Draven's Crossing: Tempestuous Crossings by Selena Illyria Page A

her feet touched, for a moment, she was sure her legs would give out. She reached out her arms, placed her hands against the wall and leaned on it for support as she found her balance. Once she was sure she could stand without assistance, she nodded, and he let go. The knock sounded again.
    Draven didn’t look the least bit concerned about the person at the door. Instead, his focus was on her. He reached over and turned a knob; the door swung open. “Bathroom.”
    With small steps she moved toward it until she was sure she could walk normally. Once inside, she shut the door and leaned on it for support. With a sigh, she slid down the hard wood and let her head drop forward.
    “He’s going to screw me up, I just know it. Somehow that man will get me naked in public.” The idea had her nerve endings tingling and her pussy tightening in response.
    “Sluts, all of you are sluts,” she groused. Her body’s response was to heat up. “For fuck sake, he’s turned me into a nympho.”

 

     
    Chapter Seven
     
    Draven licked Rose’s cream off his fingers, taking a moment to savor the salty, tangy taste. Desire shuddered through his body. His cock jumped in his pants and, for a moment, he contemplated the ramifications of saying screw it and following her into the bathroom. The knock came again. Sighing, he went to his desk and extracted some wet naps from a drawer before answering the door. He prayed it was good news. Bracing himself for word of another body or some sort of emergency, he opened the door to find, much to his relief, a deliveryman with bags of food.
    “Hey, Nate, how much?” Draven greeted him.
    Nate grinned and handed over a large carton of food and drinks. “Thirty-seven fifty.”
    Draven dug his wallet out of his back pocket and handed him a fifty. “Keep the change and thank Allison for opening up her kitchen for me. I know the restaurant is under construction, but there’s no one else I’d rather get food from.”
    Nate grinned. “No prob. Mom was getting antsy not being able to cook like she usually does.”
    Draven nodded. “Tell her to give me a call about catering for the Ball. I’ll talk to the organizers; see if we can make it an international affair.”
    Nate’s eyes lit up. “Oh really! That’d be wicked, man. She’d love that.”
    “How’s college going? Good? They giving you a hard time?”
    Nate shook his head. “No. Everything is great. I love it. Thank you for the scholarship. My family owes you one.”
    Draven grinned as pride filled him. “No need for thanks. I just gave you the application and then put it with the right people to look it over. You earned it yourself.”
    Nate ducked his head with a blush staining his cheeks. The soft, tangy scent of embarrassment wafted through the air along with the sweet smell of pride. He shook head. “No, I’m not that smart to get into DCU.”
    Draven bit back a harsh retort. Instead, he reached out and gripped the young man’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Yes, you are. Don’t put yourself down. You’re an intelligent young man and very good at sports. But most of all you’re creative. I can see your art being put up in the DC Art Institute.”
    Nate lifted his head, eyes wide. “Really?”
    Draven smiled. “Yup, and I’m not just saying that. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on that painting you did for me.”
    Draven nodded toward a large floor to ceiling painting of a bird’s eye view of Draven’s Crossing done in an abstract style with bright colors. Many people who’d come into his office had admired it. “A few people wanted to buy it off of me. I turned them down, of course. A little birdie told me that there’s a competition going on for a few spots in the summer courses at the Fondazione di Studi Storia dell’Arte . I’ll make a deal with you; I’ll pay for you to go if you make straight A’s this semester.”
    Nate’s eyes grew wider. Draven didn’t mention that he’d had a conversation with the