Текст книги "Be My Temptation"
Автор книги: Rachel Brookes
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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
Be ready in an hour. Wear the dress and shoes. I’m taking you out.
The last night of staying with Josh had arrived and, what I thought would be a quiet night in, now seemed like it was turning into a night of the unknown. I had the urge to text him back and beg for him to tell me what we were doing, but I knew it would be pointless, and I would just waste getting ready time, so I tapped in a simple response.
Okay. You have me intrigued.
Immediately I received a response.
Good. See you soon, Ashy.
My stomach flip flopped at the thought of the nights activities as I rushed down the hall toward the guest room. Thankfully, I had already showered, so I had some extra time to pretty myself up. As I focused on my hair, working on the perfect loose curls, I heard the front door open and close. My hand froze. Josh was home. I waited to hear him come down the hall. I expected him to appear in the bathroom behind me and meet my gaze in the mirror, but he never came.
“Thirty minutes, Ashy,” he called from the other end of the hall, near his bedroom.
I left my hair down in loose curls, and decided on smoky eyes, soft lips, and a spritz of my favorite perfume. After I slipped into the red dress that Josh had picked out and stepped into my heels, I was ready for the unknown. Moving up to the mirror, I gave myself the once over and nodded in approval.
“You ready?” Josh’s voice echoed down the hall.
I took a deep breath, grabbed my clutch from the bed, and switched off the light.
Josh pulled his attention away from the television and flashed to me as I stepped into the living room. I sucked in a breath as he stood from the couch, while his eyes greedily ran the length of my body, lingering a moment too long on my hips, and then again on my breasts that were displayed nicely, thanks to the tightness of the dress.
“Christ, Ashy,” he muttered when his heated gaze finally landed back on mine.
“Nice choice of dress,” I said in a breathy tone and did a twirl for good measure. It helped to break the extreme stare we were embedded in.
When I turned back to face him, I allowed myself to take him in. His hair was still wet and, even though he had showered, he hadn’t shaved. Seriously, did he know that I had an unhealthy obsession with rough, stubble-faced Josh? He was dressed in a black button-down shirt that was opened at the neck, a black belt, and charcoal slacks that hugged his hips and showed off his muscular thighs. I felt the familiar tightness in my stomach, and I knew my body had officially switched from intrigue to need.
“You ready?” he asked in a voice ravaged with seduction.
“What exactly am I getting ready for?” I replied, raising a brow in question.
“The unknown, Ashy.”
So much promise and intent rested in his words. The unknown was dangerous, yet exciting. It was life altering, and the epitome of confusion. The craziest thing, though, was that it made me, the girl who got lost in fairytales every night, believe that maybe one day my heart would succumb to the silly scenarios that swirled around in my head. Scenarios that had most recently involved Josh, the man who lived a life of casual, non-committal sex, and who had always said that monogamy was never for him.
Why was I even thinking of this? I shook the absurd thoughts out of my head and pushed my shoulders back, lifted my head high, and headed to the door with an extra bit of swing in my step.
“What just crossed your mind?” Josh asked as we stepped out of the apartment and moved to the elevator. He pressed the button for the ground floor and moved back beside me.
“Huh?”
His eyes narrowed. “Just then, before you headed for the door, a look flashed over your face.”
Fuck, he could read me too well. Josh could never be faulted for not paying attention. I glanced at him and noticed his brow pulled tight, as if he was trying to penetrate my mind and find out exactly what was swimming around in there. I had to think quickly on my feet, because I certainly couldn’t bust into to a conversation about my one-time dream of having a relationship with him.
“Just wondering what we were doing tonight, you have me intrigued,” I replied, with a smile.
He shook his head dismissively, and I swear I saw him roll his eyes. Under his breath he muttered, “Fucking lies.”
I chose not to bite because . . . well, technically it was a little fib I had chosen to feed him. I should have realized he would see straight through me, but some things just didn’t need to be said out loud. We remained in a comfortable silence as we made our way to the ground floor. Josh placed his hand on the small of my back as we walked through the foyer of our apartment building, then he led me to an awaiting cab.
The cab ride was a quiet affair of sneaky glances and soft smiles. As we weaved through busy streets, I paid attention to every little detail and tried to figure out exactly where we were going. The longer we were in the cab, the more antsy I got. I felt like a little kid waiting to open up her Christmas presents. I just wanted to know.
“I have something to ask you,” Josh said beside me.
I turned to look at him, and immediately found myself lost in the sharpness of his features and his warm brown eyes.
“What do you want to ask me?”
His voice dropped dangerously low. “Do you trust me?”
I didn’t hesitate in my response. “Yes.”
His eyes softened and, without a moment of hesitation, he lifted his hips off the seat and his hand disappeared. I watched with piqued interest as he pulled out a sash of red satin from his back pocket and rested it on his lap. The air shifted around us, and my body switched on as his eyes blatantly ran over my body. I felt drunk on lust.
“I could only choose a red blindfold to match a red dress,” he muttered, shifting across the seat until he was flush against me.
Blindfold?
“I didn’t know you were into that kind of thing,” I said in a teasing tone, desperate to conceal the high pitch threatening to take over my voice at the thought of him blindfolding me. “I am learning more about you every day.”
His smirk was almost territorial. “One day I’ll show you just what I’m into.”
And there goes my body: flushed, wet, and ready to be shown exactly what he could do. I needed a damn off switch when it came to him. I swallowed the need that I knew would show through in my voice and said, “Friends don’t show friends. Friends tell friends.”
“Our kind of friendship allows it.” He leaned in and the smile he shot caused a shiver to run frantically down my spine.
Sight no longer existed, as Josh gently placed the red satin over my eyes. My senses exploded. My hearing went from soft to loud, and suddenly every breath we took thundered to life. I inhaled sharply as my sense of touch was ignited by his fingertips sweeping down my cheek and over my lips. It was too much to comprehend at once.
“Shit,” I whispered as my hand shot out, desperate to grab onto his hand, arm, anything to use as an anchor. “Josh, this is too much.”
“Just relax, Ashy.”
His fingers entangled with mine, and we remained linked for the rest of the trip. I continued getting swept away by the sounds around me. I heard every hoot and holler from the street as the cab weaved through the city to a destination unknown. Sensing that the cab began to slow, I focused harder, then we came to a stop. Josh released my hand, and I was hit by cool air as a door opened and Josh exited. I sat in silence and warmth until the door beside me opened. Josh’s fingers tangled with mine again, and I was slowly led out of the cab, still in complete darkness.
“You ready?” His soft breath danced over my ear like a seductive waltz, sending a shiver more intense than ever through my body. This whole blindfold thing was freaking amazing.
“I think so.”
His arm wrapped around my waist until his hand was resting on my hip, and we fell into step. We must have looked crazy. A woman, blindfolded, dressed in a red dress that was tight in all the right places, with killer heels, being led along a street by a man who could fill out a pair of slacks and shirt better than 99.9% of the world’s population.
“Be careful, you need to take three steps down,” Josh said, his arms pulling me close to his body as we stopped walking.
Carefully, I did as he said, and was immediately hit by warm air, the smell of garlic, and the sound of laughter and chatter. Where the hell were we? Josh grabbed my hand and led me through the darkness provided by the blindfold. As I concentrated on every step I took and the feeling of Josh holding my hand, I lost all sense of awareness and bumped into his back when we stopped suddenly. I stumbled, and his arm shot out protectively, diverting me from crashing to the ground.
“Watch out, Ashy. I’ll think you’re falling for me if you’re not careful.”
Oh, dear lord.
Gently, he moved me until my legs hit the back of a chair, and I lowered myself.
Josh’s voice sounded from opposite me. “I’m about to remove the blindfold, but don’t open your eyes until I say. You okay with that?”
“Yes,” I replied, more breathy then intended.
With a featherlike touch, the blindfold was removed, and it took every ounce of strength I had not to open my eyes. I counted to ten, and then started singing the national anthem in my head to distract me from disobeying and looking.
“Show me your eyes, Ashy.”
My eyes fluttered opened, and I was hit by low lights. Josh sat across from me with a smile that could light up the world. My eyes frantically darted around the space, and my hand shot to my mouth as a million emotions hit me at once. This couldn’t be real. I had to be dreaming. My mind had to be playing games on me, because this kind of thing only happened in my favorite novels.
We were in Rosie’s Bar, sitting at the exact same table we’d sat at five years ago to the day when we first officially met. On the table between us was a pepperoni and mushroom pizza, along with two beers. The exact same kind of pizza and brand of beer we had five freaking years ago. I was spinning out. This was just . . . holy shit.
“Do you really think I’d forget that it was five years ago today that we sat at this exact table, eating this exact pizza, and drinking this exact beer?” Josh leaned over the table and linked his pinky with mine. I looked down at them before meeting his gaze. “Happy rocking-my-world Anniversary, Ashy.”
I was at a complete loss for words, and all I could do was stare at him. What could I possibly say? His eyes were soft as he stared back at me. There was no cockiness, no arrogance, and no obvious innuendo. It was just Josh. For the past five years, I had lived with the assumption that what we shared was just a night we spent together, that he had put into his memories of one-night stands and moved on. I was beyond shocked that he remembered even the finer details, right down to the pizza and table we sat at. My chest tightened. Oh fuck, were my eyes watering? This was hands down, without a doubt, the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.
“You look shocked.”
“I am,” I replied, finally able to put two words together.
“You thought I didn’t remember?”
“To be honest, yes.”
“I remember everything, Ashy. Absolutely everything. That night you gave me the best gift anyone has ever given me.”
He remembered, and just that thought alone did something unexplainable to me. My body started to react, and my cheeks felt like they were on fire. Oh god, I was swooning. I averted my eyes from his and focused on the pizza.
“I think about it a lot,” he continued, and leaned over the table toward me. With his thumb and forefinger, he moved my face back so I had no choice but to look at him. “I think about why this beautiful girl gave me the one piece of her no one else would own. I think about whether I was good enough to you. My constant thought is whether it was what you expected and deserved?”
“It was perfect,” I whispered in a truth I never knew existed. “I’m glad it’s you that owns that piece of me.”
“Believe me when I say it’s cherished.”
Josh released my face and shifted back into his seat, then lifted the beer to his mouth. I chanced a look around the bar. It hadn’t changed a bit in the past five years. Young professionals, couples who looked to be out on dates, and groups of people watching the game filled the space. I still couldn’t believe that he actually did this.
“So we are here to celebrate Ashlyn’s Closet and our five-year anniversary. You better watch out, Ashy, five years is a long time. I might be giving you a ring next time.”
My laughter filled the table, and I snorted at his words. His ridiculous statement calmed me down, and immediately settled the tension in the pits of my stomach. I lifted my beer to my lips and took a sip, while my gaze remained locked on him. He stared back at me with a wave of possession flicking through his chocolate brown eyes. It was unnerving, but in the best possible way.
“It better be a damn big one,” I stated, after lowering my bottle and placing it on the table.
“Noted,” he said with a wink.
We dug into the pizza, and my taste buds shot into overdrive with garlic and cheesy goodness. It was just as good as I remembered, or maybe even better, just like kissing Josh seemed to be better than last time. No. No. No. I could not think of that. I focused on my third slice and couldn’t contain my low moans of satisfaction. It sounded a little too sensual to be about a piece of pizza. Amusement hit my gaze as Josh shot me a warning look, which only encouraged me further.
“Stop with the sex noises!” He sighed, and I moaned with more vigor in response.
I wiped my hands and picked up my beer. The music continued around us, and I felt my body relax as beer flowed through my veins. Not having to sit on the knowledge that Ky and Eden didn’t know about Lachlan and me felt amazing. The weight on my shoulders had lifted, and now it might be possible for me to completely shut the door on that huge mistake.
We laughed, chatted, and reminisced about college for an hour. Everything we spoke of revolved around the past, and Josh hadn’t mentioned anything about kissing me within an inch of my life or finger fucking me at his parents’ house once. Just the thought of it made me blush.
“Shit, I’m vibrating.” Josh stood from his chair and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “It’s Ky. I’ll be two minutes.”
I pulled my own phone from my clutch as Josh disappeared through the crowd and away from the noise. My smile at seeing Eden’s name on the screen died when I saw Lachlan’s name taunting me. Without hesitating, I deleted his message before opening Eden’s.
Hi lovely, just checking in to see how you are. Let’s catch up for a girl’s night in when you move back to your place. What are you doing for your last night with Josh?
My fingers danced over the screen as I tapped in a reply.
Hey sweets, I’m actually feeling really great. Girls night in MUST happen. Josh surprised me and brought me to Rubie’s, so we are having beers and pizza, and supposedly celebrating our five year anniversary.
Her response was immediate.
Five years?
Eden was going to love this. Ever since her and Ky got together, she had been full force on the romance front, and everything made her swoon. This would be like shooting excitement through her body at a million miles per second and just waiting for the high to hit her.
Five years since he took my V card. He blindfolded me in the back of a cab and brought me here, then ordered the same pizza and beer we had the first night we met. I was shocked he remembered.
The blue bubble appeared almost immediately, and I could imagine the shriek of excitement that came out of her. Oh fuck, Ky would ask her what made her so excited. I couldn’t help but smirk, because I knew Josh would receive a text from Ky, or better yet he’d mention it during their current conversation. I looked over to where Josh was standing and met his gaze. He held up a finger, signaling that he was almost done.
My phone vibrated in my hand.
YOU ARE KIDDING ME! Oh My God. That is adorable. I always knew he was a romantic that hid behind that playboy exterior. Shit! Does that mean you two are going to have SEX!? Ashlyn, this is HUGE.
Her use of capital letters told me she was deliriously excited, and her idea that we were going to have sex was clearly brought on by the lack of oxygen her excitement was causing.
Eden, you need to breathe. It is just two friends having pizza and beers. No sex. Well, for me anyway. I have sworn off sex. No cock is getting in my panties. I need to buy myself a chastity belt ASAP. Gotta go, Josh is coming back. Love ya.
Josh pulled out his seat and placed his phone on the table, and I put mine back in my clutch. He leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest, and raised a questioning brow.
“Really?” He smirked and shook his head slightly.
“What?” I asked innocently, knowing full well what he meant.
“You had to tell Eden that we were here?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Of course. She is my sister from another mister. We tell each other everything.”
“Really?”
“Well, not everything,” I mused, my eyes darting away from his.
“Does she know about us?”
With wide eyes, I asked, “Us?”
“Yes, us.”
I shook my head because I didn’t know how to respond to that. The fact that he could render me speechless frustrated me. “Us” had so much meaning behind it. I needed to find me before I could even consider becoming an us. And an us with Josh? Not likely. The fun we had was what I needed. It had given me a fleeting glimpse of passion that I knew I still wanted, but it was a pleasure that I knew I couldn’t keep feeding. Especially not with the one guy who could destroy me.
“You play dirty,” I said softly.
“How do I play dirty?” His brow quirked.
“You walk around without a shirt, you have crazy awesome stubble, and you say sweet things to a damsel in distress. I had no hope. Combine those things, and I am officially back to being a college student crushing on the campus manwhore,” I said, while trying to hide a smirk. Everything I was saying was complete truth.
“Fuck, you’re hilarious.” He laughed.
“Joshua, I’m not trying to be funny,” I said, trying my hardest not to smile. “No more kissing or talk of kissing, and definitely no more fingers in my panties. You and I are friends, besties, buddies. I’m putting my black stiletto foot down. It’s not going to happen again.”
“It will happen again.” His brow lifted as he emphasized every word.
“No, it will not.”
“It will.”
“Why are you so damn stubborn and annoying?” I pouted, and knew that neither of us would back down.
“You know I’m right.” He leaned in and dropped his voice dangerously low. “If I was to grab your hand right now, take you to a secluded corner, and press you against the wall and kiss you, would you stop me?”
“Uh, y—, yes I would.” No, I wouldn’t. Shut up libido.
A shit-eating grin spread across his face, and he knew he had me. “Hesitation looks stunning on you, Ashy.”
That was it. I was done. I needed to get away before he got his bossy voice on and his hooded eyes that made him look irresistible. Fuck my life! “I’m going to order another drink.”
“See if they have a cocktail called Living in Denial. You should definitely buy one if they do.”
I pushed away from the table and flipped him the bird, while trying desperately to stop the playful smile that was begging to be unleashed. His deep laughter followed me as I darted through the crowd and made my way toward the main bar.
I couldn’t deny that my days and nights had been spent trying to refuse my basic needs in order to resist him, but the more I was around him, the more I failed. I should have never moved in with him. Distance was the only cure for this. I had been resisting his temptation for exactly five years, and at times I failed miserably—hence the two kisses and numerous orgasms I’d had in a matter of days.
His pull was making me frantic. It was like fighting against a rip in the ocean; once it had you in its grasp, you had little to no chance of getting away. I knew the day would come when it would pull me under, and I would let it take me wherever it wanted. The fear was now becoming a reality, because I was on a one-way course to giving him whatever he wanted, no matter how much I tried to fight it. Maybe I could do the friends-with-benefits thing with him—no strings attached, but copious amounts of sex. Just the thought alone sent my body into overdrive. Temptation was a dangerous thing. It made me see in bright, beautiful colors, beaming in fantasy, instead of the stark reality of black and white.
“Forget the drink.”
Warmth flittered through me, and I froze when the unique scent of sandalwood and vanilla filled the air as Josh pressed up against my back.
“I want to enjoy my last night of having you in my apartment,” he continued, so close to my ear that his words vibrated against my sensitive skin.
“What do you want to do?” I asked, not turning toward him, but leaning back into him.
Everything about tonight was going full circle, and my memories shot to life. Suddenly, I was transported back to being the girl standing in the bar with a nervous excitement buzzing around her, while Josh, the guy that had every girl on campus’ attention, had all of his firmly locked on me. For as long as I could remember, the only attention I’d received was from my big brother, so having Josh’s caused nerves to shoot through me. Now, five years later, standing in our bar, with every girl in the room’s attention on him, he still made me feel like I was the only one he saw. But now we had history. We had words that had been spoken, and sensations that had been felt. We had memories, we had confusion, and for me, there were unrequited emotions that continued to taunt.
“I want to show you, several times and several ways, why it should happen again. I want to make you remember how it felt to lose yourself entirely with me. But mainly, I want your body to become mine, so I can worship you, taste you, own you, and devour you.”
I turned to face him, and as soon as our eyes met, I knew I’d throw caution to the wind. My whole conversation about it never happening again was futile. All I knew was that right here, right now, I wanted to forget my fears and step into the unknown with him. I wanted him to show me what it was like to be wanted again, just like he did when we were nineteen. For one night, I wanted to get caught in the riptide, I wanted to lose the fight, and I wanted to feel.
“Take me home, Josh,” I whispered, as my heart and mind commenced a fierce battle, with both fighting for ultimate victory. It was only after I recognized the sweet smile he was presenting me with that I realized what I had said.
I just repeated the exact same words to him that I said five years ago.
