Tempted in a Forbidden Fire with a Billionaire

CHAPTER 2

Five years ago

I bragged, "You know it's my birthday today," as I jumped up onto the couch beside him and propped my feet up on the leather ottoman.

It seemed like a dream to me to have his velvety black socks next to my painted pink toes.

I was excited about the simple contrast between his much bigger covered feet and my fair skin toned in bubblegum pink nail paint. It gave me the impression that there was a future. A future in which we entwine our feet instead of avoiding contact.

That was how Jackson had always affected me. Sure, I had only been friends with him for eight months. Still, he gave me butterflies without even trying to do it. At least, I was pretty damn sure he wasn’t trying to.

“It is?” he asked with a frown.

I watched intently as his lips moved, mesmerized by how soft they appeared. Pink, perhaps, a blush given his more sun-kissed complexion. Pink with a muted tone, reminiscent of some of my favorite flowers.

“Your mom didn’t say anything.”

I pleaded with myself, "Don't ruin the mood." Keep her out of the conversation.

However, he had already. The harm had already occurred.

"Why would she do that? She never recalls." I shrugged, keeping my eyes fixed on the movie that was playing. You'd think that eighteen might be the one to whom she at least sends a text, but no such luck. I didn’t actually want to stop looking at him. I never did. But I was nervous and observing how ridiculously handsome he was didn’t help.

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier? It’s 8pm now, we could have celebrated or something,” he complained, rubbing his temples. “I feel like an ass.”

I grinned. "Why? You're not like my father, really. You simply live with my mom, who happens to be her boyfriend. Considering that she isn't really home. That actually simply makes me your girlfriend's obnoxious, bothersome daughter." I wasn't beyond making self-deprecating remarks.

"Please refrain from saying that," he admonished, glaring at me. Unwilling to retract it, I shrugged. "In addition, you're only bothersome occasionally," he said, lightly nudging my arm.

I felt a shock of electricity shoot down to my fingertips from the mere touch. I pretended not to blush even though I could feel it burning my face and spreading up my neck.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. I just wanted a cake, but the bakery I like isn't open on the weekends. I’ll have to wait until Monday.”

“What bakery?” he asked, raising a brow at me. One of those thick, sculpted eyebrows that defined his deep and delicate eyes.

“Goldi's. Her chocolate layered cake is unmatched,” I sighed, stealing a handful of his popcorn. It had already gone cold, but that meant the butter was absorbed inside each piece and I sort of enjoyed that.

He gave an involuntary nod before taking out his phone to investigate a beeping sound it had made. "Put on a movie you really want to watch, I'd just have to make a phone call." Leaping from his seat, he declared, "I'll be right back."

I watched him leave, careful not to linger on any one of his features for too long and miss another. I was so transfixed by him. His stature, his brown, almost green eyes, his dark hair and the stubble on his face that dawned his sharp jawline. Not to mention his body. The body I could swear was sculpted specifically to make women melt.

Though he was my mother's boyfriend, he was really mine. He was always there, and she was never home because she was always traveling for work. The fact that he was a wealthy business magnate at his age, 29, and spent more time around the house than my mother, 34 years old, who's already a lawyer.

My favorite thing in the world was his company. I didn't need much more with it.

We got into arguments over things like my outfit choices, loud music, and arriving home later than expected. I wanted him to treat me like the woman that I was, yet sometimes he treated me a little like a child.

No, I wanted to be treated like his woman by him.

I was completely and unapologetically in love with Jackson Azurlan. And I wanted him to know that. Soon.

“We’re watching a drama movie, bring tissues!” I called out, flipping through my digital movie collection and putting on my favorite cry-your-heart-out film.

Just as the movie began, he came back into the living room, box of tissues and all. He was dressed like he was always on Saturday nights. Silky black pajama pants and no shirt, his tanned skin practically glowing in the fluorescent lights. Jasper was a perfect example of God playing favorites. If there was a God. I wasn’t religious. I’d worship him though, anytime he asked.

I had already decided I was going to kiss him on my birthday, but I hadn’t had the nerve to do it just yet.

“You know, watching the same movies or tv shows repeatedly constitutes an obsession,” he teased, tossing a piece of popcorn at me.

The only thing I’m obsessed with is you, I wanted to point out.

“What else am I supposed to do? Try a movie outside of my favorites?” I scoffed, the idea making me shiver. “What if I hate it? Then I just wasted two hours.”

Over an hour into the movie, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” he said nonchalantly, lifting himself off of the couch and shuffling out of the room.

Who the hell is at the door at 10pm? I thought, but shrugged it off, caught up in the story on my screen. It was just getting better and better after all.

Jackson reappeared with a big white box and a silly smile on his face. “Happy Birthday.” He handed it to me and I gasped.

“No way!” I set it down on the coffee table, so I didn’t drop it and jumped up to hug him.

“How’d you get this!? They aren't open today!”

He got me exactly what I wished for. A layered chocolate cake by Goldi's. He laughed as I hugged him, and I let go before I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to kiss him right there, but I couldn’t, not yet.

“I made a few calls, kid, it was no big deal.”

Ugh, kid.

“Hey! No more calling me kid. I’m a woman, that’s rude.”

“Is that so?” he teased, laced with his flirty tone. He only ever used it once in a while and it never lasted long.

By the time the movie ended, my face was wet and the cake was half gone.

“How are you not crying!? That was gut wrenching! And I’ve seen it before!” I demanded, laughing and wiping away my tears.

"He made the proper decision." He shrugged, putting down his cake plate. "He'd never be himself again, he'd be in pain, and he'd hold her back."

"What? He did not act appropriately at all! I would be enraged! I could quickly turn the tables on that man. We both perish if he does." I sigh, shaking my head and removing the remaining piece of cake from my plate. "Selfish bastard."

“He couldn’t take you dancing or swimming or bungee jumping or travel without hassle. He’d never feel like a man, feeling disappointed every time you had s*x. Not disappointed with you, but with himself. He couldn’t do anything he wanted to do to you, it’d be awful.”

"Love is meant to surpass all of that," I responded, raising my chair to confront him. Traveling, dancing, or having amazing s*x are all meaningless if you can't see the one you love every day."

"Do you even realize what giving up that would mean? Have you ever had great s*x?"

I stopped for a second. Ashamed to say no. No, didn't want to say no anyway.

I lied, extremely poorly, and said, "I've had plenty of sex."

He chuckled. "I've known you for almost two years now, and you've never been good at lying, Gretch. You haven't, you're not good at lying," he said, crossing his arms over his chest as if he were questioning me. "And giving up yourself just for s*x to any man should be prohibited and impossible."

As if he would get mad if ever I am really telling the truth.

I lied even more, saying, "I've totally had great s*x, I'm not lying, okay."

I grabbed his face by the nape of his neck and pressed his abs harder into my body.

He didn’t resist at first, his lips met mine, kissing me back with a mixture of shock and anger. When my mouth parted, his tongue slipped inside, coaxing mine to play with his. I moaned and rolled my hips, unable to help it.

I've never done this before to anyone and I don't know how I am doing this now with the man I've always admired. The physical attraction I've always felt for him was strong enough and finally won over me this night.

I wrapped my arms around his nape and moaned louder when his palms reached for my chest. My cheeks burned red.

That’s when he realized what we were doing, and pulled his face away, pushing me off of him. “What the hell, this is wrong...”

I pleaded with him, attempting to draw nearer to him once more. "Explain to me why giving up is impossible. I leaped back into his lap and sank lower, letting my p***y rest against his developing erection. I smirked when we both looked at that part.

Obviously, he looked away after that, feeling shy.

"Blow my mind tonight, Jackson."

"No, no, no." He tried to push me away, and so I insisted on doing what I wanted even more.

“You want to, I can feel it. Please, I want you so badly. No guy excites me like you do,” I admitted, moving my lips to his neck.

I knew very few other guys. But I still wasn’t lying. Not a single man had ever made me want to do the things I wanted to do with Jackson.

“Fck,” he hissed, tipping his head back. As if fighting something, fighting the urge of something not known to me.

“Gretchen, I can’t cheat on your mom with you, it’s wrong.” His voice was hoarse and deep, as if he was in pain.

"Oh please," I said, chuckling as I felt his c**k through our trousers in an attempt to create friction. "You two are hardly exclusive, as we both know. Are you saying that neither of you has s*x with anyone else when she's away? I'm not a moron.

He moaned without pushing me away, "For Pete's sake, Gretch. You shouldn't know such things, and you certainly shouldn't be grinding on my fcking erection right now."

I kept kissing him all the way up his throat, taunting, "I bet I'll be so tight for you. I'll scream for you too. I'll do whatever you want. I've never even fingered myself, you know? I've only ever come rubbing circles around my clit." I thought of every word I learned from internet, waiting for this perfect time to say all of those.

I heard him groan even more, sounded like he was losing his temper even more after hearing those dirty words. I grinned, feeling excited!

"Gretch, you have no idea what I want to do to you and this fckng body," Jackson moaned as he lifted me up, flipped me onto my back, and ensnared me in his arms.

Sweet, sweet confirmation!

Jackson thought about my body too.

“Show me,” I panted, rubbing a hand against his chest. “Do every single filthy thing you want to do to me. I won’t stop you, I won’t even consider saying whatever word you tell me. Defile me, sir.”

His eyes were hot with lust when he swooped down and locked his lips on mine. His kiss was harder, destructive and delicious. He tasted like whiskey and my favorite cake. His teeth nipped at my lips and I whimpered, arching my back.

“Tell me to stop, Gretchen. Now, tell me to stop now,” he panted, putting his forehead against mine.

“Never,”

He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched until I felt his burning hot palms touch my skin. I was out of my mind that whole night.