Into Temptation (The Sinful Duet Book 1)

  I swallow my mouthful. “Why do you ask?’

  “I saw your parents on the list to attend my father’s Sanction Banquet and I was just wondering how they managed to find a babysitter on such short notice.”

  “Ha. Ha.” I deadpan. “You are hilarious. As a matter of fact, Fiona and I are going back to my place to watch a movie.”

  “Sounds good. What time should we come?”

  Anxiousness twists my stomach and I frown. “We? You and your friend aren’t invited.”

  Can you imagine the chaos if my parents came home and found two boys in my room? All hell would break loose.

  I freeze, completely immobilized, as Caleb leans in and presses a hand to my hip. His smell engulfs me, liquefying the floor at my feet. My breath catches in my throat as he plants a quick soft kiss on my cheek, like a doting husband would do to his wife. It’s enough to send my hair prickling over the surface of my skin. Maybe I can have him over while my parents are gone...I can indulge in everything he has to offer...ugh! I could have if it wasn’t that time of the month. Granted, it’s practically non-existent now, but I like to make sure it’s completely done before even contemplating letting a boy anywhere near that region.

  “See you later, Cass.”

  He turns and storms off.

  “Caleb, I mean it! You’re not—”

  He’s gone. That’s just great.

  Exhaling, I touch my hand to my cheek. His kiss dances on my skin, moving down the length of my fingers when they make contact.

  What a charmingly complex man...

  I walk towards the exit, clenching my cold, wet cup in my hands, and duck my head, hiding my face behind a curtain of blonde waves. For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile curves my lips. I smile because, for the first time in a long time, I feel pretty. I feel wanted and comforted. For the first time in a long time, I feel like... me.

  * * * *

  I slip a piece of popcorn into my mouth and let it roll over my tongue. Saliva pools as miniscule specks of salt melt on my taste buds. I cross my feet at my ankles and snuggle into my gray sweatpants and white hood, my go to clothes when that time of month hits.

  “And he just grabbed your face?” Fiona asks, her fingers playing anxiously against her lip.

  I nod, stuffing my hand back into the bucket of popcorn. How many more torturous questions does she have?

  “And sucked on your lip?”

  My stomach clenches at the memory, making me vibrate all over. Grabbing the television remote, I lift it and hit the pause button. I’ve never thought about stuffing a remote into my vagina before but her questions are making the thick plastic feel pretty good in my palm right now.

  “Fiona, come on. It’s an action scene.”

  I glance at the screen to double check. To be honest, I have no idea what’s going on. Cars explode and fires rage, but I’m not paying attention to it—not like I’m pretending I am. Truth is, I can’t stop thinking about Caleb or the way he looked today...or the kiss he placed so sweetly on my cheek. It’s irrational to make something of it, I know that, but it has been so long since I’ve felt a kiss so soft...and genuine.

  “I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

  I hit play, pretending to be engrossed in the story.

  “It’s just—”

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  Sighing, I hit pause again. “What? What is it?”

  Clapping, she bounces into a sitting position and pushes the black hood off of her head. Her auburn hair sits in disarray, strands of it hovering around her face.

  “Was the grab forceful or sexy?”

  I shrug. “Both.”

  “Was the lip sucking domineering or sensual?”

  I shrug again. “Both.”

  “God. That is so hot.” She shuffles on my bed, squeezing her legging clad thighs together. “I am so turned on right now.”

  “Well, don’t look at me. My parents may hate that I’m into boys, but they’d murder me if they found me in bed with a girl.”

  Fiona laughs, tipping her head back and exposing her perfect teeth. “Relax, freak. I have no use for you. You don’t have the right tools to maintain my plumbing.”

  I scoff, unable to stop a smile from spreading across my lips. “I don’t think anyone has the right tools—or enough of them.”

  She flips me off and I laugh as she flops back against the mattress, muttering unintelligibly to herself.

  “What time do your parents get home?” She sighs at the ceiling

  My finger hovers over the circular play button. “Midnight, maybe. Why?”

  “That’s five hours away. You wanna go out?”

  Is she crazy? No, I don’t want to go out. Knowing my luck, we’ll run right into my parents and since they’re still pissed at me for ruining Sunday’s dinner, adding fuel to the fire will only make my life harder than it already is.

  “Pass. Thanks.”

  Fiona rolls her pretty eyes. “Live a little, Cassia. Jesus Christ. You’re depressing as hell.”

  Ignoring her, I hit play on the remote. I know my life sucks right now—believe me, I know—but surely all of my sacrifices will be worth it in the end.

  “You wanna know what your problem is?” Fiona asks, rolling onto her side, propping her head on her hand.

  Here we go. I shake my head. “Not really.”

  “Daddy issues.”

  Daddy issues? I arch my brow. She thinks I’m the one with daddy issues? I scowl at her and her thin, pink lips twitch with delight. Just like Caleb, Fiona fishes for reactions because, for some strange reason, extreme reactions amuse people like them.

  “I don’t have daddy issues.”

  She tosses her auburn hair. “Oh, please. Your daddy issues are on a whole ‘nother level. I thought mine were bad. At least I had the balls to tell my dad to fuck off.”

  I shut off the T.V. and toss the remote to the bottom of the bed. “My father is a good man.”

  “A good man?” Fiona laughs once. “You are so desperate for his approval you’re giving up your own life to get it. Screw your parents. They’re too much, smothering you like a damp blanket over a fire.”

  My heart pounds in my ears. They’re not bad people. They’ve done plenty of things for me. They’ve nurtured me when I’ve needed it and they’ve raised me right. It’s not their fault I don’t hold sex as righteously as they do.

  I huff, placing my popcorn on my bedside table. “They don’t smother me. They only want what’s best.”

  “You’re in denial.”

  I absolutely, positively hate the smug tone in which she says it.

  “I’m not in denial.” I say, proud I’m able to keep my voice calm and even when I’m anything but on the inside.

  Fiona simpers. “That’s the first thing people in denial say.”

  “It’s also something someone who isn’t in denial would say.”

  She rolls onto her back. “You know I’m right, Sia.”

  Sia…the nickname she gave me when I accidently tore my name sticker in half on my first day at work. It took four weeks for her to realize my name was actually Cassia, but by then it didn’t matter. Sia stuck.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Fiona and I jump as three soft taps patter against the door to my balcony. My pulse kicks up, thrashing painfully in my ears.

  “What was that?” Fiona whispers, the both of us as still as stone.

  She doesn’t seem as panicked as I am.

  “A raccoon?”

  I don’t take my eyes off my balcony door. Something is out there.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  I pull my knees into my chest as Fiona cautiously slips from the bed. With vigilant steps, she creeps across the room toward the balcony.

  “Fiona…”

  She whips out her index finger, silencing me. My ribs ache with what feels like fresh bruising as my heart slams into thin, fragile bones. I hold my breath while Fiona slips her hand underneath the edge of the curtain and peers
outside.

  “What’s out there?”

  Perhaps Jesus has returned to tell me what a fucking idiot I’ve been.

  Fiona glances over her shoulder at me, her lips pulling into a sinister smile. My heart skips a beat, my stomach drops into my intestines, and air rushes from my lips as my worried expression morphs into panic.

  He wouldn’t.

  Unfortunately, Jesus isn’t the guy I have to worry about tonight. It seems sin himself has taken the liberty of showing up on my doorstep.

  I leap off the bed as she reaches for the handles.

  “No!” I hiss in a whisper. “Fiona! Don’t—”

  I freeze as she pulls the doors open. Immediately, my eyes lock with his.

  Where he stands, even outside in the dim light, I see the fire in his eyes. He doesn’t smile at me, his usual smug expression swallowed up by an aggressive intensity I’ve never seen before. He almost looks…ill.

  I gulp, suddenly feeling unbearably hot in my hoodie as he drags his stare down the length of my body and back up again. Not a single thought manifests on his face. I can’t tell if he hates what I’m wearing or if he likes it. Either way, his deep look smooths out, allowing relief to flicker over his features for the briefest second.

  He looks amazing, too. A fitted blue tee with a pair of those loose jeans that I like so much.

  “We knocked at the front door, but you didn’t hear us.” Drew announces as he slips by Caleb and enters my room.

  I didn’t notice Drew standing there beside Caleb. How could I? Caleb’s presence can swallow up an entire room.

  “So that’s an invitation to climb onto someone’s balcony?” I ask.

  Drew nods, grabbing my box of popcorn. “Caleb insisted.”

  I scowl as he walks about in his plain, black tee and loose cargo shorts like he belongs here, like we’re longtime friends comfortable enough in our relationship to do whatever we want without permission.

  I fold my arms against my chest as Drew saunters past my bed and over to my bedside table. He smiles a wide smile and stuffs a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Fiona giggles and its sugary tone is enough to snap me out of my glare. I look at her. Is she kidding right now? Where’s the loyalty? She shrugs, her eyes flaring with excitement.

  I turn to Caleb who remains on the balcony, amused with my display of inhospitality to him and his friend. He looks at me with bright eyes, like I’m completely out of my mind.

  “I told you not to come.” I state, but there’s no denying the balloon feeling in my chest.

  Why is he here? Why did he come here when he could be anywhere, doing anything?

  “I couldn’t help myself.” He simply says, his voice filling my room with his familiar tone.

  “Live a little, Sia. You’re going to Hell already anyway.” Fiona points out.

  Why do people keep saying that to me?

  “Hey.” She calls to Drew. “You wanna go for a walk?”

  Excitement zips across his face, pulling his lips into a wide grin. It’s the face of a man who knows he’s going to get laid.

  “Can I take these?” He asks me, grabbing my bucket of popcorn.

  I shrug. I sure as hell don’t want to eat them anymore. “Sure.”

  He could take my dirty underwear if it meant getting him out of my room.

  Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her hood, Fiona smiles at me, her lips quirked into a teasing bend. “Don’t wait up, Sia.”

  “Fion—”

  I swallow my words as Caleb steps in and Fiona and Drew shoot out the door, slamming it shut behind them.

  It hits me like a ton of bricks…the memory of what almost happened the last time we were in this room together. I can still feel his warm cock in my hand…his sharp teeth against my lip. I let out a slow, shaky exhale and push my fingers through my hair.

  My parents are going to kill me.

  “Relax.” Caleb chuckles, ambling over to the photo-filled corkboards on the far wall. “Your parents will never even know I was here.”

  I don’t know if I should be impressed or disturbed that he read my mind…

  “I…I…” I shut my mouth, unable to formulate a proper sentence.

  It’s him.

  It’s the atmosphere he creates, the presence he has. He sucks the air out of the room, out of my lungs. Since I first laid eyes on Caleb, I’ve wanted to be alone with him. Now I have him…here…in my room of all places…and I can’t do anything.

  With calculated grace, Caleb plucks another photograph off of my board and holds it between his thumb and forefinger. He analyzes it with a small curve on his lips before slipping it into his back pocket. I half laugh, half scoff. He treats my photo board like an all you can masturbate buffet. It’s disturbing...and quite possibly the most arousing thing in the history of arousing things.

  “By all means, please, help yourself.” I mutter, folding my arms.

  He walks toward me, full of the confidence that only men that look like him have. The closer he gets, the thinner the air becomes, until I’m consumed by him and every risk I contemplate taking is worth even the slightest taste.

  “Don’t judge me.” He says, his tone kissing my skin in the loveliest way. “Do you know what it’s like? Fucking yourself to a beautiful photo you desperately clench in your sweaty hand?”

  I swallow hard. “I...I don’t have a photo of you so...no. I don’t know what it’s like.”

  Fire burns in his irises, showing me a glimpse of the sweet, agonizing Hell he promises to take me to.

  The slightest twitch tugs at the corner of his delectable mouth. “Have you made yourself come thinking of me, Cassia Claire?”

  The double name. I hate it.

  “That’s information I won’t make you privy to, Caleb Andrews.”

  He reaches out and grabs my arms in his warm hands. I watch him, curiously, as he unfolds them and pulls them away from my chest. My heart thrums in my ears, pounding relentlessly as heat washes over me. He places my hands on his stomach, and I hate that they instantly tremble against the bulges of his abs.

  Touching them is killing my brain cells. I can feel my intelligence diminishing by the second. He’s in good shape. Better shape than I imagined. Thomas isn’t a fat guy, but he sure as hell isn’t on par with Caleb.

  “How many times?” He asks, walking backwards, luring me over to my bed.

  I don’t want to go anywhere near my bed with him, but I’m powerless to stop it. He’s the surge and I’m the fish…helpless.

  “Hmm?”

  “How many times has the thought of me made you come?”

  “I’ve lost count.” I confess, my voice almost non-existent.

  His irises flare, his lips pulling into a breathtaking grin. I’m lost in it. I’m lost in him, in his sexuality, in his prowess. I keep following him, stuck in a trance I have no intention of breaking. In the time we watch each other, I feel like a million and one things are said.

  One of them being finally...

  F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.

  The back of his legs bump against the wooden base of my bed. Gracefully, he lowers himself onto the mattress, bringing me down with him. Lost in my stupor, I find myself kneeling between his legs, my hands on his thighs, his in my hair.

  “Can I kiss you?” He asks, sliding his free hand around my jaw, his fingers caressing my cheek.

  I shake my head. “No.”

  His brows draw in as I lift my face closer to his, wanting him to do it despite what I said. Caleb’s long fingers tighten in my hair as he tilts my head back and cranes his neck, his face hovering an inch above mine. His green eyes darken like angry clouds that suddenly blow in on a sunny day, blocking the sun.

  “You’re sending me mixed signals right now, Cass.”

  The pads of his fingers twitch against my jaw and I swallow hard. What’s one kiss? Just one?

  “Just one.” I whisper. “I want one kiss.”

  “One.” He repeats, nodding his head, his breath rushing ou
t of his mouth.

  Anticipation. It crackles through the air and swirls around us as we wait.

  Our first real kiss. What will it be like? Will it explode into something magical, something unstoppable? Or will it fizzle out, drowning us in unmet expectations?

  I moisten my lips as his heavy-lidded stare flicks to them. My heart pounds through my ribs, threatening to tear through my skin, as he swallows the distance between us.

  His lips crash to mine and he kisses me in a way I’ve never been kissed. He opens his mouth and I open mine. He licks my lower lip before plunging his tongue inside my mouth with a husky groan of pleasure. I jolt at the sound, reveling in the vibrations the noise sends over my skin.

  One kiss leads to another...

  And another...

  And another...

  Until he’s tugging my hoodie off over my head and I’m letting him. My hair cascades down my chest, resting wildly against my cheeks, as he tosses my hood to the other side of the room. I should have known it was never going to be just one kiss. I knew it the moment I said it. It’s like telling yourself you’re only going to have one piece of chocolate. Before you know it you’re halfway through the block.

  I shiver as his gaze settles on my bare breasts. He stops, dead still, and I realize no one has ever seen me naked before—or half naked, in this case. Thomas and I never took our clothes off. It was too risky.

  Caleb is the first…

  “I want to feel them against me.” He flicks his stare to mine and rips his shirt off over his head. “I want them in my mouth, around my cock, bouncing in my face—fuck.” He runs a hand over his mouth. “How can you be so fucking perfect?”

  A fierce blush floods my cheeks and his eyes grow dark—darker than dark—almost black. In his dusky, volcanic pools, pain rises to the surface, mixing with sin and suffering. It sobers me a little. Is that what I want? Do I want to bare my soul to his and risk absorbing one of his damaged fragments?

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” He demands, his lips pursing.

  Uneasiness twists my stomach, but I barely feel it over the epic pulsing between my thighs.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, reaching out for him.