Page 50 of Bittersweet Legacy

Caleb’s smile widened as if I’d just played into his hands. “Yeah well, I guess a thank-you kiss wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?”

“You want to kiss me?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. Except for the punishing kiss he gave me on the day of our engagement and some of the comments he made to annoy me, he never instigated any physical contact, any intimacy.

He shrugged. “Why not?”

“You don’t like me.”

He took another step toward me, his stance even more predatory. “I don’t need to like you to desire you, Esmeralda.”

I couldn’t help but pucker my mouth in disgust as the image of what happened at the birthday bash came back to the front of my mind.

His desire morphed into anger. “I just bought you a fucking monster ring and you reject me?” He pointed to his chest.

“No,” I shook my head.Don’t anger him Esme. “It’s just – I can’t forget.”

His eyes widened in realization. “Ah, that. Did you expect me to be a monk?

“No, but –”

“I always wrap it up, and I never kiss them. It’s you now that my lips are eager for.” He smirked.

“How romantic,” I grimaced. I wanted to ask, ‘why me?’ but I was quite sure I wouldn’t like the answer.

“I am who I am, I won’t apologize for it.” He took another step toward me. “Come on, Esmeralda, are you chickening out on me?”

I jutted my chin at the challenge and his eyes glinted with victory. I rested my hands on his forearms, stood on tiptoe and gave him a chaste, closed-mouth kiss.

He wrapped his right arm around me and pulled me against him, making me gasp.

“Don’t think so, sweetheart, I’ll show you a kiss worth 10 carats,” he growled, leaning down and grabbing my bottom lip between his teeth.

He brought his other hand up, grabbing my hair, bending my head back to give him better access and making me feel helpless and like putty in his hand.

He kissed me, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity his insistent, daring mouth was parting my shaking lips, sending tremors along my nerves, once again awakening sensations I had never known I could feel, especially not in his arms. And before I realized what I was doing I was kissing him back, trying to match his passion.

When he broke our kiss, he kept his hands on me, steadying me. “That was worth 10 carats.” He looked as stoic as usual but the deepness in his voice showed that he wasn’t completely unaffected.

“See you at the party, Esmeralda,” he added as his phone rang and he exited the room without a look back.

Chapter 12

“Model Union has been cut short,” Tay exclaimed, pulling me out of the classroom.

“Okay…”

“Do you have to do your Independent Study?”

“No, not really.” To be fair, I was much more advanced than what I had scheduled – one of the advantages of a barely existent social life.

“Neat!” She clapped her hands. “Let’s go to my place, I’ll drive you home afterwards, I promise.”

I looked around uncomfortably, I didn’t need to get into more trouble with my father than I already was. At the same time, he never said I couldn’t go to Taylor’s house and how would he know, anyway?

I nodded. “Sure, why not – I could use a break from my paper.”

“Cool, I can’t wait for you to meet my brothers and my family in a context other than stuffy parties.”

I laughed, as always so grateful to have her in my life.

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