Burning Up Read online

  There he was. Cocky, dominant, and bossy Jared was making an appearance. It was kind of good to see him actually.

  “Stop doing things that you know I won’t like. I’m sure, at times, you do it deliberately and it’s infuriating. You did it all the time back in Long Beach and New York is a much more dangerous place. If I say do or do not do something, I will expect you to listen to me. I have your best interests at heart and what I say is always for your own safety. Underage drinking is something I really dislike, Layla. Besides, bourbon is not your drink. When you’re old enough, I’ll introduce you to a whole world of delicious drinks that are suitable for a woman of your caliber. Till then …”

  He wrapped his fingers around the glass in my hand and pulled it away from me.

  “… hands off.”

  I smiled as he downed the entire glass. Pressing myself against him, I grazed his lips with mine. I could feel his hard, deliciously tempting erection against my thigh and it simply made my smile widen. I leaned in to his ear and his whole body tensed.

  “My thoughts exactly, Mr. Garrett. Hands off.”

  He exhaled loudly and turned his head so that he was now speaking directly in to my ear. His breath on my skin sent a shiver through my body and caused goosebumps to appear.

  “Game on, Miss Jennings. Game on.”

  Chapter 3

  Abstinence Makes The Man Grow Harder

  A strong pair of arms wrapped themselves tightly around my waist, and the hard erection prodding me in the back, told me that Jared was definitely feeling the effects of our total lack of sexual encounters. I had to give him his dues; he’d been true to his word. It’d been a month since I arrived and aside from some very heavy make out sessions, we’d kept our bargain to refrain and spend time getting to know each other.

  I shifted on the bed and he groaned as the tip of his cock brushed against my hip. His embrace tightened around me and I smiled to myself. My poor man. He sighed heavily in my ear.

  “I swear, Layla, if you keep moving around like that, I’m going to have to break some of your rules. Just being near you is driving me crazy. You have no idea how much self-control it’s taking not to pin you to this mattress and fuck you till you’re senseless.”

  And there was me thinking he was handling it so well. In truth, I was beginning to struggle myself. Several times I’d had to relieve the tension, alone, in the shower. We’d thrown ourselves into a whole host of activities to burn off the sexual energy. We even played tennis together at the local club of which he was a V.I.P member. But every time we played, the grunting, panting, and sweat that was going on just made it that much harder.

  After one particularly grueling game, I’d made my way to the women’s locker room and showered. With a towel wrapped around my body, I was just slipping into a cubicle to change when a familiar voice whispered in my ear and two strong arms held me tightly from behind. “Don’t make a sound.”

  Hearing his voice sent shivers of excitement through my body.

  Pushing me quickly into the cubicle, he released me and locked the door behind him. I stood in the corner and clutched my towel. He was shirtless and his white tennis shorts clung to his firm and thick thighs. Abstinence Layla. This is your game and your rules, right?

  The corners of his mouth curled up and his cheeky, yet mischievous smile began to appear.

  “Oh, no you don’t Mr. Garrett. My rules remember?”

  Slowly, he moved toward me. “And I intend to play by them entirely. In fact, I won’t lay a finger on you.”

  Damn. Though I was fully supportive of my choice to refrain from having sex with him, I was also a slave to my own lust and need. And I needed Jared. My body trembled as he backed me further into the corner. Placing his hands, palm side down on the cubicle wall on either side of my head, he grinned wickedly.

  “Not a finger.”

  Catching my bottom lip with his teeth, he gently nipped before running his tongue over it to soothe the bite. He leaned forward and breathed softly in my ear. “Drop your towel, Layla.”

  I closed my eyes as the warm and sensual feeling of his breath on my skin caused every nerve in my body to leap into action. Jared knew it all too well. “Drop. The. Towel.”

  His words were forceful and filled with erotic promises that we shouldn’t have been making. But, as I always did, I obeyed his command. Gripping the towel tightly, I pulled it away from my body, and as it dropped to the floor, Jared took in a sharp breath.

  His eyes roamed all over my naked body, and I could feel his erection against my thigh. His hands remained firmly pressed against the cubicle wall.

  My limp, damp hair sat on my shoulders, flowing down and almost covering my breasts.

  “You’re anxious again. That lip you insist on gnawing on is real telling. You’d make an awful poker player.”

  I wasn’t anxious; I was a gigantic bundle of excitement and anticipation. I released my lip and smiled at him. “What do you plan on doing here exactly? The rules are …”

  “No sexual acts. I know. But, would you consider allowing me just one kiss, a violation of those rules?”

  I glanced down at his shorts. He was solid and the pressure of his hard cock against the tightly pulled cotton must have been agony. He continued to stare at me, never touching me or even inching his hands close to my body. I could see the desire burning in his eyes and it took all my strength not to leap at him and unleash my favorite toy from its confines.

  “One kiss?” I asked.

  He nodded assuredly and I gave him a suspicious look. Jared was a man of few words but what he did say, he meant. Keeping his roaming hands to himself was going to be a real test of his commitment to our game.

  “Promise?”

  He rolled his eyes at me and I grinned. “On my honor, as a gentleman, I swear that I will not lay a single finger on your beautiful and tempting body. And it is tempting me, Layla.”

  His eyes wandered over my body again, lingering on my breasts before heading south. He licked his lips and let out a hard breath as he gazed at the lines leading to my sex. With my legs crossed, he could see very little, but I knew that the thoughts of what hid between my damp and water glistening thighs must have been driving him crazy.

  I leaned forward a little and parted my lips. He moved in closer and I could smell the sweet scent of his cologne. He licked his bottom lip, and I let out a small whimper. I could feel the familiar and welcome clenching in the base of my stomach, and he wasn’t even touching me.

  I watched him with lustful anticipation. Jared had a way of kissing that you only saw in movies or read about in books. I could feel my excitement growing and I was beginning to feel a little wet just thinking about his mouth. Closing my eyes, I took in a breath and waited. But he didn’t kiss me. Opening them again, I gave him a confused look. I wanted my kiss damn it.

  Shaking his head, he grinned. “I don’t want to kiss you here.”

  He blew gently on my lips and I immediately licked them in response. His eyes watched my tongue intensely.

  He leaned in to my ear and spoke breathlessly. “Don’t worry. I will kiss you.”

  He blew cool air onto my neck, gently and somehow erotically. How could it be so hot? It was a sound away from a whistle but this was silent, sexy, and driving me crazy. His hands pressed harder onto the cubicle wall causing them to creak a little.

  I was caged in and I couldn’t imagine what he was going to do to me, but nothing prepared me for the absolute euphoria that followed.

  Working his way over my shoulder he continued to blow gently on my skin. The cool air caressed the curve of my breast and he lingered, teasing my nipple until it became pert and puckered. I moaned and arched my back, begging him to warm it in his mouth, but he denied me my pleasure.

  “Your rules, Layla. Not mine. Control yourself. You’re driving me wild and if you don’t stop soon, I’m going to lose control myself. Understand?”

  I groaned in frustration but nodded in compliance. His smi
le widened.

  “Good girl.”

  Leaving me wanting, he continued down. His hands slid down the walls as he dropped to his knees in front of me.

  The cool air swirled and breezed over my bellybutton, and I inhaled sharply. The sensation was unexpected and sent a direct message to my sex. I clenched, hard. It was almost impossible to remain still but seeing the serious look on Jared’s face as he gazed up at me, I knew I had to control myself.

  His teeth sank into his bottom lip. It was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. He headed south to the apex of my thighs, still tightly pressed together. He cleared his throat loudly and raised an eyebrow at me.

  “If you’d do me the honor my lady, I’d like to give you that kiss now.”

  Oh. Holy. Fuck!

  “I thought you were going to kiss me …” I stuttered and stammered as excitement rapidly built inside me.

  “I am. Just not the ones on your delicious little mouth.”

  My jaw dropped at his words. He wasn’t serious was he? Here? Now?

  “Jared, someone might come in here.”

  He tutted at me, “The door is locked. Provided you can be quiet, there’s no reason that we should be discovered. Besides, I don’t pay for platinum membership for nothing. Now, if you would kindly grant me access, I am going to have that kiss.”

  I bit down on my bottom lip and listened to the sounds of the empty locker room. Satisfied that we were indeed alone, I uncrossed my legs and stood in front of him, wet with arousal and desperate for some relief. The sexual tension between us was tangible and had been gaining momentum since the moment I’d walked into his apartment.

  “Oh, Layla, you are the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. And you’re so hungry for me.”

  I squirmed as his lips grazed the folds of my sex. He chuckled, and I knew he was enjoying his little game. I may have been making the rules, but Jared was certainly pushing the boundaries. I was powerless to stop it. I wanted it. I needed this and I needed him to give it to me. His tongue slid gracefully up my slit and I groaned.

  “Spread your legs wider and I suggest you find something to hold on to.”

  I clutched the top of the cubicle door tightly and pressed my other hand against the wall. Sweeping my clothes from the bench beside us, he gestured for me to place my foot on top of it. I was more than willing to obey him now, in fact, I was eager to give him anything he damn well wanted!

  His strong and muscular arms tensed as he pushed even harder against the panels of the cubicle. They creaked louder this time and I giggled a little, earning me a disgruntled look from the scorching hot man with his tongue currently teasing my desperate body. I knew how much he was aching to touch me and I felt the same. The bulge in his shorts was driving me crazy. I wanted to feel him, run my hands up and down the length of his throbbing cock and ease the tension that I felt between us. I could feel his ragged breaths against my skin, and as his tongue slid gently inside me I let out a long moan.

  It was bliss. My knees almost buckled from beneath me, but with our rules in place Jared was unable to steady me. I writhed against the wall as he unleashed his cruel and intense teasing on my clit. My hips ground against his mouth and he moaned. It was the sort of sound you made when enjoying a particularly delicious meal or something exquisitely mouthwatering. His fingernails dragged and scratched against the walls as he tried intensely to control his desire to touch me.

  I could feel my climax edging closer as my whole body tensed and clenched around him. His lips caressed and sucked gently on my clit causing a shudder to run through me. I knew he’d noticed because I could feel him smiling against me. I panted loudly and tried desperately to control my breathing, but it was useless. I’d been aching for him for so long that I was unable to hold back even slightly. I could hear footsteps in the locker room and immediately tried to back away from him, but his mouth followed me, continuing the delicious flicks, licks, and strokes. I closed my eyes as the sounds of the room faded away. My orgasm was taking over, and with one last thrust of his skillful tongue inside of me, I was swept away by the intensity of my climax. My legs trembled and my whole body weakened. The clenching, pulsating, and rippling pleasure flowing through me was more than I could take. I let out a loud gasp.

  “Hello? Are you all right in there, dear?”

  My eyes flew open and I looked down to see Jared grinning at me with satisfied and triumphant glee. I shook my head at him and bit down on my lip.

  “Stubbed my toe. I’m fine.”

  Getting to his feet, he stifled a laugh. “Well, that was by far the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had. Thank you my lady. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should go shower and dress. I have a lunch meeting.”

  Handing me my towel, he stood, adjusted his shorts and opened the door. A tall, middle-aged woman was standing in the locker room in her tennis gear. She glared at him as he exited the cubicle and I had to try hard not to giggle. Giving me a quick wink, he smiled and nodded at her as he walked past.

  “What you get for ordering the platinum membership around here. Always going that extra mile for my students.”

  Oh dear God.

  The woman turned and stared at me. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. Jared and his quirky sense of humor. I was about ready to kill him!

  I was sure we might be reported and banned, but, thank goodness, we weren’t. I needed the sport to burn off my pent up sexual energy, and the spa was keeping me in the beautiful condition required for the endless events I was being dragged to as Jared’s girlfriend.

  We attended countless parties, socials, and dinners, which meant that I had shopped in all the top stores in New York. That was something Jared practically had to force on me. I’d packed in such a hurry that my case lacked anything suitable or fitting of a woman who was seen on Jared’s arm.

  He was very well respected in the city and now that we were official as a couple, he insisted I should have all the finery of a queen. I was actually getting used to being all dressed up and dripping with diamonds. That’s not to say I enjoyed it, I was just simply becoming accustomed to it. It was necessary, and I bit by tongue on the subject for Jared’s sake.

  Rolling over, I faced him and he brushed my cheek with his thumb gently.

  “Morning,” I whispered.

  He smiled as he snaked his arm around my waist beneath the covers.

  “Good morning, my lady.”

  “So, what are we doing today? Tennis? A movie? Maybe some sightseeing?” I said with hope.

  He winced.

  “Oh, sorry, baby. I forgot about our sightseeing today. I have to go to the office.”

  I frowned. Jared had promised to take me to all the landmarks and notable places to visit in New York. And though I had already been to some beautiful hotels, ballrooms, gardens, and apartments for socials, I was desperate to explore the city.

  “Jared, you promised. I’ve been here for four weeks and we haven’t been to a single show or visited any of the places on my list.”

  He gave me a puzzled look. “List?”

  I nodded. “Yes. List. I have one you know. A list of all the places I want to visit and things I want to see.”

  He chuckled a little and it irritated me. I wasn’t trying to be funny.

  “Such as?”

  I sighed heavily. “Well, for a start, there’s the Statue Of Liberty. Then there is, The Empire State Building, Central Park, the Natural History Museum, and Broadway. I want to see it all. As for places, Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Australia, China …”

  I began listing countries as he stared at me blankly.

  “Quite a pair we make.”

  What?

  “Huh?”

  He chuckled. “I used to be like you. I was so desperate to travel. I had the world’s itchiest feet. Putting down roots wasn’t in my dream. I wanted to see the world and everything it had to offer. But, things change and you have to go with the flow. I’ll take you to all of those places one day. But today …”
>
  He kissed my forehead.

  “… I have to work. I am sorry, Layla. I promise I’ll make it up to you. Why don’t you spend the day taking in some rays? The weather forecast says it’ll be a fine day, and the balcony is a perfect little sun trap.”

  He sat up and swung his feet onto the floor. Stretching out, he groaned and moaned deeply. My insides clenched. Oh good lord of all that is hot and sexy. Save me from this man and my insatiable lust for him! His shorts moved lower with his stretching. Deep dimples were peeking out at the small of his back and I made a small whimpering sound as I gazed at his beautiful physique. Jared Garrett was nothing short of a caramel colored god!

  He turned and grinned at me. “Admiring the view.”

  I flushed. “Always.”

  He crawled across the bed and took my hands in his, gripping me tightly. Lifting them quickly above my head, he pressed his lips to mine firmly for a delicious morning kiss.

  “You know, if you would loosen up on your damn rules, we could be rolling around on this bed and making noises you only hear in the wild.”

  I smiled and wrapped my legs around his waist, forcing him to lie on top of me. “Well, Mr. Garrett, since you so desperately have to go to work, I guess any rule breaking will have to be put on hold. It’s a shame, because I was feeling very naughty, too.” He shook his head and tutted at me, smiling broadly.

  “Teasing will only make this worse for you when the time comes. You realize that I’m keeping score, don’t you?”

  I giggled and rolled my eyes. “Oh, really? Well, how many points do I lose for this?”

  Wriggling it free from his grasp, I slid my hand down his chest, pushing my way to the waistband of his sweats. My fingers played gently around the firm and defined curves of his deep V lines. I could feel his whole body tense on top of me.

  “Dangerous territory, Layla. I don’t have the patience for a game right now. I’ve been tormented and tortured by your hot, tight, little body for weeks and one more move from you, I’m going to not only break the rules, I’m going to break you in half doing it.”