Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1)

by Folsom, Rene

  He slowly lowered himself down to my level and just knelt there, gazing into my eyes.

  “My perfect subject,” he said with a serious, almost sad look on his face.

  He brought the set of hands we still had clasped together and brushed his lips to my knuckles, then the pads of each finger, then my palm, then my wrist… As he continued his way up my arm, I giggled.

  Was he trying to tickle me on purpose?

  Looking into my eyes, he said, “Such an angelic sound. I want to hear you laugh more often.”

  I smiled at his sweet words. “Keep up with the tickling and you definitely will hear me laugh more often.”

  I broke our trance, and the hold we had on each other, so I could serve the lunch I packed for us.

  “I made chicken salad sandwiches. I hope that is okay,” I softly spoke with my head down.

  Aiden gently grabbed my chin and tilted my face upward and said, “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

  I blushed and focused back on the cooler to continue my hostess act. I pulled out some bottled water and food.

  We sat facing each other with our legs crisscrossed and took a few bites of our sandwiches.

  I watched him eat as if I’d never seen someone eat a sandwich before. Each move his mouth made, each time he brought his tongue out to lick and clean his lips, each time his lips pressed firmly around the water bottle as he drank, I melted. Even the bob of his throat as he swallowed was erotic.

  Even when he wasn’t trying to be sexy, he was fucking hot as hell. And it wasn’t just his looks, but the way he looked at me. The way he treated me was like no other experience I’d ever had. I was so turned on right now, it was actually painful.

  Without thinking, my eyes darted toward his pants to see if I affected him, too.

  He must’ve noticed where my thoughts went, because he began to chuckle.

  I looked up and saw he had a little bit of mayo in the corner of his mouth. I brought my middle finger to the crease of his lips, wiped the little speck of white, and in an act of boldness, brought my finger to my mouth and sucked it clean, fluttering my eyes shut in the process, as if his taste was the anti-venom that would save my life.

  He closed his eyes like he was in pain and a small moan escaped his throat.

  He set his sandwich aside and looked back at me. I couldn’t tell, but it almost seemed like he was sad again. Maybe he was realizing what a bad idea it was to get involved with a student.

  In an attempt to lighten the mood, I changed the subject. Uncrossing my legs, I planted my feet slightly apart in front of me and propped my elbows on my knees.

  “I also brought some fruit… grapes and strawberries.” I smiled big at my attempt to be sweet.

  “Ahh. Actually, grapes would be great, but I’m not too fond of strawberries,” he said with a playful look on his face.

  “Oh, what a shame,” I said with a hint of seduction in my voice. “Because they’re very plump and juicy. I just love strawberries.”

  “Oh, you do, do you?” he teased.

  I nodded, biting my lip out of nervousness with what I was about to do.

  Then, I did the most daring thing I could think of.

  I grabbed one of the strawberries and slowly brought it to my mouth. I parted my lips and thrust my tongue slightly out to meet with the delicious, red morsel. I bit down while sucking the juices slowly. My eyes fluttered and rolled shut as I enjoyed the delectable flavors bursting onto my taste buds. Seductively, I flicked the leftover green cap into the grass beside us, then began licking and sucking on the two fingers that were covered with the sticky juice.

  After enjoying each slow chew, I opened my eyes to gaze upon a man with power and hunger in his eyes. Hunger for me.

  Chapter 17

  “You’re like a drug to me. I crave you.”

  The next thing I knew, Aiden was on his hands and knees, methodically making his way toward me.

  Out of sheer instinct, I backed away while keeping my legs slightly apart and propping myself back on my arms. He continued his prowl until he was kneeling between my knees with both his hands braced beside me.

  He edged closer to me, his lips hovering precariously close to mine. A sudden gasp of breath was all I could manage before our lips met.

  His right hand steadied my upper back while he held himself up with his left, hovering over me. His chest pressed hot and hard against mine. Our tongues met and tangled together. I struggled for air but couldn’t pull away. He consumed me.

  His mouth probed at mine. His teeth nipped and his tongue laved at my upper lip before he moved to the corner of my mouth.

  Forgotten were my doubts and fears. All that existed in this moment was this man. His touch, his kiss, his very nature, wrapped around me and filled me with desire and need.

  Snaking his hands underneath my butt, he lifted me, straddling me onto his lap. He was on his knees, sitting back on his feet, while my legs wrapped around his waist haphazardly.

  I could feel his excitement pressing into my center through my jeans.

  I reached for him, gliding my fingers through his silky, blond hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. My arms wrapped around him as I began moving my hips slightly, uncontrollably, against him.

  His strong hands held my back tight and tangled in my hair. I lulled my head to the side, offering my neck as he trailed kisses down my jaw. Throwing my head back gently, I willingly offered more of myself to him.

  His kisses trailed down the lace-trimmed neckline of my rather busty tank top. The wet sensation of his tongue tracing the swell of my breasts made a moan escape my mouth in a sound of pure ecstasy.

  He slowly pecked and licked his way back up to my mouth, devouring me again and laving at me with his tongue.

  His strong fingers caressed my cheek and the side of my head as he began to pull away. Our breaths were short and erratic. Our foreheads were pressed together, the tension between us exploding like a firecracker, sizzling through our bodies.

  “I’m sorry, Angel,” he said between panting breaths, his lips still within an inch of mine. “I never should have let that happen.”

  I pushed away and slowly climbed off his lap, disappointment riddled on my face. I was embarrassed. I obviously stepped over a boundary I shouldn’t have by trying to seduce him. His rejection pained me.

  I turned my head away, praying I wouldn’t become a blubbering mess. My emotions were already raw from the past few days. All it would take is a slight shift in my control for it all to come flowing out again.

  “Please don’t be upset, Juliana. I would give anything to take away that sad look on your face.”

  “Then don’t regret kissing me,” I quietly exclaimed, with obvious pain in my voice. I didn’t think before I let the words leave my lips.

  “Come here.” He grabbed my hand and tried to pull me onto his lap again. I struggled with him. I wanted nothing more than for his arms to wrap around me and comfort me, but I also wanted him to know his rejection hurt.

  “Julia…”

  “Stop, Aiden. Don’t toy with me. You either want this, or you don’t. But there is only so much rejection I can take and…” I trailed off as I stared at him and steeled my emotions so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself.

  “Damn. Just let me explain. I’m not rejecting you,” he said softly as he grabbed my hand again. This time I didn’t struggle. “Come here, please. I need you here.”

  I made my way back onto his lap. This time he was sitting with his legs crisscrossed and directed me to sit with my legs dangling over his right knee. He wrapped his arms around me and stroked my cheek with his thumb.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you. You demolish my control, Julia. I can’t seem to stay away from you. From the moment you walked through that classroom door, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. You’re like a drug to me. I crave you. But I worry I may mess up your college career if I let things go on like this. You have such a promising talent and I woul
dn’t want to ruin everything just because I can’t control myself.” His words were sincere and heartfelt, but it was too late.

  I couldn’t believe he was thinking about me over himself. He should be thinking about his career, not mine. Ultimately, I would think the professor would be the one reprimanded over a situation like this, not the other way around.

  “So, our only option is to stay away from each other? How is that even possible?” I asked with bewilderment in my voice.

  I know it had only been four days, but I already saw this man as an irresistible part of my life. I couldn’t imagine going through each day pretending not to care for him—pretending he didn’t cause each nerve in my body to feel excitement and power.

  “No, Angel. That is just not possible. I can’t stay away from you. Not anymore,” he admitted.

  “Then why are you trying to push me away?” I asked as I looked into his eyes. He didn’t answer with words, but the emotion swimming in his gaze was all the answer I needed.

  I leaned into him and nuzzled my face against the crook of his neck as I firmly said, “I guess we’ll just have to be careful then, Aiden. Because there is no way I could stay away from you either. You have consumed my every thought since you stole my parking spot.”

  My words were muffled from being spoken into his neck. But I could tell he heard every word, because the tension rolled off him like an avalanche.

  “Julia, I would give anything for a chance to make you happy,” he said with a sigh in his voice.

  He let go of his tight hold on me. Kissing my nose, he said, “Let’s eat.”

  I continued to sit on his lap and we ate the rest of our lunch in silence.

  It was a beautiful day and we spent every minute enjoying it with each other. We still had about an hour and a half to kill, so we used our time to get to know each other better. He talked about photography school in Savannah and how much he enjoyed it there.

  Somehow, we managed to get on the subject of my family. I left the information about my parents to a minimum. There was no reason my relationship with them, or lack of, should bring down this wonderful day.

  Since we were on the subject of my family, I decided to tell him about Daemon.

  “My brother was the closest thing I had to a true family. We were so close and would spend almost all of our time together when we weren’t in school. He took care of me. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to drive, how to fish, and even how to chase away icky boys,” I said with a smile. Remembering my brother always brought a smile to my face, until I thought about that day.

  “We were on our way back from one of his friend’s birthday parties. Even though I was in high school and he was in college, Daemon still took me places and didn’t leave me home often. He said it was good for me to experience the college scene so that I wouldn’t go crazy when it was my turn to party hard. He was always very responsible. He never drank unless he knew he had someone to drive him or he was staying over,” I explained as I recalled how uncharacteristically responsible my big brother was.

  “That night was no exception. He didn’t drink the entire night because he knew he had to get me home so I could get some sleep for my SAT test in the morning. We were headed home at about ten at night when a pickup slammed into the back of Daemon’s car, pushing him out into the intersection. He immediately pushed my head down, so I didn’t see anything that happened. But I was told later that we were pushed underneath a tractor-trailer, which severed the entire top of Daemon’s Firebird. I survived because he pushed me down, but he wasn’t quick enough,” I said, recalling my heartbreaking story in as much detail as I could stomach.

  “I lost my best friend that night all because some moron in a pickup truck was driving drunk and didn’t notice a whole row of brake lights in front of him.”

  “Geez, Julia. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my brother. He and I are thicker than thieves. I can’t imagine how tough that must have been for you, especially at such a young age,” Aiden consoled as he grabbed my hand and held it tight.

  “Even though I miss him terribly and my heart aches for him, I honestly love talking about him. Just the hope that he’ll touch someone else’s life the way he touched mine makes me smile inside. He truly was an amazing person,” I explained with all honesty.

  “If he raised a wonderful woman like you, I agree.”

  I smiled at his compliment. He was very sweet. Since we still had about an hour left before his next class, I decided to take the brief time as a chance to lie down on the blanket and close my eyes, breathing in the fresh spring air and warming in the sun.

  Shortly after I lay on my back, taking up real estate on half the blanket, Aiden eased his way down next to me and laced his fingers through mine to hold my hand.

  After about five minutes of innocent hand holding, I decided I wanted to go farther. Now that I have had a taste of Aiden Stone, I was starving for more.

  Bravely, I sat up and positioned myself over this gorgeous man by straddling his hips. Bracing my elbows on either side of his head, I hovered mere centimeters away from his lips, daring him to close the gap.

  A sexy-ass grin crept up onto his face.

  Digging his fingers into my hips, he lunged forward and took control of my mouth. His taste exploded onto my tongue and sent flurries of pleasure cascading through my body.

  His strong hands began their ascent. Slowly lifting my tank top, his fingers caressed the sides of my back and continued to make their way up.

  After grinding my hips and chest into him for a few minutes, he stealthily rolled us both over so he was now on top.

  Damn. And I thought he looked good beneath me. He looked even more exquisite hovering over me with his strong weight between my legs. The solid muscles of his arms pressed through the dress shirt he wore, making me want to rip it off and toss it across the meadow.

  “Oh, Aiden…” I panted, his name echoing more like a question than I had intended.

  “Yes, Juliana?” he breathed.

  “I want you. Please, Aiden. I want all of you,” I pleaded.

  “Fuck. I know, Angel. I know. I want you more than my next breath.”

  But… I could totally hear the but coming before it tumbled out of his mouth.

  “But, not here. God, I want to, more than anything. But, not here,” he explained.

  With our foreheads pressed together, we were both panting, unable to breathe between passionate kisses.

  As if he sensed the argument building inside of me, he continued, “I don’t want to hold back. I want to make you scream, Julia. In my bed. In my arms. While I make sweet love to you.”

  “Oh, God. That sounds wonderful, Aiden,” I gasped.

  Knowing we had to slow down, or there would be no stopping, Aiden slowly rolled to the side. We both lay there on our sides, facing each other, our legs intertwined together, as we attempted to catch our breath.

  He had his hand on my cheek, stroking my face lightly with his thumb. I held his wrist and pressed kisses to the palm of his hand.

  After a few minutes, I slowly began to regain normal breathing.

  “Aiden?”

  “Yes, Angel mine?”

  “Don’t you think we’re moving too fast?” I asked. I knew it was a silly question to ask, but I had to know his opinion on just how fast this was progressing.

  “Yes, I think we’re moving way too fast. But, there’s no stopping it now. I don’t think we ever had a chance. You blindsided me, Julia. I need you. There’s no going back.”

  “I agree.”

  He continued to lovingly stroke my face while we stared at each other and absorbed the March sun.

  I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Aiden was cradling me in his arms, carrying me as if I were light as a feather.

  “Aiden, what are you doing? Put me down,” I quietly scolded him and wiggled so he would put me down before someone saw us. Luckily, we were still within the confines of the shaded trees and hadn’t go
ne out in the open yet.

  Aiden began to put me down, slowly, allowing my body to slide sensually down his hard front. He kissed my forehead and then released me, walking back toward the way we came.

  He had a humorous grin on his face and just shook his head while carrying the lunch cooler.

  “What?” What the heck was he laughing at? There was nothing more infuriating than being excluded from a joke, especially when you had a feeling the joke was about you.

  “You have a little bit of grass in your hair,” he said, with a slight chuckle. “I would get it out for you, but I’m worried you’ll bite my hand off if I try to touch you in public.” He waved his hand around as if to gesture we were now walking toward the gazebo.

  He didn’t seem angry though… just making a joke at my expense.

  I tried to ignore his amusement as we passed through the gazebo and continued toward the buildings.

  By now, I was walking just a little ways ahead of him. So, I flipped my hair down, bent at the waist, and shook my curls with my fingers to try and rid my hair of any foliage. I then flipped my hair back up in a dramatic fashion, shook it back and forth to make the curls lay just right, and then glanced over my shoulder at Aiden.

  He stopped dead in his tracks. His smoldering, animalistic look told me he wanted me. No words were needed because pure lust emanated from his eyes.

  I let out a single amusing chuckle and continued to walk toward building P.

  A few seconds later, a flash of dirty blond hair zipped passed me and touched my ass on his way. I looked ahead and Aiden was leaning against a pole, wagging his eyebrows and waving my phone in the air in a tantalizing fashion.

  Damn it. He must’ve taken it out of my pocket.

  I hurried forward and was going to protest, but he put his hand up to my lips to make me chill so he could explain. “I’m just going to program my cell and home numbers into your phone. It looks like you never saved my number. I already have yours in mine and I’d like you to know it’s me when I call you.”