Chapter 14: Chapter 12

“Evelyn, you act like my mother. Leave the apartment for once and go ouuut with meeee!!”

 

Evelyn closed her eyes and silently counted to ten. Lori could test the patience of a saint, and Evelyn was certain she was destined for sainthood. “Can women be saints? I really should have paid more attention in church.” 

 

She opened her eyes to Lori’s snapping fingers. She was standing right in front of her, hands on her hips and an exasperated look on her face. “There’s going to be a live band and everything! Evelyn, seriously, you need to get out! You’re not some 60 year old spinster, you are 20 for crying out loud. You have so much…” Lori waved her hand up and down, gesturing at Evelyn, “…potential.”

 

Evelyn raised an eyebrow and stifled an incredulous laugh. “You just want me there in case you get drunk, can’t find a guy to spend the night with, and then need me to help you drag your sorry butt back here.”

 

Lori threw her hands up in mock surrender, “I swear that’s not what I had planned. I really do want you to go out with me. All week we’ve been either in classes, cooped up here or at the library. I NEED to get out, but you also NEED a change of scenery. I don’t care if we meet any guys or not. If we do, that’s great! If we don’t, that’s fine too. I just want to go out with my best friend, drink a little, laugh a little and have a good time. Please? PLEASE? Pleeeaaseeeeeee, go out with me Evelyn!”

 

Evelyn smiled and crossed her arms. “Tell me the truth. Why do you really want me there? You know you can have just as much fun without me. YOU draw people in. YOU are the life of the party, not me. Maybe… If you tell me the truth… Unless, of course, you want me to…”

 

“ARGH! OKAY! FINE!”  Lori sighed. “I want you to use your ‘intuition’ on some guys I know will be there, and let me know if they’re duds or not. I’m tired of trying to figure it out on my own. I’m obviously not as gifted in that department as you are.”

 

The “intuition”. Lori referred to it as a gift Evelyn had always had, even as a child. She just KNEW things about people. It was both a blessing and a curse. She could literally look at a person and tell you in general what type of person they were, what they were thinking or what they were feeling. Evelyn had met Lori in primary school, and Lori had thought Evelyn was a fairy child who had gotten lost among the “normal” people. Lori’s imagination had been, and at times still was, something of epic proportions. Her creativity knew no bounds. 

 

Evelyn sighed, and Lori squealed, jumping up and down, then twirling around for good measure. She knew she had won. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You won’t regret this, I promise!”

 

“We’ll see about that.”

 

After Lori had picked out their clothes (apparently Evelyn was incapable of picking out anything remotely sexy), they set off for the bar closest to campus. This way, if Evelyn did end up having to drag a drunk and belligerent Lori back to the apartment, it wouldn’t be that far of a walk. They laughed and exchanged tidbits of gossip as they made their way to the bar, watching the last rays of sun for the day, oh-ing and ah-ing over it. Out of nowhere a shooting star streaked across the sky, and both girls gasped in wonder and delight. “Make a wish!” Lori said, squeezing Evelyn’s arm. Without thinking about how childish and silly it was, Evelyn closed her eyes and tried to come up with a wish.

 

“I wish for… Something more For my life to have a real purpose for a change.”

 

Opening her eyes, she sighed wistfully and pulled Lori onwards. They were less than 30 paces from the bar now, and Lori’s eyes lit up. Seeming to forget all about the shooting star and rambling on about how she hoped those guys weren’t duds, but if they were, surely there would be some “eye candy” tonight. As soon as they entered the bar Lori spotted the two guys she had been referring to all night. Tugging Evelyn’s arm expectantly

 

No sooner had they entered the bar, or Lori immediately spotted the two guys she had been referring to all night. Tugging Evelyn’s arm expectantly she waited for the verdict. Knowing what Lori was expecting, Evelyn took a good look at both guys, and let her intuition do its thing. “Blondie is a nice guy, but not very smart. He gets into trouble a lot, often without knowing how he got there. He’s always making the wrong choices. Mr. Tall, dark and handsome is the worst of the worst. He will manipulate and use you without a second thought. He really enjoys playing mind games.”

 

“Stay away from both of them. Maybe a one-night-stand with the blonde guy wouldn’t lead to too much trouble, but he has a knack for drawing trouble to him. I’d play it safe and just say to hell with both of them.” Evelyn said matter-of-factly.

 

Lori sighed, shrugged and then froze. “OH. MY. GOD. EV. LOOK.”

 

“Ugh… don’t call me Ev. You know I don’t like it when you shorten my name.”  Evelyn grumbled. She looked around to see what Lori was being dramatic about and saw Jimmy. Despite her best efforts, her heart began to beat a little faster. Every girl she knew had a crush on Jimmy. He had a cheeky smile and was brimming with confidence. Evelyn, of course, found him attractive, even if she wasn’t necessarily into him. Lori on the other hand wanted him like she was an Olympic Athlete going after a gold medal. He was her ultimate goal. Evelyn wondered briefly if Lori had used her wish on him and then chided herself mentally for being silly again. 

 

She looked to see who Jimmy was with, and gasped audibly, when she saw it was Pete. He had been in a terrible wreck that had nearly killed him. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked him over. 

 

“Is that Pete? There’s no way he should be up and walking by now, unless Jimmy was lying about the extent of his injuries. Something is different about him, but what?”

 

Her mind went back to the Pete she had met at the beginning of the semester. He was painfully quiet. The shy-guy in class, she always felt sorry for. So she went out of her way to say ‘hi’ to him whenever given the chance. He would never look her in the eye, and it made her feel sad. As shy as he was, he was equally intelligent. Evelyn was in awe of how he understood the course-materials better than anyone and always had the highest marks. Part of her was jealous, yet, another part of her was proud of him. She couldn’t figure out why, but she liked Pete. 

 

However, tonight there was something vastly different about him. He didn’t have that shy demeanor about him anymore. He walked with a self-assurance he had not had before, and he was smiling and laughing loudly and happily with Jimmy. This was not the quiet guy who stayed out of the limelight and tried not to draw attention to himself. Somehow Pete had changed. “A good change. He seems happier.”

 

She and Lori walked up to the bar and took a seat. They ordered their drinks and chatted with the bartender for a while. Evelyn smiled at the bartender and made idle chatter. 

 

“Gay. Better tell Lori before she falls head-over-heels for this one, too. Took me over a week to get her to quit sulking over the last one.”

 

Before she could turn to Lori to discreetly tell her to chill on the flirting, Lori saw someone from her spin-class and wandered off to go talk with her about their new bitchy instructor. Evelyn gazed at the slender, blond girl Lori was talking to and smiled. “Sweet, kind and trustworthy. She looks up to Lori because Lori is friendly and talkative while she’s shy and reserved. I like her.”

 

Evelyn smiled again to herself, took another sip of beer and looked up to see Pete’s reflection in the bar’s mirrored wall. His eyes met hers and her breath left her. She could not explain why, or even how it happened. A movement out of the corner of her eye. A nonchalant glance. That was all it took. One glance to seal her fate. A word that she had assumed was the stuff of fiction and those with vivid imaginations, an imagination she decidedly did not have. If she’d have to put it another way it would be ‘love at first sight’, but that expression also did not suit her practical mind. 

 

“Practicality be damned.”

 

Time had literally come to a standstill. She had heard that expression before, read it in books and such, but she had never understood its meaning until this very moment. 

 

“Transcendent.”

 

He was not stereotypically good-looking, by any means. What intrigued her was the aura surrounding him. She could FEEL something radiating off of him that she could not explain intelligibly. She was inexplicably drawn to where he was, a pull she didn’t understand. It both scared her and excited her at the same time. She was not even aware she had turned on her stool to face him. She just left everything behind because it was of the utmost importance that she go to him now. It was bold. It was brash. It was so unlike her. It was also unlike her earlier encounters with him, which had been in class or just in passing, “hello, how are you?” No, this was something she had never done before but she had to. It felt vital to her very core.

 

            “I have to talk to him. I need to know him.”

            “But you don’t know him, you idiot.”

            “No, but this is Pete. I’ve never met THIS Pete.”

 

Her heart hammering in her ears. She held out her hand to introduce herself in case the accident had caused memory loss she hadn’t been told about. “Hey Pete, I’m Evelyn. I’m not sure if you remember me or not, but we have a few classes together.”

 

He smiled warmly at her, his eyes still never leaving hers and took her hand in his. “Hi Evelyn, how could I forget you? You were one of the only girls in class who actually talked to me like I was a person.” This new Pete was strangely confident and straightforward. His hand in hers felt warm and comforting.

 

“Get a grip woman. It’s just Pete.”

 

Before she forgot all of the manners her mother had taught her, she looked up at Jimmy and smiled, “Hey Jimmy.”

 

Jimmy grinned then suddenly wrapped Evelyn up in a bear-hug, tearing her away from Pete’s hand. “Heya Evelyn! You’re looking fine tonight. Never seen you dressed up before. I like it.” He let her go, and she blushed furiously. She was normally not this awkward, but tonight, she was struggling to form words. She was not accustomed to Jimmy paying this much attention to her. 

 

She must have made a face or the blush on her cheeks had gotten darker, but for some reason, Pete suddenly laughed. A laugh that tickled the nerves along her spine. He stepped between her and Jimmy, then reached out to touch her elbow. Shockwaves like an electric current coursed throughout her body. Her nerves were on fire, her vision had tunneled, making him the only person in the room. 

 

“JIMMY! PETE! OH MY GOD! IT’S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS!” Lori’s voice broke the reverie, and Evelyn took a step back. She inwardly chided herself. 

 

“What are you? 15? STOP. BLUSHING!”

 

Lori was practically glowing as she gave both guys a big hug, first Pete, then Jimmy. Although; the hug she gave Jimmy seemed to linger. Evelyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. However; it did give her the excuse to give Jimmy another good once-over and really concentrate. 

 

“Still the same guy. Kind hearted, loyal to his real friends. Massive man-whore, but… He might be falling for someone? Uh oh. Sorry Lori. This guy is about to be monogamous.”

 

She smiled and looked back at Pete. Which caused her to suck in her breath again. 

 

His eyes. His eyes gave the appearance of looking straight through her soul. Dark brown, intense and focussed. They seemed to turn darker the longer he gazed into hers. She was captivated, enthralled. She could not look away if she had wanted to, because right now, right here, she wanted to be seen by him. It was almost as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, how she was feeling, and that he could answer all of the questions she had and quench the insatiable curiosity she held within. 

 

“What is he thinking?”

 

She concentrated on Pete, but she couldn’t get a read on him. Before she could try again, her hand was in his again. Large and warm. He was rubbing the pad of his thumb across her knuckles languorously, like he had all the time in the world just to stand there and stroke her. It felt rough against her soft skin. It was pleasure and agony combined, like an itch that desperately needed to be scratched. Her pulse began to quicken, her throat had gone dry. Again, as if he knew exactly what she was feeling, he proffered a mug of his beer to her, and she gladly took a sip. 

 

“So what have you been up to while I’ve been held prisoner at the hospital?” Pete asked with twinkling eyes. 

 

Evelyn laughed and took another sip of her beer. “According to Lori, I’ve been sitting in our apartment, learning how to knit and contemplating adopting a couple of cats. Little does she know; I have known how to knit since I was eight, I’m allergic to cats, and I’ve actually been contemplating adopting a hedgehog.” 

 

Pete burst out laughing, and it was just as magical as it had been before. She lifted the mug up to her lips to hide her smile and then the most inane thought flitted through her mind. His lips had been on that mug. “Lick the rim.”

 

Good lord. What was wrong with her? Where the hell did that thought come from? She knew she was acting unlike herself, but damn. This was ridiculous. It took all she had to think before acting on impulse. She grasped onto the last scrap of her dignity and did NOT lick the rim. Instead she handed the mug back to him with a smile. His eyes crinkled at the outer corners as if he knew what she had been thinking. It made her want to snatch the mug out of his hands, chug the last beer down and lick the damn rim, screw dignity. 

 

“No, I need to hold onto it. You will not debase yourself like this, Evelyn Grace.”

 

As the night went on, each studied the other with curiosity while Lori and Jimmy unashamed. She poured over his features. The way he set his mouth, the way he held his back straight, yet… Relaxed. He watched her too, but he also touched her, as if he were trying to memorize the feel of her. Little, seemingly insignificant, touches. Caressing the back of her arm absentmindedly, stopping at her elbow and then going back up as they listened to the band play a cover of Love Me Tender, causing her skin to break out in goosebumps. 

 

When she had gotten a little bit of foam on the corner of her lips, he had reached with thumb to wipe it off, lingering there and eventually smearing the foam across her bottom lip. “Holy. Crap.” She gawked at him. Never in her life had she gawked at a person, let alone thought she would use the word in relation to herself, but there she was. Gawking. Her lungs felt suddenly devoid of air, and her heart had begun to race again, beating erratically in her chest. He smoothed an unruly lock of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Such a simple touch; yet, it was more intimate than anything else he could have done that night.

 

Or so she thought.

 

He let out a soft, amused chuckle, and his lips curved into a smirk. She should have taken that smirk as him being unbearably arrogant, something she was definitely un-attracted to. Typically speaking, a smirk like that would have turned her off completely, sending her on her way with him not understanding what he had done to lose her interest. But this smirk was one that assured her that she was safe with him. 

 

“Odd. Pete never smirked before; yet, somehow it fits him. I like it.”

 

It was so confusing to think this way. However, nothing about this night was normal. It was as if her senses were reacting to everything he did favorably, as if her mind were not her own anymore. Every atom in her body seemed to gravitate towards him, that damned pull she could not explain, nagging at the outer edges of her brain.

 

Once again that damned smile warmed her to her core. He asked: “Would you like to dance? I’ve been told it’s easy.” He leaned in closer to her ear and whispered conspiratorially, “But you would be my first time.” Finishing with a chuckle.

 

She must have given some form of agreement because the next thing she knew, he was pulling her to the stage where the local band was playing yet another Elvis Presley hit. In a fluid motion he pulled her to him, linking her arms around his neck, gazing down at her. 

 

“Oh God, I have never felt like this before. What is this?”

 

Song after song, they swayed and danced in a slowly repeating circle. Without conscious thought, she began to play with the hair around the nape of his neck, fine and silky between her fingers. They stayed like this for some time, each mesmerized by the other, never breaking the intense gaze they shared. She tried to decipher the feelings behind those bewilderingly intense eyes. Just doing so made her hold her breath, so, once again she had to mentally remind herself to breathe. Dazed, she shook her head mentally, trying to understand what was going on here. She had never felt like this with anyone else. It was as if she were under some kind of fairytale spell. The cynical part of her wanted to laugh over such fanciful notions as magic, but the feel of his hands on her waist, warm and strong, stopped the laugh from even forming. 

 

 

“If I did not believe in magic before, I do now.”

 

The soft chords of Can’t Help Falling In Love floated past her ears, a sweet tone that made her want to close her eyes save for the fact that she needed to keep her eyes open to continue gazing into his. She was afraid it was all a cruel dream and if she closed her eyes, the dream would end. She did not think her heart could withstand the deep disappointment that would follow if she were right. As long as her eyes were open, she was going to drink him in, savor every last detail on the off-chance that she was indeed in a dream and about to wake up. 

 

The most surreal thing about this entire situation was that it seemed as if he were entranced by her, too. HER. Evelyn, Entrancing. “HA! As if.” She could believe in the supernatural before she could believe that she had the power to capture the attention of someone as hypnotizing as him. Someone who made her feel as if SHE were the only person in the room. No one ever did that. Sure, she had men flirt, and make her feel attractive, but he was something else altogether. He made her feel like she was more than… Well, more than… More than just her looks. More than just her body. More than… “Indescribable.”

 

Ever so gently, and with only the slightest of pressure, his fingers began to squeeze her waist to pull her closer. When they stood chest to chest, despite the combined thickness of their clothes, her nipples had hardened instantly. Once more, her mind reeled over how visceral her body was reacting to him. She literally ached with every fiber of her being to be as near to him as possible, despite the fact that she was already there. You could not get much closer than this. 

 

“Well. Maybe a little closer…”

 

Her fingers were itching to pull his face to her, before she finished thinking he moved his head so they were check-to-cheek. His cheek cool against hers, flushed her cheeks with heat and a blush. His rough one day stubble scratching her delicate skin, his warm breath tickling her ear. The whole situation sent an involuntary shiver through her. It made her want to rub her face along his, almost catlike. The simple thought made her smile, even if she was tempted by the notion. 

 

“Must…Keep…Cool. Must…Not…Show…How…Crazy…You’ve…Become.”

 

While holding her close he began to sing along with the song. “I…Just…Can’t help…Faaaaaaling in loooooove, with you.” His voice surprisingly deep and low. 

 

“Damn. DAMN!”

 

As she registered the sound of his voice her crazy almost came out. Her involuntary response to prevent that was almost to tell him to shut up. The voice was both smooth and coarse at the same time, it was almost too much for her already frazzled nerves. He has a magic voice, it reverberated deep within her body, straight into the depths of her soul. 

 

That thought stilled her. The feeling of his voice penetrating her deep in her core. It was as if she heard him for the first time, Really heard him. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It didn’t make sense to her. 

 

Then he pressed his lips to her ear and sang the next verse, making her shiver all over again. She could feel his grin on her cheek, and a calm washed over her. “Don’t overthink. In fact, stop thinking, just feel.”

 

So she did. She let herself get lost in his crooning, lost in her own emotions, feeling things she’d never felt before. 

 

Long after the song ended he pulled back to look at her. Again his piercing, dark eyes looking straight into her soul. However his cheeky grin was replaced by a hint of frustration. Where he looked like he could read her mind earlier, no it looked more like he wanted to but couldn’t quite make out her thoughts.

 

“How about that? I’m not powerless after all.”

 

It embarrassed her a little to admit that the thought gave her an inordinate amount of pleasure. It might have been a combination of her not being able to read him and having something over him. Even if it was something odd like him not being able to do his voodoo magic. 

 

“Are you listening to yourself? You are happy that he cannot read your thoughts. Sure, you can read people, but that’s just a fluke or something. No one can ACTUALLY read thoughts. Idiot. My God, you must have lost all your senses.”

 

She was startled out of her mental recrimination of herself by the sound of his voice. “We could keep dancing, but it looks like the band is packing up and heading out. It’s not a problem for me. I could just continue singing or humming a tune.” He said with a half-grin. 

 

“Oh God. Don’t grin at me like that. I am only capable of so much self-control.”

 

“Or… I could sing. I’ve been told I’m not bad, depending on how many drinks you’ve had. Or, rather, how many drinks I’ve had.” She quipped, matching his half-grin.

 

He threw his head back and laughed — a genuine, heart-felt laugh.

 

“Damn it. There goes that tickle down my spine again.”

 

He looked back down at her, mirth still playing at the corners of his lips. “I know we’ve only just met, but I have an apartment above the bar. We could have a karaoke battle if you like. No alcohol to give either of us an edge, or lack thereof.” His eyes sparkled mischievously. 

 

Her knees gave the tiniest wobble. She bit the side of her bottom lip and watched his eyes flick down in response. “I… I’d like that.” She stammered.

 

“Oh… What am I getting myself into?”

 

Before she could add another thought, Jimmy and Lori walked over. Both laughing and looking like they were up to no good. 

 

“Are they drunk? No… Just a little buzzed.” Evelyn focussed her attention on her friend. “Giddy. Elated. They’ve both decided to leave me and Pete alone, so we can… she… SHE WISHED FOR THIS!? They WERE up to no good!”

 

Jimmy threw an arm around Lori’s shoulders and grinned over at the other couple, his eyes sparkling, his grin stretching his handsome face. “We’re heading out to see what kind of mischief we can get up to. We’ll catch you two later, try not to do anything I wouldn’t do.”

 

Pete laughed and said, “that doesn’t leave me much, does it?”  Both guys grinned at each other, and then, surprisingly both Evelyn and Lori, the guys gave each other a hug and bade farewell. This show of affection warmed Evelyn’s heart and made her think highly of both men. She looked over at Lori to see what she thought and was met with her friend's beaming smile. 

 

“I hope you have a good night, EV.” Lori said with a wink. 

You are reading story The NewU Chronicles – Book 1 – The Whispers of Change at novel35.com

 

“Ugh. I told you, I hate…” But before Evelyn could finish her sentence, Lori wrapped her up in a tight hug. 

 

Whispering in her ear, “try not to overthink it, will you? Just… Be happy for a change Evelyn. I love you.” Evelyn nodded silently and smiled. She watched both Jimmy and Lori leaving the bar before turning to look at Pete. What she saw made her heart begin to hammer in her chest once again. 

 

Pete’s eyes had gone from sparkling with mischief to dark and glittering. He took her hand and guided her to the back of the bar. There he led her up a set of stairs leading to the loft above. Every step up made her heart beat harder. She gripped his hand as if breaking contact would break the spell between them. As silly as it sounded in her own mind, she knew something magnetic was happening here. Regardless of danger, she really wanted to know how it would end. 

 

When they reached the landing, he let go to unlock the door. The loss of contact, however brief, left her feeling bereft, lost and before she could control herself , her eyes began to water. 

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you want him to think you’re crazy?”

 

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them. His intent gaze startled her. Apparently, she had not calmed herself down enough because she felt a tear threatening to slide down her face. His hand cradled her jaw, he used his thumb to catch the wayward tear and rub her cheek. Even if she wanted to, she was unable to move, her wide eyes searching for his, once again forgetting to breathe.  How could such a simple gesture render her completely immobile?

 

“Breathe.”  He whispered.

 

She gazed up at him, she took a deep breath, and smiled. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was the beer. Or maybe the romantic music?” She laughed nervously. 

 

He laughed with her, his thumb still rubbing her cheek, then letting his hand fall to his side. “Tonight has been full of the unexpected, hasn’t it?” He shrugged, then guided her into the apartment, locking the door behind them. She glanced around the open plan floor — everything but the bathroom in one room. She assumed that was available through the other door in the apartment. She noticed the boxes on the table and dotted around the room, as if he hadn’t quite finished unpacking. Other than that, everything was clean and neatly arranged. No frills, just… Practical. 

 

Countertops in the kitchen were bare save for a microwave and a slim Keurig. In the center of the kitchen area was a small bar with two stools. The living area had a large, brown leather sofa, and a large flatscreen TV mounted to the wall. Below the TV is an entertainment center with game consoles. The computer in the corner caught her eye, a large three screen set-up where he did all his coursework. Her eyes widened in recognition at the hardware. The computer would have been about as expensive as her car. On the far side of the room the interior was rounded out by a dresser, a mahogany book stand, a night stand and… A queen-size bed.

 

She swallowed and dared a peek at him, blushing when their eyes met. He had been watching her with amusement and, funny enough, curiosity.

 

“Coffee?” He asked, gesturing to the Kitchen. “You can have a seat here while I make you a cup. Or, I have Dr. Pepper and water in the refrigerator. I’m sorry those are your only options. It’s all I drink. Actually I keep the coffee for friends, as I can’t stand the stuff. I’m sorry, I think I’m rambling.” He said with a laugh.

 

“Actually, I don’t think I’m thirsty right this minute.” She said, suddenly feeling shy.

 

“Am I really going to do this? I’ve never done anything like this before.”

 

He stepped closer to her and raised a hand to brush the side of her face with his knuckles. Unfurling his fingers to cup her chin and raised her face to meet his. His thumb swept across her lips, tracing them. Her breath caught in her throat. She fought the urge to lick his fingertip, to bite at it. She was vibrating, more alive than she had felt in a long time. His touches made her feel lightheaded, yet more aware of her surroundings at the same time. The whole night felt like a continuous contradiction. 

 

“Oh, I’m doing this. I’m SO doing this.”

 

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, it felt electric. Her lips sizzled and burned against his. It was not a hard, urgent kiss. But a languishing kiss of someone with all the time in the world. A low, encouraging moan broke from her throat when his tongue parted her lips. Slow. Deliberate. His tongue pushed inside, he was making love to her mouth with it. Deepening the kiss, he ran his hand along her jaw, his rough skin against her soft and delicate.

 

“Whoa.” Something broke in Evelyn. “No… Unlocked… Unhinged?” Evelyn pushed her hands up his chest, feeling the fine muscle beneath his shirt. She gripped his shirt and pressed her lips into his, harder, with urgency. It was as if she had never been kissed before and now that she had, she couldn’t get enough. He tasted warm, like a good chai tea on a cool fall day. 

 

“I need more.”

 

After some time, he broke off the kiss, leaving her dizzy and bemused. He walked around to stand behind her. She had a brief moment of confusion until she felt his fingers at her waist, slowly lifting her shirt over her head. She raised her arms to make it easier. Once it was off she brought them back down to her sides. He let her shirt fall besides them on the floor. His fingers trailed a path along her shoulder blades, down her arms stopping at her elbows. He ran them horizontal to her bra, finding the clasp and snapping it open. 

 

“Did I ever tell you that I always had a thing for you, Evie? You were the only one who took the time to talk to me, and I have never wanted anyone more than I want you right now.” She felt another tingle creep up her spine. “Your skin, it’s so soft, I just want to run my fingers over you, if only to tell myself that you’re real, that I’m not dreaming. I’m going to make love to you tonight, Evie.” His breath washed over her ear as her knees trembled. “Just… Breathe.”

 

“Breathe, woman. Breathe.”

 

For what felt like the 50th time that night, Evelyn sucked in a deep breath and held it, her mind focussing on the minute touches he was leaving on her skin. She hated it when people shortened her name. When she was a child people used it to tease her, poke fun at her for being different. But coming from his lips, it sounded right. Against everything she had ever thought or believed before tonight, he made it fit her perfectly. She wanted to be Evie to him. 

 

“Evie.”

 

He discarded her bra into the small pile forming next to them and was now running his fingers along her spine. He was neither hasty nor selfish. This was a man who took his time, meticulous in his undressing of her, teasing her with the faintest contracts. She felt herself trembling from the inside-out. At this rate her skin would be in a permanent state of goose-pimply flesh. 

 

“Breathe, Evie. Just breathe.”

 

She nearly jumped out of that goose-pimply flesh when his fingers grazed along it to gather her hair in his hand. He pulled it off to the side, so he could place feather-light kisses along her shoulder and up her neck. He paid special attention to the spot right below her ear, pausing to press a deeper kiss there, lazily sticking his tongue out to swirl at the sensitive skin. She let out a startled gasp when he took the lobe of her ear between his teeth, then lightly sucked on it. 

 

“Oh, God.”

 

She felt his face resting against her neck as his hand slid up her waist to her breast and lightly kneaded it. His caresses gentle, tender, as if she was truly precious. She did not know why, but she wanted to cry from the intimacy of it. Her every sense was aware of him, from the scent of his cologne, to the feel of his skin on hers. Then he moved his thumb and forefinger over her nipple, rubbing the nub between them. A low gasp, barely audible, escaped her quivering lips, and she felt him smile against her neck.

 

“Sweet torture.”

 

No man had ever taken his time with her. It was always about how quick he could get his dick into her. They never cared about her as a person. That was what she wanted, so she never let them get past the kissing stage if she could tell that it was all they wanted. She managed to avoid even the kissing stage if she felt the tiniest inkling that she was being used to add to a conquest list. She met so many ‘Hit-it and quit-it’ men that she had begun to think all men were like those guys. Never caring, never taking their time. As Pete switched sides and began his manipulations of her other breast and nipple, she conceded that she had been wrong.

 

“So wrong. So, SO very wrong.”

 

His hands left her breasts, now swollen and aching, to trail down her sides to the band of her jeans. Her own hands were clasped together at her collarbone, unsure of where they should be. He carefully unhooked the button of her jeans, pulled down her zipper, and tugged her jeans down her legs. Excruciatingly slow. She had tried to help, but heard a soft chuckle in her ear, “patience. Just let me do all the pleasuring tonight… Please?”

 

“So this is how you die? Of impatience. Figured”

 

Her jeans fell to the ground. After stepping out of them she kicked them away. She was left in only her soft blue cotton panties, but not for long. He hooked his thumbs over the band and dragged them down to her knees before letting them drop, the warmth of his fingers sliding along the outside of her legs. He drew his fingers from where he left off back up to her hips as if he needed to keep his hands on her at all times. Her back was now pressed up against him, and his large hands rested against her stomach, the tips of his fingers curling gently around her hips. He was warm, but she was hot. 

 

She could feel him, feel his breath, warm and soft against her back and shoulder blades. He gingerly grazed his lips back up to her neck and murmured in her ear, his voice smooth like a fine brandy, “has anyone ever told you how perfect you are, Evie?” Her heart began to pound harder than it already was as his voice dropped to a whisper. “Your skin is so smooth and creamy, and it smells like lavender and… Vanilla. It makes me want to taste you.”

 

“Oh, God yes. Taste me!”

 

Evelyn was doing her best to stand upright. His words had the ability to make her feel weak and make her knees tremble. The last thing she wanted to do was fall and humiliate herself by how silly she was being. He stepped around to face her, and when she saw the look on his face, her lips parted. His eyes — now heavy-lidded and seductive — had flickered down over the front of her body. He looked as if he were about to devour her, and she was more than willing to let him. That was when he smiled at her, it was as if he knew exactly how to smile at a woman to make her feel it deep inside. Evelyn felt it. Dear God, did she ever.

 

He leaned down and brought his lips close to hers, whispering her name against her lips. She moaned without thinking, a soft whimpering sound that seemed to undo him entirely. His soft kisses were thorough. His lips pressed against hers, his tongue sliding past them to taste her tongue. His hands slipped around to her back, fingers digging into her flesh, pulling her against him so that he had her body as part of the kiss.

 

His mouth grew more urgent as he held her tightly against his body. She could feel that he had gone hard against her, realizing suddenly he was still fully clothed while she was clearly not. She pushed him from her, hands at his shirt, tugging and pulling it over his head. Then she was unbuttoning his trousers, almost crying out in relief as they fell to the floor. He took her hands in his and brought them to his chest as he hooked a thumb around his briefs and pulled them down. She couldn’t help but look at what was before her.

 

“Oh. My. God.”

 

He pulled her back to him, crushing her lips against his. Never had she been so hungry for a kiss. She got lost in it, savoring every touch, every nuance. Him suckling on her tongue, her bottom lip. She mimicked the same actions. Tasting. Exploring. He kissed her cheek, her ear, her neck, moving down to the hollow of her collarbone. One of his hands moved along the side of her ribcage to cup her breast, the pressure of it making her gasp.

 

Her hands. Oh God, her hands. She did not know what to do with them. They were on his shoulders, his chest, his biceps, his face, in his hair. She could not get enough of the feel of him. His bare skin. His heat. The sheer masculinity. He was like a god in human form. Her desire for him was deep and profound.

 

He had plumped her breast up until the upper curve of it was close to his lips, tantalizingly so. His mouth found her nipple, barely kissing it and swirling his tongue around it in a circle. A deep moan emanated from her throat, and she held onto his shoulder with everything she could muster. 

 

            Swirl. Flick. Nip. Swirl. Flick. Nip.

 

He switched to the other breast and repeated.

 

            Swirl. Flick. Nip. Swirl. Flick. Nip.

 

She was going mad. Her hands were clenched in his hair, and she was making little mewling noises. Her body thrumming with need, her hands pulling him closer to her breast. She could not describe what she was feeling, but whatever it was, it multiplied with each swirl of his tongue. She was almost hurting from it.

 

Without warning, he stood upright, swept her up into his arms, and carried her across the room to his bed. He set her down and, for a moment, standing there, he just looked at her, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She stared at him with wonder and anticipation. 

 

“Is that… A tremor I see?”

 

There was no doubt about it. He wanted her as bad as she wanted him. She could not fathom how that was possible. She had never been kissed and caressed like this before. She had never experienced the lust and wanting like she was feeling right now. Actually, she had never experienced THIS. Ever. What was different this time?

 

“We connect. I… I trust him.”

 

The sudden realization had rushed into her like a wave. All this time. None of the other men had felt right. There was always doubt, which in turn, made her push them away. Not hum. If there were such a thing as soulmates, she had just found hers. The force of her epiphany filled her with a want that made her feel like an animal — wanting to claw and tear at herself, at him, if she didn’t get what she needed, soon. 

 

“He’s like me. He’s the one. I need him.”

 

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, ready to pounce, when he bent to kiss her. His hand moving down the side of her face to her shoulder, then continuing on to her hip. He had started this kiss off slow, but she could feel the passion growing. Deeper and deeper, causing her to return his passion with a hunger and an eagerness she did not know she had. 

 

“Evelyn, Ev, Evie,” he whispered, his voice a soft breeze against her lips. She couldn’t get enough of her name on his lips. His hands were roaming all over her body — fingers brushing the sides of her breasts, her waist, her thighs. When he began pushing her legs apart so that he could stand between them, she nearly fell backwards in a fit of lustful, giggling hysteria.

 

His lips had moved to her neck and she inhaled sharply against his cheek. It was as if he knew she loved having her neck kissed. She whispered his name and arched her hips forward and up. She suppressed a cry of surprised pleasure. She had felt his hard length brush against her most intimate spot and nearly came. Hot. Hard. Soft. The feel of him… She had no concept of what real need was before now. She needed to feel him, feel the pressure of him against her where it ached the most. She wanted to cry from her frustrated need. 

 

As if reading her mind, or rather, the growing force behind her kisses, he pushed himself away from her and stared down at her with his own dark and intense gaze. Predatory.

 

“Oh GOD.”

 

She scooted herself back into the center of the bed as he slowly advanced upon her, crawling onto the bed, his long, thick member protruding. No, not crawling. Prowling. Stalking. He slowly moved himself over her body, his hard cock brushing against the top of her thigh. “Oh God, Oh God, THAT is never going to fit.”

 

When he was face to face with her, he just held himself there, staring into her face as if he could not get enough of it. As if he were memorizing her in case SHE was the illusion and not the other way around. Carefully, he held himself up with one arm and took the hand of the other to stroke her face, her neck, and down to the swell of her breast. She did not know why he felt the need to repeat this gesture, but it was as though he had to start with her face in order to convince himself that this — that she — was real. 

 

He briefly kissed her lips, moving back down her neck, past her collarbone, between her breasts, over her stomach. He teasingly kissed her along her hip bones, his stubble ticking and scratching her. She felt hot, tingly, and searingly hungry. She wanted to feed that hunger, indulge it, and beg him to quench it. Again, and again and again…

 

Her hands were gripping the sheets around her, her legs moving up and down along his sides, unable to be still when a thought occurred to her all at once. The thought made laughter bubble up in her throat. Giving voice to the thought, she exclaimed breathlessly. “Oh my gosh! I have never let anyone do this to me before! I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!”

 

He looked up at her from between the Vee of her thighs, a wicked grin playing on his lips, “just feel. And don’t forget to breathe.”

 

She stared down at him and formed his name on her lips in a shaky whisper, “Pete. Just. I need you.”

 

That was all it took. His mouth was on her, on the sweet sensitive nub, and she actually clasped one of her hands to her mouth, biting down on her fist to keep from screaming with the pleasure of it. Her back arched, and he slipped one arm under her to hold her still as she leisurely licked and nibbled at her. She clutched at his head with her free hand, using him for support. It was torment, it was heaven, and she was not sure she was breathing.

 

His tongue lapped at her languidly, teasing her folds, sliding down her wet and aching slit. He nipped at the folds gently, swirled his tongue around, and teased her nub out of hiding. He sucked and pressed at it until it was swollen and she was writhing. His tongue seemed to have a mind of its own, going this way and that. Feasting, being gentle but firm, sliding inside of her, warm and alive.

 

When he slipped his forefinger inside of her and brushed the ridge of her G-spot, she forgot about keeping quiet and cried out. Tortuously, he slid it in and out, all the while, still sucking gently on her clit. She was making incoherent grunting and moaning noises now, bucking her hips, arching her back. The paralyzingly sensations she felt were sweet and intense as he slid his index finger in along with the other and began fucking her hard with them. His fingers demanding her release, curling to ram against her G-spot over, and over again. 

 

The organs ripped through her body and she was floating for some time before being brought back to the present by his lips traveling back up her body. It felt as if he were kissing her everywhere. One moment on her ribcage, the next on her breasts, her ear, her neck. Her body was positively humming, acutely aware of his intoxicating lips making their way back to hers, allowing her to taste her release on his tongue.

 

“Who knew I was this sweet?”

 

His hands were relentless. Never stilling, lingering, attentive. It was as though he was memorizing every conceivable inch of her body. She felt completely and utterly surrounded. A roughened hand on her hip, blisteringly hot lips on her shoulders, practiced fingers trailing down her legs. Always touching. Never a reprieve, not that she wanted one. 

 

“No, please. Don’t stop.”

 

Normally, she would have felt awkward or embarrassed. She always overthought everything in her life, especially scenarios that involved anything remotely intimate. But she wasn’t with him. No not with him. Not for the first time tonight, she reflected on the fact that nothing about what was happening between them could be considered normal. Not when he was showering her with such meticulous care and devotion. She knew if she wasn’t careful, she would mistake his slow machinations over her body as love. 

 

“Don’t be silly.”

 

His mouth was on hers, kissing her with an intensity and fervor that left her breathless. She wildly kissed him back, clutching at his shoulders, his arms. Feeling hard muscle under her fingers, becoming conscious of the fact that despite his obvious strength, he was being agonizingly gentle with her. The realization inflamed her more than anything else he had done that night. It made the desire in her gut become a relentless need, and when he nudged her legs apart further, she opened them immediately, without hesitation, reservation, fear, or embarrassment.

 

“I will make him beg for me tomorrow. I have to make him as weak as he is making me.”

 

Sensuous, deliberate, he sunk into her, allowing his length and girth to be accommodated by her. He pressed gently forward, opening her, stretching her, and it was the most amazing feeling — one she could not describe fully. He was inside of her. She could feel herself clench around him, her muscles begging for more. She wanted him to go faster but slow enough so she savored every second of this moment. 

 

“More.”

 

A groan emanated from his lips. FINALLY, a sign that she was affecting him like he was her. He thrust forward, the sudden motion sending a wave of sensation and pressure through her. She gasped his name and grabbed his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh. Her inner walls enveloped him, wrapping around him and holding onto him tight. Every nerve ending within her was alive, sparking, and going haywire. The air around her electrified and became charged, heightened her senses, making her aware of every little detail. Making her want more. 

 

“More.”

 

His thrusts were slow. Letting her body get used to his. She whimpered and moaned. Her body instinctively found itself in rhythm with his, moving with him, as one. Moving, pulsing, straining. He thrusted rougher, harder. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him ever closer, needing every bit of him she could get. His head dipped to capture one of her breasts in his mouth, sucking in her nipple and biting down on it. Sending painful, yet pleasurable waves rippling through her body, straight to her core.

 

“Please. More.”

 

And then she and the air around her shattered. She had felt this well of feeling building inside of her, but she had not known what it was until it hit her. Her second real, life-altering organs. Sure, she had masturbated before, but she had assumed she was one of those rare women who could not have mind-blowing orgasms. The kind that made her crave more. The releases she had experienced before were nothing in comparison to this. The force of this had nearly made her black out, and she literally saw spots of light behind her eyelids. She had screamed and tensed, locking her legs around his waist as wave after wave of delectable, delirium-inducing bliss crashed over her. 

 

Her inner walls had contracted, wrapping tight around his throbbing member, squeezing him as he plunged into her steadily and unrelenting. Her orgasm had triggered his own, and she felt him tense and ram into her one last time before he came. She had been so securely wrapped around him that she could feel him swell and begin to pulse within her. Something about the feel of his seed splashing and coating her womb made her feel powerful and content. 

 

“Mine.”

 

She was so lost in her dreamy, post-orgasmic state, it had not occurred to her that the thought had not been solely her own. She was deliriously happy and content in that moment, satiated like she had never been before. She lay beneath him, luxuriating in the weight of his body atop hers. He was breathing hard, eyes staring down at her as if seeing her for the first time. Silently, she trailed her fingers along his cheekbone and combed them through his hair. His dark eyes searched hers, her own gazing up at him in…

 

“In what? Reverence? Wonder?”

“Love.”

 

Evie knew the moment she had laid eyes on him. The thought had flitted through her mind repeatedly tonight. She did not know how or why, but far be it for her to question it. She had finally found him, and she was not going to fret over semantics. She was going to treasure every minute and every second she had with him. 

 

A radiant smile lit up her features, and she pulled his face down to hers, leaving a butterfly-soft kiss on his lips before quietly whispering, “I know how silly it might sound, but… I wished on a shooting star tonight, and it gave me you.”

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