by Jenika Snow
"Well, okay, I guess I'll see you around."
I was vaguely aware of mumbling my goodbye without even glancing back at him. I knew I'd feel badly about that later, but I couldn't drag my gaze from Kerian long enough to look at Christian. Kerian's smile widened as he held out his hand for me. As if I were on automatic, I lifted my hand and placed it in his. I looked down at our joined hands and felt extremely feminine as mine was dwarfed by his. He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed it. A jolt of awareness sizzled through me, making me grow wet. I gasped, but it came out as a small squeak. I stumbled over my words; I couldn't help but stare at his mouth. “D-Do you want to come in for a second?” I cleared my throat and took my hand back, probably a little too quickly. I stepped aside as his huge body filled the threshold. I silently closed the door behind him and watched as he walked around my living room. His fingers skimmed along everything, as if he were imprinting it into his memory. “Would you like something to drink?” He turned around and gave me another one of those devilish smiles that melted a girl on the spot.
"No, thank you. Actually, if you're ready to leave, I have reservations. I do hope you'll like where I am taking you.” He approached me until he was so close, I could see the unusual colour of his eyes. I had thought they were a vibrant green, but as I stared at them, I noticed there were sparks of light blue within them.
"I'm ready when you are.” He took my hand, not asking permission, just taking. I smiled to myself at his dominant personality. He led me out of my apartment and into the parking lot where his dark Mercedes sat. I couldn't help but run my fingers over the car's smooth sleek lines and glossy coat. “Beautiful,” I absently mumbled to myself.
"Beauty is relative."
His deep voice and comment made me look up at him. He stared at me with hunger in his eyes. I shivered, and not from the cold; I looked into his eyes and saw desire and confusion laced within them. I didn't know what his comment meant or if it were directed at me, but the way he was staring at me, I thought it had to be about me. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part. I smiled because I really didn't know what else to do or say. He brushed against me as he reached out to open the door. I could smell his spicy masculine scent so strongly, I thought I would pass out. It was intoxicating, and all I wanted to do was stand next to him and inhale his scent forever. He opened the door and I stepped back. The inside of the car was just as beautiful as the outside, and I ran my hand lingeringly along the black interior. It was smooth and sleek, just like its body. He climbed in the driver's seat and buckled up. He started the car, and the soft hum of the motor went through me like a lover's caress. I looked at him and smiled, and he did the same.
"Ready, sweetling?"
His endearment made me laugh inside. Not because it was funny, but because I was a little embarrassed this man I hardly knew was calling me, ‘sweetling.’ I nodded and looked out the passenger window. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I looked back at the building and saw Christian looking down at us from his balcony. It made me feel a little strange and unnerved, since from my point of view, it looked like he was staring right into my eyes.
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Chapter Five
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Kerian drove out of town to a little restaurant close to a lake. He said the lake bordered Westerbrooke and the nearby town of Haven. The restaurant was in a beautiful little building, and I could tell it was a historical landmark. The owners greeted Kerian as if they'd known him for years, and we were led straight to a little table outside, overlooking the pristine water. White lights hung all around us, giving our dinner an ethereal feeling. We finished our meal and enjoyed the house wine, which Kerian told me had been aged for fifteen years. He told me the name, but I'd already had two glasses of the sweet liquid and my mind felt a little fuzzy.
"It's a beautiful night."
His words were spoken as if he were reminiscing about some long-ago memory. He stared out at the lake as his fingers ran along the bottom of his wine glass in a lover's caress. I took a sip of my wine and stared at the lake.
"Yes, it really is. Do you know the owners of this restaurant?"
He nodded. “My father knew them quite well, and when he passed away, I became good friends with them."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your father.” The fact that he had shared an intimate detail of his life humbled me. He waved off my statement and looked over at me.
"It was ages ago.” His smile was wicked as he stared into my eyes while sipping his wine.
"Tell me about yourself, Ashliyn."
I knew we would talk about personal matters, but I didn't know where to start. “I just moved here from Whitestone. Do you know where that is?” At his nod, I continued. “I had just graduated from Whitestone University when I received a job offer at Cayne & Cayne Advertising.” I watched him as his eyebrows rose. “What?"
"I'm impressed."
I didn't know whether to be complimented or offended. “Why?"
"I'm good friends with the Caynes and I know they don't accept outside employees. You get hired there by invitation only. I'm truly astonished. They must see you as a very strong asset to their company."
I was stunned by what he said. I had no idea you had to be invited to work there; I just thought I'd been lucky to get a terrific job right out of college. “Oh.” I didn't know what else to say, so I took a sip of my wine to keep myself busy. “Tell me about yourself."
"Ah, well, not much to tell, really.” At my raised eyebrow, he laughed. “I work at Westerbrooke Hospital."
"What do you do there?” I knew what he did thanks to the video store girl, but he hadn't offered up the information earlier, so maybe he didn't want me to know.
"I'm an ER doctor."
"Wow, that must be busy work.” What a stupid thing to say. Of course it was busy work, it was the ER. “Have you worked there long?"
"Oh yes, many years."
"Hmm, impressive."
He chuckled and the sound speared through me like a train.
"So, Ashliyn, do you have any siblings?"
"No.” I really didn't want to get into background with him just yet, but it did seem unfair to ask him questions and then not answer the ones he asked me. I hoped he wouldn't ask too much about my family. Nothing more was said, and I was thankful. I didn't want to seem rude, and I knew that's what people did on dates—talk about themselves—but I didn't know where this was going with Kerian, and I didn't want to scare him off too soon.
We talked for another hour about our likes and dislikes, and it was uncanny how much we had in common. We liked the same music, the same food, and the list went on and on. I felt like I'd known this man for years, and we were rekindling our relationship. It was the oddest thing. I felt connected to him on a soul-deep level that still seemed small for how I felt. He paid the bill, and from what I saw, it was quite large. I know my eyes must have showed my shock, but when he laughed and patted my hand, I felt a little embarrassed. We left the restaurant and he asked me if I wanted to walk around the lake. The owners of the restaurant must own the lake as well, because white lights hung from posts all around the water's edge. It was a truly beautiful sight as we walked side by side. Our arms brushed against each other and every time it happened, I felt a jolt of electricity go through me. Either he felt it too or he didn't like the brushing, because he kept clearing his throat and fiddling with the collar of his shirt.
I saw a duck curled up on the ground in a nest. I could see little ducklings moving beneath their mother's warm feathers, and I smiled. He brushed my hand with the tips of his fingers. I looked down and watched as he ran his finger over my skin. He captured my hand in his and stroked the inside of my wrist with his thumb, never breaking his stride. Even with that small contact, I could feel my panties becoming saturated with my own wetness. I was already so aroused just by standing next to him. Our eyes locked and we stopped, staring at each other as he brought his free hand up to gently stroke my
cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his embrace. I had never felt so close to anyone and I welcomed the feelings.
"You're so beautiful, Ashliyn."
I opened my eyes. I could have cried at the sincerity in his voice. No one had ever given me a compliment like that. I was feeling courageous, though I knew it was probably from the three glasses of wine I had drunk. I brought my free hand up and pressed it against his, keeping it pressed against my cheek. I rose on my tiptoes slowly, in case he wasn't feeling what I was. He held his ground and I felt my heart rate pick up. As I raised my mouth to his, he lifted his head and pressed his lips to my forehead. I was a shocked and embarrassed that he'd shot me down. His lips stayed pressed to my forehead. He sounded like he was having a hard time breathing. Just as I was about to pull away, he let go of my hand and cupped my other cheek looking down at me. He seemed torn. His gaze was locked on my mouth and his eyebrows were knitted together in what looked like confusion.
"I'm sorry.” I whispered the apology because I didn't want to ruin our night with my attempted kiss. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at my lips.
"I really shouldn't, but I'm going to.” He growled the words as his lips slanted across mine. I didn't know what he meant, but pushed it aside. His lips were firm and strong, but soft and lush. His tongue stroked my bottom lip and I gasped. He moved his hands down my face and put them around my neck in a gentle embrace. He stroked his fingers over my erratic pulse as he slid his tongue inside my mouth. Our tongues tentatively met and when the first stroke happened, an animal seemed to be let loose from inside him. He kissed me like a starved man, and I held on as his mouth took control. I moaned into the kiss and that ignited him even further. I was so wet by this point that my underwear was sticking to my nether lips, causing an exquisite friction. He broke the kiss abruptly and stepped away from me. My eyes were still closed, even though he was no longer kissing me. I opened them and heard his rapid breathing. He ran his hands through his hair, giving it a dishevelled look, which just made him look even sexier.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
I stared at him as he spoke, disappointed. Wasn't he as worked up as I was right now? He seemed to have enjoyed himself, looking at the huge bulge he was sporting. “Why? I liked what you did.” He groaned, but all the while kept his back to me and his head angled down. I wanted to go up to him, but from the distance he was putting between us, I stayed away.
"I think I should take you home."
"What? Seriously?"
I truly was disappointed now. Maybe he didn't like what we were doing. It sure felt like he did, though. Maybe I wasn't any good. I mean, I had kissed a man before, but I certainly was no expert as he seemed to be. I felt a blush spread fiercely to my face and turned away in embarrassment. Yes, that had to be it. I was a crappy kisser. As if sensing my discomfort, he walked up to me and grabbed my hand. It wasn't a soft, gentle touch like last time, but a strong tug to get me moving. He walked in front of me and kept a fast pace back to his car. As he deposited me in my seat and took his own, we didn't speak and he didn't look at me. I didn't even bother asking what the problem was because I had already come to my own conclusion. He was driving awfully fast, and before I knew it, we were pulling into my apartment complex. As he pulled in, he sat there with the car idling. The tension was thick and I felt uncomfortable. It was strangling me. I cleared my throat and proceeded with caution. “Well.” I cleared my throat again. “Thank you for dinner. I'll see you around.” As I opened my door, I felt his big hand land on my thigh. The jolt of electricity presented itself again and I cursed my response to a man that clearly wasn't feeling the same things I was feeling.
"Thank you for tonight."
Ah, so that was his way of gently letting everything go. I nodded and started to climb out of the car, wishing he would stop me, but of course he didn't. I walked up to the building and didn't look back to see if he had already driven off. I did notice my neighbour, Christian, staring down at me from his balcony. I wasn't in the mood, and the fact that he was in the same place I saw him when I was leaving creeped me out. As if he were waiting for me. He waved and smiled and I lifted my hand, but didn't return the smile. What a horrible night this had turned out to be.
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Chapter Six
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I had just closed my front door and slipped off my shoes when there was a knock on my front door. I knew it was Christian making an appearance, and I was half tempted to pretend I wasn't home. Of course, that would be extremely rude, because he had already seen me and knew I was home. I sighed heavily and told myself I'd tell him I was too tired to have a social call and leave it at that. As I opened the door, I was ready to tell him just that, but the person standing at my door wasn't Christian.
Kerian stood in the hallway, filling the frame with his massive body. He was breathing heavily and his hands were clenched at his sides. I took a step back, although the way he looked didn't so much frighten me as it aroused me. I looked into his eyes and felt a flood of moisture soak my panties. I watched as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before walking across the threshold and kicking my door closed with his foot. My body felt alive, lit up like a million fireworks going off inside of me.
"Did I leave something in your car?” Of course, I knew I'd left nothing in his car and hoped he would confirm that. His head was angled low and he stared at me with heavy lidded eyes as he shook his head from side to side. I swallowed and watched as he took a few steps towards me and stopped so close, his chest brushed against mine. My nipples were so hard, I could have cut glass with them. I gasped as every breath he took made the strong muscles of his chest push against my breasts. “D-Did you need something?” I stuttered the words and didn't even feel embarrassed.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have ended the night like that. It's just, well, I felt I was taking advantage of you."
"You didn't take advantage of me, I wanted that to happen."
He smiled at me, a smile that made my heart race faster and my breathing pick up. There was something about him that set every cell in my body on fire.
"I just couldn't end the night the way I did. I'm a gentleman, and I needed to see you once more before the night ended, to apologise once again for my behaviour."
I was surprised by his apology. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like what he said.
"I sat in my car after you walked inside, just staring at the closed door. I wanted, needed to feel your lips against mine once more."
Before I could say anything in response, tell him that was all I had been thinking about, he pulled me against him and slanted his mouth over mine in a brutal kiss. His tongue didn't ask permission to enter my mouth—he just stabbed it in there, thrusting it in and out. I wished another part of his body were doing that act, and felt wanton for the thoughts I was having. He ran his hands down my rib cage to my hips, where he pressed me closer. I could feel the hard, thick length of him press into my belly and I moaned into his mouth. He felt so big, I wondered what he'd look like with nothing on. I brought my arms up and wrapped them around his neck. I felt his hands move down and cup my butt as he lifted at the same time. I felt unbalanced as he lifted me easily and crushed me to him. My muffled gasp didn't stop him as he left my mouth and skimmed kisses down my neck. He stopped at the base of my neck and I could feel his hot, wet tongue slide across my skin. I let my head tilt to the side to give him better access and heard his groan of approval.
"Oh, Kerian, that feels so good."
He growled low in his throat before he ran his teeth across my neck. His teeth felt a little sharp, but that made it feel even better. He kissed my throat before he slowly let me slide down the length of his body. I felt every hard ripple of muscle he had before my feet touched the ground. I held onto him, because I wasn't sure I'd be able to stand on my own just yet. He kept his mouth to my neck as his breathing went back to a more normal pace.
"Your skin taste so fucking
good."
I was shocked and pleased by his language and smiled into his chest. His lips ran over my skin, sending shivers along my spine. His teeth ran along my flesh, and I gasped at the sharp sting where his mouth met my neck. Then, I felt the warmth of his body leave mine as he stepped back.
"I'm so sorry."
He didn't look at me, his hand covering his mouth. I lifted my hand to my neck, feeling wetness. I looked at my fingers, stunned at the small drop of blood covering the tips. I looked at Kerian, who still wasn't looking at me.
"Wow, I guess we got a little carried away."
I could see how uncomfortable he was, and tried to make light of the situation.
"It's really okay, no big deal."
"It isn't okay. I'm sorry, I should really be going. Is it all right if I call you tomorrow?"
"Yes, of course."
He walked towards me and laid a soft kiss on my forehead. The act seemed so innocent, given what we had just shared, what had just happened. I watched as he left, shutting the door behind him with a light click. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes, every part of my body screaming for release. I touched the side of my neck again, a thrill of excitement at his tenderness. I couldn't explain why desire washed through me at the idea that he had bitten me. What's wrong with me? Something was wrong, wasn't there? To like something like that? I shook my head, not wanting to think too deeply about it. All I knew was that I liked it, taboo or not.
I decided to take a shower, hoping the water would cool me down. I stepped into the bathroom and quickly got out of my clothes. Turning on the tap, I sat on the edge and let the liquid run across my hand. My mind drifted as the cool water turned warm. I thought about Kieran, how soft and gentle he had been. His eyes were like clear-cut limes, looking straight inside of me and knowing my every secret. I snatched my hand away as hot water stung me. The skin on the back of my hand was bright red, my pulse seeming to encompass my whole hand. I quickly turned the cold water tap higher and let it bathe my skin. After a minute, the sting dissipated and I switched on the shower.
