Bound Together (25 page)
Authors: Marie Coulson
I had been so stupid. I
had completely over looked the fact that his parents had been
senselessly murdered. The two most valuable people in his life were
tragically torn away from him and I was being totally insensitive
to his feelings which naturally, would be cautious and over
protective. I couldn’t get his words out of my head about how much
he cared for me and it gave me a warm glow dissolving the queasy
tension I had felt in my room. I leaned my head on his shoulder and
nuzzled into his arm. He looked down at me with a distressed
expression and I smiled at him trying to reassure him that
everything was alright.
Resting his forehead
against mine, he smiled weakly back at me. “Jared I’m sorry. I
never even thought about how you must have been feeling with your
parents and everything. I’m in awe of you. But this honesty thing
between us is a serious issue. What is going on? You keep getting
calls that make you furious and then a woman calls your cell and
hangs up the moment she hears my voice. If didn’t know better I’d
say you were seeing someone else.” Cupping my face in his hands he
pulled me to him and kissed me deeply, his tongue stroking and
rolling over mine. “There is no one else. I swear, just you. It’s
just something I have to deal with on my own. You’re going to have
to be patient with me on this one Layla. But I promise, you have
nothing to worry about.” His eyes were looking into my soul and a
simmering heat began to spread through my body, igniting between my
legs. I had almost forgotten the powerful sexual chemistry between
us. But kissing me softly, the moment his lips were pressed against
mine, my body immediately stood to attention as goose bumps began
to tingle and prickle over my soft pale skin.
Biting down on his bottom
lip I ran my tongue over it gently caressing the plump flesh
between my teeth. He let out a moan and pulled away from me, gazing
into my eyes. His own had darkened and I could see the lust
scorching through the deep cobalt hue. His pupils had dilated and
it was a sure sign that he was as turned on as I was. Grabbing his
hand I got to my feet and pulled him with me through the doors. I
had an empty dorm room and a bed that was screaming for us to be
rolling around naked on top of it.
breathless with my head resting on Jared’s strong muscular chest.
Listening to the thumping of his heart beat in my ear I smiled with
satisfaction. He had been so attentive to my needs and the aching I
could feel between my legs was a throbbing reminder of the
sensational multiple orgasms that had surged through me only
moments ago. I gently twirled my fingers around on his bare chest.
His skin was smooth and hairless with a warm caramel glow. Nuzzling
into him, I took a deep breath and breathed in his scent. He
smelled like sex, sweat, soap and delicious strawberries. His own
hands were resting on my back holding me close to him as he placed
gentle kisses in my hair.
I glanced over at the
clock beside my bed before darting my eyes to the door. Amy would
be back soon and as much as I wanted to spend the rest of my life
right there in his arms, I knew we both needed some space to
collect ourselves. The sex had been wonderful but I was all too
aware that it didn’t erase the hurt we had caused one another over
the past two days. We had a lot of issues to iron out but I was
hopeful that given time, patience and some understanding on both
parts, we would work through it all.
I gazed up at Jared and
sighed. Raising his hand over his mouth he yawned. “Looks like I’ve
worn you out stud.”
I giggled as he tickled
me over the ribs, not roughly but enough to make me squirm in his
arms. “Jared! Stop!” I batted his hands away and he halted his
merciless attack on me. Giving me a boyish grin he chuckled, “It
would take a lot more than an hour of acrobatic, sensational
fucking to wear
me
out my lady. In fact why don’t you come back to my place and
I’ll prove it to you.” His hands snaked around my waist but I
pressed down firmly on his arms to prevent them from pulling me
with him. “No, you have work tomorrow and I have classes. Besides,
I think we could use a little distance right now.” He looked at me
wounded and shot bolt upright on the bed. “You’re kicking me out?
Are you still mad at me? Layla I explained and I told you I was
sorry. Please don’t keep punishing me for this. What more do I have
to do? You want me to beg you to forgive me?” I held a finger over
his lips to silence him “Shush. I’m not kicking you out. I am not
still mad at you. I just think that with emotions running high we
should take a little breather.” His mouth opened beneath my finger
to object but I gave him a warning look and he sharply closed it
again. “But I will see you tomorrow night. I have a shift at the
shop and then you can take me out to dinner. I think it’s about
time we went on a real date. Don’t you?”
Holding my hand against
his mouth he nipped at the pads of my fingers playfully. “Ouch!” He
kissed each one individually to soothe them and placed my palm on
his chest above his heart. Pressing his hand on top of mine he
rested his forehead against my own. “Layla, I don’t know how to
deal with all of this. I’ve never felt this way before. I’m way out
of my comfort zone and I can’t seem to think straight around you. I
get all stupid and crazy. But I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
My body was awash with emotion at the sincerity of his heartfelt
words. He truly had no idea the spell he’d put me under since the
moment I had met him. I was falling for him hard like a
cannonball.
Falling in love is like
leaping from a cliff. Your brain screams that it’s not a good idea
and that hurt and pain will inevitably come to you. But your heart
believes you can soar, glide and fly. And that’s exactly how I felt
about Jared. I was leaping off a cliff and plummeting to my doom
but my heart was taking flight and spreading its wings. The thought
of the pain when I finally hit the ground was consuming and
devastating, but gazing into his beautiful blue eyes, I could see
myself riding the air currents and feeling the breathless wonder of
the view. “Jared, it’s going to be ok. This is all new for me too.
But we’ll learn together. Just you and me.” I laced my fingers with
his and grazed his knuckles with my lips. His body visibly relaxed
as the sensations of my kiss comforted him.
saved me a seat in class in our usual spot. Neither of us had
mentioned what had happened in his room on Saturday and I decided
it was best to simply let it go and move on. After all, if Ollie
didn’t feel the need to dwell on it then why should I? He’d acted
exactly the same as he always had, sharing jokes, talking about
music and asking my opinion on song selections for open mic night.
He’d even tried to convince me to become the bands new lead singer.
I’d simply laughed and asked if he was looking to get booed off
stage every night. He scowled at me when I joked about having the
vocal stylings of a dying animal. “Layla, have you forgotten that
I’ve actually heard you sing? You’ve got some set of lungs girl.
And if what I heard from across the hall yesterday is anything to
go by, you’re not afraid to use them either. No matter
who
hears you.
‘
Oh Jared, again Jared, yes Jared there,
don’t stop
’.” My jaw dropped open in
horror and I blushed a deep crimson.
Covering my red,
mortified face I whimpered. “Oh my god Ollie, I’m so, so, sorry.”
Chuckling he nudged my shoulder. “Hey one of us has to be getting
some action around here. Speaking of which have you noticed Amy and
Nick getting awfully cozy lately? I know for a fact he took her out
last night. He told me he was just going to hang out with Eric and
practice but there’s no way you wear that much cologne to jam with
a grunge playing, rock kid from Michigan. And I noticed Amy leaving
your room about ten minutes after, she was all dolled up for
something. She mentioned anything to you?” My head swayed in a
silent no.
“
Nothing. But to be
honest I was asleep when she got in last night. It was late though
and she was in the shower when I left this morning. We just kind of
kept missing each other all morning so we never really got a chance
to talk properly. Does it bother you though? Amy and Nick I
mean”
Ollie shrugged. “Not
really. I just don’t want Amy to get hurt. Nick’s got an eye for
the ladies and he’s got a bit of a reputation around here already.
But whatever, she’s a grown ass woman and can take care of herself.
So, got plans for your birthday yet?”
My birthday was on
Saturday and as of yet I had no plans whatsoever. I’d never really
liked making a fuss on my birthday. Mom was always trying to
arrange parties and get togethers but I wasn’t interested. I
preferred having dinner with them and Mel before curling up on the
sofa to watch movies and eat junk food. “Not yet. I don’t really do
birthdays. It’s not my thing. I’d rather just let it pass by as
quietly as possible with as little fuss as possible
too.”
Ollie sniggered. “So
naturally Amy’s throwing you a party.”
My head shot up and I
stared at him wide eyed. Biting his lip he murmured an “oops” and I
glared at him, waiting for an explanation. “Do not tell her I told
you, but she’s got this big party organized for Saturday night down
at the bar. I told her she should run it by you but you know how
difficult it is to talk sense to her. She’s a fucking whack job at
the best of times, put a planner and some party balloons in her
hand and she’s downright lethal! I swear she nearly decapitated me
with her clip board when I told her that you hate streamers. Hurled
the thing so damn hard I thought she’d slice a chunk out of me if I
hadn’t ducked in time. Girl’s a psycho!” Leaning back in my chair I
laughed loudly which got me a scornful look from Dr. Harman.
Stifling my sniggering, I put my arm around his
shoulders.
“
Oh Ollie, thank god you
have my back, but I don’t think we’re getting out of this one. I
hope she invited Jared though.”
“
Oh yeah that’s right,
I’m supposed to steal your phone, get his number and give it to her
so…” Rolling my eyes I handed him my phone. “Thanks Layla. How very
accommodating of you. Now remember. Total surprise on Saturday ok?”
Shaking my head I smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Ok. I’ll practice my
surprised expression in the mirror all week. She’ll never
know.”
called me to let me know he’d be going out of town for a few days
on business. My heart sank. “So how long will you be
gone?”
“
Just till Friday baby. I
promise I’ll be back for your birthday. I really wish I didn’t have
to go but this project in Europe is getting more complicated every
damn day. I have to go to New York and meet with some contractors
and my legal team. I’ll call you every day. You gonna be alright
without me?”
Four whole days without
him felt like a month. Since our first date we hadn’t spent that
much time apart. I was already feeling my heart strings tugging
hard with longing.
“
I’ll be fine. I’m really
going to miss you though. I miss you now.”
“
I know baby. I miss you
too.”
“
When do you leave?” I
held my breath, waiting for his reply. “My plane leaves LAX at
eight in the morning. I should be in the city by lunch. It’ll be
alright sweetheart. I promise. In fact…” There was a pause and I
could hear him shuffling around for something. “I’m having
something sent over to your dorm now. My assistant Jerry is going
to drop it off. It’ll make the distance a little easier. I gotta go
pack now. I will miss you more than you even know and I will think
about you constantly.”
I could feel my heart
sinking deeper as I thought about how I would get through the next
four days without him. His touch, the feel of his lips, his warm
and comforting arms, his raw animal passion and hunger for me; I
would miss it all intensely. Reminding myself that absence makes
the heart grow fonder, I cleared my throat and tried to sound more
bubbly for his sake. “I know you’ll miss me, that’s what makes it a
little bit easier; knowing I’ll be in your thoughts and on your
mind till you’re back in my arms.”
I could almost feel him
smiling down the phone. “Oh Layla, you have no idea. You are
always
in my thoughts. I
really have to go now. You need me at any time, for anything, you
call me. And I mean that Layla. Don’t make me worry. Be safe, take
care of yourself and don’t get into any trouble.
Understand?”
I felt like a scolded
child and a small part of me wanted to bite back with a sarcastic
response but recalling our fight over the weekend I remembered
everything he’d gone through when his parents died and let it go.
“I’ll be fine Jared. I will call if anything happens. Please let me
know when you land safe and sound.”
“
I will. I’ll call you
tomorrow. Goodnight my lady.”
“
Goodnight pumpkin.” I
heard a chuckle.
“
Pumpkin?” A snort of
laughter escaped my own lips.
“
Well I thought maybe
since you have a term of affection for me I should find one for
you.”
He laughed harder and I
had to hold the phone away from me ear till he was finished.
“That’s adorable Layla but if it’s ok with you…could we keep
looking
?” So not pumpkin
then
.
had completely over looked the fact that his parents had been
senselessly murdered. The two most valuable people in his life were
tragically torn away from him and I was being totally insensitive
to his feelings which naturally, would be cautious and over
protective. I couldn’t get his words out of my head about how much
he cared for me and it gave me a warm glow dissolving the queasy
tension I had felt in my room. I leaned my head on his shoulder and
nuzzled into his arm. He looked down at me with a distressed
expression and I smiled at him trying to reassure him that
everything was alright.
Resting his forehead
against mine, he smiled weakly back at me. “Jared I’m sorry. I
never even thought about how you must have been feeling with your
parents and everything. I’m in awe of you. But this honesty thing
between us is a serious issue. What is going on? You keep getting
calls that make you furious and then a woman calls your cell and
hangs up the moment she hears my voice. If didn’t know better I’d
say you were seeing someone else.” Cupping my face in his hands he
pulled me to him and kissed me deeply, his tongue stroking and
rolling over mine. “There is no one else. I swear, just you. It’s
just something I have to deal with on my own. You’re going to have
to be patient with me on this one Layla. But I promise, you have
nothing to worry about.” His eyes were looking into my soul and a
simmering heat began to spread through my body, igniting between my
legs. I had almost forgotten the powerful sexual chemistry between
us. But kissing me softly, the moment his lips were pressed against
mine, my body immediately stood to attention as goose bumps began
to tingle and prickle over my soft pale skin.
Biting down on his bottom
lip I ran my tongue over it gently caressing the plump flesh
between my teeth. He let out a moan and pulled away from me, gazing
into my eyes. His own had darkened and I could see the lust
scorching through the deep cobalt hue. His pupils had dilated and
it was a sure sign that he was as turned on as I was. Grabbing his
hand I got to my feet and pulled him with me through the doors. I
had an empty dorm room and a bed that was screaming for us to be
rolling around naked on top of it.
Chapter
22
Four Days
breathless with my head resting on Jared’s strong muscular chest.
Listening to the thumping of his heart beat in my ear I smiled with
satisfaction. He had been so attentive to my needs and the aching I
could feel between my legs was a throbbing reminder of the
sensational multiple orgasms that had surged through me only
moments ago. I gently twirled my fingers around on his bare chest.
His skin was smooth and hairless with a warm caramel glow. Nuzzling
into him, I took a deep breath and breathed in his scent. He
smelled like sex, sweat, soap and delicious strawberries. His own
hands were resting on my back holding me close to him as he placed
gentle kisses in my hair.
I glanced over at the
clock beside my bed before darting my eyes to the door. Amy would
be back soon and as much as I wanted to spend the rest of my life
right there in his arms, I knew we both needed some space to
collect ourselves. The sex had been wonderful but I was all too
aware that it didn’t erase the hurt we had caused one another over
the past two days. We had a lot of issues to iron out but I was
hopeful that given time, patience and some understanding on both
parts, we would work through it all.
I gazed up at Jared and
sighed. Raising his hand over his mouth he yawned. “Looks like I’ve
worn you out stud.”
I giggled as he tickled
me over the ribs, not roughly but enough to make me squirm in his
arms. “Jared! Stop!” I batted his hands away and he halted his
merciless attack on me. Giving me a boyish grin he chuckled, “It
would take a lot more than an hour of acrobatic, sensational
fucking to wear
me
out my lady. In fact why don’t you come back to my place and
I’ll prove it to you.” His hands snaked around my waist but I
pressed down firmly on his arms to prevent them from pulling me
with him. “No, you have work tomorrow and I have classes. Besides,
I think we could use a little distance right now.” He looked at me
wounded and shot bolt upright on the bed. “You’re kicking me out?
Are you still mad at me? Layla I explained and I told you I was
sorry. Please don’t keep punishing me for this. What more do I have
to do? You want me to beg you to forgive me?” I held a finger over
his lips to silence him “Shush. I’m not kicking you out. I am not
still mad at you. I just think that with emotions running high we
should take a little breather.” His mouth opened beneath my finger
to object but I gave him a warning look and he sharply closed it
again. “But I will see you tomorrow night. I have a shift at the
shop and then you can take me out to dinner. I think it’s about
time we went on a real date. Don’t you?”
Holding my hand against
his mouth he nipped at the pads of my fingers playfully. “Ouch!” He
kissed each one individually to soothe them and placed my palm on
his chest above his heart. Pressing his hand on top of mine he
rested his forehead against my own. “Layla, I don’t know how to
deal with all of this. I’ve never felt this way before. I’m way out
of my comfort zone and I can’t seem to think straight around you. I
get all stupid and crazy. But I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
My body was awash with emotion at the sincerity of his heartfelt
words. He truly had no idea the spell he’d put me under since the
moment I had met him. I was falling for him hard like a
cannonball.
Falling in love is like
leaping from a cliff. Your brain screams that it’s not a good idea
and that hurt and pain will inevitably come to you. But your heart
believes you can soar, glide and fly. And that’s exactly how I felt
about Jared. I was leaping off a cliff and plummeting to my doom
but my heart was taking flight and spreading its wings. The thought
of the pain when I finally hit the ground was consuming and
devastating, but gazing into his beautiful blue eyes, I could see
myself riding the air currents and feeling the breathless wonder of
the view. “Jared, it’s going to be ok. This is all new for me too.
But we’ll learn together. Just you and me.” I laced my fingers with
his and grazed his knuckles with my lips. His body visibly relaxed
as the sensations of my kiss comforted him.
* * *
saved me a seat in class in our usual spot. Neither of us had
mentioned what had happened in his room on Saturday and I decided
it was best to simply let it go and move on. After all, if Ollie
didn’t feel the need to dwell on it then why should I? He’d acted
exactly the same as he always had, sharing jokes, talking about
music and asking my opinion on song selections for open mic night.
He’d even tried to convince me to become the bands new lead singer.
I’d simply laughed and asked if he was looking to get booed off
stage every night. He scowled at me when I joked about having the
vocal stylings of a dying animal. “Layla, have you forgotten that
I’ve actually heard you sing? You’ve got some set of lungs girl.
And if what I heard from across the hall yesterday is anything to
go by, you’re not afraid to use them either. No matter
who
hears you.
‘
Oh Jared, again Jared, yes Jared there,
don’t stop
’.” My jaw dropped open in
horror and I blushed a deep crimson.
Covering my red,
mortified face I whimpered. “Oh my god Ollie, I’m so, so, sorry.”
Chuckling he nudged my shoulder. “Hey one of us has to be getting
some action around here. Speaking of which have you noticed Amy and
Nick getting awfully cozy lately? I know for a fact he took her out
last night. He told me he was just going to hang out with Eric and
practice but there’s no way you wear that much cologne to jam with
a grunge playing, rock kid from Michigan. And I noticed Amy leaving
your room about ten minutes after, she was all dolled up for
something. She mentioned anything to you?” My head swayed in a
silent no.
“
Nothing. But to be
honest I was asleep when she got in last night. It was late though
and she was in the shower when I left this morning. We just kind of
kept missing each other all morning so we never really got a chance
to talk properly. Does it bother you though? Amy and Nick I
mean”
Ollie shrugged. “Not
really. I just don’t want Amy to get hurt. Nick’s got an eye for
the ladies and he’s got a bit of a reputation around here already.
But whatever, she’s a grown ass woman and can take care of herself.
So, got plans for your birthday yet?”
My birthday was on
Saturday and as of yet I had no plans whatsoever. I’d never really
liked making a fuss on my birthday. Mom was always trying to
arrange parties and get togethers but I wasn’t interested. I
preferred having dinner with them and Mel before curling up on the
sofa to watch movies and eat junk food. “Not yet. I don’t really do
birthdays. It’s not my thing. I’d rather just let it pass by as
quietly as possible with as little fuss as possible
too.”
Ollie sniggered. “So
naturally Amy’s throwing you a party.”
My head shot up and I
stared at him wide eyed. Biting his lip he murmured an “oops” and I
glared at him, waiting for an explanation. “Do not tell her I told
you, but she’s got this big party organized for Saturday night down
at the bar. I told her she should run it by you but you know how
difficult it is to talk sense to her. She’s a fucking whack job at
the best of times, put a planner and some party balloons in her
hand and she’s downright lethal! I swear she nearly decapitated me
with her clip board when I told her that you hate streamers. Hurled
the thing so damn hard I thought she’d slice a chunk out of me if I
hadn’t ducked in time. Girl’s a psycho!” Leaning back in my chair I
laughed loudly which got me a scornful look from Dr. Harman.
Stifling my sniggering, I put my arm around his
shoulders.
“
Oh Ollie, thank god you
have my back, but I don’t think we’re getting out of this one. I
hope she invited Jared though.”
“
Oh yeah that’s right,
I’m supposed to steal your phone, get his number and give it to her
so…” Rolling my eyes I handed him my phone. “Thanks Layla. How very
accommodating of you. Now remember. Total surprise on Saturday ok?”
Shaking my head I smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Ok. I’ll practice my
surprised expression in the mirror all week. She’ll never
know.”
* * *
called me to let me know he’d be going out of town for a few days
on business. My heart sank. “So how long will you be
gone?”
“
Just till Friday baby. I
promise I’ll be back for your birthday. I really wish I didn’t have
to go but this project in Europe is getting more complicated every
damn day. I have to go to New York and meet with some contractors
and my legal team. I’ll call you every day. You gonna be alright
without me?”
Four whole days without
him felt like a month. Since our first date we hadn’t spent that
much time apart. I was already feeling my heart strings tugging
hard with longing.
“
I’ll be fine. I’m really
going to miss you though. I miss you now.”
“
I know baby. I miss you
too.”
“
When do you leave?” I
held my breath, waiting for his reply. “My plane leaves LAX at
eight in the morning. I should be in the city by lunch. It’ll be
alright sweetheart. I promise. In fact…” There was a pause and I
could hear him shuffling around for something. “I’m having
something sent over to your dorm now. My assistant Jerry is going
to drop it off. It’ll make the distance a little easier. I gotta go
pack now. I will miss you more than you even know and I will think
about you constantly.”
I could feel my heart
sinking deeper as I thought about how I would get through the next
four days without him. His touch, the feel of his lips, his warm
and comforting arms, his raw animal passion and hunger for me; I
would miss it all intensely. Reminding myself that absence makes
the heart grow fonder, I cleared my throat and tried to sound more
bubbly for his sake. “I know you’ll miss me, that’s what makes it a
little bit easier; knowing I’ll be in your thoughts and on your
mind till you’re back in my arms.”
I could almost feel him
smiling down the phone. “Oh Layla, you have no idea. You are
always
in my thoughts. I
really have to go now. You need me at any time, for anything, you
call me. And I mean that Layla. Don’t make me worry. Be safe, take
care of yourself and don’t get into any trouble.
Understand?”
I felt like a scolded
child and a small part of me wanted to bite back with a sarcastic
response but recalling our fight over the weekend I remembered
everything he’d gone through when his parents died and let it go.
“I’ll be fine Jared. I will call if anything happens. Please let me
know when you land safe and sound.”
“
I will. I’ll call you
tomorrow. Goodnight my lady.”
“
Goodnight pumpkin.” I
heard a chuckle.
“
Pumpkin?” A snort of
laughter escaped my own lips.
“
Well I thought maybe
since you have a term of affection for me I should find one for
you.”
He laughed harder and I
had to hold the phone away from me ear till he was finished.
“That’s adorable Layla but if it’s ok with you…could we keep
looking
?” So not pumpkin
then
.
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