“Nothing’s wrong.” I knew that wasn’t true, but I didn’t want to have this conversation with him. At least not now. I had to keep myself from falling for him, and spending time with him just made it harder.
“That dress looks great on you.”
I could feel my desire for him boiling. It was all I could do to keep from taking him into my arms and kissing him. But, my jealousy was just as hot. I wasn’t sure I believed him when he said he had a business dinner. I was pretty sure he had been out with someone else.
“Listen, it’s been an extremely long day, and I’m feeling sleepy. I need to get some rest. I’m going to bed. Can we talk about the engagement party later?”
“Sure. Whatever you want. I should get going.”
We got up and walked to the door. Mark opened the door and hesitated for a second. His eyes stared straight at me. He then kissed me on the cheek and walked out.
I turned off the lights in the kitchen and living room and went into my bedroom to get into bed. Crawling under the covers, I hugged my pillow. My desire was out of control. I wanted Mark. I wanted him tonight. But, I couldn’t help but wonder, Did he want me, too?
Chapter 10
It had been seven days since I last heard from Mark. Seven long days… It was a good thing I had school to keep my mind occupied. I was sitting at the kitchen table studying for my chemistry test when my phone beeped with a text message. I looked down to see who it was from. It was Mark.
Bringing over lunch. See you in 15 minutes.
Did this man ever consider asking me if I was available and wanted to see him? I did. But that wasn’t the point. I replied back, Studying. No time today.
I put the phone down and went back to my textbook. Moments later, there was a knock at the door. I looked through the peephole. It was Mark. Was this man dense?
I opened the door, motioning him to come in.
“Didn’t you get my text? I have a really big test that I need to study for this afternoon,”
“Yes, I got your message. Did you know that proper nourishment is one of the secrets practiced by some of the world’s best students?” He came in and set a pizza box on the table.
“Yes, and actually spending the time necessary to study is the other most heavily guarded secret.” Clearly, he had no idea how competitive or how much pressure there is at a college like Stanford. I bet he went to one of those schools more widely-known for their fraternity parties than academia.
“Well, you do need to eat, you know.”
He was right. I’d been so focused on my studies that I hadn’t been eating very much. And, the pizza he brought did smell good. I went to the cupboard and got out some plates and napkins.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“Sure. What do you have?”
“Iced tea, lemonade, or water.”
“No beer?”
“No beer. Besides, it’s only 11 o’clock. It’s a little early to start drinking, isn’t it?”
“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” he said with a smirk. “But, if you don’t have any, iced tea would be good.”
“With ice?”
“Hmm... Ice. The fun we could have with that...”
“Mark Woodham! Are you trying to seduce me again?” I asked, walking over to the refrigerator to pour him some iced tea. I had to fight hard to resist how tempting he was this afternoon. I knew if I didn’t, we would end up having hot sex.
I must have still been imagining what sex with Mark Woodham would be like. Just as I was handing him his glass, I tripped on something, spilling tea all over his shirt.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed, running into the kitchen to get a towel.
I couldn’t believe I had done that. I expected him to be mad. He just looked up at me with this big, cheesy grin. “I’d better take this off,” he said, slowly pulling off his shirt. He made quite a show of it. I wasn’t sure, but I think he may have been intently watching my reaction.
I could feel I was getting moist at the sight of his cut abs and muscular chest. It was all I could do to keep from ripping off my own shirt and ravaging him.
“Let’s eat. I’m starved,” I said, trying to distract myself from the desire I was feeling for him.
Sitting at the table, I dished us each a slice of pizza.
“I haven’t seen you in a week. Why did you want to have lunch with me today?”
What I was really thinking was, I haven’t seen you in a week... where the hell have you been? But I didn’t say that to him.
“That’s exactly why. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you. I wanted to spend some time with you today.
Looking over at my textbooks, I said, “I have a lot of schoolwork to do.”
We continued eating our pizza. I couldn’t help but notice how sexy Mark looked each time he took a bite of his pizza.
“Have you let any of your friends back home know about our engagement?”
“No,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Once our deal is over, we won’t be seeing each other anymore, anyway. What’s the point in explaining any of this to them? It would be too complicated for them to understand.”
“True. But once we announce it, they might find out about it on the Internet. Wouldn’t you rather have your friends hear it from you first?”
“Yeah, I’ll think about it.” It was true. If Amanda and Emily heard about this online, they would never forgive me for not telling them.
“My dad was asking about you. He was wondering why I haven’t brought you around. I agreed we would have dinner with him tomorrow night.”
Why would he make plans on my behalf without consulting me, first? He is impossible!
“I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m busy. Can you please apologize for me and reschedule for another day?” I didn’t really have plans, but I wanted him to believe that I did. Otherwise, he might think the only thing I had to do all day was sit around and wait for him with bated breath.
He looked at me with his boyish grin. Seeing him sit there without his shirt on made me tingle. Suddenly, I wanted him more than I have ever wanted any man in my life. I could feel my neck getting warm. Hoping he wouldn’t notice, I flipped up my hair to cool down a bit.
“You’re going to have to either put a shirt on or I can’t be responsible for what might happen...”
“Hmmm... What are you suggesting, Miss Pahlavi?” he asked with his almost completely irresistible boyish grin.
“I think you know exactly what I am suggesting...” I felt a little too embarrassed to express what I wanted. But, I’m pretty sure he knew.
“Are you sure that’s what you really want?”
“We’re engaged to be married, aren’t we? And besides, I’m sure it will provide some needed stress relief.” I tried to say it nonchalantly.
“Indeed, we are engaged to be married,” he said, gazing into my eyes. He put his arm around my neck and started kissing me. His kisses were nice.
I was trying hard not to give in to my desire and passion. I could tell it was futile. At that moment, I knew there was no turning back.
Slowly, his mouth started exploring my neck, softly licking it. My body responded as it has never responded before. I wanted him so badly. His tongue forced my lips to part. He reached down to grab the bottom of my shirt and pulled it off of me.
I put my arms around his neck and started kissing him frantically. His skin felt soft and smooth.
Grabbing my hand, he whispered, “Let’s go to the bedroom.”
He took me by the hand, and we went to my room. I laid on the bed. He took his pants off before lying by my side. Brushing my hair with his hand, he said, “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”
I reached down to grab his big cock. “Wait,” he said. “Not yet. I want to see you come first.”
His mouth started kissing my breasts and kneading them with his hands.
“I want you inside me so badly,” I whispered.
His hands traveled down to my
panties. Gently pulling them off, his fingers started to rub me. “You’re so wet,” he whispered. “That is so hot!” His fingers continued to explore. I could feel my body pulsating. I let out a soft moan. I was lost in the sensations caused by him softly stroking my clit. I could feel the tension building inside of me. My hips began to writhe uncontrollably from his touch.
“I’m so turned on,” he said getting up to grab his pants. He pulled a condom out of his wallet and put it on. He began sucking on my nipples again before putting his hard cock inside me. Slowly, he began moving in and out of me. It felt divine. His thrusting became faster and faster. I grabbed his shoulders tightly as I experienced the pure bliss of orgasm. He came right after I did.
We sat there for a moment. I let out a long sigh. “That was great!” I said, getting up to put my clothes back on.
“Where are you going? Stay in bed with me.” Mark looked at me. I could see the longing in his eyes.
“I need to get dressed,” I said, running my hands through my hair, trying to smooth it back into place to get rid of that, ‘I’ve just been fucked’ look. “I told you before. I have studying to do,” I said putting my underwear back on.
“Why? Come lay with me for a while,” he said patting the bed.
I picked up the rest of my clothes from the floor. “Mark, we had sex. That’s all it was.” Deep in my heart, I knew it was more than that, but I couldn’t let him see that. And, deep down, I knew that I wanted it to be more, too.
“That’s it?” he said with a confused look.
“Mark, we both knew this would happen eventually. It has. But it’s just sex. That’s all it was. Once you’ve inherited your father’s company, we’ll no longer see each other anymore. You won’t need me any longer.”
I had to fight back a lump building in my throat. It took all the courage I had to say those words. Yes, I was falling for Mark Woodham. But was he falling for me? Once he got his father’s business, would he still want me?
My heart ached telling him this was only sex. This was an arrangement I’d made—nothing more, nothing less. I can’t let myself fall in love with him because I know I’ll only get hurt. Getting emotionally involved with him will only make things worse.
“I guess you’re right.” he said with a defeated tone.
“You came over to have sex, didn’t you?”
“No, that’s not why I came over. Since you’ve been here, you haven’t been out to do anything fun. I thought we could go up to the city and spend some time in Golden Gate Park.”
“You’re right. I haven’t been out to do anything since I got here.”
“Would you like to go with me to San Francisco today and let me show you parts of the city?”
“But what about my homework?”
“You can study tomorrow. Today, you deserve some fun.”
It felt like the textbooks sitting on my table were taunting me. I really shouldn’t even consider doing anything today other than study. But, before I realized what I was doing, I opened my mouth, and said, “Sure. I can study tomorrow. And, I’ve been keeping up with my schoolwork pretty well, so it shouldn’t take me too much longer to study for my test.”
Chapter 11
“You’d better grab a sweater,” Mark said, “It can get chilly in the city.”
I pulled a sweater out of my closet and picked up my purse. We walked out to Mark’s Audi convertible. “I’m going to take the scenic route,” he announced. “They say the 280 is the world’s most beautiful freeway.” We went north on the highway for a while before coming to a two-lane road. The narrowness made me a little nervous, but the view of the ocean was breathtaking.
“Would you like me to take your top down?” Mark asked with a sly grin.
“What?” Was he actually asking me to take off my shirt?
“The car. Would you like me to take the top down?”
“Sure.” I could have sworn he asked about my top, initially. Ever the charmer...
We finally made our way to the park. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I was surprised how crowded it was. There were people riding bikes, children playing, and couples strolling hand-in-hand.
“Do you mind walking a bit? I want to show you the Conservatory of Flowers.” Mark smiled. “They close the roads inside the park on Sundays.”
“It’s nice out. I’d love to walk.”
We strolled through the park together. I would occasionally stop to admire a tree or flower that I liked. It wasn’t long before the Conservatory of Flowers came into view, its beauty stopped me in my tracks. The well-manicured lawns surrounding the walkways leading to the building were filled with dazzling pink flowers. It was breathtaking.
When we entered, the humidity hit me like a ton of bricks. Everywhere I looked, there were beautiful plants and flowers. I wished I had brought my camera.
“The butterfly exhibit is here. My mother used to say luck would come your way if a butterfly lands on you. If you’re really lucky,” Mark grinned, “one might find you.”
We walked into the conservatory’s Highland Tropics gallery. The coolness of this room was a vast contrast to the humidity of the room we were just in. The orchids were breathtaking. A brilliant white flower dotted with vibrant pink caught my eye. As I was pointing toward it, a beautiful black and yellow swallowtail butterfly landed on my hand. Its wingspan must have been 5 inches.
“See, you are lucky,” Mark smiled.
I smiled. The butterfly tickled a little bit. I flinched, causing the butterfly to fly away.
“It must have been great growing up here,” I said.
“It was when my mother was alive. My mom used to bring me to the park all the time. We lived in Saratoga, but if my mom would have had her way, we would have lived in the city. The Exploratorium was one of my favorite places to go as a kid. My dad used to work seven days a week. Some nights, he’d even sleep at the office. He was even proud of it! Rarely would he take any time off, so my mom would bring me here to get away.
“My dad took my mom’s accident hard. I never saw him cry, but I know it tore him up watching my mother in the hospital just lying there. He’s almost always in control, and there was nothing he could do to help her. Even worse, they never caught the hit and run driver who caused the accident.”
Grabbing his hand, I asked, “Did he spend time with her after the accident?”
“He did. My dad doesn’t appear emotional and can sometimes seem harsh, but deep down, he does care about people,” he said, turning away.
We continued to walk through the conservatory. “How long after your mother passed did you father remarry?”
“He married stepmother #1 about a year and a half later.” I could see opening up about this was painful for Mark.
“Seeing your father date must have been upsetting to you.”
Mark’s shoulders slumped. “He kept that part of his life from me and it happened incredibly fast. For my sake, he decided that he wouldn’t allow anyone into my life unless he was sure that person was going to be in our lives permanently. As I understand it, they met and were married five months later.”
“Did you like her?”
“I liked them all at first. But not long after marrying my father, they would change. They always changed...” he said, rubbing his hands on his thighs.
“That must have been hard for you,” I said, trying to be as reassuring to him as I could.
“I walked in on stepmother #1 having sex with the pool man when I was 12. She tried to bribe me not to tell my dad, but I told him anyway. They separated shortly after that. If someone asked for a recommendation for a good divorce attorney, I would recommend hers.
“I think my dad was so disappointed that he didn’t even fight her that hard in court. I don’t know for sure. It was almost as though he was in so much shock he completely lost his ability to think clearly and make good judgments, which is so unlike him. Usually, he is decisive and nearly always makes the right choice. Except with women, that is.
.. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was still getting an alimony check from him every month.
“From that day forward, I was skeptical of any woman my father brought home. And, sadly, each and every one of them has shown me that women can’t be trusted. Every single one of them—all they ever wanted was my father’s money.”
I could hear the sadness in his voice when he spoke about growing up without his mother. I grabbed his hand and gave him a warm smile.
“I’m sorry to hear you have had so many bad women in your life. I don’t think they’re all like that, though.”
Suddenly, he looked very boyish. “But how do you tell? How do you know love is real? None of my stepmothers seemed like they were only after my father’s money until they were married. That’s why I can’t see myself ever tying the knot with someone. I’ve watched woman after woman change after they said ‘I do’ to my dad. I don’t want to go through that.”
I wondered if he would ever be able to see past what the women in his father’s life had done. Would he be capable of having a solid, loving relationship with a woman? One built on trust, respect, and understanding, not just lust, and sex.
I wanted to reassure him that not all women are like his stepmothers. There are a lot of good women out there.
“Some day, you’ll find someone who loves you for you—not your money, not your business, not who your family is—but for you.”
He put his arm around my neck and softly kissed my cheek.
“I hope so.”
We continued walking through the park until we were both tired. Afterward, we went to a restaurant at the west end of the park that overlooked the ocean. We were seated at a table near the window. We got there a few minutes before sunset. The lights were lowered just as the sun went down. The view of the sun setting over the water was majestic. Just as Mark had promised, it had been a lovely day.
Chapter 12
I was sitting at my desk studying when the phone rang. I picked up it up to see it was Mark calling.
Silicon Valley Sweetheart Page 6
