Rough: Daunting Temptation (Coral Gables Series Book 1) (25 page)

***

Delsin helped me prepare breakfast. I thought he couldn't cook at all, but he did better than I would have. He applied himself to making the perfect scrambled eggs and bacon, while I struggled with the pancakes, which he took over in the end. I sigh as we lay the table. "You could have told me that you're a secret chef."

"You could have asked me, too, but I wouldn't say I can really cook. It's only the small things that I do well enough," he grins.

"Then you're in charge of this breakfast now, and I'll be in charge of the next dinner mom tells me I have to prepare. You know, for my next misdemeanor," I smile.

Delsin comes over and kisses my temple. "It's a deal."

Hailey comes in. "Oh please. Please tell me you've made up, because I can't take this back and forth any longer," she whines with a roll of her eyes.

I giggle at her. "Delsin is a fighter now."

Hailey's eyebrows shoot up. "Seriously? I didn't think you had it in you," she tells him.

"It's the only way I might convince her I'm worth another try. I'm glad she is open to that option, at least," he says.

She nods and sits down at the table. Then the rest of the house filters in. Mom, Buck, Steve. Delsin and I sit down opposite each other.

"That looks very good," Buck praises us.

"Let's hope it tastes good, too," Delsin says.

"I'm sure it will," I chime in. "But it was Delsin who did most of the work."

"Then he'll be the one responsible for any complaints," mom grins.

Steve is being rather quiet. He is sitting next to Delsin and studying me intently. I feel a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but I guess I'll have to ignore it for the time being. I'm not going to tell him that I think it's awkward, because I don't want to create an even more awkward situation with everyone else present. Plus it would be unfair to him.

While we are eating, the kitchen is silent. The only sounds are those of forks and knives meeting plates. It reminds me of my childhood, peaceful and cozy.

***

"And you're really sure I should sit on the back of this giant?" Delsin asks, sounding impressed. He is standing next to Rooster, our largest stallion.

"Yes, I am, otherwise I wouldn't have saddled him for you. Get up; he's not going to throw you. Just stay calm. Horses can sense your fear," I explain.

"I'm not afraid, I'm merely wary. Respectful."

"That's great; he'll appreciate that. Now get up on his back," I smile.

Delsin puts his foot into the stirrup and pulls himself up and into the saddle. He is sitting on Rooster's back.

"There you go. Was that bad?" I ask.

Rooster prances a little, which causes Delsin to grab the reins tightly. "No. This is bad though," he says.

I get on Peach's back and guide her to his side. "You're wrong there. It only gets bad when they canter for the very first time." I grin at him and click my tongue. Both horses start to walk. They are taking it slow, waiting for my signal to trot, but before I can give that signal, Steve approaches us. He carries a small pillow and holds it out for Delsin. "Here. You better use this if it's your first time."

Delsin looks confused. "Why?"

"Because you're going to feel as if your balls are falling off in a bit, believe me," Steve replies, causing me to giggle.

"I think I can live with that," Delsin says with a shrug.

"Okay. Ready?" I ask, taking the pillow from Steve.

Delsin nods.

I click my tongue again, and both Rooster and Peach start their trot. Delsin groans, yelps and gasps alternately, as his package is being pressed against the saddle over and over again.

I get Peach to stop and then I grab Rooster's reins. Looking at Delsin with a mixture of worry and amusement, I ask: "Would you rather have the pillow now?"

"Yes," he squeals and takes it from me. He quickly pushes it between his legs. "I think we'll remember for a while what happened today."

I lean over and kiss him on the stubbly cheek. "Wimp!"

He utters a forced laugh. "It hurts like hell. You wouldn't know."

"That's why Steve wanted to give you the pillow. Now stop acting like a girl and let's go for a ride," I chide him playfully.

Delsin looks at me with a pained expression, but he nods.

I give the horses the signal once again, and we ride along the paths of the farm property.

Delsin holds on to the reins while Rooster carries him across the fields and meadows. His insecurity is plain to see, but he said he wanted to try it. He seems to become more confident after a while, which relaxes me in turn, because that means I don't have to worry about Rooster bucking and seeing what he may get away with.

"Are you ready for a canter now?" I ask after another while.

Delsin looks at me warily. "I guess so."

"Okay. Then hold on tight." I give Rooster a slap on his behind, and he starts cantering. I follow him on Peach, while Delsin lays low and hugs Rooster's neck.

"Ho," I drawl, causing both horses to slow down and stop eventually. Then I get down and gesture for Delsin to do the same. He jumps down from Rooster's back and announces: "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

I laugh and grab the reins, leading the horses to the brook, which runs by here, too. Then I sit down in the grass. "You did well for a first-timer, yes."

He sticks out his tongue and plops down next to me. "My balls will be sore for a week," he grumbles.

I burst into laughter. "At least you're going to remember your first ride for a while then."

He leans in close and his lips brush my ear. "I can show you a ride you will remember."

Goosebumps spread over my skin like wildfire. "I'd like to experience that, but remember that I'm expecting something more from you before ... we're going to have sex again."

Delsin utters an exasperated sigh. "What do you want from me?"

"Go out with me tonight. Let's go dancing."

"I can't dance," he admits. "Well, I might get away when it's slow dancing, but I suck at everything else."

"Slow dance is nice, but at the bar all you have to do is nod your head to the rhythm. We could take along Hailey, Thally and Steve. That'll be more fun," I say.

"An evening out with friends?" he asks.

"Yes, though Ave is missing. I hope I'll be able to see him again before the break is over."

"If you want me to, I can arrange for my dad to bring Ave here."

"That would be awesome, but I don't want to force all my friends on my parents. That would be asking a little too much of them," I say half-heartedly.

"Ave could stay at my dad's place. I could go and stay there, too, if you promised me you'd visit me at least once a day," Delsin grins and caresses my side.

"I wouldn't come every day ..."

Delsin cocks his head to the side and looks at me with a puzzled expression.

"I would come to stay, because it would be cooler than here with mom and Buck," I giggle.

Delsin lies back and pulls me closer. I lay my head on his arm and look up into the sky. "I'm all antsy because I want to know what my dad is going to say. I want to study here, but I expect them to send me back to Miami," I muse.

"Would it be so bad to go back to Coral Gables?" he asks softly. "I mean, your friends are all there, and we would distract you from being homesick."

I shrug my shoulders. "I realized that I don't belong there. It's beautiful, no doubt about it, but I didn't really make any new friends. Ave is really the only friend I found there. I even knew Thalia before, though not as well as I do now." I turn on my side, put one leg over his and look at him.

"I found you, and that made it a special year for me," he murmurs.

"I don't believe you," I smirk.

"Why not? I'm telling you the truth, nothing but the truth," he grins.

"Because ... because," I giggle.

Delsin raises his head and kisses my cheek. "It is the naked truth. When I kissed you for the very first time, I fell head over heels in love with you, Caramel."

I close my eyes. "I am still afraid that it will destroy me in the end. When it ends, I mean," I whisper.

"Then we'll simply see that it doesn't end. I know that I am a complicated dude who is often surrounded by annoying girls, but I swear you're the only one I want to have near me in the future."

I open my eyes and look straight into his dark green ones. "Do you love me, or is it more of a crush?"

"I think that at this point in time, we'd still have to call it falling in love, because it is simply too soon to speak of undying love. But I know that I don't want to lose you, because you are special and unique, and because you gave meaning to my fucked-up life," he says honestly.

"Do we still have the rule that I have to ask you to kiss me, if I want you to kiss me?" I ask softly.

Delsin nods slowly.

"Please kiss me," I breathe against his lips, and he kisses me in a heartbeat. Delsin pulls me closer, pulls me on top of him, and kisses me tenderly. His lips caress mine, before he nibbles my lower lip and lets the tip of his tongue glide across it.

I let out a soft sigh and prod his tongue with mine, before we let them meet in a long and passionate French kiss. His hands explore every inch of my body, slip beneath my shirt and pull down the cups of my bra. Delsin puts his fingers around my nipples and gives them a little tug.

I hold his face in my hands, caress his cheeks and then end the kiss.

Delsin does not pull his hands out from under my shirt. "It's time for the ride you're going to remember," he grins.

I swallow and look at him with wide eyes. "Right here?"

He gives a curt nod. "We've been riding for more than an hour, so we should be far enough from the house," he reckons.

"Delsin, I ... I don't want to do this now," I whisper. "I want to be close to you,  but I don't want to have sex."

A sigh escapes him. "Okay."

"You're mad at me," I venture.

"No. I only would have liked to feel you."

"You're feeling me. I'm right here," I say.

"That's not the same. I wanted to be closer, wanted to really feel you, your skin on mine," Delsin tries to explain.

I kiss him on the lips. "Well ... I did bring blankets, so why don't we ride to the old barn, get cozy in there and see what happens?" I breathe kisses onto his lips and the corners of his mouth while I say that.

"I don't want you to feel obliged or anything."

"I don't. I want to have sex, you know," I smile. "But not here, where I can't stop thinking about a charge of buckshot aimed at my ... um, behind."

He laughs. "It would be aimed at my behind, not yours."

Then he lets me slide off him and we both get up. "Do you really want to go play hide and seek in the barn, or head home?"

"I want to head home, I guess," I admit shyly.

"Okay." He offers me a wry smile and walks with me to the horses. We climb their backs and ride back to the stables.

***

We stumble into the house and up the stairs, lost in our kisses. Mom and Buck don't seem to be around. Delsin pushes me into his room. It's the guest bedroom, with high windows that look out on the yard behind the house. As soon as the door closes behind us, Delsin has taken off my shirt and thrown it into a corner. Then he opens the fly of my jeans. When I stand before him in my underwear, he starts undressing. Every time he has taken something off, he kisses me. Then he pushes me over to the bed, turns around and lets himself sink down on it, pulling me along and on top of him. His arms reach around and open the clasp of my bra, pulls the straps from my shoulders. Before he can move to sit up, I push him down again.

Wide-eyed, he looks at me. "What is it now?"

"I want to be in control for a change," I smile and trail kisses across his chest. The tip of my tongue circles his nipple, which is pierced. I've never noticed until now.

Delsin utters a moan of arousal and drags his fingers through my hair. I move downwards, towards the thin line of dark hair that disappears into his shorts.

"What are you doing, Caramel?" he asks in a halting voice.

"I want to give you pleasure, too, the way you have given me," I say softly against his skin.

Delsin freezes, but I can feel his erection nudge between my breasts. I look up at him. He whispers: "You'll stop when I tell you to, okay?"

I nod slowly and pull down his boxers.

"So much for the ride," he chuckles.

My lips move along his thighs, until they reach his erect member. I kiss it tentatively and then touch it with the tip of my tongue. He moans softly and buries his hand in my hair. He all but directs me to his cock. I take him slowly into my mouth, letting the tip push upward, taking care not to graze him with my teeth. Delsin's next moan is more sonorous. He guides me, shows me the way he likes it, and I'm glad, for I wouldn't know what to do at all. At some point he begins to put more pressure on my head, trying to make it move faster, but then he pushes me away with a gasp. "I'm going to come right into your mouth if you don't stop," he answers my confused look.