Foster
I know I pushed Amelia last night. I couldn’t stop myself. She responded so beautifully that I just kept going until she was a quivering ball of nerves as she entered her cabin.
I tossed and turned all night, wondering if I made the right decisions. There’s no second-guessing myself though. It’s too late.
My cock was hard when I went to bed and it’s hard again now. I haven’t given my dick the satisfaction it’s begging for, partly because it seems unfair to demand Amelia not masturbate and then do so myself.
I’ve intentionally not left my cabin until later in the morning. I know today is the first day Amelia is serving three meals, but I’ve missed breakfast. Even though there are just the four of us at Blossom Ridge right now, Amelia wants to establish a routine she intends to follow at all times, no matter how many guests there are.
She served breakfast from eight to ten. I’m sure she arrived earlier than that to get everything ready. I didn’t want to be a hiccup in her day, so I’ve remained out of sight.
It’s time to make an appearance though. It’s after ten. She’ll probably be prepping for lunch.
When I step into the kitchen through the back door, she lifts her gaze and frowns. “There you are. I was wondering about you.”
I love how she fidgets. As I’d approached, seeing her through the windows, she’d been in deep concentration, staring at a piece of paper. Now that I’ve stepped inside, she’s dropped the paper on the counter and is rubbing her hands on her thighs.
“Sorry. I got a late start today.”
“I made you a plate. It’s in the warming oven.”
“Oh. You didn’t have to do that.” The truth is I’m starving, and it was very sweet of her to save me something.
She shrugs. “It was no big deal. I was serving Leah and Craig. I made you a plate at the same time. I didn’t check with you to see if there’s anything you don’t like or if you have any allergies.”
She bites her bottom lip adorably.
“Nope.” I ease closer, fully aware she’s backing up. I want to touch her so badly. I want to cup her face, kiss her lips, make her whimper for me. I know I can accomplish that easily, but I won’t. I told her I wouldn’t touch her until she asks me to, and I need to stick to that.
She spins around and rushes toward the warmer. I worry she might actually drop the plate as she returns with it. The moment she sets it on the huge island, she backs up as if she needs to keep a good distance from me. She’s probably right.
I slide onto a stool and take a bite of quiche. “Damn, that’s delicious,” I say as I stab into the muffin next. It’s similar to the one I sampled yesterday, equally fantastic.
“Thank you.” She beams, but then schools her face and clears her throat as if she hadn’t intended to permit me to see her smile.
She grabs the piece of paper she was looking at from the counter and pretends to peruse it again. She can’t possibly be actually reading it because she’s shaking too badly.
That fact shouldn’t make me mentally fist pump, but it does. After I eat several more bites, I glance around. “Where are Leah and Craig this morning?”
“They went into town,” she tells me without looking at me. “They needed to pick up a few things,” she mumbles.
She opens cabinets and pulls out bowls and spoons and random ingredients while I finish eating. I’m not sure if any of it has meaning to her or if she’s trying to look busy.
After I take my plate to the sink, I turn around and lean against the counter. “Amelia.”
“Hmm?” she asks without glancing over her shoulder at me.
“Come here, sweet girl.”
She taps the paper. “I need to get started on dinner.”
“Dinner’s in eight hours, Amelia. Come here.” I know she’ll obey me eventually. She can’t help herself.
She turns around while drawing in a deep breath and doesn’t meet my gaze. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“You don’t think what’s a good idea?” I’m tormenting her.
She wrings her fingers in front of her. “Getting closer to you.”
“I don’t bite, and I told you I wouldn’t touch you. Do you trust me?”
She lifts her gaze, eyes wide. “Foster, I don’t trust me.”
I can’t stop the slow grin. “Come here, sweet girl,” I repeat, my voice softer but still demanding. There’s only six feet between us, but I want her to close that distance.
Finally, she shuffles closer.
I grip the edges of the counter at my sides while what I really want to do is stroke my hand down the loose lock of hair at her temple and then tuck it behind her ear. I want to let my fingers linger there and then graze them along her neck until she shivers.
“We shouldn’t do this,” she whispers once she’s finally in my space.
“We aren’t doing anything, Amelia. We’re talking.”
She licks her lips as she lifts her gaze to meet mine. “When we talk, I get confused. Talking to you never feels like talking. It feels like more.”
“What does it feel like?” I ask in a husky voice, praying she’ll explain herself better so I can listen to her voice some more.
Her voice is very soft as she responds. “It feels like you’ve stripped me bare and now I’m naked before you. It feels like your fingers dancing over my nipples. It feels like the wetness between my legs.”
I swallow hard, shocked by her vulnerability and openness. Damn, I want her. “I want all of that, Amelia.”
She shudders. “We met yesterday,” she points out. “It’s not logical.”
“We have a connection. You felt it immediately. So did I.”
She draws in a breath. “You’re so dominant.”
“You crave it.”
“Maybe…” She chews on the corner of her bottom lip. “But I shouldn’t. You’re making it hard for me to focus.”
“That’s why I didn’t come around earlier this morning. I don’t want to disrupt your work.”
“I appreciate that,” she mutters, “but it didn’t work. I spent the time watching for you and wondering where you were.” She palms her forehead as if she’s disappointed with herself for admitting that.
My fingers hurt from gripping the edges of the counter. Don’t touch her. “Let’s talk about that and work something out.”
She points over her shoulder. “I need to start dinner.” She takes a step back and inhales deeply, pulling her shoulders back before meeting my gaze. She stands taller. “This is my dream job, Foster. I won’t fuck it up just because I have some weird attraction to a man who also happens to work here. Please don’t push me on this.”
“I understand, Amelia. And I’m torn. Part of me wants to fist pump over how affected you are by me. The rest of me feels guilty for putting a wrench in your obviously well-thought-out plans.”
She nods, but she looks hesitant.
My heart is pounding. Over a woman. When have I ever been this affected by a woman? Never. Not even Celia.
The thought makes me stiffen, my jaw tightening. It’s been so long since Celia left. Maybe I don’t remember precisely how I felt with her. Was it like this?
I clear my throat. “You mentioned dinner. What’s the lunch plan?”
She licks her full lips. “Craig said not to worry about the two of them. They won’t be back until midafternoon. But I can make something for you.”
I shake my head. “You just filled me up on breakfast. I’ll be fine. What needs to be done about dinner at this hour?”
She bites that lip and releases it with a sigh. “Nothing,” she whispers. Her shoulders drop in resignation. I can see she wishes she could have lied to me but she didn’t. I’m glad.
“Spend some time with me,” I urge.
“Do you think that’s really a good idea?”
“I think it’s the only choice we have, sweet girl. Come with me. I promise to have you back here by four to start dinner.”
She purses her lips and stares at me again. She’s shaking. She’s so damn precious. “A lot can happen between now and four. That’s like five hours.”
I chuckle. “True, but I promise I’ll return you in one piece.”
“You have the ability to scramble my brain and make me forget who I am.”
“I could say the same about you,” I point out.
She finally nods. “Okay.” She lifts a finger to shake it at me. “But you promised not to touch me, and I’m going to hold you to that.”
I laugh softly. “I only promised not to touch you until you asked me to. I’m confident you will eventually.”
“Cocky,” she murmurs.
I nod over my shoulder. “Come on.”
Amelia glances around, assessing everything on the counter, probably making sure nothing perishable has been left out or needs attention. Finally, she draws in a deep breath and heads for the door.
I follow her.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“My place.”
She glances at me. “You think that’s a good idea?”
“I think it’s an excellent idea. I want you to see where I live. I want you in my space.”
She sighs. “You’re testing my resolve.”
I lift both hands innocently. “If it’s that hard for you to keep your hands off me then I think you should consider not fighting the urge.”
She rolls her eyes.