vittanos willow (4 page)

“No. But I do have a date this evening, so I have to go home.”

Falling into step beside her, he draped his arm around her. “I

think I need to meet him.”

“I don’t think so,” CJ said instantly.

“Hmmm, I don’t think you really have a say in the matter.”

“Thurston!”

“Thurston!” he mimicked. CJ punched him in the side. “Ouch.

Careful with that left hook, darling.”

“Don’t be an ass.”

“You are going to owe me dinner or you know I am going to

tell,” he threatened.

“Fine, I have some food you can eat. But keep your mouth shut.”

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29

Broad shoulders shrugged. “Depends on what you have to eat.”

This time he blocked the punch he knew was coming. “Hey, now,

beating on me is gonna cost you more.”

“Shut up, Thurston,” she chided. Unlocking the SUV, CJ

climbed in. “I’ll see you at home, okay?”

“I’m right behind you.” He winked at her and walked to his ve-

hicle.

CJ opened her door and came face to face with Osten. He took

her breath away. His clothes were expensive; she could tell by the way

they hung perfectly over his muscled physique.

She could smell his aftershave and the very faint hint of cologne.

It was a scent she wanted to smell more of…on him.

He wore a dark green, button-down, long-sleeved shirt that was

tucked into black slacks. Around his neck was a thin gold chain with a

small, yet masculine cross on it. Bottom line, Osten Scoleri looked

delicious.

“Hello,” she said with a smile.

“Evening,” Osten replied, bringing his left hand out from be-

hind him to give her the bouquet they held. A baker’s dozen of roses:

six pink, six white, and one red in the middle. “For you.”

“Oh, Osten,” she breathed. “They’re beautiful.”

She took them from him and smelled the fragrance wafting off

the arrangement.

Osten moved his gaze over her. She wore a dusky rose silk shirt

and a pair of black dress pants. Her hair was twisted away from her

face and up off her neck. On each side of her face hung a thick, silky,

corkscrew curl. Settled around her neck was the Madonna and child

necklace she always wore.

“You’re welcome.” Osten felt like a hero for making that smile

cross her face. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming and he physically

had to halt his motion. “You look stunning.”

CJ never lost her smile. “Come on in and I’ll put these in some

water, then we can go.”

Following her, Osten closed the door behind him. His observant

gaze moved around her apartment, learning and memorizing the

domestic side of Chantoya Jackson.

30

Aliyah Burke

Her home was very clean and organized. All of it was very

open, he could see into the kitchen from where he stood. Oversized and

overstuffed chairs and couches filled the living area with plants placed

sporadically around, adding to the allure. His eyes moved to the

television that was on and quickly continued on; his gaze landed on CJ

as she stopped in her kitchen.

It didn’t take long and she was back in front of him. “I’m ready

if you are,” she said.

His eyes glowed with an inner fire. “Let’s go.” Osten held her

jacket for her and then the door as they left. He placed one hand on her

back as they walked out into the night.

Stopping at his vehicle, Osten opened the passenger door for

her. He drove a newer green Toyota Camry. As CJ slid across the

leather seat, she took in the interior. “Very nice,” she told him as he

climbed in on the other side.

“Thanks.” He fastened his seatbelt.

“So, where are we going?” The click of her belt echoed in the car

after her question died.

“There is a nice place up by the mall I thought we could try.” He

started the car and began to drive them to their destination.

As they drove, CJ snuck glances at the man beside her. There

was a quiet strength that surrounded him, unlike quite a few of Italian

men she knew who went overboard in showing themselves off. She

liked that about him. He didn’t shove his masculinity in your face, but

he had an aura about him that said if he thought it necessary he would

do just that. He was a man’s man who didn’t need lots of pretense and

arrogance to prove himself to the world.

Her gaze remained fixed upon him in the darkened interior of

the car. CJ knew it would be no hardship to stare at him all the time.

“So,” she said, trying to rein her thoughts before they got out of control.

“How is everyone else in your Team doing?”

Osten smiled. He knew she had been checking him out and was

trying to play it off. “They are all doing wonderfully. Ernst is engaged

to be married and is blissfully happy. So it is now half and half on the

Team.”

CJ laughed. “You sound worried about that.”

“Well, Lex, who’s Scott’s wife, seems desperate to get all of us

married. Especially Maverick.”

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31

“Maverick,” she responded. “He was the tall, silent one, right? I

believe his name is James?”

Dark-brown eyes narrowed at that; Mav didn’t share his first

name with many people. “That’s right.”

CJ was quiet for a moment. “I see. Well, good for him. He

should get married.”

“He has no intentions of doing so,” he assured her.

With a shrug, she replied easily, “Maybe he just hasn’t met the

right woman yet. I’m sure there’s someone out there for him.”

It sure as hell ain’t you, sweetheart.
“That could be, or it could be

he is perfectly happy being a bachelor.” Osten glanced at her and shook

his head over the grin he saw on her face. She was teasing him. “You

are a spunky one, Ms. Jackson.”

A flash of white teeth gleamed in the glow of the car. “I like to

joke around. Besides, you got all surly sounding so I couldn’t resist

having some fun.”

He nodded. “Okay, but I’ll remember this.” Reaching the loca-

tion, Osten steered the car into a parking spot and shut it off. They got

out and walked up to the door of the establishment.

“I’ve heard this place was wonderful, but I hadn’t eaten here

yet. Thanks for bringing me.” CJ touched his arm tenderly.

Standing in front of her apartment door, Osten took her keys

from CJ and unlocked it. “Thank you for a lovely evening,” he mur-

mured.

“Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee or something?”

CJ offered as she stepped into her apartment.

“I would love to, but I can’t.” Osten halted her with a hand on

her arm. “Rain check?”

CJ nodded. “Sure.”
I guess he didn’t have as good of time as I did.

Apparently, his observant gaze didn’t miss the look of dejection

that crossed her face, for Osten stepped closer to her and slid his hand

behind her neck. Gently his lips touched hers. The jolt spread through

them both at first contact.

With his tongue he gained entrance to her mouth. His other

hand dropped her arm and landed on her back, singeing her through

the jacket and shirt she wore. Osten’s tongue swept from side to side in

her warm mouth. He learned her taste and taught her his.

32

Aliyah Burke

As her body sank into his, he slowly withdrew from the kiss. “I

really have to go,” he murmured in a gravelly and hushed voice. “I will

see you tomorrow at school.”

Eyes heavy with longing, CJ licked her lips and enjoyed the flare

of desire in his rich stare as he watched her. “Tomorrow,” she mum-

bled.

“Goodnight,
insegnante dolce
.” His thumb traced her bottom lip

before he stepped away and walked off down the hall.

Closing the door behind her, CJ slumped to the floor. Her body

was on fire for that man’s touch. She could feel the dampness on her

thighs, and whatever he had called her only added to the flood her

body seemed to produce.

That night her dreams were chock full of a strong man with

olive skin and dark-chocolate eyes whose kiss could send her into

convulsions. Osten Scoleri.

The rest of the week passed with Osten finding time to send her

heated looks and winks. His tone was always professional when he

spoke, but his gaze never failed to set her blood to boil as he visually

stripped off her clothes.

Friday afternoon found CJ sitting at her desk after the final bell

had rung. She was grading her last paper of the day and didn’t want to

take it home to work on it. So into her task, she failed to notice her door

opened wider.

“Hello, beautiful,” Osten’s voice filled the empty room.

CJ looked up and smiled as the blush ran up her cheeks. “After-

noon, Osten.” She placed her pen down on the desktop and put the full

intensity of her eyes upon him. He held the box in his arms.

Moving into the room, he placed it down in the normal spot

where he kept it. This time however, he didn’t leave. Instead he ap-

proached the desk, his uniform showing off the predatory moves he

had as if they were part of his genetic makeup and he’d been born to

them.

Two large, strong hands placed themselves on her smooth desk.

Osten leaned down closer to her and asked, “Did you miss me?”

Dragging her eyes away from those hands of his and forcing her

mind to focus, CJ licked her full lips. “No, why would I? I just saw you

at lunch when you and Angela ate in the cafeteria.”

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33

A smug grin cracked his face. “And here I thought you didn’t

see me in the cafeteria. I tried to get your attention and you acted like

you didn’t notice me.”

CJ flushed again. It was true. “I don’t know what you’re talking

about.”

“Shouldn’t lie to me, gorgeous. We both know you saw me. I

would have rather sat next to you at the table.” He reached for her face

with one hand and stroked the silken skin with his knuckles.

CJ trembled at the contact.

“Ms. J,” a masculine voice intruded.

She sprang back from Osten’s sensual touch to meet the highly

amused gaze of Mikhail. Osten took his time in standing upright. The

young black man stood in the doorway, his eyes flickering back and

forth between the two adults in the room.

“Yes, Mikhail. What can I do for you?” CJ asked, praying her

embarrassment would fade quickly.

The young man stepped further into the room, his dark gaze

missing nothing. A smirk that seemed predisposed to be on young

men’s faces filled his. “I was just checking to make sure you were

coming to the game tonight? And perhaps bring along your
friend
.”

CJ felt her face heat up even more. “Of course I will be there. I

don’t expect my students to let me down and I don’t let you down. I’ll

be there.” She swallowed as she tried to ignore Osten’s scent that still

filled her nose.

“Football game?” Osten asked, keeping his eyes on his sweet,

sexy teacher.

“Yes. It is a serious rival school, so the game is very important to

us.” CJ met his gaze and got a dry mouth from the amount of passion

she witnessed swirling in his dark eyes.

“Are you coming, Petty Officer Scoleri?” Mikhail questioned,

hope plain in his voice.

Osten met the inquiring gaze of the young man. “I would love to

watch to a football game. Sure, I’ll go.”

A huge grin crossed Mikhail’s face. “Wonderful, you and Ms. J

can go together; that way you can sit with each other.” He winked

before bolting from the room with a, “See you later!” trailing after him.

Her head thumped to the desktop. “I can’t believe he saw that,”

she complained.

Strong fingers lifted her chin up from the desk. “Don’t do that. I

don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

34

Aliyah Burke

CJ opened her eyes to find Osten millimeters away from her

face. Before she could say a word or move, he kissed her. Marked her.

Branded her with nothing more than the feel of two fingers on her chin

and his lips against hers.

His tongue swept into her mouth; setting her body on fire as he

had the last time they kissed. As she moaned and pressed closer to his

seeking tongue, he released her mouth and stepped back.

CJ raised her eyes to his and saw they appeared black they were

so dark. “What was that for?” she asked.

“I couldn’t help myself. Now, come on, I’ll walk you out.”

Osten took another step back from her tempting body. Every

inch of his warrior’s body was primed to make love to her until neither

of them could move a muscle.

Standing on limbs that were none to steady, CJ gathered her

items, slipped on her jacket and followed him out the door. After

double-checking to make sure it was locked, they walked out of the

school in silence.

Marvin Whittle was waiting out front when they pushed

through the doors and stepped out into the cold fall air. “Afternoon,

Marvin,” CJ said politely.

“CJ,” he responded even as his eyes narrowed as he looked at

the man beside her. “I see you are running later than usual today.”