Indecent Temptations: Volume 2 (3 page)

I
gave up on reading after about an hour. I tossed the book aside and paced the
library. There were so many different thoughts running through my mind. I
needed a distraction so I decided to go downstairs. I could hear people talking
and I knew company was over. I continued down the stairs hoping Granny wouldn’t
verbally attack me in front of the guests. I was going crazy by myself.

I
walked into the living room and of course everyone looked at me. When Eric said
guests I was assuming he meant more than one person. The only person I saw was
a woman about Eric’s age. She was standing closer to Eric than I liked and
Granny seemed to be encouraging the whole thing.

Granny
scowled when she saw me and I suddenly wished I would have stayed in the safety
of the library.

“Hey
Emma, I was just going to come up and get you,” Eric said smiling. “This is
Beth, she is a good friend of the family.” He introduced the woman and she
didn’t look very happy to see me. I was guessing Granny had probably told here
more about me and Eric then she needed to know.

“It’s
nice to meet you,” I said trying to be polite.

She
smiled tightly. “Likewise,” she said in a slightly haughty tone.

“I
will be outside,” I said suddenly deciding that being on my own was better than
the awkward situation.

I
walked outside onto the deck. I couldn’t handle any more problems. I was
guessing Granny was going to attempt to push Beth on Eric. Maybe it was for the
better. The thought was still irritating and I wanted to go in there and claim
Eric as mine, but Eric wouldn’t allow it.

Nathan
came out onto the deck and shut the door behind him. “You ok?” he asked looking
sympathetic. He knew what was going on just as much as I did.

I
shrugged. “Why didn’t you tell me how sick you were?” I asked changing the
subject.

He
looked a little startled at the question. “It wasn’t your problem. I didn’t
want to put that on you,” he said softly.

“How
long do you have to live?” I asked quietly. I was hoping the answer wouldn’t be
horrible, but I knew it wouldn’t be good.

“At
the current rate probably less than a year without a transplant,” he said like
he was trying to break it to me gently.

The
thought of him dying didn’t sit well with me. I tried to push the feeling away,
but it was impossible. I didn’t understand why I felt so strongly for him. I
didn’t owe him anything, but if I could help him I couldn’t let him die either.
“Could I give you a kidney?” I asked quietly watching him.

He
looked a little startled at the question. “I don’t know, you could be tested to
see if you are a match, but I do not expect you to do that for me,” he said
quickly.

“But
I am your daughter so there might be a good chance I am a match, right?” I
wanted to help him. I felt like Eric and Laura were slipping away. He would be
all the family I had left if I lost them. The thought of having no one scared
me. I knew what that felt like before, and I never wanted to feel it again.

“There
is a good chance, yes, but it requires a serious surgery. I appreciate that you
are considering it, but you need to make sure you understand what you are
getting into,” he said softly.

“Can
we just find out if I am a match and go from there?” I didn’t want to promise
him anything and get his hopes up. I knew if I was a match I would give it to
him. He wasn’t the best father in the world, but he was still my father and I
didn’t want to lose anyone else.

He
smiled looking hopeful. “We can do that. I will make an appointment.”

“Ok,”
I said a little relieved that I would at least be possibly helping someone. I
felt like I had been floundering lately. I highly doubted I would take the job
across the country. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my life
anymore. Being with Eric had made me question all my plans.

The
sliding door opened catching both of our attention. Eric looked from Nathan to
me. “Am I interrupting something?” he asked narrowing his eyes. I was a little
surprised that Eric was going to act jealous when he wouldn’t even openly claim
me.

“Not
at all, I just thought I would give Emma some company. I will leave you two to
talk,” Nathan said and walked past Eric and into the house leaving us alone.

Seeing
Eric made me realize that if I agreed to donate a kidney to Nathan I would have
to tell Eric everything. I couldn’t handle anyone else hating me. The thought
was too much to bear. “I could tell your mother didn’t want me in there so I
thought I should leave,” I said softly.

He
scowled. “You can’t let her bully you. If you let her have her way she will
never stop.”

“What
exactly am I fighting for? We aren’t together. Why should I make her hate me
more?” I asked angrily.

He
looked a little startled at my sudden outburst. “Emma, I just don’t want to
cause anyone anymore pain. I thought you understood that,” he said confused.

I
scoffed. “I don’t understand anything anymore,” I muttered.

He
shifted nervously and glanced back at the door. “Look I need to get back in
there before my mother comes looking for me; but we need to talk more. Will you
meet me on the boat tonight around midnight? Everyone will be asleep by then
and we can talk and figure this all out.” He sounded like he was pleading with
me. He acted like he was worried I was going to say no.

“Fine,
whatever,” I said softly.

“I
promise I will make it up to you tonight,” he said quickly then went back into
the house to entertain his guest. The thought just infuriated me more.

I
walked across the yard and onto the pier. I sat on the edge and dangled my feet
over the side. It was a really nice day and I intended to enjoy it.

After
a few minutes Lily came wandering down the pier toward me. She had a bottle of
wine and two wine glasses. She sat down next to me and grinned. “I have come to
ease your pain,” she said as she offered me a wine glass.

I
smiled and accepted it. I didn’t really need to drink. It was barely past noon,
but then again I was on summer vacation. I had a lot of partying to catch up
on. I was all about study in college. I wasn’t the partying type like Laura.
“So what brings you out here? I figured you would be banned from being my
friend,” I said amused.

She
laughed. “No one can stop me from doing anything.”

I
smiled. “Well I am glad for that,” I said amused.

She
poured us each a glass then raised her glass. “Here’s to men, and their uncanny
ability to make us make really stupid decisions,” she said amused.

I
smiled and raised my glass with her. For me it wasn’t all men, it was just
Eric. He had a way of making me do things the old me would have never done. He
was the reason I was so confused right now. I wasn’t used to feeling anything
for anyone.

We
spent the next couple hours talking and joking. Lily was fun to be around. Lily
made me miss hanging out with Laura. Laura and I didn’t have much in common,
but Laura made me laugh. We had fun together when we went shopping and hung out
at the apartment. It seemed like things had changes so much in just a matter of
a few days.

It
was late afternoon by the time Lily and I made our way back into the house. I
was glad to see the unwelcome guest was gone and Granny was apparently taking
her afternoon nap.

“I
am sure he is in his office if you want to see him,” Lily said and winked at me
before trudging up the stairs.

I
smiled and shook my head. I wanted to go see him. I was slightly buzzed and I
was in the mood for his touch. I walked down the hall and knocked gently on his
office door.

“Come
in,” he said from the other side.

I
slipped in the office then closed and locked the door behind me. He was on the
phone and he didn’t look up immediately. When he finally looked up he looked
relieved to see me. I was glad that he was happy to see me. That fact made me
feel a little bit better.

I
slowly walked toward him and began to unbutton my dress. He watched me
intently, but continued his conversation. I came to a stop in front of him and
slid the dress completely off and tossed it aside. He reached up and traced my
panty line with his finger. The feel of his finger tips on my skin sent
shockwaves of pleasure through me. The spot where his fingers touched me
tingled even when his fingers were no longer there. I unclipped my bra and
tossed it aside; then I sat down on the desk in front of him. All I had on was
a delicate pair of pink lace panties.

He
hung the phone up and stood. He ran his fingers through my hair and I closed my
eyes. He gently trailed kisses across my clavicle and lower to my breasts. He
covered one of my breasts with his mouth making me gasp. He sucked gently
making me moan as my body heated up. I wanted him and he made it so easy for me
to crave his touch. I tangled my fingers through his hair and pulled him to me.
His mouth covered mine and he kissed me aggressively. He was breathing heavy as
he broke the kiss and looked at me. “I know you are angry with me,” he said
softly.

I
pressed my fingers to his lips then quickly kissed him. “I don’t want to think
about that now,” I whispered against his mouth.

He
didn’t question me, he just pressed his mouth to mine and kissed me. My lips
were sore from his desperate and rough kisses. He lifted me gently and quickly
slid my panties off. I fumbled with his belt buckle, then his button and
zipper. Once his hard cock was free I didn’t waste any time. I guided him
inside me and he was all too happy to oblige. He pushed me further onto the
desk and climbed over me. He didn’t seem to care that he was knocking things
off the desk left and right. The firm platform of the desk against my back
didn’t give so his thrusts were more intense. I cried out in excitement as he
got rougher. His thrusts were punishing and it was a confusing mixture of
pleasure and pain. He was so deep inside me it didn’t take him long to push me
over the edge. I cried out in ecstasy as I came apart under him.

Damn,
Emma!” he cried and I felt his warm release fill me. I was trying to catch my
breath. My body was humming and I felt flushed yet clammy from being covered in
a thin sheen of sweat. He laid slumped over me. He was breathing fast and I
could feel his heart pounding in his chest. I was completely satisfied. He had
given me exactly what I wanted.

He
moved off of me and looked at the mess on the floor then grinned. “That was
totally worth it,” he said amused.

I
giggled. “I agree,” I said too relaxed to move.

He
dressed and I enjoyed watching him. He had an incredible body. The sudden
thought he would never actually be mine hit me and my mood darkened. “I should
go,” I said softly as I sat up.

He
came to me and kept me from climbing off the desk. “What is that look for?” he
asked worried.

I
shook my head and looked away. “It’s nothing, I am fine.”

He
caught my chin and forced me to look at him. “Tell me,” he said softly.

I
looked at him and I wondered how much I could say without him freaking out. “I
don’t like hiding what we have. I have feelings for you and I am not really
used to feeling this way.”

He
smiled sadly at me. “I wished it was less complicated than it is. Just give me
a little bit of time. I have feelings for you to and they are scaring me as
much as your feelings for me are scaring you.”

I
scowled and looked away. “I don’t have time. I have to make plans. I have to
decide what to do with my life,” I said angrily.

“Emma
I understand if you can’t or don’t want to wait for me. I would never hold it
against you. We are at different places in our lives and that is what makes
everything so much more complicated. Do what you think is best for you. It will
all work out no matter what happens between us,” he said softly.

It
wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear. He wasn’t flat out rejecting me, but he
wasn’t promising me anything either. I didn’t understand what I wanted him to
say, I just knew he wasn’t saying it. “Ok,” I said deciding to let it go. I
slid off the desk and started to dress. He began putting his desk back
together. He was watching me, but I didn’t look at him. I was afraid if I
looked at him I would break down and cry. “I will see you at dinner,” I said
quietly and went for the door.

“Emma
wait,” he said quickly. I looked at him and he didn’t speak immediately. He
looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. He finally shook his
head. “Never mind. I will see you at dinner.” He did his best to smile, but I
could tell it wasn’t his real smile, it was a front.

I
remained in my room for the rest of the afternoon. At dinner time I really
didn’t even want to go downstairs, but I did anyway. Eric was right. I couldn’t
let people push me around and treat me like a horrible person.

I
took my seat at the dining room table. Eric and Nathan were the only two that
smiled at me. Lily was still in bed. Laura acted like I didn’t exist and Granny
shot me a disapproving look every now and then.

“So
Beth is excited about the event Friday night. She wants me to go with her to
select a dress,” Granny said happily breaking the awkward silence.

Eric
shot her annoyed look then glanced at me. “Mother,” he growled softly.

She
gave him her best innocent look. “What, I just thought you would like to know
that she is excited about going out with you,” she said like it was no big
deal.

I
felt my stomach twist and my chest tightened. Eric hadn’t said anything about
going out with Beth. If what she was saying was true then it was obvious I
meant nothing to him.

“It’s
not a date,” Eric growled. I could feel him looking at me, but I refused to
meet his gaze.

I
was suddenly not very hungry, but I refused to leave and let her win.

“Sure
it’s not, Nathan dear, Eric will have to give you a ride to your appointment
tomorrow. I am going with Beth around that time,” Granny said happily. I knew
she was enjoying herself and that was making everything so much worse.

“It’s
not a problem Helen. I was going to tell you that Emma was going to take me.
The college isn’t far from the hospital and I told her I would show her
around,” Nathan said smiling.

I
glanced up at him and he winked at me. I smiled, he was trying to make Eric
mad. Nathan was supposed to set an appointment for me to get a blood test and
that was why he volunteered me.

“I
was going to take her in the next couple days,” Eric said a little defensively.

I
looked at Eric and forced a smile. “It’s really no big deal. It’s killing two
birds with one stone really. Nathan has a ride and I can see the college.
Although I am pretty sure I have already decided on my first offer.”

Eric
held my gaze then shifted nervously. “You are right that does work out better.”
His tone was clipped and I knew Nathan was successful at making him mad.

“So
you will be leaving next week then?” Granny asked looking at me.

“More
than likely,” I said stiffly meeting her hard gaze.

“It
will be for the best I am sure,” she said sounding pleased.

“Mother!”
Eric growled angrily.

“What?
I just think she shouldn’t pass up the opportunity if it a good one,” she said
innocently.

“I’m
sure,” Eric muttered.

“I
think you will like the campus here. It is pretty nice,” Nathan said trying to
change the subject.

“I
agree, they have an excellent English program,” Eric said without looking up
from his plate. I could tell he was irritated.

“I
am looking forward to seeing the campus,” I said quietly because I wasn’t sure
what else to say. The whole situation was awkward and I was going to avoid the
dinner table from now on. Lily had the right idea. Staying in bed would have
been better than this.

“You
know Eric, Beth and I were talking. She has never been on a boat. I was
thinking you could take her out this weekend,” Granny said like it was no big
deal at all.

“Mother
please, I am not going out with Beth, now let it go,” Eric said sounding more
like he was pleading with her.

I
wanted to say something, but I bit my tongue. I didn’t understand why Eric let
her push him around. He was an adult he should have been allowed to see who he
wanted to.

“You
don’t have to rub it in Granny,” Laura muttered without looking up from her
plate.

I
looked at Laura, but she wouldn’t look at me. I couldn’t believe she was
defending me. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit of relief, maybe she still
cared about me.

Granny
scoffed. “I am not rubbing anything in. If Emma can’t handle it then she
shouldn’t be here.”

“Damn
it mother, leave her alone. This is such bullshit!” Eric growled as he slammed
his silverware down startling everyone. He got up and walked out of the dining
room leaving us all silent.

“I
will go check on him,” Nathan said softly after a few minutes. He stood up and
walked out. I was now alone without either of the two people who still liked
me.

“How
long are you going to stay here and cause Eric pain? Why can’t you just accept
that he broke up with you and move on?” Granny asked angrily.

I
looked at her a little startled by her sudden attack. “I will leave when he
tells me to leave,” I countered matching her tone.

“He
won’t tell you to leave because he doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. If you
care about him do him a favor and leave so he can move forward.” Her expression
was unforgiving. She really didn’t like me and I didn’t understand why. Maybe
she thought I was hurting him. Maybe I was really hurting him and I just
couldn’t see it.

“Granny
stop, daddy doesn’t want her to leave,” Laura cut in.

Granny
turned her hard gaze on Laura. “How can you defend her after what she did?”

Laura
didn’t waiver which surprised me. “Emma has helped me out so many times I still
owe her even after this. Yes I am upset with her, but she isn’t ruining daddy’s
life like you act like she is.”

“Laura
it is ok, I think I should go. I have been thinking about it for a couple days
now,” I said softly as I stood and gathered my plate.

I
walked to the kitchen relieved to be getting away from Granny’s harsh words.

“You
can’t just leave Emma. Daddy doesn’t want you to leave. I am not an idiot I
know he didn’t really want to break up with you,” Laura argued following me
into the kitchen.

“Laura,
I don’t want to fight. I just want to start my life. Maybe it is better if I
start it somewhere else,” I said defeated.

Laura
sighed and crossed her arms defiantly. “Well don’t leave because you think I
want you to because I don’t.”

I
smiled. “I won’t. If I leave it will because it is what is best for me, I
promise.”

She
nodded then turned and left without saying anything else. I was glad Laura at
least was coming around. I had no clue what I was going to do about Granny. She
was hell bent on getting me to leave.

The
sliding door to the deck opened and Nathan came inside. He gave me a
sympathetic look and I looked away. I hated it when people felt sorry for me.
After seeing it so many times it was tiring. “Is he ok?” I asked quietly.

“I
think so. I wanted to talk about you though. If you decide to go through with
the donation you are going to have to tell him about our ties,” he said softly.

I
had been thinking about what I was going to say. There was no gentle way of
putting it. The thought of him rejecting me was painful. “We need to find a way
around telling him,” I said quietly.

“Emma…”
he started like he was going to lecture me.

“Please
don’t lecture me. I know what I should do, but I can’t handle it. I can’t take
any more rejection. You know he will hate me and probably you for lying so why
even put ourselves through it?” I was pleading with him. I wanted him to agree
with me. If he would agree with me I would feel better about my decision.

He
sighed. “Emma lying has never been a resolution to anything. How will you
donate to me if he doesn’t know?”

“It’s
simple. I will tell him I am taking the job across the country. I will get the
surgery and by the time I recover I will have another job offer. He will never
see me again, so he will never know,” I sounded confident, but I knew it wasn’t
going to be as easy as I made it sound.

He
pressed his lips together. I knew he wanted to tell me off. He had a thing
about people running away from their problems. I was beginning to realize that
running would cause the least amount of damage to the people I loved. “Fine,
you can remain in an apartment I have until you recover, then you can prance off
into the sunset all by yourself if that is what you want.” He was agreeing to
do things my way, but I could tell by the condescending tone he was using that
he didn’t like my way.

“Thank
you,” I said unable to meet his gaze.

“Your
welcome, but I can promise you will regret it,” he said then walked out leaving
me alone. I scowled and tossed the wash rag down. I was really getting tired of
my life. I walked back upstairs. I had to make plans if this was going to work
out how I wanted it to.