Chapter Thirty-two Evan Sterling’s POV (Ten Years Before)

I ended up startling her and making her lose her balance. She let out a squeal, and stumbled, her knees buckled and hit the stone framing the stream. I rushed forward before she could fall back into the water. The very thought of her hitting her head on something filled me with dread.
“Estera!” I called, rushing to get to her. I saw a stain of blood and she cried out in pain. I wrapped my arms around her and whisked her off the ledge, holding her tight to my body protectively. “I got you. Shh … it’s okay,” I whispered against her wet hair, and my heart that was beating erratically began to reduce in pace now that she was safe in my arms.
I couldn’t help drawing her scent into my nostrils since my lips and nose were pressed to her hair, and God help me, I didn't want to let go. That feeling scared the shit out of me. I slowly walked to a brick bench on the side and lowered myself to it, making her sit on my lap. I tried to ignore that she was naked and sitting on my throbbing cock as I reached for her knee and examined it.
“You followed me? Ouch! Stop, damn it, that hurts!” she cried accusingly.
“You shouldn’t curse. It’s not ladylike,” I found myself lecturing. I couldn’t help it. The fact that she was barely eighteen was flashing in my head. I was twenty-five damn it. I shouldn’t be lusting after her and desperately needed a distraction.
“Seriously?!”She snapped. I retrieved a clean handkerchief from my pocket and tied it around her knee. Held in a quiver as my finger brushed her skin. Her skin was soft and smooth and I wanted so much to trail my hand down her calves and up in between her legs. I wanted to taste her and latched my mouth to those pecking nipples and sucked her hard. ‘Christ, I need to get away from her!’ I thought in panic. I stopped to look directly into her eyes. She stopped talking and stared back.
“Your… um… aunt is waiting for you at the chalet,” I said, realizing looking into her eyes was a bad move. I had a momentary lapse of how intense and arresting they were. Then she flicked out her tongue to lick her lower lip and my eyes followed the move, wanting to be the one licking her lips and sucking them.
“My … my aunt?” she stammered.
“Yes, we need to go back, she must be worried sick now. I promised her to look around and bring you to her.”
“Who are you?” she asked and I could hear a hint of disquiet in her tone.
“Evan Sterling. And she told me you are Estera,” I replied.
“I suppose I need to talk to her so she stops giving my name to folks who are judgmental!”
“If I say I’m sorry, will you let that go?” I said, trying not to smile.
“Maybe…” she said, torturing me now as she bite her lower lip, still looking straight into my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I said earnestly, “And stop doing that” I snapped when she continued to bite her lower lip, looking into my eyes at the same time.
“What?” she asked in obvious confusion.
“Nothing,” I snapped again, taking out my frustration on her. “Let me help you get to the car. I stood up with her still in my arms, making her stand on the bench while I took off my jacket. “Wear this,” I said, offering it to her while I avert my gaze. She paused and I had to raise my eyes to look at her. A deep frown furrowed my eyebrows.
“I can wear my own clothes.”
“They are wet, Estera,” I reminded her like one would a petulant child.
“I prefer to wear my own clothes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want my aunt to know .. you know… that you found me here…”
“Naked?” I finished for her and she nodded. ‘Estera, if you don't take this damn jacket and wear it, that would be the least of our problems,’ I thought with chest heaving. “I will tell her I made you change the clothes in the car so you don't wet my seats,” I said in a voice that came out harsh and impatient. I was nearing the end of my rope and didn’t know how long I could hold back.
She glared at me, snatched the jacket, and wore it. My eyes settled on her breast when she raised her arms and I had to turn away and put some distance between us to prevent myself from reaching for her. I saw where she spread her clothes on a tree branch and went to get them with her sneakers, distracting myself with the task. Then I returned to her and instead of letting her wear her wet shoes, I carried her, making her gasp.
“I can walk!” she protested.
“I am fully aware, Estera,” I replied without looking down at her in my arms. When we got to the car I placed her on the hood, opened the back seat to put her wet clothes on the leather seat, and shut the door. Walking back to her I did my best not to look into her eyes again. My jacket reached above her knees and with her sitting on the hood it had ridden up to show her lovely thighs and I imagined myself parting them to have her wrap her legs around me while I buried my throbbing cock inside her. I shook my head sharply as if that would dispel the thought.
“Put your arms around my neck,” I ordered and I felt the heat of her eyes on my face before she did as I asked. I was glad she didn’t argue I needed to get her back to her aunt and leave. When she wrapped her arms around my neck. I picked her up, feeling her soft breast pressed firmly to my chest. And her legs wrapped around me. Perhaps I didn’t think this through. I had thought to lift her up this way in order to make it easy for me to open the passenger door and place her in the passenger seat and now I have her wrapped around me just in the perfect position I wanted so much. I held back a groan. ‘You did this to yourself, Evan,’ I thought.
Estera wasn’t helping me either. She buried her face in the nook of my neck and I lost a bit of control and allowed my hands supporting her weight to trail her skin till I could cup her naked ass. I heard her gasp and she burrowed deeper in my arms. It was at the tip of my tongue to tell her to stop fucking doing that. But I didn't. I allowed her to hold on tight to me. And in that short walk from the driver's side, till I deposited her in the passenger seat, I detached my brain from the workings of my body and as a result, my hands stroked and caressed her thighs. It felt so damn good. Only it only made me want her more.
We drove back in silence, and I thought to drop her off and just go, but when we got to the chalet, I parked and just sat there. She didn’t make an attempt to exit the Jeep either until I looked at her and held her gaze.
“Thank you,” she said in that sexy sultry tone that was beginning to be physical torture. I nodded. “Please, don't let my Aunt get fired,” she added, searching my gaze.
“You have my word,” I said and swallowed. I bet if she’d asked me at that moment to pluck out my heart and give it to her I would have done it. When she hesitated as if she was debating something in her head, I added, “Could you please get down and let your aunt know that I am waiting to drive her back to the main house?”
“Of course,” she said, sounding hurt. My heart tightened knowing how I must have sounded to her but I needed her to go. She jerked the car door open, got down, and shut it. I watched her march up the porch stairs and didn’t stop looking till she entered the house. Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.
“I need to stay away from her,'' I said to myself with a strong resolve.