t even sure that we were going to be sitting at the table together.

  “I know from personal experience that he can clean up well. Those suits are tailored made for his body. I don’t know where he gets them, but it’s money well spent. He would look damn good out of it, but he does leave you with the chance to imagine the possibilities.” She was taller than I was and made even more so by the high heels she balanced in with experience.

  “I doubt you’ve ever had that much problem attracting the attention of the male gender. I’m sure there are a few girls that have given you the eye without you knowing about it. You could have any man with a motion of your finger. It seems rather reckless to go after a professor.” She seemed to be taking my words in the spirit in which they were given.

  “Every girl has the fantasy of being with the perfect companion and it usually revolves around an older man. I’m no stranger to the way that people look at me. I wear my sexuality on my sleeve. Living in Europe made it necessary to be open sexually.” I didn’t know who she was trying to kid herself or me.

  “There’s no reason to put up this wall and we both know you are French kiss 22.” Her hand extended and she was breathing kind of funny like she was about to pass out.

  “How could you possibly…know that?” She seemed rather ashamed and there was nothing for her to be embarrassed about. It was perfectly natural to want that moment to be something written in the stars.

  “You didn’t exactly make it hard to figure it out. Your recollections of playing by the river Seine and your handle pretty much gave it away from the very beginning. I confirmed my suspicion by making you talk about the professors. I was able to put the pieces together rather quickly when I had all the information.” She was stunned by this revelation and I wanted her to know that it was no big deal.

  “I hope you’re not going to tell anybody about this. It’s a private matter and a lifestyle choice. It seems only fair for you to tell me your handle. You have me at an unfair advantage and I feel it’s necessary that we are on equal footing.” I had no problem sharing, but only to those who were of like mind when it came to abstaining from the pleasures of the flesh.

  “My handle is Once Bitten 24. I don’t see this as being a big thing. There’s no reason to get bent out of shape about this. I admire your right to choose the person that makes your heart go crazy. We all have that certain someone and I won’t even ask you what man does it for you.” I could only hope that her answer wouldn’t be Professor Jenkins. I had no idea what I would do if his name slipped from her lips.

  “I have a couple who have given me a reason to think that maybe I don’t have to wait until marriage. The one that comes to mind has the flair of an artist. His life has been all about beauty and how to capture its likeness on the canvas. I want to be his muse and to stand out from the crowd.” Francis Boudreaux was one of those professors who could have you eating out of the palm of his hand. He demanded that each of his students excel beyond his expectations.

  “I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never actually taken one of his classes.” I was feeling like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. She would’ve been stiff competition had she had her sight set to go after what was going to be in my bed.

  “He makes you feel exposed and vulnerable to his criticism. He believes in tough love. I know from an ad he put out recently looking for nude models that he wants to unshackle himself from society’s blind eyes. I actually sent a reply anonymously. We’ve been corresponding for the last few days. I gave him the impression that he was talking to an unsatisfied housewife. I just don’t know if I have the grapefruits to actually show him my true self.” She didn’t seem to be the type to have to think about things before doing them.

  “You do have this funny way of painting an explicit photograph.” I could smell the food cooking in the kitchen and how the fragrance was wafting in the air.

  “I’ve never felt like this before and I think that it goes without saying that French people are a bit more passionate and open to the emotion of love. I never could take them seriously, but they really do mature when they get older.” That was a testament to Francis.

  “I was wondering what was taking you so long.” Darryl was standing behind us and I was slightly concerned about how much he had heard of our conversation.

  “Girls have the tendency to make guys wait for the unveiling.” Camilla followed this statement by twirling in place and then grabbing me to do the same thing.

  “I see what you mean and maybe I should keep my mouth shut the next time I have something to say about a woman’s right to be fashionably late to the party. That dress…ahem…those dresses surely do make a statement.” I wasn’t sure, but I could swear that he had a slip of the tongue.

  “It’s not every day we get the chance to dress up.” I was trying not to show the way that my chest had flushed.

  “I know what you mean but in the exact opposite way. In the classroom, I feel like a million bucks in my suits. Here in a foreign land, I am able to let my hair down. It’s not that I have much to let down.” His locks were neatly shorn and I wasn’t sure how I felt about him losing what I considered the Sampson quality.

  “The new look is fitting for this humidity. I did that once a couple of years ago to reinvent the wheel. I wanted to change everything about me, but I knew it was only a superficial decision predicated on a young man breaking my heart.” Confessing wasn’t my strong suit, but I felt completely at ease telling him some of my darkest secrets.

  “Save that kind of talk until after we have a few drinks, but don’t go making a public nuisance. I don’t want to see this on Instagram or Face book. I know that you are old enough to make your own decisions, but I don’t need your parents coming to my house with torches.” I almost burst out laughing, but I could understand his trepidation for giving our parents the wrong impression.

  Chapter four

  Darryl

  The meal wasn’t as intimidating as Amelia had alluded to. There was nothing strange on the plate. Everything was quite delicious including the company which had me wondering if it would be appropriate to climb under the table to have dessert.

  “I want everybody to be ready for tomorrow. There’s no way that you can prepare for something like this. I’ve done my best to give you my insight and the rest will have to come from your own fortitude. You are going to be exhausted by the end of the day and your muscles will feel fatigued.” I was giving them a speech, but my eyes were drawn to a certain young lady with the kind of body that I would want to put on a pedestal.

  It was getting rather late and some had already retired for the evening leaving me with Amelia, Justice and the blond bombshell Juliet. They were hanging on my ever
y word, but I could tell that Amelia was looking at Justice with more than casual interest.

  “I think that I will adjourn to my bedroom. We have an early departure time tomorrow morning. I’m lucky that I’m one of the few that has my own room.” She got up and it wasn’t lost on me the way that she touched Justice’s shoulder. It was a signal for him to make his way up to her room after a suitable amount of time had elapsed.

  A few minutes later and Justice with his dark and brooding nature was pretending to yawn by stretching his arms up over his head. He was making a spectacle of his exhausted state of mind. He apologized and with the liquor running through his veins, he found himself following the aromatic scent of a woman in heat. The contrast in their skin colors was minimal. She was Egyptian and he was African American.

  “It looks like it’s just the two of us and I will understand if you don’t want to spend time with a stuffy professor.” She didn’t make a move to exit the dining room. She was definitely feeling no pain and had indulged enough to feel it in the morning.

  “I don’t have any place I need to be. I’m enjoying myself and I don’t see there’s anything wrong with that. I’m fascinated by the life you have led. It makes me think I have been wasting my time being afraid of the unknown. I get that from my parents.” She took a mouthful of an aged wine and she sputtered some of it out of her mouth.

  It ran down in between her cleavage leaving her quite transparent to the naked eye.

  I cleared my throat and pulled at the collar of my shirt with that nervous tension surrounding us. I was feeling the effects of the liquor and becoming quite bold with how I was staring unabashedly at her breasts.

  “You don’t have to say that and I do find myself somewhat long winded during some of my stories.” I drank from the glass, staring at her over the rim and giving her my best bedroom eyes. I felt like I was breathing underwater.

  The divorce had taken a toll on my love life and I was a little gun shy about approaching a potential conquest. I had some liquid encouragement. Unbuttoning the first couple of buttons on my shirt was having her move her finger around the rim of her glass. Her eyes were glazed over, but I could tell that she knew exactly what she was doing.

  “I’m not known to tell lies and you can take it as gospel that I enjoy listening to every word you say in class and outside of it. I can’t believe that I’m about to say this.” She had me on the edge of my seat. I begged the universe not to be cruel and instead to be kind.

  “We’ve known each other for a short time, but I feel that it’s been longer than that. I look at you and I can envision in your eyes the ideal woman staring back at me.” I wasn’t much of a wordsmith when it came to seducing the ladies. How I was able to come up with these tidbits of gold was beyond me.

  “Flattery is going to get you everywhere.” Taking advantage of her in her inebriated state wasn’t the furthest thing from my mind.

  “I feel sometimes my divorce makes me a pariah in the female eyes. I’m damaged goods and they must think that I was the reason it didn’t work out between me and my ex-wife. I can’t blame them for thinking that because I mistakenly thought the same thing for quite some time.” I touched her hand and she didn’t try to pull away from me in disgust.

  “I never thought any such thing, but I have wondered the reason why it went to hell. I can’t believe that a fucking bitch like her could even snag you. She was high maintenance and you didn’t deserve to be carrying her purse like some sort of lap dog.” She must’ve seen me out and about with Gail during one of her shopping binges.

  “She made me believe it was normal behavior and that every girl had a room dedicated to shoes. So many shoes… I literally had nightmares of them burying me alive and maybe I should have taken that as a sign of things to come. The writing was on the wall and I was reluctant to see it. She could never give me her full attention.” I was rubbing my thumb over the back of her hand and I could see that her nipples were quite pronounced.

  “I would rather not talk about her and she didn’t know a good thing when she had it. You are a kind man with a lot to offer the right woman and I don’t want you to forget that.” The candlelight gave the perfect ambiance for romance.

  I cautiously leaned forward and gave her the lightest kiss on her lips. I didn’t want to force anything untoward. It seemed prudent to take my time and to gauge her reaction.

  “I think we should concentrate on each other instead of lamenting about the past. I made a mistake and I don’t want to make the same one again. I know you were trying to say something and I interrupted you. I think I know what you were going to say and there’s no need to.” I was looking into the liquid pools of her green eyes.

  I was a little unsteady on my feet and I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself by falling face first on the floor.

  “You are genuine and sincere which is a far cry from those who are looking to get into my pants by any means necessary. Boys tend to say and do anything to seal the deal. I’m not getting that impression from you, Darryl. When I saw you for the first time in class at the first of the year, I became slightly flustered and that has never happened before.” I took her hand and gave her the feeling that she was the only person in the room.

  “That’s nice of you to say, but I have a confession to make. It’s not just your body that I’m interested in. Of course, I have undressed you from afar and would really like the opportunity to see if my fantasies match up to reality. I find your intellect and attention to detail hard to deny.” I wasn’t sure what I was expecting for a response.

  “If I didn’t think that it was unladylike, I would jump across the table and land squarely in your lap. I don’t think any woman in my position could blame me. My father used to tell me not to be fooled by those with a silver tongue.” I could almost feel her body gyrating on top of me.

  “I don’t know what you are waiting for and there’s no time like the present.” I might have sounded a little bit too anxious, but it didn’t stop her from getting up and looking around to see if somebody was going to witness this exchange.

  “I just want to go on the record to state emphatically this is the liquor talking. I do know what I’m saying and doing. I wouldn’t be able to become this vixen without the wine fueling me into action.” She came over and sat on my lap with her back toward me. I couldn’t help but give her a reason to giggle with anticipation.

  “I can’t help myself and you’ve been in my thoughts for quite some time.” I thought back to what Amelia was talking about earlier in the evening. It was like a light bulb had gone off over my head. The secret she was holding tight was Juliet’s interest in me.

  “Bear with me and I’ve never given a lap dance before.” She moved in a circle and there was no doubt that she could feel my arousal burning from my loins. “I can only hope that I’m going to remember this in the morning. The feeling is indescribable and leaves me at a loss for words.” It was her actions making more sense than anything she had to say.

  “I don’t know how you’re going to take this, but I am also fortunate enough to have my own room. I don’t suppose that I could convince you to come up to my room for a nightcap. I know how unseemly that might sound, but I can’t help the way that I feel.” Her hot breath was on my neck, as she leaned back with her hands taking mine and placing them on her breasts.

  “I know it’s not appropriate, but I can’t seem to shake this feeling that I won’t get another chance. Taking this leap of faith isn’t easy for me and I hope that you don’t feel like I am throwing myself at you.” The only thing I could feel was the heat from underneath driving me to say whatever I had to.

  “I’m going to pay the check and then we can slip into something more comfortable…like my sheets wrapped around us.” I was already breathing heavily and trying my best to justify my actions.

  Chapter five

  Juliet

  The door had barely closed in the hotel room when he turned and pushed me up against it. This is what I
had been dreaming of and it only took mere moments from being off the plane to make the leap from friend to lover. I was a little numb, but it was clear to see this was what we both wanted.

  “I don’t even know what to say. Yippee…seems like a juvenile thing to say. I’m on cloud nine and I’m begging you to have mercy on me. Take it easy and don’t be in a rush. It might be late, but I can assure you that I can stay up after my curfew.” I was making light when my whole body was trembling to his touch.

  “There’s no reason to be nervous. You have my word that I will never hurt you.” In his over-anxious state of mind, he ripped the dress with one of the straps becoming a casualty of this sexual war between us.

  “I feel like you are consuming everything there is about me. Your word is more than enough.” He was on his knees with what was left of my dress lying in a heap on the floor underneath me.

  “I’m a puppet on your string and I’ve been a slave to your body from the moment I saw you. I’m not just saying that and I mean every word from the bottom of my heart. I don’t treat women like pieces of meat and I might be one of the last good ones. I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, but I do tend to make the woman I’m with feel like she is flying.” He was pulling my panties, but he didn’t remove them.

  “I haven’t… I haven’t done this before. I’ve done other things, but I haven’t… I think you know where I’m going with this.” He stopped and looked up at me and then this smile appeared out of nowhere.

  “I’m sure that you’ve had your reservations with other guys. You have put me in a difficult position. I know it’s only words, but I do feel that I bring a certain something. I fear that you have nothing to compare it to and that only makes me want to go above the call of duty.” He was on his knees submitting to his hunger for my body. I did see the way that he was licking his lips like an animal about to devour the carcass of some victim.