MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Because of Nathan's good looks, he was often thought to be unapproachable, and especially by women. His assistant was a man, and women were generally unable to arouse his interest. Thus, it was rumored that he was a homosexual.

Crystal was the only woman who had ever broken Nathan's barriers and ignited his carnal desires. He watched closely as her tongue ran up the length of the most raw meat, and at the last minute, before she put it in her mouth, he snatched the fork out of her hand and said, "You can't eat that. It is too bloody. It's bad for your stomach." By now, Nathan had lost his appetite. He was still hungry, but not for food.

Tiffany frowned and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know that. Crystal, don't eat the steak. Why not have a slice of pizza or some pasta instead?" Tiffany handed the pasta to Crystal.

Crystal shrugged, but she did not make the pasta. Instead, she got up and snatched the wine glass out of Nathan's hand. When Tiffany saw that, she said, "Careful, Crystal. Professor Davis has already drunk from that glass."

Crystal ignored her. She put her lips where Nathan's had been and finished the red wine that had been in the glass. "I am not interested in eating any of this," she said. She pointed to the pasta and then the pizza. "The wine was good, though. I won't disturb you guys. I'm going upstairs. Enjoy your meal."

As Crystal walked away, she noticed that Tiffany and Nathan were eating, and she began to fret. Then, when she got back to her room, she flung herself on her bed. She didn't know why, but she was suddenly very angry.

Crystal closed her eyes and replayed in her mind what had happened between her and Nathan in the dressing room at the mall. She remembered how his teeth on her breasts had made her nipples sensitive to the touch. Crystal grabbed her pillow and clutched it against her chest, and tried to siphon her anger into it, but it didn't work. I will have to take more drastic steps-she realized.

Crystal quickly thought of something. She jumped out of bed and slipped quietly into Nathan's room. During her previous excursion, time had only permitted her to look for her Mother's diary on the bedside table. Now, she hopes to do a more thorough search.

The first place Crystal looked was in the closet. There was a built-in safe there, on the ground. She tried her Mother's combination and was surprised to discover that Nathan had changed it. What now? - she asked herself- it could be anything!

As Crystal tried to figure out what the combination was, she heard Nathan's footsteps approaching and froze. If she left now, she would be discovered - and who knew what he would do to her if he found her there! The only thing she could think to do was crawl into the closet and hide behind the clothes.

***

As Nathan ate, all that he could think about was the way Crystal had looked while she was manipulating the raw meat with her tongue. She had awoken every cell in his body, and he was so aroused that he couldn't think straight. Finally, in order to suppress his desire, he decided to go upstairs and have a shower.

When Nathan got to his room, he went to his closet to get his bathrobe, but he saw a pair of pink slippers when he looked down. He quickly swept the clothes to one side, and Crystal was exposed.

Crystal began to panic. She had been discovered. She tried to step past Nathan so that she could run back to her room, but Nathan grabbed her and threw her on his bed. And as she fell, she suddenly felt dizzy; whether it was from the wine or the sudden excitement, Crystal knew not.

Crystal was wearing a white dress with a low neckline, and when she hit the bed, it pulled tight, exposing one pale white breast. When Nathan saw this, his heart rate began to go up. His face and chest flushed, and his eyes could not look away.

Nathan leaned over and nuzzled his face in Crystal's neck, but before he lost complete control of his body, a thought occurred to him, and he pulled away. He glared at her and said, "You seem too experienced for someone your age. Who taught you how to seduce men like this? Was it Carlos?"

Crystal thought that Nathan would have questioned her about why she was hiding in his closet, so she was surprised by his line of inquiry. Luckily, she was a quick thinker. She said, "I thought you said that I couldn't seduce you because of my age, but I guess you were wrong! Anyway, I'm glad that you left Tiffany alone downstairs."

Nathan: "Why? Are you jealous of her?" 

Crystal: "Not hardly. I invited Tiffany here so that she could seduce you. Are you not satisfied with her? You said I'm too young for you. Is she too old?"

Or maybe we are both too young - Crystal thought in dismay. She had seen the way he was with Elena, and if that was the age bracket Nathan was most interested in, neither of the girls had a chance with him.

Nathan snorted, "Do you want me to date, other women?"

Crystal: "Yes. I'm very generous. I am all for an 'Open Marriage. You may have sex with whomever you like."

What happened next was outside of Nathan's control, and he regretted it afterward. He'd heard what Crystal had said, and the next thing he knew, she had her hand to the side of her face, and she was crying. He'd hit her, he quickly realized. "I-I d-d-didn't m-mean it," he stammered.

Nathan couldn't bear to look at Crystal. He felt too ashamed of what he'd done. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean it. Really!" Without waiting for a reply, he ran out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house.. Once he got to his car, he jumped in, turned the ignition, and sped off into the night.