Adapting Desires (Endangered Heart Series Book 3) Read online

  She dusted the apartment, cleaning off abandoned shelves and opening windows to trade stale air for a fresh summer breeze. It was only mid-August, but Emilia could feel the weather just brimming on autumn. Already the nights were chilly and each day was shorter than the one before it. Hopefully, she mused, the rest of the seasons would pass just as quickly as the summer had, bringing with it her graduation and beginning of her career.

  Emilia settled herself on the loveseat and prepared herself to go over her school store purchases. It seemed like every semester the price of textbooks went up while their resale value plummeted. Everything had increased in price, from lab supplies to the equipment required for her clinical work. Of course, she had fully expected to take a part-time job—in addition to her full-time work at the shelter—just to counter the expenses, easily extending her three years of schooling to four. But now that she could see the light at the end of the tunnel, Emilia was willing to confess that she was more than a little intimidated.

  Education had always been her main priority, but now that it was secondary to her marriage, Emilia felt the rest of her identity transforming as well. This was normal though, wasn’t it? Her relationship to Kasper would be forever, and being a student wasn’t. And when she obtained her license to practice veterinary medicine, wouldn’t her career replace her ambition for learning? Emilia continuously told herself that it was only her pride, her arrogance and a combination of missing Kasper that had her on edge. Overall, she could not help but feel uneasy.

  And she could not help but wonder what else her dreams would cost.

  Chapter 2

  Kasper tapped his foot impatiently while Aasif rambled on. According to his pocket watch, the attorney had been prattling for six minutes straight now, hardly stopping except to regain his breath.

  “The code clearly states that all halls and archways need to be within measurement constraints.”

  “I am not changing it.”

  Aasif looked at the blueprints. “You would not have to if you had read the building code regulations to begin with.”

  “I created the design to the client’s specifications.” Kasper sighed. “What else do they expect of me?”

  “You are usually better than this. Doing your own research with efficiency is how you built the reputation you have.”

  “It is hardly my problem.” Kasper closed his watch shut—opening it again to listen to the click.

  Aasif sighed once again and removed his glasses. Maybe the building codes weren’t really a problem at all—merely the symptom of the larger issue at hand. With any luck, it could be treated easily enough.

  “You really miss her that much? Already? You speak on the telephone every night and saw her little more than a week ago—”

  Open. Close. Open. Close. Kasper repeated the act with his pocket watch over and over as if playing with a symbol of time would make it actually go faster. “It would have been less than that if those damn realtors in Cincinnati were capable of doing their jobs.”

  “Most people can barely tolerate each other after a few months of courtship, let alone marriage. Isn’t the honeymoon phase supposed to be over by now?” Sighing, Aasif returned to his blueprints. “I recall mine certainly was…”

  Kasper narrowed his eyes at him and stood up. It was true that even with her determination, Kasper had half expected Emilia to lose her passion for their relationship. And he had been so grateful, so relieved, that she had agreed to marry him that he would have been glad for a single night with her as his wife.

  “Kasper? Are you listening to me?”

  “Of course not.” He huffed and went for the liquor cabinet. “Why in the world would I do that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know—because you don’t have the legal qualifications to negotiate the client contracts?”

  “Details, details,” he scoffed

  “If you really miss her that much just take off Thursday and Friday and make a long weekend out of it.”

  For the first time that day, Aasif had said something interesting.

  It had been one thing to try and live without her, and when being her fiancé, the possibility of Emilia changing her mind had Kasper on the edge of his seat, panicking and jumping at every phone call and e-mail. He had thought that once they were married things would be progressively easier. The novelty of happiness had not settled in him yet, the excitement of being in love still fresh and fascinating to him in every way. Now he awaited every smile and touch of her flesh with the same zeal of a young lover—his mind was consumed with nothing else.

  “I agreed to give Emilia her independence, time to get settled into her new schedule—”

  “If you are not going to be productive here, then you may as well be productive there.”

  Kasper laughed so hard his stomach cramped. “My, my, Aasif! Who knew you could be so lurid?”

  “Oh please!” Aasif scoffed. “The entire staff and I know to approach the property with closed ears and shielded eyes.”

  Kasper laughed even harder. “You should try a different hat, Aasif! Bitterness doesn’t suit you.”

  “I’m just glad you have repented your sin by marrying her. You do not need any additional excuses to go to Jahannam.”

  “True enough.” Kasper shrugged. “But you seem to forget it was she who privileged me with her hand.”

  Aasif shook his head. “If you truly feel that way then perhaps surprising her with a visit would be beneficial for the both of you—get her out of your system.”

  “That,” Kasper emphasized, “is entirely impossible. Besides, how am I supposed to work in these conditions? I am too damned happy!”

  Aasif smiled. “Stay married a little longer. That will cure you of everything but a headache.”

  ***

  The first week of the fall semester passed without incident. Already Emilia was enjoying her clinical in small animal medicine and getting along with her lab partners—finding them just as ambitious, if not more so, than herself.

  She lay on the loveseat twirling a string of her hair right up to the scalp. The worn-out loveseat had become her favorite place in the apartment. The queen sized bed reminded her far too much of Kasper for her to have an adequate night’s rest, let alone build up the stamina she needed to get through the day.

  Despite her budding interest in the additional reading material one of her professors had assigned her, she was missing Kasper more and more as the days passed. She told herself repeatedly that it was merely the homesickness associated with living in an unfamiliar place—their Ithaca apartment having been Kasper’s choice instead of her own. She even told herself that the small but overqualified class of vet students she was graduating with this year was simply making her feel more uncomfortable than usual.

  It had been almost two weeks since she had last seen Kasper, and while they spoke regularly, the lack of physical contact was beginning to get to her.

  For the first several days, she had resigned herself to the new semester, burying herself in the new syllabus and memorizing the new names and faces in her classes. She was so concerned with getting a good start in the term that she hadn’t even been completely disappointed when Kasper was out of town during that first weekend. Instead, she had spent the two nights catching up with Claudette and enjoying the remainder of the summer weather.

  Now, however, Emilia felt strained—her body and mind missing Kasper in a way she hadn’t experienced before. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling a distinct sense of sadness and longing at the idea of his fingers on her—the palm of his hand teasing more than anything else, creating goosebumps where her skin flamed with heat.

  Like a living dream, Emilia could see it in her head clearly then; the way his eyes would glaze over when she knelt for him—the way he would struggle not to push her head further against him…

  Chilled by the air conditioning, she flinched at the feel of her cold fingers on the inside of her thigh. She failed to remember when her hips began wiggling, nor at
which point she had spread her legs, but with a happy sigh, she gave in and let her herself explore her body.

  “Well, well, what have we here?”

  The suddenness of hearing a voice filled her with fear—the first awareness that she wasn’t alone quickly recovered by recognizing Kasper’s voice. She gasped, hopping up from the sofa and into the arms of her husband as he stood in the doorway, his demeanor tense even as he reciprocated her affection.

  “Kasper! When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  He inhaled deeply at the nape of her neck. “The more important question is why didn’t you react when you heard the key in the door?”

  Fiercely, she blushed, and buried her reddening face into his chest. What possible excuse could she give without revealing herself?

  “I, uh, was studying.”

  She felt him smile against her. “Hmm…interesting.”

  “What?” Her voice strained just a little as he loosened his hold on her.

  “I did not know you were studying the female anatomy this term.”

  She swallowed hard, closing her eyes and searching her mind for an excuse.

  “Kasper, I—”

  “With such subjects, it is no longer a mystery why you enjoy academia so much…”

  “It isn’t what you think—” she tried.

  Releasing her completely, Emilia glanced up as he walked across the room, his smile unfaltering as he began removing his mask.

  “Isn’t it, though? What else were you doing so intently with your hand up your dress?”

  “I—I—”

  “Don’t.” Emilia felt his movement as he snuck his arms around her waist. Almost instantly, she felt her hair stand on end.

  “Do you have any idea how many nights I’ve spent thinking of you in the very same way? How many days I’ve gluttonized myself with your image? Unless—” For an instant his breath halted. “You were inspired by someone else.”

  “Oh, no.” She clasped his hands against her and shook her head vehemently. “You’re the only one—” She paused briefly and considered what to say. “Who inspires me?”

  “Really?” For a moment he seemed to consider something. “Show me.”

  “Show you? What do you mean?”

  Ahead of finishing her thought, Kasper replied by taking her hand and guiding it to the hem of her dress.

  Like working the string of a violin, his fingers played with the soft material, raising it gently until his guiding hand rested on her inner thigh. Emilia understood then, and the heat overcame her more strongly than before. Without any control, a new rush of dampness escaped her.

  “You know perfectly what I mean.” Kasper’s voice was sultry in her ear, his hand trembling just slightly as he resisted the urge to press his skin into her. “Show me.”

  He emphasized the command with such force that Emilia shook against him. She didn’t know if she had the boldness to do what he asked—even if she was extremely motivated.

  Without another word, he walked with her still in his arms until they stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom. Trying not to focus on the pulsing in her body, Emilia stared at the intent look in Kasper’s eyes, at the resolve that told her he would not be satisfied until she did as he ordered. Swallowing hard, she watched him intensely, all too aware of his hardness pressing into her.

  Moving his other hand from her waist to her chin, he directed her stare to the reflection. He moved the hair that remained in front of her eyes. Emilia’s breath caught in her throat—the vision in front of her was no longer avoidable.

  When her dress cleared the top of her panties, the visible contrast of her hand and the wetness of the lace of her panties made her eyes widen, and Kasper chuckled in delight and the slight sense of victory. Now that she was exposed his heart thumped in the struggle to pump blood to his other organs.

  The dress came up over her head and fell silently to the floor. Once again, both of his hands dominated hers, and she shuddered at the contact. Her mound gave in to that familiar heat as lace tickled the back of her hand. With his eyes encouraging her, she slid a solitary finger into her swollen folds and moaned softly. For an instant, she paused, inciting him to remove one of his hands and imitate the movement, shadowing what he wanted to see.

  “Let me see what you do when you think of me,” he whispered. “Demonstrate how good I make you feel.”

  Vaguely, over the desire that engulfed her, Emilia was aware that Kasper’s own arrogance was stimulating him as much as she was. And while she wasn’t surprised that the promotion of his ego turned him on, she was surprised at how much she liked it, at how drenched the curls became at her bend of her finger.

  As if on its own, the remainder of her body relaxed while her fingers moved. Highlighted by the afternoon sunlight, her image was illuminated by the bright pink of her undergarments. It was a color she normally wouldn’t have indulged in, but now she was glad she had. Kasper’s measure of gratitude was unequal to her own, pink becoming a favorite color of his own as she pleasured herself for him.

  She used her index finger to create a slow, sensual build before adding her middle finger and pressing gently into that nub of her pleasure zone. Instantly, her body spasmed in time to the contracting of her inner muscles, and a little sob escaped from her.

  Kasper nodded with approval. “Exquisite.”

  Emilia grew closer to her climax with every second, her eyes now unable to take themselves away from the sensual scene in front of her. She licked her dry lips while attempting to breathe regularly. How could she go two weeks without this? And why in the world hadn’t they done this before?

  As if on cue, their gazes met in the mirror. Kasper’s grip on her waist tightened and sent a bolt of lust between her legs. While the sun began to gleam off the slim buckle of his belt, he began to match her slow rhythm, thrusting his hips against her as if no clothing separated them.

  “Yes, my little peach. Keep going.” He trembled considerably as he looked down at her hand.

  She whimpered without reprieve, her own stare traveling from the two of them to the visible arousal in his trousers. There was nothing she wanted more than for him to touch her, to do all the same things to her that she was doing to herself. Instead of responding to her pleas, however, he stepped away to retrieve several tissues from a box on top of the dresser. The sound of his zipper overlapped his groan, and she nearly fell over at the emerging sight of him, the warm, wet tip threatening to press into her backside.

  Her own pleasure increased by his, Emilia watched while he mimicked her with his hand, his attention clearly focused on getting off as quickly as possible—the need for release too painful to handle.

  “God.” Her tight whisper lingered in the space between them until he crushed her mouth under his, only to quickly release it. And as a thin sheen of sweat broke out on her back, their rhythms became synchronized. Her inner muscles swelled at the revelation and strained between the fingers that penetrated them. A soft cry flew from her mouth as she arched her back and let the satisfaction wash over her.

  The combination of her release and a few final rough strokes sent him over the edge as well. With a grunt, he clasped the tissues to the swollen head, his teeth gritted and his body shuddered with the violent release. He rested his forehead against the mess of her hair, and held her close long after their shaking subsided.

  ***

  The rest of the weekend was spent in a similar fashion, both lovers hardly separating from one another with the exclusion to fulfill basic needs. And on Sunday afternoon before Kasper left, she watched him while he slept, listening to the rhythmic sound of his heart beating as she leaned her head against him.

  “Do you know how much I love you?” she whispered.

  “Not nearly as I love you.”

  Surprised at the response she didn’t expect, Emilia sat up quickly, prompting chuckles of laughter from Kasper as her hair created a veil over
her face.

  “You were supposed to be sleeping,” she scolded him, though playfully. She attempted to blow the hair from her eyes. When she failed, Kasper only laughed harder, and used his callused fingers to part enough of the curtain to see her.

  “I will not see you for a minimum of another week. I have to get my fill of you while I can.”

  “I would think the last few hours would have sustained you for a month.” She bit her lip and began tracing small circles on his chest.

  “It certainly would have before I knew you…ten lifetimes, in fact. But now it seems the more I have you, the more I want.”

  Emilia smiled against him. “I feel the same way. But what makes you think you love me more than I love you?”

  His laugh was a mere huff. “Because if you did, your little body would burst. There is simply not enough of you to contain that much feeling.”

  “You of all people know that appearances are deceiving. I’ll have you know that I adore you just as much if not more so than you adore me.”

  He glanced down at her with amusement. “Is that so?”

  “I feel like there is an aura of you around me wherever I go, an essence of you that keeps me happy even when things aren’t going well. You’re like a guardian angel or something, a lifeguard for everything bad in the world.”

  “That is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. I am hardly a source of good as where you should be nominated for sainthood. If nothing else, I am the devil on your shoulder—trying to lure you from heaven into my dark world.”

  “A devil huh?” She produced a devilish smile of her own. “Then maybe you should tempt me with some bad things.”

  Without warning, he lifted her up from him and flipped her on her back, only to rest himself on top of her. Emilia giggled with surprise and delight, her cheeks flushed with the sudden movement and the sight of his playful smile. Examining her intently, he leaned his head down to her slowly, his lips stopping just above her ear to make her shiver.