Despicable Desires

Episode 45

Adeline

I splash some water on my cheeks, trying to cool them down. It's scorching hot outside, and with all the wine we've been drinking at the table, my head is spinning. Or maybe it's Jayden's hand, which has been caressing my thigh for half the meal.

I close my eyes and remember the events of the day. The food, the attention of the people around us, Jayden's kindness and Cameron's meaningful looks, probably more aware than we are of what's happening.

Our walls are crumbling.

I jump and open my eyes to see Jayden's reflection in the mirror, leaning against the doorframe. His arms are folded across his chest; he's taken off his beige sweater and his black shirt makes his arms look enormous. He's smiling as he watches me, his eyes wandering down my back and then lingering on the sink where I'm leaning, almost collapsed.

"Aren't you feeling well?" he asks.

"I'm hot. And maybe I had a little too much to drink."

He laughs as he approaches me. I turn to face him, my body already boiling over.

"Adeline, pull yourself together."

Jayden stops and places a hand on my forehead, feeling my temperature with a concerned look.

"Your hand is cold," I say, pressing it harder against my skin. "It feels good."

"Do you want to go outside?"

I shake my head and release his fingers; he lets his arm fall back to his side.

"I'm fine. I splashed some water on myself. I don't have any makeup left, but I feel better already."

"You still look beautiful," his voice is huskier than usual, and I get the feeling that he, too, is remembering what we did in that bathroom. His eyes darken and I feel his breath on my face. It's emaciated.

"You know everyone knows about us," I say after a few seconds of silence. "About what's going on between us."

"And what's going on between us?" he asks, grinning.

I push him playfully and let his laughter reach my heart.

"It's good that they know. I want the whole world to know I love you."

My fingers grip the sink and I don't take my eyes off Jayden. He has become serious again, towering over me.

"And you, Adeline, what do you want?"

This time there is no escape. He knows. He's been waiting for two months, two months in which we've grown closer without me lowering the wall I've built between us. Two months that felt like an eternity from the moment he got out of his car.

"You," I answer, my voice catching in my throat. But my explanation does the trick, as Jayden comes even closer, wrapping his arms around my hips.

"I didn't hear that," he lies.

"You understood perfectly."

He leans his face closer to mine, almost touching our noses.

"I thought I heard you want me, but I'm not sure," he whispers close to my lips.

My body is squeezed into a corner, my back pressed against the sink, my chest just inches from his, so close that I can feel the heat emanating from him.

I wasn't warm enough.

And the butterflies in my stomach rise between my thighs when his hand rests on my hip.