BOUND BY DESIRE
1147 Words
HIRAM’S POV:
Getting through this dinner is one of the most difficult tasks I’ve faced in a long time. Although we finished eating about ten minutes ago and Juniper cleared the table, the image of her slurping those noodles is still vivid in my memory.
“I need to freshen up,” she says, rising to her feet and slinging her bag over her shoulder. I watch her turn right, disappearing behind a door I assume leads to her bedroom.
A sigh escapes my lips as I finally break free from my seat. I can’t believe I sat here for almost an hour without realizing how uncomfortable it was. I walk to the couch in the living area and sink into it, staring at the empty wall.
Part of me wants to know what happened with her roommate, but another part doesn’t want to pry into her business.
I lean back, closing my eyes for a moment, but all I can think about is Juniper. I realize Alex is right, and I fear this woman will change my life.
I fear she will control me. She already does. I should be in the comfort of my home, yet here I am, in her apartment, waiting for her to eat, bathe, and fall asleep safely.
“I’m done,” her voice jolts me back to reality.
I snap my head forward, my jaw dropping at the sight before me.
She stands in front of me in nothing but a towel, her wet hair cascading in loose tendrils over her shoulders. My eyes trace the smooth skin of her legs up to her flawless lap, barely hidden beneath the towel. It’s only a thin barrier, and with one pull, everything I’ve longed for will be bare before me.
“I figured you’d need this,” she says, her voice cutting through the fog in my mind as she places a neatly wrapped towel in front of me.
I grab the towel from her.
“I’ll just get my things and change in the empty room while you take your bath,” she adds, walking away.
My eyes follow every curve of her body, lingering on the subtle sway of her hips.
She disappears behind the door again, and I shake my head, trying to regain control. I get to my feet and head toward her room. Before I can knock, she opens the door, flashing a smile that I instinctively return.
This is going to be a long night, I tell myself, stepping into her room and shutting the door behind me.
Her sweet, intoxicating jasmine scent fills the air, saturating every item with her essence. It feels like I’ve stepped into some version of Paradise... Juniper’s paradise.
I take a deep breath, rubbing my temples.
I walk toward the bathroom, opening the door and flicking on the light. The scent in here is stronger. What do I expect from a feminine bathroom? My eyes scan the sizeable space. There is shampoo, body wash, and what I shouldn’t be looking at—Juniper’s underwear on a hanger on the towel rail.
I freeze for a moment, my eyes lingering on the fabric, knowing exactly what it has touched. My body reacts instantly, and I clench my fists, fighting back the urge to reach out for it.
No.
“If you don’t take control, you’ll ruin your life,” I mutter to myself, forcing deep, steady breaths until my chest calms and my mind clears.
I close my eyes, forcing the thought away.
I swear off being a creep right here and now because I’m better than this, so I do not allow myself to slip.
Soon, I gather myself, then undress and step into the shower. The cold spray hits my body, calming the fire burning inside. I focus on the water. On breathing. On not thinking about the panties hanging just feet away.
My mind yearns for release, but I resist the urge to give it what it wants. I take my bath quickly and make it out of the bathroom at once, silently praising myself for keeping control.
I slide into my briefs, then I wipe the water from my hair with the towel I have. As the cool air hits my skin and my muscles relax, a sense of relief washes through me.
Then, suddenly, the door swings open.
“I forgot—” Juniper’s voice trails off, her steps halting abruptly as her eyes land on me.
She freezes, staring at me like a deer caught in headlights. For a moment, she cannot take her eyes off me, and suddenly I feel a power shift, making me feel in control. A smirk forms on my face as I watch her gaze drop to my lower abdomen and to my briefs. When her eyes meet mine, her face flushes, causing her to avert her gaze.
Awkwardly, she walks into the room and then makes her way to her closet, pulling out some clothes.
“Here, you can wear this,” she stammers, still avoiding eye contact as she holds the clothes out to me.
I reach out to grab them, purposely touching her fingers for a moment. She withdraws her hands, and I turn around with a smirk on my face. Then I feel her fingers on my back. Tentatively, they trace the ink on my back through to my shoulder while I stand frozen for a moment. Her touch awakens untold emotions within me, causing me to turn around at once, catching her hand in mine.
“Stop!” I growl, watching her eyes flicker in fear, her lips parting with no words spilling from them.
I release her hand, and we just stand there in silence, making nothing of the unbearable pull between us. Our bodies want what they want, but the fear consuming us seems to play its part perfectly. I created her fear when I told her exactly who I am, and now I regret it. I want the daring girl I met in my study—the one who would still put her hand on me even when I warned her not to.
But she turns away.
She tries to walk, but she has already awakened the beast in me, and the thin line holding me back has snapped. Without thinking, I reach for her neck, turning her to face me. My chest rises and falls as I struggle to keep control, but as I stare at her, my restraint slips, and before I can stop myself, my lips crash against hers.
There’s no gentleness—just the raw, desperate need consuming me. Her body presses into mine, her lips parting under the force of the kiss. But even as the heat between us blazes, I can feel the fear in me. I’ve crossed a line, and there’s no going back…
- Writer
