Authors: Michelle Love
I turn and peek around him to make sure no one can see us, then put my arms around him, burying my head in his wide chest. “I love you too.”
I can’t believe it. I’ve finally told him exactly how I feel about him.
With a tight hug, he sighs. “You’ve made me pretty damn happy today, Al. Accepting my offer to move away with me, telling your folks about us, and now you’ve told me you love me too. It can’t get any better than this.”
When he lets me go the sensation of losing something comes over me. The way he held me made me feel safe, secure, and wanted.
He wants me! Little old me. Why in the Hell would he?
I’ve made him wait for years for my physical attention. I have no idea what other boy would’ve waited for me, but he has.
Why? What’s so special about me?
Not a damn thing. I’m a complete bore. Never able to do anything thanks to my over-protective parents. But that’s nearly over. Only two more weeks.
As I start the dishwasher I hear Kyle sigh again. Turning to find him looking out the window at the now dark night.
“Time for me to go,” he says, scooping me up for one last hug. “Walk me out?” His eyebrows raise.
I never walk him out, my parents would have a fit. “I will,” I say, because I’ve got a lecture coming anyway. I might as well make it worth it.
He holds my hand and tugs at me to follow him into the living room. There are the wardens, sitting in their chairs. Dad watching television and Mom reading a book.
By the cover of it, it seems pretty steamy. The well-muscled, shirtless man holding his body above what seems to be a white-clad damsel in distress, falls to my mother’s lap.
“Good night, Kyle,” she says with a smile.
Dad’s eyes go straight to our intertwined hands, and a frown covers his handsome face. I hate to make him look like that, but what choice do I have?
“Bye,” he speaks, gruffly.
I have no idea of the expression on either of their faces as I follow Kyle out, closing the door behind me. One of them jumped up because the porch light just turned on.
This also tells me one of them is standing at the window, watching us. I’m in for it anyway, why not give them a real show?
I wrap my arm around Kyle’s waist and lean into him. His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me in even closer.
“I see you’ve made the decision to make them really pissed. You sure you can handle the fallout?” he asks, placing a kiss on top of my head.
I gaze up at him, his eyes back to their regular blue color. All the lust gone from them, sorry to say.
“If you can, I can.” My words strong, but somewhere in me a bit of weakness bites at me.
My parents have never had to deal with me doing something against their rules, so I’ve no idea what they have in store for me.
Daunting images of dungeons, whips, and chains fill my head.
Kyle reaches up to open the door of his tall, four-wheel-drive truck. It’s black and shiny, all chromed out with freaking beautiful rims. His grandfather gave it to him for graduating with honors. He’s very proud of him for receiving a full scholarship to UT because of how well he plays football.
My man is a monster on the field!
His hands grab me by the waist as he hoists me up into the driver’s seat. I giggle as it tickles.
“Scoot over, I’m going to kidnap you,” he says with an evil grin on his precious lips.
“How about we do that right after graduation?”
A frown replaces the grin. “Can’t, you won’t be eighteen until the next day.”
How could I forget that little detail? “Okay, then the day after graduation, on my eighteenth birthday, you can steal me away then.”
The front porch light flashes off and on in what I assume is a sign to go back inside. “Looks like the guards are calling me in. My time is up.” I reach out for him to help me back down.
The touch of his hands gripping my waist stirs the warmth back into my lower regions, making me really dislike my parents at this moment. I just want to get lost in this young man who stands in front of me.
Lightly he kisses me. I want more than that, but Kyle is just too damn good to let me.
“I’m not gonna let you get yourself into any more trouble than you’ve got coming to you. You don’t need to tell them everything, Al. Remember, they don’t need to hear every detail of what we’ve done.”
The light flashes again, this time with a yell from my mother, “Alyssa, dear, time to come in.”
I watch Kyle climb into his tall truck. He waves at me as he pulls out of the long, steep drive. Turning back to the house, my mother stands on the porch, waiting for me. I brush past her as I walk back inside.
Her hand on my arm pulls my attention to her frowning face. My father stands. “We need to talk, young lady.”
Great, this should be relatively painful!
EDEN
Stars fill the sky over the pristine, white mansion. Dim light by the swimming pool shines in Linda’s eyes. Though nowhere near as beautiful as my Alyssa’s, they’re still pretty.
The touch of her hand on the back of my neck makes me aware of what she’s about to do. Although not our first kiss, it’s been some time since she’s tutored me.
I’ll be eighteen in three days. I’m going to see my Alyssa, face to face, on my birthday after all this time.
Plump red lips touch mine. My heart beat increases slightly. Linda’s hair is roughly the same length as my Alyssa’s.
I wrap a long piece around my hand. My arm moves around her waist, pulling her closer to me.
Linda is the same size as Alyssa, part of the reason she’s the one tutoring me. She’s wearing a perfume with just the right mix of sweet and citrus. I must remember to ask her what kind it is. Alyssa would probably like to have some.
I have a picture of my soon to be mate up in my bedroom. Just thinking about it fills my mind with her image. And there it is, the thump in my chest every time I think about her and I together like this.
Alyssa’s deep sapphire eyes, her dark black, silky hair, those perfect red pouty lips. My heart’s going wild now.
My body and lips press harder against Linda’s. I move us until she no longer moves. Holding her to the wall, I force my tongue past her lips, pulling her hair back so she has to accept it.
Linda twists beneath me, pulling her mouth from mine. “Eden! Stop!”
My head is swimming. Crap! What have I done?
“Linda, it was wrong what I did? I didn’t know.”
Linda moves away from me. She’s a little older than I am, about five or ten years I guess. Her eyes have tiny wrinkles at the corners. Right now her face is flushed red.
“Eden, you have to be a lot more delicate with your mate. She’s innocent after all. Coming on so strong will frighten her. You don’t want to do that, now do you?”
Linda’s dress is bunched up at her waist from my actions. I reach out to smooth it for her. She steps back and does it herself.
“Sorry, Linda. So no tongue then?”
She shakes her head. “Absolutely not, Eden. You’re marrying a princess of sorts. No tongue. No pulling of hair. No pushing her up against walls, doors, or any other hard surfaces. She’s to be treated only with gentleness, always with respect. Do you understand me?”
I look away, angry with myself. “I do, but…”
She pulls at my chin to make me look at her, interrupting my words. “But nothing, Eden. Touch her very tenderly. She’s completely innocent. Plus, she knows nothing about you. Believe me, you will be a complete stranger to her. The last thing she’ll want is for you to handle her like that. You’ll scare the hell out of her.” She smiles at me, making me feel admittedly stupid.
“I’m a child, Linda,” I say as I mope about how inexperienced I am.
Her arm runs around my shoulders and she gives me a little squeeze. “No, Eden, you’re no child. Here, let’s try this again. Only this time follow my lead instead of taking off on your own.”
Pulling me to sit on a bench with her, she turns. My hands are placed by her, one on her shoulder and one on her waist. This feels awkward, too much like a dancing position.
“This feels weird, Linda.”
“It’s proper to stay some distance away. Now give me a chaste kiss on my cheek,” she instructs me.
I purse my lips and place them on her cheek. “There you go, Linda. Was that chaste enough?”
Her smile tells me it was. “Now a simple, nice, non-threatening kiss on my lips, Eden.”
Practicing extreme softness, I press my lips to hers. I have to open my eyes a bit or the visions of my Alyssa run into my head, making me lose control. When I pull back, I find her smiling at me.
“That was nice, very nice with no hint of
, I want to take you right now,
to it.”
I drop my arms to my sides. “Is that what it felt like when I kissed you? Like I wanted to take you to my bed?”
I never want to treat my baby Alyssa like that. She’s too special.
Linda touches my arm. “Yes, Eden. What you did to me was very sexual in nature. I know you’re a young man with raging hormones and needs, but Alyssa is too inexperienced to deal with that right away. Maybe she’ll like it later, probably many years from now, but not at first. You think you have it all under control now?”
I nod. With her I do. Once I have my hands on my mate, well I don’t know for sure.
If just her pictures, and thinking about her stir this beast inside of me, what will the real girl do?
My cell phone vibrates in my pants pocket. “My father, Linda. If you’ll excuse me please,” I say as I walk away from her. “Hello, Papa.”
“You should come inside, your mother and I need to tell you something about Alyssa.”
“Be right in,” I say a bit nervous.
What could she have done? What if something’s happened to her?
I rush to Linda. “Sorry, Linda. Practice is over.” I take her by her arm, leading her back to her car. “My parents want to talk to me about something.”
She allows me to lead her away from the pool. “I understand, Eden. It’s probable I’ll not see you until you bring her back here. Good luck and remember all I’ve taught you. Always be a gentleman.”
I open her car door and help her inside. Out of habit, I place a quick kiss on her cheek.
I shut her door and wave goodbye as I walk up to our front door. My stomach is clenched with not knowing right this minute what’s wrong with my Alyssa.
Ginger, one of the maids, opens the door before I get to it. “They’re on the veranda, Mr. Fontaine.”
“Thank you, Ginger,” I say, turning back to her. “And please call me Eden.” She’s new, so she hasn’t figured out how much I detest being called Mr. anything.
The look on my parents’ faces doesn’t do much to please me or settle my nerves. “Please sit down son,” my father says.
I kiss my mother’s cheek then do as he asks. “So, what’s this you need to tell me?”
My mother rocks back in the large white rocker she’s sitting in. “Seems your mate has some idea she’s going to run off with what seems to be her high school boyfriend.”
My face falls and my heart stops beating as everything inside me turns to liquid.
How? What? Why?
“There’s no way she could have hidden such a thing from David and Toni.”
My father touches my shoulder. “They were completely unaware of anything more than a friendship existing between the two. That was until a little earlier this evening. Alyssa told them of her plans to move to Austin with the boy after graduation. On her birthday, no less.”
“She can’t,” I say, my breath almost lost.
How could she do this to me?
My mother senses my hurt. “Eden, she knows nothing about you, and what you two are to each other. This is exactly why I always said this was a bad idea. Letting her live a quote, unquote, normal life was a bad idea. No matter how much her parents wanted it.”
“I wanted that for her too,” I say. “I decided to let her stay in that life. This is my fault. I always had the right to stop this and have her brought to me. My love for her and her happiness has caused this.” I look at my father. “Please tell me she hasn’t been taken by this guy. Please tell me she still has her innocence.”
“From what she’s told her parents she’s still a virgin,” my father says.
“Thank Our Creator! If my actions brought sin upon her everlasting soul, I could never forgive myself. So what’s to happen now?”
My mother rocks back and forth. “The same thing as planned. You go to her on your birthday. Her parents will introduce you two and let her in on who and what she truly is. The boyfriend thing will go away after she knows her true path.”
“She was going to leave with him. It must mean she has love for him.” My stomach aches with this knowledge. “I let her fall in love with someone else. Why didn’t you make me bring her here a long time ago?” I ask my father.
The slight grin on his face answers my question. He’s not my master. Only I can make the decisions for myself and Alyssa. A heavy responsibility to bear since I was a mere five years old. The weight has never been such a burden as it is on this day.
“I know, Papa. I’m not blaming you. I just didn’t see this coming. It was supposed to be so easy. She would see me and fall as madly in love with me as I am with her. Now her heart’s been captured by another. I fear finding love for me will prove much harder for her. There’s the fact she must break this young man’s heart. It will hurt her in the process. I think I hate that the most. I’ll have hurt her before I’ve ever been given the chance to show her just how much I never wanted to.”
My expression must be terrible. My mother comes to me, pulling me to stand. She wraps me in a tight hug.
“Don’t worry so much, Eden. It’ll all be fine. As much as I want to say, I told you so, I have to believe in fate. This was meant to be for reasons we may never be privy to. All will be as it’s supposed to be. Her parents are on guard now, making sure she doesn’t give herself to this boy. Toni told me she’s taking Alyssa to the doctor in the morning to get checked out, just to give you peace of mind.”
What? Did she say to give
me
peace of mind?
“Mother, what’ll the doctor do to her?”
“A physical inspection to make sure she’s still intact. You know take a gander at her in that area.” My mother horrifies me with her words.
“Tell Toni I’ll not allow it. If my Alyssa says she’s not lost her virginity, then she’s to be believed. No one is going to inspect her like a piece of property. She’s far too special for that. Get her father on the phone, Papa. Let him know I’ve said not to do that to her. If they’ve told her what their plan is, I fear she’s scared to death. That’s not what I want. And all at my hands. No, I’ll not have that. Tell David to make sure Alyssa knows she’s not going to be taken to the doctor. I want her to sleep peacefully on this night. Not lacking sleep from fear of what might happen to her tomorrow.” I order, then walk away.
I’ve made a mistake in allowing her to stay away from me. Somehow I’ll fix this. I pray my plans for our dinner on my birthday will help her to see what our life together will be like. Perhaps that will persuade her to let her feelings for the boy go.
Please let it do the trick!