Chapter 7 : Burning Desire

• Evelyn
• Frustrated and overwhelmed, I leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to calm myself down. I took a deep breath, attempting to push aside the swirling emotions that threatened to consume me. I couldn't deny the truth, though. My feelings for Jacob ran deep, and his obliviousness to them only intensified my frustration.
• Oh, how I loathed it! His enigmatic ways. His riddles and ways of overlooking the very things I wanted him to understand.
• It was solely intentional, a calculated choice. He was not a damn child to be clueless about the fact that I have liked him for years and I still did. I was fucking obsessed with him and this dude simply couldn't care less to give a fuck about that.
• Enough was enough! I was done.
• Fuck Jacob Adriano!
• "Guess there's one thing you can't..." The bitch inside my head interjected, maliciously aiming to worsen my already frayed mood with her offensive remark.
• "Well...to hell with you too, you little snake!" I snapped back, silencing the conversation inside my head.
• God! I hated these mood swings and my life even more!
• I was well aware that I was overreacting, yet I couldn't help myself. One moment, he'd shower me with flirtatious charm, and the next, he'd transform into a bloody philosopher.
• Bloody devil!
• In a fit of frustration and anger, I snatched a cold water bottle from the fridge, slamming the door shut, hoping it would quell the boiling rage within me.
• Attempting to twist open the bottle cap, I found myself engaged in a ridiculous battle with a minuscule piece of plastic. Yes, you guessed it—this damn thing refused to budge. Once again, I strained to open the stubborn bottle, but it remained resolutely sealed.
• Am I this weak and stupid?
• "Perhaps you are, or else who'd consider banging her dad's best friend?"—That bitch dared to speak again.
• My attention wavered, now fixated on yelling at that inner voice, until I heard heavy footsteps drawing near.
• I knew who it was so I did not bother to glance back to reconfirm.
• He approached and positioned himself beside me, but I refused to meet his gaze. I found it to be unreasonable to engage in a conversation with him.
• Instead of acknowledging his presence, I redirected my attention to the next seemingly impossible mission—opening the bottle cap. It became my sole focus, my own personal Everest.
• I could sense his eyes fixed on me, observing my every futile attempt.
• "Let me help you," he finally offered, after witnessing several minutes of my fruitless struggle, attempting to reach for the bottle.
• "No, I can handle things on my own," I snapped curtly, swiftly withdrawing the bottle from his grasp.
• I could have sworn I heard him stifle a chuckle, an infuriating cherry atop my kingdom of useless anger.
• "If you're here to mock me, then kindly leave," I seethed through clenched teeth, still refusing to meet his eyes and unwavering in my determination to conquer the task at hand.
• "Evelyn... I wasn't laughing at you," he said, his voice softer than ever.
• Fuck it!
• "I don't believe you!"
• "Fine. I confess I did laugh," he sighed, "Now will you please look at me?"
• "No."
• "And why is that?"
• "I have more than just one reason to keep my distance, Jacob," I said, my voice not remaining as loud as it was at the start, "Because, let's face it, you never seem to understand anything."
• "And why do you say that?" His voice grew quieter, a hint of seriousness colouring his words.
• "I am not saying it for no reason at all. I say it based on what I've observed," I asserted, feeling a surge of courage urging me forward, "You have a talent for avoiding reality, while I prefer to confront it. So, it's better if I stay away from you... to...," I paused for a second, debating whether or not I should say the next words, but then my courage kicked in, "To keep you out of my thoughts once and for all." I let out.
• I had no clue what kind of response I was anticipating from him. Maybe silence, or perhaps something entirely different. However, what Jacob said next was beyond my wildest expectations.
• "And you expect me to believe that distancing yourself from me will make you forget about me? That you'll somehow, miraculously accomplish what you couldn't achieve all these years? Get me out of your mind when I am all you can think of?"
• Holy...!
• Those questions obliterated every other thought from my head. The intense heat seeped into my skin, causing my determination to slowly crumble whilst he simply watched.
• He knew. He knew it all.
• Without explicitly stating it, his words, within the solitary boundaries of these questions, were all the answers, clear and unmistakable.
• The bottle cap miraculously twisted open, the sound of it echoing through the silent kitchen. Perhaps it opened due to the conflicting emotions that had caused me to apply extra force. But at that moment, I no longer had the desire to drink anything anymore.
• "So you knew it all along... you knew... that..." I couldn't finish my sentence as he cut me off.
• "Yes, I've known it since the very moment your eyes began to speak volumes, your feelings. It was the instant you started to look at me differently, the way you would hurriedly avert your gaze to avoid exposing your emotions— I knew it, I knew it from the day you laid your eyes on me," he admitted, his voice drawing closer.
• I could feel his breath gently caressing my exposed shoulder, the delicate strap of my black midi dress providing minimal coverage.
• His presence felt predatory, yet there was an undeniable allure to being his prey. Never had I imagined that being pursued could feel so intoxicating.
• "Then yes, I want to believe that staying away from you will help me achieve what needs to be done," I spoke, my emotions becoming a tangled mess as I answered his previous questions all at once, "Especially since you have such a talent for overlooking signs and disregarding everything."
• Without looking back at him, I turned, intending to make my way toward the exit. However, I did not succeed.
• In the blink of an eye, my feet were no longer on the ground. The cold marble surface of the counter greeted my skin as my back slammed against the wall, and an involuntary gasp left my mouth.
• It took a moment for me to register that Jacob had lifted me effortlessly by my thighs, placing me on the counter. Now, as I became acutely aware of how close we were, my heart pounded relentlessly, showing no mercy.
• His hips were dangerously brushing against mine as he stood between my thighs, his hands settled on both sides of my waist and they pulled me, even more, close so that my body collided against his rock-hard chest.
• That was it.
• Yes. That was it.
• In that instant, all my senses were long gone, consumed by a primal heat that surged through my entire being as my eyes locked with his. The heat exploded in my lower abdomen, and the water bottle soon fell from my trembling hand but that mess on the floor did not concern me more than the one between my thighs, the pulsating heat and wetness.
• The hunger in his eyes begged my body to submit to him. Let him ruin me already and not utter a single objection.
• "Evelyn Fernandez..." His voice, a deep and suppressed growl, reverberated against my skin as his chest pressed against mine, creating a mesmerising vibration. "Just because I am restraining myself from the pleasure of having my way with you, doesn't mean I desire anything in this world more than taking you here, right on this counter, hard and fast, all night long," He lowered his voice, a smirk curving at the corner of his lips, "Till you can't take it anymore and I have had enough of you screaming my name over and over again."
• Oh. My. God.
• I couldn't believe that this was Jacob talking to me right now.
• The thoughts those words alone aroused were undeniably pleasing.
• "Just because I have chosen not to take you right now when you look so incredibly sexy and tempting in that black little dress, doesn't mean I don't desire to take you to my room, bend you over and fuck you till the sun goes up." He wrapped his fingers around my throat and squeezed it, earning a breathy moan from me as he ground his bulge against my wet heat covered with only a thin thong.
• "Fuck!" He cursed under his breath hearing my moan.
• It was evident that he, too, was losing his control the way he was making me lose mine. Our heavy breaths mingled in the charged air. Desire clouded everything around us, blocking every escape route. Yet, I could sense his restraint, his determination to keep his composure intact.
• I wanted his lips to press against mine. I wanted him to do exactly what he had said— I wanted him to ravish me without a care for this world, but I also knew he wouldn't do that. I just knew it before he even said it.
• "But I can't do that. I can't have you," he breathed out. He pressed his nose against the delicate skin on my neck, inhaling my scent, and sending shivers down my spine.
• The goosebumps rippled my skin. My hands clinging to his shirt to balance myself tightened their hold on the fabric for some reason thinking that it would be the only one that'd help me fall from the edge of this overpowering enigma of desire and.....the temptation himself— Jacob's Adriano.
• Jacob's hand around my neck moved to grab my jaw where he titled my face so that his lips could find their way to the sensitive skin there. Every inch of my skin was set on fire that will never deter. And as his lips landed more and more feather-like kisses, the desire for friction increased.
• I was soaking wet down there and the worst thing was that I did not care.
• I could not think of anything else other than Jacob and the things he made me feel.
• He placed a lingering kiss at the corner of my mouth making me grip his shirt even tighter, his minty breath fanned my face and the collision of heat caused the need to grow even more.
• Just when I thought his lips would finally meet mine, an agonising pause hung in the air— He stopped. His face hovered so close, his lips inches away from touching mine but....he just stopped.
• He reached out with a gentle touch, his finger gliding from the base of my neck to the exposed skin of my bare shoulder. I involuntarily trembled under his touch.
• "You are tempting as sin, Evelyn," he whispered, I could see the desire swarming in the green of his eyes, "The only sin I can't allow myself to commit."
• There went all my hopes, shattered by his cruel confession.
• He brushed away a few pieces of my hair strands away from my face and then after a long look at me he attempted to pull away but I refused to let him escape. I hooked my legs around him, stopping him from pulling away.
• I craved his touch, his closeness, and I wouldn't let him deny us both what we truly desired—I was not going to give up.
• "But you are the sin I am willing to commit in every way," I grabbed his hands and settled them on my hips, pulling him as close as possible.
• "Evelyn...."
• Before he could say anything else, I did not know where I got the courage but I slid my hand around his neck and pressed my lips against his. The warmth spread through my body rapidly.
• Before he could say anything else, in an impulsive act of bravery, I reached out and slid my hand around his neck, pulling him closer to me.
• And without a moment's hesitation, I pressed my lips against his.
• Well damn. The sparks hit differently...
• I did not give a fuck if there were over a hundred people around us and the chances of us getting caught, the tenfold. All I cared about was this man.
• I was fucking obsessed. To the point it was insane.
• In the beginning, he didn't simply fall into the motions. His initial reaction was one of sheer astonishment, as if struggling to regain his composure. But as I gently grazed my tongue over his lower lip, every last vestige of restraint he possessed shattered.
• He yanked my body close so our hips came colliding against each other, my moan got suppressed by his mouth and my aching nipple pressed against his rock-hard chest as he ravished me.
• God damn!
• He thrust his tongue inside my mouth, the touch sending a zap of electricity to my entire body and causing the fire to ignite, even more, the feel of hardness between my thighs.
• I reached out, my fingers trembling, to undo the buttons of his shirt. But at that moment, his senses emerged from the enigmatic haze. The realisation of what we were about to do washed over him.
• He seized my hands, halting their motion before breaking the kiss.
• "This isn't right, Evelyn," he sighed, shaking his head.
• "Why?" My voice barely escaped as a whisper.
• "We have our own boundaries, ones we cannot cross," he uttered. "We shouldn't do this. You're not that kind of girl, Evelyn."
• I asked, the sting I felt from his words reflecting in my eyes. "Is this what was in your mind all along? To humiliate me?"
• He must have sensed how I interpreted his words, for a flicker of realisation flashed in his widened eyes.
• "No, that's not what I meant," he hastily interjected. "There's so much more to you. What I meant is, I'm not ready for any commitment. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't give it to you. And you deserve so much better than that. You don't deserve to be treated like an object."
• "Jacob..."
• "No, Evelyn," he shook his head, letting out a quiet sigh, "We can't continue to do this and you must understand why. It's simply wrong."
• He paused, his gaze searching for the right words before he continued.
• "And maybe you were right. Perhaps it's best if we start keeping our distance." As he uttered those words, I finally released my grip on him.
• "Fine," I responded, my voice devoid of emotion, but inside, a fierce fire burned, an inexplicable pain lodged in my chest, unquenchable, "If you want to act like this then be it."
• Every fibre of my being longed for his touch, a part of me clung to the hope of changing his mind, but I forcefully pushed it all aside and stepped off the counter.
• Talking to him seemed useless..
• "Goodbye, Jacob." With that, I turned and walked out of the kitchen.