MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Once they were in the car and the air conditioning had brought the temperature to a comfortable level, Crystal gave Eric a stern look and said, "I'd like to have this necklace off. I don't belong to you, and I don't like people thinking that I do."

Eric laughed cruelly. "Forget it," he said. "It looks good on you. Besides, you may not belong to me now, but you will. You'll see." 

He leaned back, pulled out a cigarette from a pack in his pocket, and casually lit it up. He brought the fog to his mouth and inhaled.

"Nathan and I are married," Crystal said earnestly.

Immediately after hearing these words, Eric began to choke, and smoke billowed out of his nose and mouth. His mind rejected her words, despite their ring of truth. Finally, though, he forced himself to come to terms with what she'd said. Petulantly, he whined: "I don't mind. Why would l?"

Crystal's brow furrowed. She had thought that he would mind. "You have been chasing me all this time," she said. "How can you say that you don't mind? I don't know if I believe you or not... In fact, I don't think that I do!"

Eric shrugged and said, "You are the first woman that I have ever been attracted to. I would rather try to win you and fail than give up and never know if I could have won your heart. You say that you are married, but all I see is another challenge. And what is life, if not a series of challenges to overcome?" He took another drag from his cigarette, held the smoke in his lungs for half a minute, then blew it out in a series of meticulous O's. "Anyway, quit bothering me about the collar. It's not coming off."

Crystal knew it was pointless to argue, so she tried to think of another approach that might be more successful. "Nathan told me all about this collar," she said.

Eric leaned back in his seat and laughed. "Nathan's not as smart as he thinks he is," he said. "I'm surprised that you haven't realized that by now!"

Crystal: "What's that supposed to mean?" "Never mind." Eric reached into the back of the car and retrieved a large bouquet of orange flowers from behind his seat. He handed them to Crystal and said, "Here. These are for you. They're orange Juliet roses. I ordered them from France."

Crystal accepted the flowers and sniffed the petals. "I'll accept these as payment for your meal. They mean nothing more to me. Is that understood?"

The corners of Eric's mouth twitched. The bouquet had cost millions, but she thought that it was no more valuable than a plate of food. He forced himself to swallow his pride, and he nodded. "You should know that I am better for you than Nathan is," he said. "How much do you really know about him anyway?"

Crystal froze when she heard this question. She felt as if he'd read her mind. In truth, she knew almost nothing about Nathan. "I don't know anything about you, either," she argued.

Eric: "Everything about me is transparent. Ask me anything you want."

Crystal chuckled, pushed open the door, and stepped out of the car. She thanked him for the flowers and told him to drive safely. Then she turned back in the direction of the house.

Eric watched her as she walked away. He enjoyed the sight of her hips moving back and forth, and he remembered how sweet it had felt to have her arms around him when they'd gone for a motorcycle ride together. She had loved the rush he'd given her. It was an experience Nathan could not duplicate, and he couldn't figure out what she saw in his old rival.

****

As Crystal was putting the roses in a vase, Nathan came up behind her. "I was starting to wonder if you were ever coming back," he said.

"Don't be silly." Crystal laughed and said, "That wasn't so bad, was it. Maybe your relationship with Eric isn't irreconcilable after all..."

Nathan: "Is that what you consider civil behavior? We were practically at each other's throats! Or maybe you just get off on watching two men fight over you, is that it?"

Crystal said nothing as she walked over to him. She placed her hands loosely at his wrists and smiled. Then she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "That's not it," she said. "I promise. Now, how about we forget this ever happened, okay...?"

"That works for me," Nathan said, "so long as you get rid of those horrible flowers. I don't like them stinking up the place. And it will be a cold day in Hell before I'm ready to see fried beef on the menu again. Are we in agreement?"

"It would be a real pity to throw these flowers away," Crystal argued. "They are beautiful, and I like the smell. Furthermore, they really brighten this place up!"

Nathan touched Crystal's cheek and said, "You brighten this place up. And if it needs more brightening up, you could always lower the neckline on your dress....

Crystal followed Nathan's gaze down to her cleavage. He cupped her left breast with his right hand and smiled. Typically, in this situation, she would pull away, but she wanted to appease him so that she could keep the flowers. So, instead of pulling away, she unbuttoned the top two buttons on her dress so that the tops of her milky white orbs were plainly visible. Since she was on her period, she felt safe. There was no way that he would force her while she was bleeding.

"Is that enough?" she asked innocently. "Can I keep the flowers?"

Nathan: "What if I said that it wasn't enough?"

Crystal: "Then I would tell you to close your eyes."

Nathan smirked. He tweaked her nipple playfully and said, "And what if I refused?" 

Crystal smiled calmly and began to undo the buttons on his shirt, and she didn't stop until she'd reached the bottom. Then she pressed both hands flat against his chest. "You are so strong," she purred. Looking down, she could see the bulge of his erection through his jeans, and she covered his eyes with her left hand. "Don't move," she said. "I have a surprise for you."

Nathan: "Mmmm... I like surprises!" Crystal's bra was clasped together in the front, and she deftly snapped it open with her right hand. The two cups fell to either side of her body, and her nipples tightened and throbbed in the cold air.. Now that her breasts were fully exposed, she leaned forward and pressed them against his chest.