1: Educating Kaylee Ch. 06

As the overhauled midnight-black Challenger slowly rumbled down the street, Kaylee saw Jessica taking the hose to Ryan in their rear view mirror, followed by Ryan throwing Jessica over his shoulder and running off with her like a caveman until they were both inside the house.

Kaylee blushed.

---

"Holy crap, Luke, you're killing me! You're not driving Miss Daisy," Kaylee exclaimed.

"Driving who?"

"Driving Miss... oh Luke, it's an old movie. You need to get out more."

"That doesn't make any sense; if I need to see more movies, don't you mean I need to stay in more? Unless you're talking about a drive-in, then I can understa..."

Kaylee sighed, "Never mind."

Luke asked her, "So what's it about?"

"I don't know, it's old, like, my parents watched it once."

"So if you don't know what it's about..."

"Luke! It's just an expression that means at least attempt to go the speed limit, not five under. Most guys our age would be opening this baby up!"

Luke sighed. Kaylee shook her head, wondering what she had just got herself into.

She heard Luke chuckle, "This isn't good. We sound like my parents fighting on our movie nights. This first date thing is harder than I thought."

His laughter was contagious; she couldn't resist a quiet laugh.

"Well, at least we know why they trust you so much. If we ran head-on into a brick wall at this speed, you'd barely scratch the bumper. And what do you mean your parents fight? They're like Mr. and Mrs. All-America, or something."

He shrugged, "Dad normally says or does something stupid, and then mom gets all offended and takes it personally. After however long the fight takes, he normally says something even stupider -- sometimes unintentional, sometimes on purpose -- but it usually ends up making her laugh. They are predictable, to be honest, and don't even realize it."

The look on his face turned into a disturbing sneer, "And sometimes, when things get really out of hand..."

Luke shuddered.

"What?"

"He grabs her, throws her over his shoulder, and runs off with her to the bedroom. Don't make me say anymore because I'll probably throw up."

Kaylee was laughing so hard her stomach hurt. She said, "I think that's romantic, actually. You do have really attractive parents, Luke, and they really seem to love each other. I hope when I'm your mother's age, I have a husband that will love me like he does and do things like that with me. It's really sweet how they can't keep their hands off of each other."

"Sweet, huh? Can you picture your parents doing that?"

Kaylee turned up her nose at that picture, "Yea, right. They'd be like two porcupines going at it, trying not to kill each other while procreating. I'm not actually sure they ever have. They never talk to each other, let alone touch each other. I think I'm adopted."

Luke said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Besides, I think I'd literally puke my guts out if they did something like that," she added. "It's different with my parents."

Luke laughed, shaking his head. "Literally, huh?"

"Yes," she said sharply, glaring at him. "Literally. Don't make fun."

"Sorry, Kaylee. Well, we're here," he said, pulling up to the Mongolian grill.

The roar of the Challenger instantly dropped to silence as Luke turned it off. As he opened the car door, he looked over at Kaylee and asked, "Are you ready, Kaylee?"

Narrowing her eyes at him, Kaylee said, "You're lucky this place was so close. If it was any further away, we'd be eating Mongolian for breakfast." Her pretend mad look quickly morphed into a playful smile as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before he could get out of the car.

X -- The Perfect Gift

As her bare feet hit the carpet, toes wiggling and arms stretching above her head, Kaylee exhaled a deep yawn. She had never felt so alive; not just because it was Christmas morning, but because of the amazing night she had with Luke.

Thanks to the euphoric feeling of floating along on cloud nine, Kaylee knew that for the first time in a long time, she could actually tolerate spending a little time with her parents, sitting around the Christmas tree as the three of them opened expensive but hollow presents. She'd bear through that for a couple of hours, find a way to deal with the lack of conversation and artificial emotions, and then head over to Audrey's.

After that, thanks to Luke and his family inviting her over for Christmas dinner, she'd spend the rest of the day over at the Patton's. She couldn't wait.

Her mind kept drifting to the evening prior. The only thing that would have made the night absolutely perfect would have been if Luke could have overcome his annoying awkward self and kissed her passionately, sweeping her off her feet.

Sitting on the bed in her hot pink tank top and pajama shorts, remembering every single moment she had just shared with Luke, she still couldn't help swoon over the person she once considered the biggest geek in school. Had Luke finally grown out of the geeky stage, or had she finally grown up a little, become a little less shallow, and maybe even opened her eyes to the realization that there was a much larger world beyond the realm of high school? Considering Luke still had silly Star Wars dolls on the shelf in his bedroom (maybe it was Star Trek... whatever), she suspected that she already knew the answer.

Kaylee giggled to herself as she recalled Luke's several awkward attempts to kiss her the night before. It was funny, but frustrating; whenever Luke leaned in to kiss her, she tried to lean forward to receive his kiss but she wasn't fast enough. He had already chickened out and pulled back. But by the end of the night, they were having so much fun with each other that Luke had relaxed enough to kiss her goodnight without even thinking about it. No logic, no calculations. He just did it out of pure instinct and desire for Kaylee. It was a simple, slow peck on the lips, but it was the most amazing and electric kiss she ever had.

She shook her head and smiled, wondering about that boy. Who knows what she would have done for him if he dipped her back and French kissed her.

It took her three times as long to decide which dress to wear for Christmas dinner than it did to open presents with her parents. Most of the presents from her dad were expensive electronics, all of which started with a lower-case "i"; he probably had his secretary buy and gift-wrap the presents. She tried to be grateful, but she would have rather had one small, cheap present that came from his heart.

Her mom on the other hand refused to buy her any clothes or makeup. She was so predictable. Just like the last several years, she ended up with more 'practical' presents as she called them, such as a food processor and some kind of mixer. Like she knew her way around the kitchen outside of the microwave, the stove, and the month's supply of Ramen noodles in the pantry. Kaylee was probably the only girl in the world that had set macaroni and cheese on fire.

If that wasn't enough, her mother's choice of Christmas presents was really nothing more than a subtle hint that it was time for her to move out after graduation.

Still, Kaylee knew all of the gifts were expensive even if it barely touched their pocketbook, let alone made any kind of a dent. She was at least polite. Her parents, on the other hand, never gave her so much as a "thank you" even though she really did put a lot of thought and care into their presents.

No matter; she had enough clothes in her wardrobe anyway, and was bound to find something Luke would love. Besides, she just knew that Luke's family would be grateful for the presents she bought for them. She really wanted his family to like her, and she was desperate to show them how much she cared not only for Luke, but for all of them as well.

For Mr. Patton and Mrs. Patton, she bought a model pearl-blue Challenger and a race-red Mustang respectively. She knew that his dad had always owned a Challenger, and the one he gave to Luke despite the new black paint job was originally a pearl-blue color. His mother on the other hand always seemed to migrate towards Mustangs and had been unable to break free from the various shades of red.

Kaylee was intrigued with their preferences, noting how the husband and wife were just like the two vehicles; the heavily competitive muscle cars were both very unique and very attractive, yet they seemed to make a pretty good team when put together. Kind of like Mr. and Mrs. Patton.

Faith's gift was almost too easy. She knew Faith looked up to her -- excluding the way she treated her brother on several occasions past, thank goodness she had been forgiven -- so she could get her practically anything. Kaylee had done a lot of shopping with Faith. In fact, only a few weeks ago, she even bought her a few outfits, so it only made sense that she'd need a great makeup kit and a knockout exotic perfume to go with them.

Of course Kaylee, being the shopping expert that she was, knew what Faith wanted more than Faith did herself. After several hours at the mall, looking for just the right label, she found the perfect perfume and makeup set. There was no question Faith would absolutely love it! It was possible Kaylee just might have been more excited to give them to Faith than Faith would be receiving them.

But then there was Luke. He was a little more difficult to figure out. She'd already given him the old Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book, but that didn't really count as a seasonal present anyway. Plus, Luke wasn't big on material possessions the same way that she was -- or at least the way she used to be, she swore she had changed -- so his gift would be tricky. Besides, she really wanted to let Luke know how much she cared and how crazy she was for him.

Of course she'd have to accept the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Patton set an unachievable bar when they gave him the old Challenger.

How on earth could she possibly top that?

---

Luke rang her doorbell. Kaylee had asked him to pick her up since her car was hijacked by her parents, her father's car in the shop and mother's car still being tended by valet after they came home in a taxicab the night before, neither of them exactly in condition to drive.

"Come in," Kaylee shouted on the other side of the door.

Luke stepped inside the house. He almost tripped as he saw Kaylee.

She stood no more than ten feet away from him with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face, dressed head to toe in black lingerie.

Luke slowly looked up and down her body, slowly taking in the sight before him as she brushed her soft blond hair to the side. Her see-through stockings had a sexy tiger stripe pattern running up her legs, ending in a lacy design attached to a garter belt. She wore the tiniest pair of black panties, leaving little to the imagination. The tightest little corset, barely managing to contain her stunning overflowing breasts, hugged every curve.

There was no doubt at all that she had his attention. Using her sexiest strut, she walked up to Luke, unintentionally causing him to back up until he ran into the door. Kaylee put one arm next to his head while her other hand drifted down to the side of Luke's waist, locking the door.

Leaning forward, Kaylee placed her red crimson lips on his, barely able to control her desire. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out before ravaging him. Never before had she wanted someone so badly; not Bradley, not anyone. Yet here was this gorgeous man in front of her that she had once called a nerd, someone that society -- and her, to her regret -- labeled as a loser.

Well, that was a thing of the past and would never happen again if she had anything to say about it.

Kaylee gave Luke a lustful smile as he looked down at her breasts with wide-open eyes; her gorgeous mounds were practically spilling out of her lacy black corset. Luke's eyes betrayed him; Kaylee could tell he was staring at the little red bow nestling between her lovely breasts. The irony that she was dressed like a black widow -- the bow resembling an hourglass -- was not lost on her; after all, he had been lured into her deliberate trap and he didn't stand a chance. If she had her way, he'd be devoured within minutes. Well, not really devour, but she'd love him like no one ever could.

"Merry Christmas, cowboy," she purred in his ear as she began to nibble on his earlobe, melding herself into him. Fingering the red bow on her chest, she asked him softly, "Would you like to open your present?"

Luke swallowed hard. His jaw opened and closed several times before he could speak.

Kaylee couldn't believe what she was doing, but this was happening; never in a million years did she think she would give herself to Luke. Now she couldn't think of anything but.

Luke took a step forward and placed his hand on her naked shoulder. Kaylee was absolutely breathless; his touch was intoxicating, sending shivers down her arm and back, all the way down to her toes. Kaylee played it off like she was the one in control, but the reality was she wasn't sure who was more nervous.

She could sense the conflict within Luke; his eyes spoke volumes to her. He was torn between devouring her body and resisting her charms.

He was fighting a tremendous temptation; why he was fighting it, she wasn't sure.

Finally, Luke spoke, "I... Kaylee, I... can't do this."

The shock she felt from his words was tremendous. She wasn't expecting rejection! How could he reject her? What was she missing?

Suddenly she felt embarrassed, as if she was in one of those dreams where you show up naked in front of your entire class at school. Here she was, wearing an incredibly sexy and revealing outfit, only to be turned down. How could he make her feel so awkward? Her mouth was open as if to speak, but nothing came out; she would have cried if she were not too stunned to do so.

Luke must have sensed her uneasiness because he told her, "Kaylee, you look absolutely beautiful. More than that, you look stunning -- you look breathtaking! It's... it's not that." He looked over her entire body as he spoke, still fighting his primal urges, which at least made her feel a little better. But why would he turn her down?

Suddenly he closed his eyes, as if he felt guilty for looking at her.

Her eyes brightened! It suddenly occurred to her that he didn't turn her down because she wasn't attractive enough for him, but he felt guilty about taking her -- despite the fact that she wanted to be taken more than anything. He was just shy!

She smiled gently, "Luke, its ok! I want this, baby; you don't have to be nervous!"

Luke smiled awkwardly, but he still couldn't look at her, "Kaylee, it's not that. Well it is that, but it's more than that."

She looked at him even more confused, barely keeping her smile together, "Well, then what is it?"

Biting his lip, Luke told her, "I adore you more than you'll ever know. I... I can't violate you, as much as I would love to. You deserve better than this, better than me. Someday, you'll have a husband who worships the ground you walk on, and I can only hope he treats you like the princess you are. I have no doubts that he will see your light shine the same way I do. The last thing I want to do is tarnish you or anything in your future, including your marriage. You deserve to stay pure, and I don't want to be the one to ruin that. You really should respect yourself. You deserve it."

Her jaw hung, speechless. So it wasn't a lack of attraction to her, it wasn't nervousness, and it wasn't guilt. It was chivalry. She wanted to slap him for the 'you should really respect yourself' comment, yet the caring, loving undertone of his words made her want him even more. Part of her wanted to scream "This is what I want; violate me!" Somehow, and she wasn't sure why, but she fumbled on her words. "Luke, but..."

What are you doing Kaylee, she thought to herself. He wants you, and he's willing to wait... for you.

She didn't let Luke see her sigh.

Stealing one more quick glance up and down her body -- voluntarily or involuntarily she didn't know -- Luke gave her an awkward smile and turned to leave, pushing the door open.

His attempt to walk outside was beyond awkward as he accidentally ran into the door jam and bounced off of it like a pinball. What Kaylee found even funnier was he kept walking -- more like staggered -- as if it had never happened. He said, "I...uh, I'll wait for you in the Challenger."

Shaking her head, leaning against the door jam and looking at him one last time with a lingering sense of disappointment coupled with an intense fascination, she said quietly, "You're something else, Luke Patton." Unable to hide her bewildered smile, she added, "Someday, you're going to make some woman very, very lucky. I..."

Kaylee bit her lip down. She almost let it slip that she hoped it was her that was the lucky woman. Clearing her throat, her cheeks flush, she said, "Give me a few minutes to change."

She closed the door with both hands and took an extra moment to watch him walking away through the glass window. Why did it feel like she needed a cold shower? Placing her head against the door, she sighed deeply. "Worships the ground you walk on?" "Treats you like the princess you are?" "You should respect yourself?" I can't believe you just did that to me, Luke Patton. You're not playing fair...

Luke turned around, his face beet red, and stole a quick glance at Kaylee before he hopped in the Challenger.

He sighed, scolding himself when she was out of hearing distance, "What have I done? I hope you know how amazing you are, Kaylee Reed."

How was it possible that he found the will to say no to such a vision of beauty? Better yet, why did he say no? Sliding into the Challenger, he kept replaying the entire scenario over and over in his head.

Of course, he already knew why. First, he meant what he said; he didn't want to tarnish her. His core reason was centered around his sense of honor and strong religious convictions when it came to premarital sex. While his urges beckoned him to cave, that voice in the back of his head told him it wasn't time -- for either of them.

Besides, a thing of beauty like her? She was just too special. That was reason number two. No one ever thinks about the ramifications of an instantaneous decision of gratification. How would Kaylee feel after it was all over? How strong would the regret be for either of them?

This brought him to the third reason. He wasn't the right guy for her. He was always one hair away from ruining what they had and going back to a mediocre friendship, at best. Some guys were naturally loveable; he wasn't one of them. Girls like Kaylee... well; he was only the flavor of the month. Not that he blamed her; a girl like that could have her pick of any guy she wanted. Another month or two, and that would be that. Nature would run its course.

The fourth reason; he panicked. He might not have shown it, but he was terrified. It took everything he had to maintain his composure when his instinct was split as wide as the east was to the west, between pouncing on her and heading for the hills. He only hoped Kaylee didn't sense his fear.

As for the fifth reason? Well, that was the most important reason of all.

He loved her.

And she didn't love him.

It was that simple.

---

Kaylee glanced over at Luke, driving with his hands clenched on the wheel at ten and two. The tense look on his face and the dampness in his eyes revealed his discomfort. In that moment, she saw the conflict within him beginning to surface.

It broke her heart to see him like that. More than anything, she wanted to comfort him and release the burden that weighed him down. She quickly turned away, looking straight out the windshield to the road ahead, not daring to lock eyes with him.