Chapter Twelve: Hard to Stay Away from You
1376 Words
Tara Blakewood
I thought about taking a shower, but I was too tired to move.
I walked toward one of the doors to see if it was a bathroom. It was, and everything inside was perfect. I stripped off my underwear, acting like I was at home. I imagined him walking in, seeing me like this exposed but I didn’t care.
I stepped into the shower, enclosed with clear glass walls. I stayed there for about ten minutes, scrubbing my body, then rinsed off all the soap. I grabbed a large white towel, wrapping it around me, and a smaller one for my hair.
I was going to put on clothes, but underwear bothers me when I sleep, so I laid them on the bed and grabbed a shirt to wear.
I forgot to turn off the light. I got up to switch it off, but the balcony caught my attention. My staring made a frightening noise, just enough to unsettle me, and something moved in the bushes near the lake. It sounded like an owl.
I closed the balcony and the light and headed back to the bed, but the sound didn’t stop. In the darkness, it felt like it came from inside the room.
I couldn’t take it. I picked myself up and rushed toward the door, afraid something might attack me while I was alone. Any creature with sharp claws could tear through my soft skin.
Should I go to Kaiden? He said to come if I needed anything, but what exactly did I need? Should I tell him I heard an owl in the room, or that I was scared to sleep alone?
I pressed my fingers against the door several times, over and over, but no response came. I retreated to my room and stood in front of my door. Then I ran back to Kaiden’s door, pounding on it fiercely.
“Kaiden… Mr. Kaiden, please! Something’s going to eat me! Nooo! Please!”
I screamed, startled by the noise again. Tears streamed down my face. Suddenly, and thankfully, he opened the door quickly. I rushed inside and collapsed into his arms, crying.
“Mr. Kaiden… there’s a commotion downstairs, and I heard an owl too.”
I lifted my head slightly to see him. It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen: his eyes half-open, his hair messy.
He was bare-chested, looking down at me. His broad chest and shoulders were tattooed in places, reaching toward his neck.
“What’s wrong?”
His voice sounded annoyed but still carried the huskiness of sleep. I recoiled when I realized what I was hugging.
“There’s an owl making scary noises in my room, and something else is causing a ruckus downstairs.”
I avoided looking at his bare chest.
He muttered, his voice sending shivers through me:
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
He closed the door, then stood, examining me from head to toe. I think he noticed I wasn’t wearing anything under my shirt. Embarrassing.
“You can sleep with me.”
I stared at him in disbelief. Sleep with him? I wasn’t even sure what to think…
“Or you can use the other room.”
He walked to the large bed in the center, laying face down, covering himself with the blanket.
I was about to return to my room but stopped at the sound. I glanced at the sofa.
“Don’t even think about sleeping there.”
It was him speaking. I felt trapped. He turned back onto his stomach.
I slowly approached the large bed, sitting on the edge. I wasn’t afraid just embarrassed. Embarrassed of him, and embarrassed of Ethan, whom I felt I was betraying. I even avoided moving closer to sleep beside him.
I lay on the far edge of the bed, pulling the blanket over me. I knew this shirt would ride up while I slept.
Seconds passed. Then I felt a movement behind me. My body was pulled back against something solid.
His chest.
“It’s hard to stay away from you when you look like this.”
He whispered in my ear, his forbidden breath brushing my neck through the wide collar of his shirt.
It wasn’t right, but I liked it. The closeness, his arms around my waist, the intimacy.
I was aware of being engaged. This shouldn’t happen between me and a married man. Yet, the way he touched me felt too sweet to resist.
I didn’t push him away. I just… wanted to see what he would do. I wanted to feel my femininity in the hands of a man I didn’t resist.
My eyes relaxed as he let his hot breath travel across my neck. His nose brushed my hair and neck, inhaling my scent a mix of his soap and my perfume.
“You’re stealing from my things, little thief. You’ll pay for what you’ve used.”
He said it while removing the blanket. I didn’t feel cold the room was warm, or maybe another heat came from him.
Without defending myself, he grabbed my hands, pinning them above my head with his left hand. His lower body pressed against me, directly over my femininity.
He raised his right hand to move stray strands of hair from my face. His fingers sent shivers across me, tracing imaginary lines down to my cheeks. He held my gaze; I returned it, captivated.
“This is wrong. Mr. Kaiden must know…”
I spoke without looking away, heat rushing to my cheeks as I did.
He leaned closer. I had nowhere to run, and truthfully, I didn’t want to.
“Convince me that you don’t like my closeness, that you don’t want this, and I’ll step back, Tara.”
He pressed a long kiss to my right cheek, making sparks flare low in my stomach.
“I don’t like childish kisses, but I’ll make an exception for you.”
His bending over me made our breaths mingle. His hardness pressed against my intimate area, sending waves of pleasure through me. My legs closed instinctively.
“Has your fiancé ever touched you like this?”
I shook my head.
“No… he hasn’t.”
I knew my voice sounded feminine. I felt it, and I think he liked it.
I tried to move, embarrassed and tense, but he stopped me.
“If you don’t want trouble, little one, stay still.”
I obeyed, unable to resist his commanding tone. His words had power over me, and the last word, the word he used normally with my father or Ethan felt different coming from him. I loved it.
“Use your tongue.”
A strange new feeling spread through me. My heart pulled toward him, my mind couldn’t stop.
He moved closer; his nose brushed mine. My breath left me heavy and uneven.
The friction between us brought a delicious ache to my femininity. I felt him, his hardness pressing through, only a light shirt covering him.
“What’s wrong, little one? All tense like this?”
He moved his hand from my head to my side, stroking my waist intimately. Desire burned inside me, but I didn’t say it.
“Nothing, Mr. Kaiden… just stay away.”
I lied. I wanted him, but I said the opposite. Ethan came to mind, he didn’t deserve me, nor did Lara, his wife. I cared, and I knew she didn’t deserve him.
“Convince me you don’t want me near you.”
He was testing me. I hated being patient.
“Yes… I don’t want this forbidden closeness.”
From his side smile, I knew he knew I was lying.
“Soon… I’ll make you fall to these touches. That forbidden closeness will take you through hell to pleasure.”
He let go of my hands, moved from my waist, and positioned behind me. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, covering us with the blanket.
I wanted to ask what he meant, but I remained silent, understanding half.
“Goodnight, little one.”
Why does everything he says feel better than Ethan? Even the ordinary words sound different.
I closed my eyes, letting sleep take me into his world—pain and pleasure entwined—with Kaiden.
- Writer
