His Naughty Lessons
Chapter 148: A Different Kind of Paradise

Chapter 148: A Different Kind of Paradise

** Eli **

Harper might be joking, but in Eli’s eyes, she really was a beautiful princess ... or a gorgeous queen. The arrangements he had made for the evening could barely do her justice.

He pulled back just enough to look at her again, taking in the view in front of him that was more breathtaking than any sunset and any flowers. Her deep auburn curls were a whirlwind atop the blanket of rose petals, wild from the car ride but all the more alluring because of it. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from too much sun and ocean breeze at the beach, though Eli rather hoped it was from him kissing her.

And her eyes — those beautiful eyes shining like true emeralds, with the kind of sparkle that belonged only to the most precious gems — were smiling as they studied him with a soft gaze that probably matched his own.

It wasn’t the half sorrowful, half comforting look she gave him earlier anymore. That one had soothed his mind with the unconditional acceptance and understanding shining through, whereas this one ... this one ignited his soul with the undisguised fondness and desire hidden beneath.

They kept looking at each other just like that for a long moment, until Harper seemed to remember that she owed him an answer. "I think you already have a good idea of what kind of desires I have for tonight ..." she chuckled lightly, her sweet lips curving up into a pretty crescent. "But let’s keep going with those clichés, shall we? How about kissing me breathless for a start?"

With that, she looped her arms behind him and pulled him close, sealing their lips together once more.

Oh yes, that would be a very good start indeed.

Eli obliged readily, parting her mouth and claiming everything she had to offer. She still tasted like sugar and coconuts, the island flavor a perfect addition to her usual sweetness. As he met the tip of her tongue with his, entangling them in a slow waltz, he felt as if they were on the beach again, surrounded by a tropical paradise of warm sunshine and crisp ocean breeze and the sound of crashing waves.

Except, at this very moment, the warm sunshine was the heat of her body pressing against him, and the crisp ocean breeze was the soft tickle of her breaths brushing against his cheeks. The sound of crashing waves was the leap of her heart thrumming fast beneath him, in a rhythm not unlike his own.

It was a different kind of paradise ... more surreal and more wondrous than any place in this world. A kind of paradise he could only find with her.

The thought made a pulse of warmth course through him, from the depth of his heart all the way to every last inch of his body. He wanted to hold her closer ... and so he did, slipping one arm through the rose petals behind her shoulders and hugging her tighter, kissing her deeper. His other hand cupped her cheek, tracing the delicate contours of her face, and he relished the sound of a small sigh threading out of her throat, drifting free between their lips.

After all this time, Eli still had no words for this exquisite feeling overwhelming him every time they were together. The peace and ease that filled his existence, the sense of belonging, the shimmering heat. So many sensations made it hard to decide whether he wanted to simply lose himself in this lingering kiss forever, or to keep going and—

He found his answer when he felt the touch of a soft hand traveling down his nape. Fingertips glided along the sensitive line between his neck and shoulder before dipping below his throat, undoing the first button of his shirt.

"... I still have a long way to go before you’re breathless, Harper," he reminded her with a smile against her lips, although he was more than pleased to follow suit and switch course. He could already feel the sparks dancing at her fingertips, shooting through his skin and growing into a palpable thing crackling between them.

"Oh trust me, I’ll get there faster if you aren’t wearing clothes." Harper smiled back, the puff of her breath a teasing tingle at the corner of his mouth. "I do have to admit that you look really nice in this shirt ... but I still prefer you without it. Much prefer you without it."

Ah, she had learned one of his favorite lines all too quickly. Those lessons in the past month weren’t for nothing, after all.

Eli said no more, letting her nimble fingers continue their work as he kissed her again, harder this time and allowing that spark between them to take control. His own hand dipped beneath the hem of her skirt, running soft circles along her thigh, and she surprised him when she returned the gesture by slipping her palm under his half-undone shirt, giving his pecs a firm squeeze.

When the last button was freed and she pulled his shirt off of his shoulders, he reluctantly broke their kiss at last and shifted his weight off of her. Moving only far enough to shed his shorts, he tossed the discarded clothing into a far corner of the room before joining her again at the center of the bed with only his boxers.

Her eyes went immediately to the unmistakable bulge shaping his underwear, and the look on her face was pure approval.

Eli couldn’t help but grin at how different the scene in front of him had evolved in a mere few weeks. "Do you still remember the first time I was in your bedroom?" He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "You wore a completely different expression back then ... when you stared at my boxers for at least thirty seconds."

Harper laughed at the reminder. "Well, you’ve taught me well since then, haven’t you?" She winked, unashamed. Then she surprised him again, eliciting a groan from him when her hand reached down and cupped his hard-on through the fabric. "Besides, it’s different now ... This is mine, just like all the rest of you, and I know much better what to do with it this time than stare."

With those claiming words, she captured his lips once more.