Love Delayed

Raising my arm in defense, I babbled, “I-I didn’t tell you everything!”


My face set into a grimace as if I was being tortured, and I was; I was tormenting myself with why things had turned so grim for me right after Alpine.

I swallowed hard, and unsuccessfully tried catching my breath. “I Googled you,” my eyes darted over to Stenton, whose brows were narrowed.

“Okay…,” he said expectantly, more or less asking me to continue.

“And I know how much you make. I didn’t call you because I couldn’t. I couldn’t have you believe that after what I’d done to you, I wanted something from you. I’m not one of those girls!”

He inclined his ear towards me, gesturing for me to go on with my point.

I scraped my bottom lip between my teeth. “Stenton, from the night you kissed me last summer when we said goodbye, I knew I’d developed feelings for you that I’d never experienced with anyone. That night, I told myself I was going to give myself to you. I purposely didn’t tell you I was a virgin…I left crumbs for you to believe I was experienced, all to…” I was out of breath. Stent moved closer to me, tantalizing my already heightened senses. “Gosh, Stent, I fell in love with you over the summer! Who does that? I didn’t know how sex was going to happen, but I knew it would. I knew it was wrong, but I…” I was at a loss for words. “I knew you were a basketball player. Angela told me you were “the man,” but I didn’t know.” I shook my head at my na?veté. “So when I was online researching the foreclosure process in the state of New Jersey, I needed a break from the stressors and thought about you right away. I know we joked about your celebrity and I said I’d avoid your public persona…when I found out, I froze. I thought of the stupid game in Alpine, the way I seduced you for selfish reasons, but none had to do with your wealth. I swear it!”

I was so lost in my discloser that it hadn’t registered when Stenton drew closer. Really close. He had me sandwiched against the wall. And his scent. That enticing Bergamot odor, disarmed my defenses, definitely affecting me in some abstract way.

“When all that stuff was happening and I needed someone to talk to, I couldn’t come to you. After I found out all about…you know…your net worth, I knew I couldn’t come to you with this convenient travesty after what I’d done to you.” The rough pads of his fingers traced the lining of my quivering lips. I hadn’t exactly noticed that right away either. “I didn’t know about you when I did that. I think—no, I know I need to apologize for not being lady-like…or Christian-like. You must think I’m—”

Stenton’s mouth crushed into mine and the next thing I felt was his tongue near the back of my throat, soothing the burn that afflicted me by attempting to control my emotions around him. Then I felt spikes of pleasure down my groin from his oral movements. He lifted my legs, one by one and wrapped them around his narrow waist. My hands found their way into his hair, knocking his baseball cap from his head, and suddenly I couldn’t recall what I’d been trying to convey. I could only feel the push of Stenton’s arousal against mine. Could only feel the need to rub off the pulsing of my core onto his.

Love Belvin's books