Chapter 5 #3
Drawing her close and hugging her in hopes of reassuring her, Bennett realized the error of his thinking once she was entirely in his arms. He had a small taste of what she felt like in his arms earlier when they were dancing.
Of course, that was before he got an eyeful of her gorgeous body.
Now, he had to fight heaven and earth to keep his hands from roaming all over.
From unbuttoning his jacket, ripping the other strap, and feasting on her incredible breasts, the only thing stopping him was a mantra running through the back of his mind, "She is still in high school.
She is still in high school. She is still in high school. "
Pushing her back, he rested his forehead on hers and asked, "Better? All good?"
Poppy nodded, and she pulled back and looked deeply into his eyes. "Thank you. You are so kind."
Shaking his head and thinking that if she knew what he was thinking, she would not think him to be so kind. Pulling back from her, he turned to leave when Poppy reached out and caught his arm.
Giving him a shy look, she asked, "Can I ask you a favor?"
"A favor? Sure. What do you need?" asked Bennett earnestly, trying to act like he was not so completely affected by her. He knew what he needed but was damn sure it was not what she was going to say.
Swallowing her fear, Poppy said in a small voice, "Would you kiss me? I have never been kissed, and the only way to wipe out the horrible memory of standing here naked in front of you would be to replace it with something warm and good."
Dropping his forehead back down on hers, he closed his eyes. She had no idea what she was asking. He was hanging on by a thread. But if one kiss would help, he could man up and do it.
Reaching down and cupping her face, he looked deeply into her eyes and saw the same all-consuming desire for him that he had seen earlier in the evening.
Someday, he would have to teach her not to be so open and vulnerable with her feelings.
Other men would take what she was unknowingly offering.
He would have to teach her how to protect herself.
But all of that was for another night. Tonight was about helping her get over her embarrassment.
Tipping her head back, he said, "One kiss, Poppy. Just one or this will go places you are not ready to go. Nod if you understand.”
Poppy was beyond words, but she nodded her head.
Slowly and softly, Bennett lowered his lips to hers.
At first, it was a very chaste and innocent kiss.
It reminded him of kisses he had shared with girls playing kissing games.
But before he could pull away, Poppy wrapped her arms around him.
Pressing her breasts into his chest, she opened her mouth, taking them both down a rabbit hole of lust, passion, and desire.
Without thinking, Bennett pressed himself into her, letting her feel his desire for her.
As she adjusted her body to bring him closer, a warning bell went off in Bennett's head, and he practically shoved her across the room.
"Shit Carrington. Get a hold of yourself. She is in high school."
"Who are you talking to?" asked Poppy, still dazed by the kiss.
"Myself. That was way out of line. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I said one kiss. Not one volcano."
Not knowing what she was supposed to say, Poppy stood motionless and said nothing.
Bennett ran to the back of the building and turned off the heat, leaving Poppy with a shocked expression on her face.
Next, Bennett raced around to the back of the car and quickly got the last of the toys out.
Dumping them quickly, he motioned for Poppy to get into the empty Jeep.
As soon as they were both in, Bennett raised the garage door, and they were off. Neither said a word until they were halfway home when Bennett said, "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes," replied Poppy in a small voice. She could feel a change in him since the kiss, and Poppy did not know why.
"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" asked Bennett incredulously.
Nodding, Poppy replied, "Yes, I knew I did it wrong. Is that why you pushed me away and stopped it so suddenly? I am sorry I messed it up."
Giving out a sharp bark of laughter, Bennett quickly replied, "No, Red, you did not do it wrong.
You couldn't have done it more perfectly.
I pushed you away because you are in high school.
I don't care that you are eighteen and legal.
You are still too young to be messing with a guy my age.
If you were my sister, I would kick my own butt for how I handled things tonight. You deserved better."
"Well, you don't have to worry about any big brothers coming for you. I am an only child. But, if I thought your butt needed kicking, I would do it myself. For the record, you handled it great. My first kiss was everything I ever imagined it would be."
Grinning, Bennett said, "I am glad. I hope it wipes the memory of your wardrobe malfunction from your mind forever.” Bennett knew it would never leave his mind. In fact, he was pretty sure it would have a starring role in his nightly activities for weeks to come. Pervert that he was.
"Oh my, speak of that awful moment no more. It is gone. Banished from my mind," she replied.
"Good, but I have to ask, though, you are so gorgeous. No boyfriends? No kisses? What's wrong with the boys at Searcy High School? I would have been all over you," said Bennett honestly.
"You would have?" Poppy smiled hugely at that. "My grandparents were really conservative, and it would have been such an ordeal if a guy had ever asked me out. Truthfully, I never found a guy that I thought was worth the effort it would take to date."
Poppy said, “Only one guy ever really got my heart racing, seeing him in the nude."
"Really, was it strange having naked people model for you?"
"The first time in class. Yes. So weird. But surprisingly, not for the models. They get paid really well, and it seems like no big deal to them."
"Wow! I did not realize those classes even existed. I am totally regretting not taking more art classes in college."
"Well, they are not easy classes. The human form class was tough.”
"So why are you taking college classes when you are still in high school?"
"Oh, my previous high school art teacher suggested it. My college professor and high school teacher have been complimentary and said I have talent. I guess we will see."
"That is so cool that you are so talented." Reaching out and patting her knee, he added, "I am glad you are over being upset about what happened earlier. It was not a big deal."
"Yes, I am over it. But, honestly, I think it was Karma."
"Karma? What are you talking about?"
"Well, I have seen you naked many times. I guess it was only fair you saw me naked."
"What?" Bennett nearly had a wreck. Pulling the car off to the side of the road, he said, "Explain."
So Poppy did. She told him about watching him swim nude last summer and how that had inspired her to draw him. Leaving out the part about taking his photo at Thanksgiving, she told him how he inspired her "Adonis Series." She told him about using it as the main part of her portfolio.
"So you're telling me that people all across the country are going to have naked drawings of me?"
"Yes, and paintings. I painted you in watercolor. I took photos of all my pieces and submitted them with my applications."
He could feel his temper rising, feeling exposed and much like she must have felt earlier.
"Are you crazy? You can't just go around drawing and painting people in the buff without their permission.
What if someone recognizes me? I told you I have a political career ahead of me.
I can't have those pictures floating around out there. We have to get them back immediately."
"Calm down. No one is ever going to know it is you."
"How can you be so sure of that?”
"Because I cut your head off."
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she pointed to his head and said, "That head. I left it off of all the pictures. I only concentrated on your body."
"Did you draw…" he gestured to his crotch.
"Yes, it would be pretty hard not to, given I drew the rest of your body."
Quickly spinning around and restarting the car, he said, "I must see these. You said you only sent photos. Where are the originals? “Gone was the easy-going guy from earlier who thought it was so cool she was talented. Now he was freaking out, much like she had been on the inside earlier.
"Hidden in my room."
"Great, let's go."
Once back home, the workers were gone. All the lights were out. Bennett dragged her to the backstairs by her room as Poppy tried to slow him down.
“Look, I know, Gran. She may be in her bed, but she is not asleep. Not with me out with some guy she hardly knows.”
“She will be awake until I get home. You go and wait in your room. I will go up the regular way. I will grab my portfolio and meet you in your room shortly.”
“You know where it is?” Bennett asked questions.
“Of course. Who do you think changes your sheets?” she asked as if he should know the answer to that question. He did not, but he would never look at his sheets the same way again.
Bennett thought about it for a minute, then nodded and quietly headed to his room.
Poppy did just as she promised. The minute she had walked in the door, Gran had called her. “Poppy, is that you? Everything all right?”
“Yes, Gran. It is just me. Good night.” Poppy had barely reached her room and pulled out her portfolio when Gran’s snores began roaring through the apartment. Positive her grandmother was asleep, Poppy slipped down the back stairs. She grabbed her coat as she went.
Bennett was pacing around his room when he heard the soft knock. Opening the door quietly, he motioned for her to come in.
“Okay, Michelangelo, let’s see what you have done to my future,” said Bennett, reaching for the leather satchel with the artwork.
One by one, he went through them. Holding up the largest one, he asked, “This is really me? It is amazing. I would have never known. How could you draw me so correctly without me sitting for you? I see how you were able to do the ones from class.”
“Well, hum…I hum…” Poppy was unsure how to tell him about photographing him without sounding like a stalker, which was basically what she had been.
“Come on, Hunter. What is it you are not telling me?”
“Well, I took photos of you when you returned from running with your shirt off over the Thanksgiving break.”
Bennett was silent for a moment; then, he let out a huge peel of laughter. “You little perv. If you had wanted a picture of my chest, you didn’t have to hide and take one. I would have posed for you.”
“Yeah, right, like I was ever going to ask that.” Poppy began gathering her artwork and putting it back in her satchel. “Look, it’s late. I need to go.” When Poppy began unbuttoning the suit jacket, Bennett immediately reached to stop her.
“Just keep it. I don’t need to see all that again.”
Poppy laughed. She had put her coat on under the jacket before she came downstairs.
She slipped off the jacket, but her coat kept her fully covered.
“Oh, thank God,” Bennett muttered. There was just so much a red-blooded male could take in one night.
As she started out the door, Bennett asked, “You are sure no more pictures are floating around somewhere out there that have my face?”
Poppy nodded. As she passed in front of him, Bennett could not let her go without giving her a final warning.
“Poppy, that kiss tonight was incredible, and you are an awesome girl. There is obviously something between us, but it can’t happen.
I am way too old for you. If anyone found out about tonight or the artwork, it would wreck my future before it even began.
I have to ask you not to tell anyone about this. ”
Poppy nodded. “I promise. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Good.” Bennett gave her a huge smile, and then, because he could not stop himself, he reached down and gave her a soft goodnight kiss.
Poppy was so stunned that she snapped back and just looked at him before asking, “What was that for?”
“That was because I could not help myself. Now go back to your room before I decide to throw all my good judgment out the window along with my future career.”
Poppy gave him a military salute and headed for the door.
“Oh, and Poppy,” Bennett called out. “Have a great Christmas. I leave tomorrow for the lake. I will spend a few days with Dad there and then head to Aspen with the Stroupe family for skiing. I won’t see you again until at least spring break.
Good luck with your art applications. I will be thinking good thoughts for you. ”
Poppy nodded and then made her way back to her room.
Bennett watched until he saw her light go on.
Then he released a breath he had been holding.
Poppy had no idea what she did to him. He had played it all cool around her, but that had just been an act.
He had not planned to go to the lake house until Christmas Eve.
However, he did not trust himself around her.
He was completely under her spell. He felt something with her that he had never felt with anyone else.
What kind of messed up business was that?
A high school kid? The universe seemed to have it in for him.
He felt it in her kiss and saw it in her eyes.
Whatever it was, it was real. He just needed to remove himself from the situation long enough to figure out how to deal with whatever it was.
Right now, though, any more alone time with her and all bets for his future would be off.
Nope, if he could not trust himself to do the right thing, he had to remove himself from the situation.
Problem solved. Heading to bed, Bennett made a mental note to be up and gone by the time Poppy woke the next day.