Chapter 5

"I have no idea what to do…" Duke sighed, pushing my laptop away after a useless attempt at finding any more information.

"It's okay, we'll find something," I soothed. Walking over, I stood behind him and rubbed his shoulders, my breath gently whispering against the hair on his head. His smell still made me woozy with pleasure, and I breathed in hungrily, indulging in his smell that entranced me.

"Mmmmmm…. thanks," he whispered in a soft, seductive tone.

"You know," I whispered, wrapping my arms silkily around his shoulders and rubbing my nose lightly to his ear affectionately. "It may be just us now." This was entirely true. We hadn't been to school in weeks. Not that it mattered to me in the slightest. Duke gasped suddenly, jumping up. He pulled me towards him, one hand on my back and the other tangled in my hair, pressing me as close as possible to him.

"Duke, what—'' I began, but he stopped me with a cool, strong finger to my lips. I kissed it once before he released me, but I wanted more than his fingers to be called mine. I sprang at him, going for his angel-like features, but he pushed me off him and onto the bed. I was bewildered.

"ARGHHHHH!!!!" Duke moaned in agony, placing his hands on his head as if preparing to rip his hair out. He fell back, kicking and thrashing. I had no idea what was going on. I jumped on top of him, pinning down his hands, preventing him from getting hurt. Or hurting me.

"Duke! What is your freaking problem?" I shouted. Then he burst into tears.

"Madi," he sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm sorry. It's just, pretty soon she's gonna get one of us. A-and, I love you, Madi. I don't w-want t-to lose you. To hurt you." Now I was almost crying. Swiftly, Duke began ripping the buttons on his shirt open, and threw it to the floor. My heart skipped a beat. I gasped as my breath caught in my throat. He gently took my hand and placed it on his muscled, sweaty, perfect chest. I could feel his heart thumping rhythmically under my fingertips, in perfect sync with mine. "Don't you see?" he breathed and my heart was overwhelmed by his very presence. "We were meant to be together. I love you. I love you and I always will beyond the day I die. I just never want to lose you." All I could manage was a weak nod. "My heart is yours now," he continued, pressing my numb hand harder into his chest. "Don't lose it. I couldn't bear it if you did."

"I would never," I managed to choke out. "Duke, you'll never lose me. Not ever. I won't let you." I sighed against him, and he pulled me closer to him and held me, cradling and rocking me until I slowly and peacefully drifted off to sleep, Duke humming heartfelt lullabies in my ear and into the whispering wind around us.

The sun shone bright and gold against me eyelids, forcing them open. I gazed around my room in a haze, but my gaze was blocked by Duke's still form pressed tight against me, his warm arms wrapped securely around me. I nuzzled into his chest, and realized his shirt was still on the floor. I shivered deliciously as his arms tightened his steel cage around me. I had an idea that pleased me to no end. Rolling on top of him, I straddled his waist and whispered playfully and seductively in his ear, "Duke, wakey wakey." I kissed him and he opened one eye and kissed me back, flicking my lip with his tongue, and purred like a tiger. Rolling out of bed, he held his arms out to me and I jumped at him, my legs winding around his waist and my long fingers curling in his hair. Then I realized how much we were wearing. The soft cotton that sheathed my top half almost exposed my chest, and the hemline of my Soffee shorts didn't cover everything. Duke had stripped down to only his jeans, his perfect muscular chest gleaming with a thin layer of sweat. Reluctantly, Duke had to settle with kissing me with my feet firmly on the ground, but that didn't stop his hands from slipping discretely down my waist and into my back pockets. Suddenly, there was a shattering of glass and Duke and I broke apart. My mom stood in the doorway, having dropped her coffee mug with shock of what she had seen. She was clad in an old tattered bathrobe, clutching my runaway note in her hand, which I had forgotten to take off the refrigerator. Duke pulled me closer.

"Not one. More. Move." She whispered in a low, dangerous voice.

"Mom, you don't understand!" I said fiercely, my breath quickening.

"Maybe I do understand that you like this boy, maybe, but I don' t know why." She stated dryly, looking pointedly at Duke. He didn't bat an eye. "I also don't know why," she continued, her voice rising ominously. "Why you wrote a runaway note, scaring me out of my wits, then I come up here to find you—you—''

"What, precisely, did you find me doing, Mom?" I looked at her, my voice rising also.

"Baby, careful," Duke cautioned me, breathing against me so only I could hear. I tightened my already choking grip around Duke, and he squeezed me, comforting and cautioning at the same time. I stared into my mother's face, which was reddening with rage. How dare she ruin such a perfect moment? I thought bitterly. Then, I didn't care what she wanted to do, and apparently neither did Duke. I kissed him passionately, amused at my mother's expression as I twisted myself around Duke as much as possible without actually latching onto him. I shook with pleasure and silent laughter when we pulled apart, still entwined, watching my mother expectantly. I watched as my mother's face drained of all color as I waited for what she was going to accuse.

"Did he sleep here?" She whispered in a monotone, all emotion long gone.

"Mom…" I began, but she silenced me by marching across the room and slapping me across the face. I fell back against the wall, my body frozen with shock. Duke gave a low growl and whipped toward my mother, swearing under his breath. She grabbed Duke by the bicep, digging in her nails until they drew blood. He clawed desperately at her hand, trying to get back to me. Marching him downstairs, she literally kicked him out the door. Stomping upstairs, she slammed my bedroom door shut. Then I heard the lock click.