“What do you mean?”
“You know we can’t be anything more than what we have right now, Jane. It’s wrong for us to be together.”
“You didn’t seem to feel that way when you were inside me earlier,” I pointed out in a dry tone.
He caressed a hand down my back. “I know. But your pure temptation to me, you know that? But this thing can only go so far. This is just lust, Jane. Nothing could ever have made in a physical relationship.”
My heart ached at the dullness in his voice. He was trying to save himself and his heart from any possible heartbreak. He was probably thinking that he was in love with me, but keeps telling himself that it was just merely infatuation. Perhaps, it was. For him, maybe. But certainly not for me. I felt something far deeper than just physical attraction. And it scared me. Made me fear the consequences if I tell him. I would certainly lose him and never get him back. But like he had said earlier, whatever we had would end sooner or later. And I wasn’t ready for that.
“Don’t fall in love at a young age,” Greg said. “That person might just break your heart.” I’m afraid that’s too late, I said quietly in my head.
I felt tears leaked at the corner of my eyes. I tilted my head and buried my face into his arm so that he couldn’t see the fat trickle of tears running down my face.
Without realizing I had fallen asleep in his arm, I blinked through the grogginess and opened my eyes fully. Looking around the room, I realized that I was still back at his house. Lying naked with his arms around me. Careful not to wake him up, I detangled myself and planted my feet against his expensive carpet. I quickly moved about the room and grabbed my clothes and locked myself in his bathroom.
I stood in front of the mirror, looking at my reflection as I tried to wrap my head around what was happening. I was growing too attached to Greg and that hadn’t been my plan in the first place. This was meant to be just a physical attraction that I would just get out of my system, and leave. But it had been two months since Greg and I had started this. I had less than a month to graduate before I go off to college.
I had my life well planned out and none of this had been part of it. I wasn’t meant to fall in love with the one man I couldn’t have. He was a fantasy come to life. But to feel more than the physical attraction? That scared me enough to want to end this. And that was how I found myself getting dressed, and walking out of his bathroom with my mind decision.
I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from my bag. I sat down on his kitchen, starting out the letter with how I felt, and decided to become straight forward with what I wanted and how things could turn out to be.
Once I was done, I folded the letter and placed it on his bedside table. Greg laid sleeping in his bed. His chest rising and falling as I leaned forward, and pressed a soft kiss on his forehead. He stirred slightly. My heart pounded hard against my chest as he let out a little moan. Once he was back to sleeping form, I let out a sigh of relief and left his apartment.
The cold wind passed by and surrounded me the moment I stepped out. The familiar car honking and pedestrians walking about met my eyes. The world was so oblivious to a person’s feelings, and what was going on inside her head.
Shaking my head, I grabbed my keys from the pocket of my jeans and made my way to the now empty parking lot. Feeling miserable, I jumped in and drove myself home. Contemplating whether I have made the right decision.
***
A week passed by and I found myself avoiding Greg again. Since my chemistry class was done and over with, I figured there was no need to stop by at class and just hang around. Nicola seemed to have guessed that there was something wrong with me, for she asked a million times already since we met up yesterday.
“What’s been bugging you?” she pressed on. “You’ve been miserable, lately. Is there something I should know about?”
I shook my head. “There’s nothing to know about, Nicola. Everything is fine. I’m great.”
I sent her a smile but it was obvious that none of us were convinced that I was fine. Greg seemed to be avoiding me as well after I left him sleeping in his apartment. I was guessing that he was probably mad when he saw the note. How could he not be? I left without another word and didn’t bother seeing him for a week.
Though, I must admit that during those nights that I laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about his well-defined body that was slightly covered in tattoos; I admitted to myself that I missed him. Terribly. And I didn’t know what I would do about it. He was amazing guy but he had said so himself not to fall in love the way he had. And even though, he would never I loved him, I figured that ending what we had was for the best of us.
“You’ve gone quiet,” Nicola observed.
I gave her a small smile and shook my head. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just contemplating about a certain decision I’ve made, and whether I’ve made the right choice.”
“Do you regret leaving him?” she asked.
My eyes widened in shock as I realized that she knew. My best friend knew that I had hooked-up with Greg. No one had known other than me and him. And I could just best my left hand that Greg would never kiss and tell.
“Who told you?” I asked.
She shrugged. “No one really. It’s quite obvious, though. The way you two look at each other can make every guess. And since I’ve known you for a long time, and that you can’t hide anything from me. I figured that you two had gotten with each other and it didn’t work the way you wanted it to be.”
“I left him without telling,” I told her as I shook my head in disbelief.
“Why?”
“It would never have worked out. We’re two different people and I’m off to college soon. Greg probably not one for a relationship. Not with his status.” During the two months I was with him, I heard stories and talks in the hallway from students that Greg Hudson had been a player, and a womanizing bad-boy. Which didn’t actually add up to the why he had been attracted to me in the first place.
“How do you know he didn’t want a relationship? Have you asked him that?” Nicola asked, but I shook my head.
“He told me that he’s mistaken lust for love once. And I don’t want to be put in that same position.”
“I’m sure you’re not going to be put in that same position. Have you tried telling him how you feel?”
“It’s pointless,” I told her. “There’s no need to tell him. I’ve made up my decision and that’s that. Besides, he’s ignoring me. We’ve been avoiding each other for a week now. I can take a hint.”
“I think you’re just reading too much into the situation, Jane.” Nicola said, as we turned around the corner.
“Yeah—” I froze when I realized who was walking toward me. Greg. I glanced at Nicola and stirred her toward the direction we’d just been in. But the traitor shook her head and made a move to walk away.
“Talk to him,” she said before walking away from me.
I had no choice but to stand in the middle of a hallway and wait for Greg to catch up to me. Shit. What was I going to say to him?
“Hi,” he said.
I looked up at him and muttered the same greetings. “Hi.”
“I need to talk to you,” he said before he grabbed my hand and led me back to his classroom. Where we had our first kiss. I shuddered at the memory of it all.
“You’ve been gone for a long time. You’ve been avoiding me and didn’t even bother answering my calls or my texts,” Greg said without hesitation. He looked at me with expectation in his eyes. Like he was waiting for me to explain myself.
“We couldn’t go on anymore,” I told him. “It would be pointless to continue what we were doing, Greg.”
“It’s not pointless,” he growled. “I’ve fallen in love with you!”
I stepped back in shock at hearing his confession. “You don’t mean that,” I told him. “You don’t.”
“How do you know I don’t?” he challenged.
“You said you�
�ve never wanted to fall in love again. And I don’t want to be mistaken for lust, Greg. Not with you.”
He stepped closer to me and framed my face with his. “I’m not mistaking it this time.” His head descended and took my lips. We kissed hungrily. I missed him and I missed this. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave into the temptation of being with the one man I could never have. Until now.
“Be mine,” he whispered.
I nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”
Whatever was waiting for us, I knew that we’d conquer it together. I’d be off to college soon but we would make it work. I was prepared to give this thing between us a go. And I know that Greg would be just as willing to.
“Thank you for being the best thing to happen in my life,” he said before he took my lips once again. I smiled and tightened my arms around him.
Desires Of A Duchess
A Historical Romance
Penelope Roberts
The Stand in
The young man had lit a small fire of wood, which smoked sullenly but gave very little warmth and comfort. It had rained all day. It was dark, and the place was cold, water still dripped from the branches near the mouth of the cave and a steady trickle overflowed the lip of the well, wetting the ground below.
He was restless and several times he had left the cave, he walked out down below the cliff to the thick grove where his horse stood tethered, to check if everything was in order.
Rain had stopped with the coming of dusk, but a mist had risen, creeping knee-high through the trees in such a way that they stood like ghosts, and the grazing horse moved like a swan.
It was a gray, and more than ever ghostly because it grazed so quietly; he had torn out a scarf and tied fragments of linen round the bit so that no jingle should betray him.
It was a dark horse and more than ever ghostly because it grazed so silently; he had torn out a scarf and tied fragments of linen round the bit so that no jingle should betray him.
The bit was gilded, and the torn strips were of silk, for he was the son of a Nobel. If by chance he was to be caught, he would be banished. He was just twenty, and so young.
The hoof beats fell in his ears, coming softly up the valley. His breathing quickened and his head moved. The sword on his hip flicked with the light as he lifted it stealthily. The dark horse paused in its grazing and lifted its head clear of the mist. Its nostrils flickered, but no sound came. The young man smiled. The hoof beats came closer, and then shoulder-deep in mist, a brown pony trotted out of the dusk. Its rider, small and slight, was wrapped in a dark cloak, muffled from the night air. The pony pulled to a halt, threw up its head, and gave a long, pealing whinny.
With an exclamation of dismay, the rider slipped from its back and grabbed for the bridle to muffle the sound against her cloak. She was a female, very young, who looked around her anxiously until she saw the young man, sword in hand, at the edge of the trees.
“Step up slowly, you sound like a troop of gorillas,” he said.
“Everything looks strange in the mist. I was here before I knew it.”
“Did anyone see you? You came safely?”
“There are men on the roads night and day. It’s been impossible the last two days, but I managed to slip by safely enough.”
“I suspected it.” He smiled. “Well, now you are here. Give me the bridle.” He led the pony in under the trees, and tied it up. Removing the hood of her cloak he kissed her.
After a while he pushed her away abruptly. “You are not Nancy…who are you?” he asked moving back a pace or two and drawing his sword.
“No I am not, I am Margarita, the Duchess. What is it that you expected from her that I cannot offer you?” She said. “I ought not to stay long; the maid will not be able to come tonight so I took her place.”
She paused and held herself straight. She had seen the saddle on his horse, the muffled bit, and the hurriedly fastened saddle-bag. Her hands moved sharply against his chest and his own covered them and held her fast.
“But….my dear girl, you are a married woman, you belong to my cousin. True enough that ever since I set eyes on you I have had a crush for you, I will not deny that.” The Duke said.
“Aaah,” she said, “I knew. I knew even in my dream last night that, you my lord lived up to your reputation.”
“And what is that, pray let me know?” he questioned her.
“That even at such a tender age, you were a devilish and amorous Duke who could drive any maiden mad with lust.” She said.
“If that be so, why not you?”
“There are certain ethics I have to maintain, but as a woman I have my own desires, you know very well that after my husband’s accident he is a virtual vegetable and are just a name sake married couple. And as a woman I, too, have my own sexual urges.” She said brazenly and was silent for a minute. Then all she said was: “I have very little time to spare.”
“Long enough to make your dream come true.” The young Duke said.
She did not pretend to misunderstand him. “Maybe we just have an hour, two, at the most.”
“Long enough, then I too must be gone.” He said
She said flatly: “Gone where? You will come back.” Then as he started to speak: “No. Not now, not any more. We have said it all and now there is no more time to waste. I only meant that you take your pleasures on my body and soul, and let me cherish the feeling of sleeping with the man of my dream.”
“Aren’t you worried that you are betraying your husband?” the Duke questioned her.
“I know it my lord, I love my husband but a woman on heat could do almost anything to fulfill her erotic desires.” She hinted.
“Oh, don’t worry, there will be other times, surely I will come back here if you ever need me.”
“I know, but I would still belong to another.” She said.
“You mean Sir Fredric?” The Duke asked.
“Yes.” She said in a trembling voice.
“But…. You know very well that wedded to Sir Fredric. This would mean you are cheating him.” The young duke pointed out.
“My Lord. I tell you, I know these things. I have the sight, but ever since his accident, Sir Fredric, the master, is nothing but a vegetable, it’s just a matter of time before I go mad if I don’t let myself go.”
“It hardly needs the sight to tell me that. I know he may and may not. And then perhaps he and you will listen to me….”
“No.” She stopped him again, almost angrily. “It doesn’t matter. What does it matter? We have only an hour, and we are wasting it. Let us go in.”
Duke Ainslie was already pulling out the jeweled pin that held the Duchess cloak together, as he put an arm around her and led her towards the cave.
“Yes, let us go in.”
Within the cave a torch was burning, lighting the interior. There was a soft padded pallet on the ground where the Duke had slept. Margarita, the Duchess, was beside him. She had already stripped herself. She was naked and her hair was damp from having ridden in the mist and she smelled of orange blossoms, from head to toe.
The Duke gazed into her lustful eyes and still couldn’t convince himself that he wasn’t dreaming. Finally, he decided to put her troubled mind at ease.
“You’re very beautiful and very precious; Margarita,” he said, “and I have a great fondness for you. But this is betrayal. Fredric will…”
“You presume too much, My Lord,” she said. “I have announced no decision of my intentions.”
“Yes, you have,” he replied. “Not with your lips, not in so many words, but with your eyes and body. Perhaps you don’t want to admit it yet, but you will. Don’t pretend and fight it, Margarita, and don’t be worried about offending me. Let what will become to you, naturally, and welcome it.”
She was silent, then her eyes found his and they were still troubled. He hadn’t helped a bit.
“That is my problem,” she said. “I love you both.”
The Duke nodded. He starte
d to tell her about the vast difference in their social standing, about the fact that he would soon be called away on another campaign, perhaps halfway around the country, about the fact that he might never return. He decided to skip all that.
Flicking her hands around his neck. She kissed his lips and he found his arms going around her back, caressing the soft, sweet-smelling skin. His hand went down to her gently-rising buttocks and he felt the erection building magnificently at his middle. This was no dream.
“Margarita, do you know what you are doing? I don’t want you to regret it later.”
She shushed him with a fragrant finger across his lips. “I know,” she said. “No talk. Only love.”
All right. He had tried. He had turned away from the pleasures that this girl had offered him. He had felt noble about his intentions, about his abstinence. Well, there is a time to put all that music behind you. That time was now.
Days of frustration and abstinence and temptation had built up a tremendous drive inside both of them. His erection was more than an erection. It was a budding, blossoming, flowering instrument of sex and love and lust and frustration. The duchess, herself was feeling a slight dripping down between her thighs, she found the hardness and enclosed it with her hand.
No further thoughts were given as to what would happen to her when this was over. There was no care whether she rightfully belonged to his cousin or to him. There were no more thoughts to find out whether she was still a virgin by the flesh or by the soul.
Romance: Alien Romance: Having The Kings Baby (A Paranormal Science Fiction Shifter Romance ) (Sci-fi Alien Invasion Abduction Romance) Page 138
