The Innocents

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A TEASE PUBLISHING VALENTINES DAY SHORT

CARA NORTH

TEASE PUBLISHING www.teasepublishingllc.com ~2~

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. A Tease Publishing Book/E book The Innocents Copyright© 2008 Cara North ISBN: 978-1-60767-032-2 Cover Artist: Stella Price Interior text design: Stacee Sierra

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Tease Publishing LLC www.teasepublishingllc.com PO BOX 234 Swansboro, North Carolina 28584-0234 Tease and the T logo is  Tease Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

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Chapter 1 It was two weeks after her nineteenth birthday and Stephanie Young had finished her second year in art school with a specialization in clothing design, with honors. Ethan, her cousin, had let her manage his art gallery for the summer and she still worked there as her school schedule permitted. Now that Ethan was a newlywed he wanted to spend most of his time with his wife Grace. She stepped to the mirror and took in the outfit. She had handmade the black top, distressed the hip hugging jeans and added a little embellishment on the pockets. Her favorite pair of black strappy heels and sequined handbag topped the outfit off. Stephanie had her long blonde hair pulled up in a twist. She wore the silver hoop earrings her brother Joshua bought her as a birthday present, and the watch that her mother gave her. Looking down at her wrist she winced; she would be late and miss the auction. She had saved three thousand dollars and was going to donate it to the fire department, but she was also going to bid on a man. One man in particular. This was the best idea anyone had come out with in a long time. The stations were competing to see who could raise the most money for the Muscular Distrophy Association this year. The fire chief’s wife decided to auction off the firemen, and a few willing bachelors, for Valentine’s Day. A handful of couples would be placed in a drawing and receive a vacation at one of three destinations. The auction made such a buzz that all the society women had nominated every eligible bachelor that would fetch a fine donation. How could the men say no to the kids who counted on them? Most hadn’t. This was her older brother Joshua’s last summer in New York, so Chase and Megan had suckered him into participating. Women were always after the men in her family. Who could blame them? They were tall and brooding. Not so for Stephanie, her brother effectively chased away any man that dared look at his little sister. But not tonight. Tonight he would be preoccupied and wouldn’t even know she was there. Once she arrived at the destination donated to the event, Stephanie paid the taxi driver and made special effort to hold her head high and her shoulders back. There was no turning around now. Inside the auditorium Chase Young waited for his cousin. Stephanie was here to buy a man, and he intended to make sure she got a decent guy. Only one man on that stage had the kind of character he would let near his cousin, much less the kind of courage to stand up to her brother. “Hey!” Chase hugged his favorite cousin and took a good look at her. She was five-nine and nothing short of gorgeous. That gave the three men of her family a lot of chasing and warning to do. They had about a million female cousins, but Stephanie was the only one who lived in New York. She was also the only female cousin on their fathers’ side. That made her special. “Happy birthday. Sorry I couldn’t make the party.” “No worries. Do I look all right?” Stephanie was always nervous about her looks. Her mother, Amelia Young, was constantly reminding her of eating habits and etiquette, and how she would never marry a doctor or lawyer if she didn’t watch her weight. Since Joshua had rebelled at every opportunity Stephanie became the focus. Thank God her father was a kind and gentle man. He wouldn’t divorce their mother, though no one was sure why not. “Of course you do. You’re beautiful.” Chase smiled. His aunt was such a bitch. His mother had told him and Ethan to always compliment Stephanie, even when she was gangly and scrawny and awkward as a little girl. She sure grew into those limbs. Now the compliments were real. Ethan and Chase looked over her like she was their little sister too. ~4~

“You guys always say that.” Stephanie was so used to hearing her brother and cousins pump up her ego that she didn’t really believe them. They had been telling her she was beautiful since she was born it seemed, but especially when she had braces, her ears were too big and her face was a mess. It wasn’t until high school that she finally settled into her body. She graduated early, like her brother, at their mother’s insistence. “It’s always true.” Chase laughed. “Your brother is up there grousing and grumbling of course. I told him I would set Megan on him if he didn’t behave. Of course Joshua also refuses to go away for the weekend with anyone other than a red-head.” “He has a type.” Stephanie laughed. “I wonder what my type is?” “Clean cut. Nice. Respectful.” Chase answered seriously for her. “You guys chase any guy I like away. I have to resort to buying one and taking him away for a weekend just to have a private date.” Stephanie rolled her eyes. “It was just a coincidence, Megan and I happened to be at the movie theatre.” Chase lied. “And a coincidence that Ethan was eating at the restaurant, or worse that Joshua was waiting that one time in his uniform!” Stephanie knew Joshua couldn’t always be there, but Ethan and Chase made sure they covered whatever date he couldn’t. She loved Grace and Megan, they tried to block their husbands’ attempts to interfere, but the three big dogs had been staking her out since she hit puberty. “It’s a small town.” Chase shrugged. “It’s New York City!” Stephanie laughed and gave up. This was the only way to have privacy. “My only hope is that I get a package that is far from Joshua.” “There’s a package that is already set aside for you. Megan arranged it that way. And no, none of us are going with you.” Megan and Chase had chosen the Disney World package specifically because it was not romantic. Since Stephanie had always wanted to go she would spend her time in the parks and not in the hotel room. Brilliant plan if he ever had one. “Really?” Stephanie jumped with excitement. “Yes. Oh, here he comes.” Chase stood next to his cousin to ensure she won this man. He had known Malcolm a while now and he was the only person he trusted to be with his cousin and not pressure her. Grace was in place to bid if Stephanie ran out of money. Everyone but Joshua was in on it. Grace had mentioned that Stephanie had noticed Malcolm at the wedding a month ago. Everyone was in agreement he would do just fine. Malcolm was so tired of the two men behind him he wanted to scream. “Will you two quit it? I can’t believe a woman would pay five bucks to spend an hour with either of you. Certainly not if she heard the way you were talking.” “Oh grow a pair.” Harry whacked the kid on the back. Malcolm was a good friend and a smart kid. But he was way too wholesome for the fire house. “I can’t wait to see what poor unsuspecting woman ends up with you.” Edgar joined in the teasing. “She will think she’s getting a big bad fireman and instead she’s getting Mister Sensitive.” “There is nothing wrong with respecting women. My mother is a woman, my sister is a woman. If two men were up here debating so blatantly about the positions they would put either of them in I would just loose it. What if your sister was out there right now? Huh? Some guy up here talking about what he was going to do with her…” “I would snap his neck in three places.” Joshua interrupted the group of firemen. He didn’t mind the locker room banter but when the kid stood up for all woman kind he had to help him out. “But she isn’t out there.” “Where’s Chase?” Malcolm was anxious and he didn’t like being put on display. Worse than that, he didn’t like being bought by one of these women. Who knew what they were expecting. Hearing that Joshua’s sister Stephanie wouldn’t be out there was like a kick in the gut. He knew it was ridiculous, but he had hoped she would be. ~5~

“Good question.” Joshua looked down the row of men. “Hey you’re up there Casanova.” Harry nudged Malcolm. “Assholes.” Malcolm knew they were like most of the men in the world, but he wasn’t. He grew up in a strict family with values and morals enforced. His father was a preacher, his grandfather was a preacher. He was the first man in a long line of ministers to take a different path. Joshua laughed. Malcolm was a real piece of work. He admired the kid. He had guts, and he stuck to his principles. The other two firemen began arguing over who would fetch the most money as Joshua resigned to leaning on the wall again. He really couldn’t wait for school to start. He would be in North Carolina by this time next month. His only worry was his little sister. He didn’t want to leave Stephanie behind. He couldn’t protect her from society if he wasn’t around. His cousins promised to keep up with her but they were both newlyweds and both of their wives were expecting. That didn’t leave a lot of room for chasing Stephanie and making sure she stayed out of trouble and away from guys like them! Stephanie waited anxiously as the man she had come to bid for stepped out. No one knew she wanted Malcolm, she wouldn’t dare tell anyone other than Megan. “Malcolm Murphy ladies, he is one of our firefighters, six foot even, one hundred fifty pounds of raw muscle. Malcolm spends his nights at the firehouse, his days in college and his vacations at the Muscular Dystrophy camp itself.” Megan couldn’t do justice to his resume even if she tried. He needed a halo and wings on that stage, not a t-shirt and pair of jeans. Unlike the other firemen who made a great display of wearing the uniform, or pieces of it to show parts of the body off, Malcolm came out dressed like a regular guy. Anyone who spent more than ten minutes talking to him knew he was anything but. “I won’t even start this bid below one thousand.” “One thousand.” A woman shouted out. “Fifteen hundred.” Called another. Before Stephanie had a chance to bid he was already at twenty-five hundred. “Three thousand.” “Four.” The persistent woman up front shouted. “Shit.” Stephanie covered her mouth after she said it and felt her face heat. “It’s okay.” Chase smiled then motioned to Grace. They only needed to see who she had come to bid on to know they had made the right decision. “Ten thousand!” Grace stood up. Megan looked at the woman in the front row and shook her head no. The woman crossed her arms and raised a brow. “Going once, twice…” “Fifteen.” The woman popped up. Stephanie’s eyes were as big as saucers. The woman in the business suit was damn determined to buy Malcolm though she was old enough to be his mother. “Twenty.” Grace giggled. This was a lot of fun for her, before meeting Ethan she wouldn’t have known what twenty thousand dollars looked like in a bank account much less be offering it up so easily. Ethan was a millionaire steadily increasing his way toward billions though, so if it took a million bucks, Malcolm was going to Disneyworld with Stephanie! “What is Grace doing?” Stephanie looked at Chase who shrugged. “Chase?” “I’ll be right back okay, wait here.” Chase headed down the center aisle toward the woman who cut Grace an evil glare. “Twenty five.” The woman was now bidding at Grace. “Thirty.” Grace shrugged. Stephanie looked at the man on the stage who now stared at her. To her way of thinking he should have been looking at the women who were dropping insane amounts of money over him, but he looked at her. She blushed again. Chase made his way toward Malcolm’s mother. If she didn’t quit Ethan would drop a fortune on the kid and Malcolm’s father would strangle his wife for emptying their vacation account on him. ~6~

Once he explained that Grace was Ethan’s wife and they were sending him to Disney for the weekend with his cousin Stephanie she sat down. Chase motioned for Stephanie to come forward. Stephanie had made it to the end of the aisle where the lights were insanely bright for the press that had front row seats to the event when Malcolm pulled his shirt over his head in a flash and jumped off the stage. She stood frozen as he ran toward her. Malcolm was happily surprised to see Stephanie Young in the audience. She wasn’t seated like the other women. She was standing at the back of the rows with Chase. The bidding began and he could barely keep up, but Stephanie raised her paddle and bid for him. Then his mother out bid her. Then Grace started. Then it was out of control and all he could do was regret that Stephanie hadn’t won. He didn’t want to go away for a weekend with his mother, this was supposed to be a romantic getaway, married women weren’t even supposed to be there but they were, and Grace had started bidding. She had only been married to Ethan a hot minute, so what she was doing besides spending too much money was beyond him. But she won. Stephanie started down the aisle and as soon as the light hit her he got an eyeful. Her black top was transparent in the press lights and he wasn’t the only one to notice. He stripped off his t-shirt and jumped off the stage pushing it over her head and blocking the reporter before he could reload his camera and shoot the photo. Stephanie felt the shirt push over her head and pull down over her shoulders to her waist. Her arms were locked at her sides and Malcolm was ushering her toward the back of the auditorium. She followed his lead because she was in shock. He marched straight out the back doors and onto the sidewalk. The sun stroked over his bare shoulders. She wouldn’t let that image keep her sidetracked. Finally regaining her composure she pushed her arms through the sleeves of his t-shirt and shrugged loose from him. “What are you doing?” “You can see right through your shirt!” He was furious. He felt protective and possessive and mad that she would wear such a thing all at once. “What?” Stephanie’s face heated and her heart thumped faster. She tested it against her bedroom light. It wasn’t transparent there. “You’re not wearing a bra.” He put his hands on his hips and looked down at her. She was only a couple of inches shorter than him, but he looked very imposing at the moment. His blue eyes were intense. “I…I uh.” “Why would you wear a thing like that?” Malcolm didn’t want to start out talking to her like this. He had spoken only pleasantries at Chase and Megan’s wedding. “I made it.” Stephanie frowned and tears welled in her eyes. “You made a see through shirt?” Malcolm was biting back anger and trying to get control. The thought of her perky breasts on the cover of a newspaper was still burning him. Luckily only one reporter had taken his eye away from the stage to reload his camera. As soon as he saw Stephanie he smiled. That action alone made Malcolm want to rip the guy into a million pieces. “No. I made this shirt.” Stephanie felt the tears falling. “I’m so humiliated.” She turned to run but she was in heels so he caught her in a couple steps. “I’m so sorry. I just… I just freaked out is all.” “Let me go.” It was a weak protest. He drew her in closer. “Stephanie I swear I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I thought you looked amazing until you stepped into that light, and the reporter saw, and…” “Oh my God! Someone took a picture…” “No. I got to you before he could reload.” Malcolm let out a long breath. “Hey.” He tipped up her chin and pouted his own lip. “You’re killing me here.” ~7~

“Sorry.” Stephanie wiped at her cheeks and hoped that the mascara truly was waterproof. “Here.” Stephanie pulled at his t-shirt. His hands clamped around hers and he shook his head. “Hang on to it.” “Thanks.” “I wonder what Grace was doing here bidding.” He no sooner got the words out than Grace was there. “Buying a birthday gift.” Grace smiled as they turned to face her. She handed Malcolm a t-shirt she had fished from his bag the moment she got her hands on it. The poor guy had caused an uprising inside the auditorium. If Megan hadn’t called off the bidding he would have hit that million dollar mark. Apparently taking off his shirt and leaping off the stage was worthy of more. Grace had already called Ethan on her cell phone. It was time to get them out of there before Joshua found out what was going on. “Here ya go. All things considered I thought you may just want to head on out.” “Uh?” Malcolm took the t-shirt and pulled it on. He then accepted the envelope and grabbed the handle of his suitcase she so graciously wheeled behind her. The men were all instructed to bring their bag so they could head out after the celebration. They were supposed to have cake and take pictures. “Steph your bag is in the limo. I thought you may want to get out of here before Joshua finds out.” Grace winked a conspiratorial wink and waved as her husband Ethan got out of the limo that just pulled up. “Have fun.” “Grace?” Stephanie was blushing and in shock. It was all happening so fast. “Hey kiddo.” Ethan hugged Stephanie, stepping between her and Malcolm. “Be nice to this guy all right?” Malcolm overheard the conversation and wondered why she was getting the warning and not him. Chase and Ethan were viciously protective of Stephanie, as much as her brother and Joshua had fought over her several times. “But…” She started but Ethan turned to look at Malcolm. “You know we trust you.” It was all he said and all he had to say. Malcolm nodded. That was his warning. He had been friends with Chase since they worked on a Habitat for Humanity house. Malcolm was raised to feel a certain level of responsibility for others and he followed through on that. He volunteered when his schedule allowed. Ethan stepped aside and pulled Grace into his arms for a passionate kiss. The man acted like he hadn’t seen his wife in years rather than hours. Malcolm smiled. He hoped that love would be the same for him when it happened. Grace shooed them with a hand not breaking their kiss. Malcolm laughed and looked at Stephanie. “Well?’ “Well, I guess we are on our way.” Stephanie walked toward the limo and slid in. Once he was beside her she started to fidget, caught herself, then stopped. She drew a fortifying breath and straightened like a proper lady. “Where are we going?” Malcolm shrugged then opened the envelope. “No way!” Stephanie leaned over and squealed when she saw the agenda, all her properness failing. “Disney?” “This is going to be awesome!” “I’ve never been…I’ve always wanted to go…” She smiled and leaned closer to see the agenda. “This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid.” Malcolm sat back and smiled. “I thought I was going one year, but I got a little sister instead.” Stephanie laughed. “I’m sure my brother felt the same way when I came along. My dad always wanted to take us but my mother was afraid we would get lost in the crowds.” Stephanie relaxed back in the seat. It was unusual to be so comfortable. It was like she was hanging out with an old friend not ~8~

a man she had dreamed of. And she did have dreams about him, vivid, breathtaking, leg shaking dreams. She shook her head hoping to shake those thoughts. “I won’t lose you.” Malcolm shot her a serious glance. Stephanie was the very object of his obsession, had been for months. He met her at Chase’s wedding and had thought about her every moment since. Stephanie had the man she wanted exactly where she wanted him. Now came the hard part, following through. Right now he was perfect. At any moment he could say or do something stupid and she would be stuck with him. Of course, Chase and Ethan wouldn’t have let this happen if he was an idiot. “How old are you?” “Twenty-one. How old are you?” Malcolm had never asked. “Nineteen.” Stephanie half smiled. “Yowch.” Malcolm thought she was older. She was only two years younger than he was but still the word teen made her sound illegal. “What? You’re like a minute older than me, so don’t even.” Stephanie straightened her back and scowled. “I just thought you were older. It’s no big deal, I mean it’s not like we’re eloping here, we’re going on a little weekend getaway, just two friends going to Disney.” Malcolm wanted to make her feel safe and comfortable. Especially since he noticed there was only one room reserved for the both of them. He silently prayed for two beds. As an afterthought he added, “On Valentine’s Day.” Stephanie smiled her winning smile. Of course they were just two friends. He probably wasn’t interested in her. Especially now that he knew her age. Malcolm was beautiful in her opinion. Surely he had women of all ages crawling all over his sleek body. What would he want with a nineteen year old virgin? “Unless you were bidding on me because you thought I was sexy.” Malcolm teased. “I mean, I am a good looking man. Between Grace and my Momma I thought I might get a complex.” “Who?” Stephanie gulped. “My mother. The aggressive black woman in the front row.” Malcolm waited. He wasn’t sure if she knew he was mixed, his father Irish, his mother African American. He knew that women tended to see what they wanted to see, and his blue eyes and light skin often made them see a real tan white dude with thick hair. “That was your mom?” Stephanie smiled. What a relief. “She doesn’t look old enough.” “You be sure and tell her that when you meet her.” Malcolm laughed. “She’s a lawyer, my dad’s a preacher. It makes for an interesting household.” “I bet.” Her brows drew together in great concentration. “Can I ask you something?” “Sure.” He shrugged. “How did you get those eyes?” Stephanie was mesmerized by his sky blue eyes. “My father, he’s Irish. And I mean straight from Ireland Irish. He came to America when his mother died to live with his grandparents who had immigrated years before to be with their other daughter. Anyways, long story short he enlisted in the Navy and met my mom.” Malcolm returned his attention to the paperwork. “I have a feeling that is a real short version of that story.” Stephanie laughed. “Does it bother you?” Malcolm would rather know right now than to fool himself all weekend. He was so drawn to her it would break his heart, but he had been rejected before. “No, I mean if you don’t want to tell me your life story I understand…” He smiled. “I mean does it bother you that I’m black?” “No. Should it? I mean, does it bother you that I’m not?” Stephanie hadn’t really considered it. She lived in New York so it wasn’t uncommon to see people of all different races in various relationships. Her mother had taught her to be prejudice on a financial level; she would care less about race as long as he was a doctor or a lawyer. Malcolm was a firefighter so that could be a problem. ~9~

“No.” No one had asked him that before. “Good.” She said decidedly. “Let me see that paperwork.” Malcolm handed her the sheets and waited. She looked up with a bit of trepidation in her eyes. “There’s only one room.” “Yeah, but there has to be two beds. Chase wouldn’t send you off with a guy and one bed.” Malcolm tried to reassure her. “I’m safe Stephanie. I don’t plan on sleeping with you, or touching you at all, for that matter. I mean, we barely know each other.” “Oh.” He couldn’t tell if she was disappointed or relieved. The limo stopped and he peered out the window. They were already at the airport. “I hate flying.” Stephanie jerked her head up. Did he just admit a weakness? Being around the men in her family all her life, she didn’t know men could do that. She knew they had them, she just wasn’t aware that men knew they had weaknesses too. “You do?” “Yeah. I have since I was a kid. On the way back from Japan we almost crashed.” Malcolm swallowed hard. He was only seven but every time he had to fly the fear threatened to choke him. “Oh my. Would you rather drive?” Stephanie placed her hand on his arm. The slight contact was enough to sear her fingertips and set sparks flying in all directions throughout her body. “No. I don’t let fear rule my life.” She gulped. Wow. She had pretty much let fear run her life. This was the first break from her mother. The first step away from society life. “Okay. If you’re sure.” “I’m positive.” Malcolm opened the door and got out. The driver pulled out their bags and Malcolm tipped the guy. He started into the airport with Stephanie right beside him. She tried to grab her luggage but he gave her such a scowl that she drew her hands back and walked beside him instead. Once they had checked in Malcolm took some Dramamine and waited for the flight. She tried not to stare at him but it was an effort. “You need more water?” “I’m good.” He hated looking like a weakling, but he was man enough to accept who he was. Stephanie didn’t seem turned off by it. If anything she was more attentive to him. By the time they were airborne he was asleep. Stephanie relaxed in the first class seat and pulled the t-shirt she still wore up to her nose. It smelled like him, all spicy and male. He shifted and she pulled her head up, the last thing she needed was to get caught smelling him. He settled again and she was so tempted to touch him. Maybe if she just feigned sleep she could rest on his shoulder a moment. A instant later she was sleeping. Malcolm awoke when the flight attendant shook them. Actually, she shook Stephanie who was snuggled up to his arm. Her head on his shoulder, fallen strands of her long blonde hair tickled his arm. She sat up in a flash. “We’ve landed.” The woman smiled warmly. “Thank you.” Stephanie blinked rapidly and then tried to straighten her hair. “We’re here.” Malcolm smiled. “I am so psyched! I hope our hotel has a restaurant in it, I’m starving.” “Me too.” Stephanie fought the blush and got off the plane. She could feel the crease on her face from sleeping on his shoulder. How had she actually fallen asleep? Opening the door to the room at Disney’s Boardwalk Hotel Malcolm’s hands shook like he was opening the door to their honeymoon suite. He didn’t know why he was nervous. Maybe because he wasn’t sure what she was expecting from him. He had tried to convey the message that they were here as friends, though he wanted more, he wouldn’t do anything about it this weekend. This weekend he would spend getting to know her. His worry was that she may be like her male cousins, or worse, her ~10~

brother. If Stephanie was easy it would ruin everything. He had a difficult time finding a woman to match him in values, and one thing he valued was a relationship between a man and woman. “See, two beds.” He let out the breath he was holding. “And a balcony.” Stephanie opened the door and let in the night air. “Look we can see the water, and all the people, there’s the ESPN restaurant…” “They have room service, we could decide on the best plan of action for tomorrow.” He put her suitcase on the bed closest to the door and his next to the balcony. “I want that bed.” Stephanie turned. Why did he put her next to the door? Shouldn’t the man be next to the door in case someone tried to get in? Not that anyone would, but still. “Okay.” He switched the suitcases. He had put her next to the door so she didn’t feel trapped. “So what’s the verdict on dinner?” Malcolm punctuated that question with a stretch. She watched his long arms reach over head and then he pushed up on tiptoe and leaned back a little. His t-shirt rose to reveal his navel. Stephanie fought to keep a coherent thought. “You’re tired?” “It was a long flight and there is so much to do and only two days to do it in.” Malcolm tugged his shirt down and twisted side to side relieving some of the tension in his back. “Let’s order in then.” Stephanie picked up the menu and read the options out loud. How she had been so drawn by a navel was ridiculous. He had promptly covered it, releasing her from the spell. She needed a shower, a cold one to knock some sense into her. Somehow she was hyper aware of him. She had never lusted after anyone in her life. She had made several jokes about the women who lusted after her brother. Now she was the weak one. Malcolm ordered a steak and breaking her mothers’ number one rule, Stephanie ordered the same. She was on vacation with a man that apparently had no real interest in her, so what the hell? Stephanie decided right then and there to eat whatever she wanted and to relax. “I’m going to grab a quick shower while we wait on the food.” She gathered her pajamas and cosmetic bag and headed into the bathroom. Malcolm set about unpacking his own bag. When Stephanie returned from her shower he decidedly needed to grab one himself. She was pretty all done up, but in heart print pajamas, wet hair and with no make up on she was breathtaking. “Did you plan that?” “No. I had no idea. Grace packed the bag for me.” Stephanie tugged at the cotton shirt. It covered her, and the soft pajama bottoms were warm for the weather but they covered her too. He took another slow look at her from her red toenails to her wet hair. “I’m going to grab a quick shower myself.” “I hope I didn’t use all the hot water.” Stephanie had taken her time. Enough time for him to completely unpack and get settled in, and he had the park maps out on the table ready for them to make decisions on. “I’ll be fine.” He didn’t plan on using any hot water. He needed to cool off.

~11~

Chapter 2 “Okay you have to stop talking now.” Malcolm smiled, though in the darkness she couldn’t see him. It was odd being in the same room with her. The more time he spent with Stephanie the more he realized she was everything he wanted. “I told you to stop talking an hour ago.” She giggled and then yawned. “We’re supposed to get up in four hours to start our adventure.” “Okay. No more talking. Sleep.” He said definitively though he didn’t know how he was going to sleep sound for four hours when he was afraid his dreams may betray his moral intentions. “Okay.” Stephanie agreed. “Goodnight.” He waited a few seconds then added, “Goodnight.” He could hear her giggle but she didn’t say another word. Stephanie slapped the alarm clock and found the button to silence the screaming thing. A few moments later she came to her senses. Her eyes opened and he was there, a few feet away in the other bed still asleep. Sitting up in the bed she could get a better look at the sleeping Adonis. Somewhere in the night he had put in earplugs and apparently gotten hot because his shirt was no where to be seen and the blanket was dangerously low on his waist. She was both relieved that if she talked in her sleep he obviously didn’t hear her, and feeling a little like a peeping Tom since she was ogling a man in his sleep. But since he was sleeping she could stare at him without fear of him catching her. Last night they had talked about all sorts of things. They had a great deal in common which only made her resolve to make him ignore the fact that she is nineteen and fall madly in love with her anyways. Right now she had the pleasure of looking at a man in a way she had only dreamed of. His hand shifted to his groin and he made an adjustment in his sleep. The voyeuristic thrill of seeing such a motion set her blood on fire and she knew she had to wake him up and they had to get out the door before she lost her senses and made a fool of herself. “Malcolm,” Stephanie shook his shoulder and his clear blue eyes opened quickly. “It’s time to get up.” He looked at her confused for a few moments then realization set in. He hadn’t dreamed last night. He was in a hotel room in Florida at a theme park with Joshua’s sister, Chase and Ethan’s cousin. His dreams had led him to believe he had violated many personal agreements he had made to himself, his father, and God. Stephanie’s expression reassured him he had done no such thing. “Hey.” He pulled the earplugs out of his ears and became conscious of his state of undress. He often got too hot when he slept. He also became aware of other natural reactions as Stephanie perused his body at will with her eyes. Malcolm rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Later that day… “We made it!” Stephanie laughed as they entered the hotel right as the rain started. “I think we could take a nap before dinner.” Malcolm looked at the object of his affection as they rode the elevator back to their room. If he had any doubts about Stephanie, she had erased them this afternoon. She was fun, driven and a virgin. She admitted that it probably had more to do with her brother killing someone than her choice, but she also admitted that she was glad now. He wasn’t as honest, but she didn’t give him a chance; her assumption was that he had plenty of experience, so he modified it a little bit. Unfortunately, thinking he had experience eased her comfort level and apparently made her want to be more experienced because she stood closer to him in lines at rides, slid her hand in his when they walked and gave him looks like the one she was giving him right now. ~12~

“I think that’s a good idea. I’m beat.” Stephanie bit her bottom lip and hoped that she wasn’t being too forward, but in the course of one afternoon she had gone from being in lust to being in love. Malcolm made her feel whole, safe and somehow free. She couldn’t get close enough to him. She wanted to crawl under his caramel colored skin and stay there forever. As they entered the room they could see the rain was really coming down. Thunder rolled and people were running to get inside everywhere. The storm had crept up out of nowhere. “I hate thunderstorms.” Stephanie stared out the large balcony doors and watched the people below. “Really, I’ve always kinda liked them.” Malcolm couldn’t keep his feet from walking him closer to her. A loud crack of thunder shook the building and Stephanie all but leapt into his arms. “I like them even more now.” “Don’t make fun of me.” Stephanie looked up at him as he looked down at her. His breath smelled like cotton candy. His blue eyes seemed darker. His arms wrapped around her in a tender but firm embrace. She licked her lips, sure he was about to kiss her. “I’m not.” His words were breathless, quiet. His head tilted ever so slightly in an effort to be closer to her. She tiptoed up to meet his lips and another crack of thunder punctuated his feelings exactly. Stephanie wrapped her arms tighter around him and she didn’t let him back out of the kiss. Not that he was trying to, but she knew any minute he would come to his senses, and right now she wanted to lose hers. The closed mouth kiss turned into a gentle open mouth exploration of lips, then tongues. They gripped one another tighter, pulled their bodies together and continued to kiss until they absolutely had to breathe again. “Stephanie…” She didn’t let him get another word out; she simple pulled him back into another tongue tangling, mind blowing kiss. It was easy to kiss her, it was hard to push her away and regain control. “Stephanie, we have to stop. I mean we have to think about this.” “You don’t really like me do you?” She frowned as she looked up at him. “I haven’t been very proper…I…” “No it’s not that, I mean, I think I may love you…I just…we just…” She processed what he was trying to say. “You love me?” “I…well I…” “You do don’t you?” She smiled from ear to ear. It was Valentine’s Day and the man she had fallen for so quickly was falling for her too. He blushed. His cheeks burned pink and the caramel color of his skin couldn’t hide it. He walked away from her, creating distance. As he walked he talked. “Yeah, yes, okay, so I’m in love with you. I mean, I’ve been taken with you since I first saw you, but you’re nineteen. I mean, I’m only twenty-one but you, you’re…beautiful, and smart, and funny, and you aren’t afraid to eat around me, and…and your mother won’t approve of me. Your brother is going to kill me, and I don’t know if I’m good…” “You are.” Stephanie walked towards him and took his hands. “You are good enough for me. I’m the one who doesn’t measure up.” He laughed a half hearted laugh. “That’s impossible. You’re amazing.” Stephanie tiptoed up to kiss him briefly on the lips then whispered, “I’m in love with you, too.” He blushed again then said, “That’s a relief.”

~13~

~14~