Seneca State University - Senior Year

Chapter 5. The Secret

Kiara couldn't stop herself from staring. She was supposed to be studying but who could study when the finest male specimen she'd ever seen stood in front of her showing off that spectacular body of his while he practiced tai chi.

Chris stood on a mat in front of her for an hour practicing all forms of the martial art. She'd watched him kick and chop and spin and whatever else to cause sweat to start pouring down his upper body. Finally, he'd calmed down as he practiced the last of round with tai chi.

They were outside enjoying the evening breeze. Kiara sat on a blanket he'd spread out for her and had opened a book to start studying, but of course Chris was a distraction. She watched pearls of sweat run down his shirtless upper body, stared at the sinewy muscles moving underneath that golden tanned skin of his and the six pack abs on display for everyone to see. She watched as his brown curls blew in the wind, his eyes closed in concentration. He was wearing only the pants of his karate uniform; his feet were bare.

Kiara bit her bottom lip. Dang it...she did not have the energy to be getting turned on by him, but her body was doing it regardless of how she felt. She had no clue as to why he chose to torture her this way by making her join him when he practiced. Well maybe she did...it was because of what happened to her last year. The coma she'd gone into for a week that had broken him somehow. Now the man wouldn't let her go anywhere without him. He kept her close as much as possible. She realized he was afraid of not being there for her if anything were to happen, after all, her health had never fully recovered from the coma.

The man had practically saved her life when the high fever took over and maybe he'd taken some years or months off of what could have been a very long coma by dipping her into cool water in his bathtub to bring the fever down. She hated that he worried so much about her, but she did love the attention.

A person like Cathy who valued her independence would have been driven crazy by it. She would have said Chris was being overbearing, overprotective, too possessive, too clingy, and too demanding, she constantly put Brent in his place when he got out of line with her, but Kiara didn't mind that Chris was always with her. She needed him just as much as he needed her. He was attentive to all her needs, in tuned to even her emotions. It was amazing how he could just sense even the slightest change about her.

Brent told her Chris had developed a sort of sixth sense during his trainings and that he was highly aware of his surroundings and other people and now focused that special ability on Kiara, he'd definitely connected with her from his intense love for her. Kiara smiled. She had to be the luckiest girl in the world to have such an amazing man in her life. She just wished he didn't worry about her so much, then again, telling Chris to stop worrying about her was just like asking him not to breathe. He would never stop, even on her good days. A faint bell ringing in the distance suddenly caught her attention.

Chris suddenly opened his eyes. He knew she was gone before he even turned around. He literally felt her presence leave his vicinity and it was getting further and further away at a very fast pace. He turned to stare at the empty blanket she'd left and then looked around for Kiara.

They were on the Quad where plenty of activities took place and a variety of students hung out when they didn't want to be in doors. Chris finally saw Kiara, she was chasing after a girl pushing an ice cream cart. He sighed. Sweets were her weakness in more ways than one. She'd eat it all day if he didn't stop her. He didn't understand how someone like her who didn't get much exercise never gained a pound from eating junk food all day. The only thing she did gain was a stomachache and a sugar high that sent her crashing down when it was over with.

"And I'd like two chocolate tripled dip cones and oh that's an eskimo thingy! Haven't seen that in a while, give me four!"

A large hand stopped the girl from serving Kiara. "One ice cream cone, that's all she's having," said the masculine voice behind her.