Lost In Autumn (3 page)

“You look terrified! I’m not going to kill you or anything.”
He reassured me, grabbing my hand. A small smile crept onto my face at his
touch, and I tumbled along after him.

I cautiously situated myself on the bike seat, trying to not
flash my panties at him or anyone else.
I
should have worn pants after all.
I held my arms limply at my side, not
quite sure what to do with them. “Hang on.” Darren ordered me as he started the
engine. I put my hands on his shoulders shyly. I could hear him chuckle and we
lurched forward fast enough for my fear of touching him to be replaced by fear
of falling off the back. I grabbed around his barrel chest and held on tight.

I tried to ignore the vibrations of the bike that were
traveling straight to the inside of my thighs, but the ridge of the seat that
lined up with my clit, and the bunched up mound of my dress made that
impossible. A small moan escaped my lips and every bump in the road that we
crossed heightened my arousal. The noisy engine thankfully masked my breathing
and whimper of pleasure. I had lost track of watching where we were going and
my whole focus was on the feel of his chest under my hands and the warmth that was
about to take over my body. I accidentally started to dig my fingernails into
Darren’s chest as my orgasm broke through my body, and I rested my cheek
against his broad back. We stopped.

“Enjoying the ride?” I jumped at the deep rumble of his
voice. My face was flushed, and I was grinning. I felt embarrassed and wondered
if he knew what I had been doing. “Yes, I loved it,” I answered, a slight giggle
in my breathless voice. I regained my composure and looked around. We were
parked in a residential neighborhood, in front of a small grey house. Maybe to
say it was a house was a bit generous, it was more like a shack.

“Good. I’ll be back.” His tone was abrupt as he got off the
bike and walked towards the building. I could hear him knock on the door. Three
hard knocks and one soft one. The door opened but I couldn’t who answered it.
Darren disappeared inside.

I waited ten minutes for him to return. Finally, I saw the
door move and Darren strode out towards me, his face impossible to read. He
reseated himself on the bike without saying a word or giving any explanation. I
clung to his broad back again as we whipped around the corner.

The tires let out a tiny squeal as we halted in front of our
destination. “Have you been here before?” Darren turned around to see my face.
“No. What is this place?” I looked around for the sign.
Asian Art Museum.
I supposed that most other people wouldn’t be
very excited about visiting a museum but my visit to Thailand had inspired both
my love of learning about new cultures and also a particular attachment to
Asian history. I was surprised that he had really listened to my interests and
that he had thought about it enough to want to bring me here.

We trotted up the steps to the building and he held the door
open for me.
Gentlemanly
.

Sculptures and artifacts behind glass panes lines the walls
and lost track of time as I wandered each exhibit with him beside me. Whenever
we entered a new room, he would rest his hand on the small of my back, the
warmth of his palm seeping through my thin dress. I found myself wishing the
museum had more rooms. I could tell he was enjoying my enthusiasm over everything
I was reading and looking at.

My stomach made a loud growling noise and I tried to mask
the sound by taking a few steps as loudly as possible without being obvious. I looked
at the gold colored watch that encircled my wrist.
3:00pm.
I had forgotten to eat breakfast and in the excitement of
my adventure, I had neglected to eat lunch as well. “Darren,” I turned around
to look at him. “Thank you for bringing me here. I really love it.” I smiled up
at him, sincere and I could see the warmth in his eyes. “Do you think we could
go get something to eat?” I asked, a sheepish grin on my face. “Let me guess…you
haven’t eaten today.” He looked actually annoyed with me. “You need to take
better care of yourself, Nala.” It was a command. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 4

My hunger hit me full force and I tried to resist the urge
to stuff my chicken sandwich in my mouth all at once. I didn’t want to look
like a savage in front of Darren, so I took dainty feminine bites, chewing
thoroughly and swallowing carefully. I finally grew tired of pretending to be a
graceful eater and confessed. “If I was at home, I would be tearing into this
like a wild animal.” The corner of his eyes crinkled as he smiled widely in
amusement. “By all means, please, behave as if you were in your natural
habitat, sexy beast.”
He called me sexy.
“Thank you.” I replied with my mouth full, fulfilling his request. I took a
long sip of my lemonade, and looked into his eyes. “Tell me a secret.” I
demanded, my mouth smiling mischievously up at him. A flicker of emotion
flashed so fast on his face that I wondered if I had just imagined it. “Like
what?” He answered lightly. “Anything! I’m curious about you.” I said. “Why did
you want to take me to the museum?” I genuinely wanted to know. He responded by
reaching across the table and cupping my jaw in the palm of his hand, his
fingers framing my cheeks. “Because I wanted to get to know you, Nala.” His
deep voice sending warm shivers throughout my body. “I wanted to do this the
last time I saw you.” He leaned forward and gently pressed his mouth against my
full lips, just enough pressure to make me feel like I was turning into a
puddle, or at the very least, that there
was
a puddle of wetness underneath me. I started to lean into his kiss, hunger for
his mouth rising up from my core. Inhaling sharply, I returned the pressure of
his mouth, needy, my lips blossoming open, wanting his tongue to enter my
mouth.

What are you doing!
My thoughts interrupted my lust for him.
You
don’t even know him yet. You’re supposed to be focusing on school right now,
not boys.
I pulled back abruptly, looking down and standing up as though
nothing had happened. Darren still sat at the table, and I could feel his gaze on
the side of my face. “Are you ok? Did you not want me to…kiss you?” I felt like
I had been rude…
I should explain.

“I’m sorry…It’s not you. I’m just not really available right
now.” I instantly regretted my poorly worded explanation. His face turned to
stone. “I see,” he said roughly. “I didn’t realize you were involved with
someone. I wouldn’t have-“

“No, no! It isn’t that!” I interrupted him hastily. “I’m
just really busy with school and work and I shouldn’t be getting involved with
anyone right now.”

He laughed. “I don’t have to take up all your time Nala. I
just want to get to know you.”

“I just don’t think I should be doing this…I need to go.” I
felt overwhelmed. I wanted him badly, but I couldn’t get sucked into being
distracted from my goals. I had to say no.