“I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before,” Carmen said. Clark could feel the heat on her cheeks from a foot away, and she stood reluctantly beside the bike as he dug a helmet out from the boot.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Clark said, tossing her the helmet. She caught it easily, but her face still looked uneasy. “I’ve ridden this thing a thousand times. Just hold on tight and by the time we get back to the house, you’ll be glad you gave it a chance.”
He mounted the motorcycle and squeezed his eyes shut. It was unbelievably difficult for him to keep his thoughts pure. How could he blame Joseph for going after Carmen? She seemed to have no idea just how sexy she was. But that shouldn’t be a surprise. Virgins like Carmen didn’t know a damn thing about how to use what the good Lord had given them. In fact, they were completely oblivious to how insane they could drive a man. And god help them all once Carmen finally figured it out.
“Like this?” Carmen asked, draping one long, luscious leg over the seat and sliding down his back to the seat behind him. Clark was hard instantly. He just couldn’t help himself. The way her middle scraped against him; he could still feel the trail of heat her body left on him.
“Uh huh,” Clark mumbled, revving the engine. His bike purred instantly, and he managed to choke out the words, “Hold on tight.”
Carmen wrapped her arms gently around his torso, and Clark had to do everything in his power not to groan out loud as the soft mound of her breasts pressed into his back. Was he being tested or something?
Clark tore off down the road, again, ignoring all the speed limits and the racing of Carmen’s heart. He could feel every little thrill the bumps and turns surged through her body, all through the vibration of her heart against his back. In fact, her heart had been racing the entire time he had been with her. But it reached new heights as he sped his bike through the streets. Still, despite what he assumed was her fear, he didn’t even slow down. So what if it was her first ride? He needed to end this agony as soon as possible. Wasn’t he a good man?
They finally reached the house and he hopped off his bike, hoping to go inside before he had to speak anymore to Carmen. But fortune was not on his side.
“Ow!” Carmen exclaimed.
He whipped around, concerned by the note of pain in her voice.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know…I think it burnt me.”
Clark could have kicked himself. He hadn’t told her to watch the exhaust pipe going down.
“Hey, come here,” Clark said, leading her carefully through the back door and into the big bathroom. He sat her down on the rim of the tub and lifted her leg up onto his lap. “It’s not that bad, let me take care of that for you.”
Carmen blushed and sat quietly as Clark rummaged through the first aid kit.
“This might be a little cold,” he warned, squeezing a bottle of ointment over the burn. It was smaller than it felt, fortunately, and Clark smiled soothingly at her. “All better.”
“Maybe if you kissed it,” Carmen joked, the redness in her cheeks deepening attractively.
Clark gazed at her for a moment, lost in the perfect, soft features of Carmen’s face. She looked so delicate and pure. If he were less of a man, he would be giving in to his baser instincts. He tried to think of something, anything, he could say to take his mind off of his desire for her, but his mind drew a blank. All he could see was Carmen.
“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” he asked, tearing his eyes away from her before they wandered on their own. The last thing he needed was for Carmen to report back to Rachel that her father was a pervert.
“Sure,” Carmen said. “I could use something to get my mind off the night I’ve been having.”
Clark frowned. If she had any idea what was going on in his head, then she wouldn’t be so eager to accept his invitation. He wanted to take it back. To tell her that he had a lot of work to do and that she would be better off heading to her room, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with her. When Clark saw something he wanted, most of the time, it was impossible to let it go.
He could only hope that, for once in his life, he would be able to make an exception.
“What do you like?” Carmen asked as they walked through the kitchen together. The question caught him off-guard. It was so innocently spoken, and yet his horrible mind interpreted it sexually.
“Huh?” Clark asked, his voice noticeably strained. He hoped that Carmen wouldn’t notice it.
“I like romantic comedies, but you don’t seem the type,” Carmen said, smiling at him.
Again, his heart pounded heavily and the heat in his loins intensified. What was this girl trying to do?
The answer to that was nothing. Because she was a virgin and it was going to stay that way. How could he even let himself think something so forbidden?
They settled into the living room and Clark put on an old classic movie. He was sure Carmen wouldn’t be interested, and secretly hoped she would lose interest and go back to her room. But to his surprise, she seemed to enjoy the movie as much as he did.
He caught himself staring at her in the dim light of the room as her attention was captivated by one of his favorite stories. She laughed at just the right parts; places his daughter had stayed completely stone-faced over. Carmen’s whole demeanor seemed so much more mature than most of the women he had known; even women his own age. How was that possible?
Her dazzling green eyes flickered from the screen and held his gaze for a moment, and he sensed a mild feeling of longing coming from her direction. Was he imagining it? Shifters had highly tuned senses, but the mind was also powerful and could lead people to see things that weren’t necessarily there. It was better not to assume anything.
Carmen pulled her gaze away from him and stared at the television, her expression slack. She wasn’t engrossed in the plot line anymore. In fact, he could hear her heart racing as her mind mulled something over that even Clark’s heightened senses couldn’t interpret.
“How do you like the movie?” Clark asked, wanting more than anything to break her out of her thoughts and give him something he could easily interpret.
Carmen hesitated before looking in his direction, and the rapid beat of her heart resumed. Clark couldn’t help but grin. Did she have a crush on him?
“I like it,” Carmen said, her soft voice tight. “But honestly, it’s hard to concentrate. It’s been a bad night.”
Clark frowned. He was just making her night worse by indulging in his forbidden interest for her. Why would he keep doing that when it obviously didn’t help either one of them?
“Do you want to talk about it?” Clark asked, shoving his perverted old man aside to make room for his concerned, parental side. He stood from his armchair, where he had been comfortably isolated and alone, and sat beside Carmen. It was much easier to open up to someone if they were in a more intimate space.
Besides, despite his attraction for her, Clark was legitimately concerned. It wasn’t good to hold on to bad feelings. Especially for humans. Their coping mechanisms were a lot more dangerous than those of a shifter. He had self-control, after all. He could be there for a young woman who needed him without taking advantage of her. Right?
“It started with this guy, Greg,” Carmen began.
“Ew,” Clark said, wrinkling his nose dramatically. It was a gesture that had never failed to make Rachel laugh, and had the same effect on Carmen.
“Ew is right,” Carmen said. “He got a little too pushy with me so I left.”
“Good for you!” Clark exclaimed. “I’m gonna have to give him a talk.”
“No, don’t bother with that,” Carmen said. “He’s not worth the trouble.”
“No, but all the other young women he doesn’t know how to respect are,” Clark said.
Carmen turned a sharp look upon him, fire in her eyes. She stared at him for a moment, not speaking, and the longing she felt for him was unmistakable now. He could feel it in every inch of his body. But it wasn’t fair; she didn’t know he could tell exactly how she was feeling for him.
“I really appreciate you, Mr. Thomas,” Carmen said. Clark could smell the fear and anxiety rolling off of her as she reached out to touch his hand. She didn’t want to be rejected.
Clark took her hand in his, desire consuming his entire being.
“Call me Clark,” he said.