Midnight Desire | MATURE JB

Chapter 23

Enjoy.

Chapter 23 /

The minute I saw Chelsea the next morning, I felt the change. Everything seemed different. The whole world seemed different. I couldn't really identify what it was, but I could sense it. Perhaps it was that she was mine now, and I knew it and she knew it and from the way we were acting, soon the whole world would know it.

We didn't even exchange a word after she opened her door for me. I kissed her passionately and held her closely for a full minute, regaining the feeling of harmony that always occurred in these moments—the world again spun on its axis.

The cessation of anxiety that occurred, and the pure happiness I felt upon seeing her, holding her, kissing her, never ceased to amaze me. The time from when I dropped her off in the afternoon or early evening, until I saw her again the next morning, seemed empty and meaningless. I mean, other than the time I spent, uh...thinking of her.

We were silent even on the way to school, although we both wore stupid grins that spoke volumes. Even the monster looked completely idiotic, splayed on Chelsea lap, making eyes at her and blowing kisses.

Arriving at her classroom door, I pushed her hair from her neck and kissed her softly. The smile she gave me was so loving, so fucking compelling, I almost grabbed her and left the building.

Instead, I stalked off before I could succumb to the temptation, leaving the monster torn with indecision in the hallway.

We exchanged our first words of the day in the cafeteria.

"I thought you might want to go...out to lunch today," Chelsea informed me.

"I did," I admitted with embarrassment. "But after being such an insatiable brute yesterday, I thought you might be too sore. I was trying to be considerate."

"Well, try not to be too considerate tomorrow." Chelsea laughed.

My answering grin lit the lunchroom. "I'll fight the inclination if it kills me," I promised.

And I noticed it again after lunch, as we made our way to Biology. It just seemed so natural for us to stroll arm in arm through the hallway, ignoring the stares we inevitably garnered, to gaze down at her as we walked and find her looking up at me lovingly, to plant a kiss on her neck or cheek or behind her ear and delight in her barely perceptible response.

There was just a new sense of rightness about being with Chelsea-a sense of permanence perhaps, that no one could ever tear us apart.
Whether or not that contributed to my complacency about James, I don't really know.

During the inevitable after school library session that afternoon, I admit I saw the growing tension in his manner.

His glances in my direction increased in frequency and intensity, and sometimes I thought I saw undisguised hostility there.

And even though the looks he gave Chelsea could be described at times as hungry, my newfound sense of security lulled me into smug contentment. The monster was never fooled...

I dropped Chelsea off after school, looking forward to the day when this fucking project would be done and her time would belong to me again.

James was the last thing on my mind when I arrived home. Instead, the first thing I did was spend time...working through the possible variations on our lunchtime excursion tomorrow.

I looked forward to the next day more than I could say.

I dropped Chelsea off at her first class of the day, whispering in her ear, "I'll see you at lunch."