New Life : A Second Chance

The filming continued smoothly, but there were a few changes.

First, Kyle insisted that he would be putting on the baby oil himself and that Samantha can help him on the spots that he couldn't reach.

Samantha was ecstatic about that. She hadn't been happy to see other people touching Kyle, but she couldn't say anything about it. So when Kyle asked her if she could help him, she jumped at the chance.

"But why me?" she asked when he had approached her about it.

Kyle looked at her a bit sheepishly and leaned forward to say in a low voice, "I trust you. Those girls ... erm, well ... it just felt weird."

Samantha understood without Kyle having to explain further. She had seen how those darn fingers had been, when they were putting on the baby oil. The way those fingers seemed to pause a bit at the abs, or at his chest. Did it really have to pause so much at that spot? Or that spot?

She had to grit her teeth and tell herself that they were professionals.

Yet, if Kyle felt uncomfortable about it, then it meant that the touch had been inappropriate.

So, naturally, Samantha was beyond happy to have Kyle ask for help. Obviously, it meant that he didn't feel uncomfortable around her anymore and that her touch wasn't repulsive. Just hearing him say 'I trust you' had sent arrows into her heart.

It was both painful and sweet at the same time.

Thus, Samantha helped seriously.

Unlike before, she didn't use the opportunity to take advantage of Kyle. Though it was tempting. So very, very tempting.

She simply tuned her mind to the task at hand and not think about how hard his muscles were. Or how soft his skin was. Or how nice it was to ..

Samantha shook her head. Focus. Focus.

One thing she did notice, however, was that despite the serious expression on Kyle's face, the tip of his ears would be slightly red. At first, Samantha thought it was the heat in the room but as time went by, she started suspecting it was something else.

Was Kyle blushing?

When she looked at his face, he appeared nonplussed but he did turn his head away. Samantha smiled at that.

All in all, it did take three days to shoot the entire thing to both Raine and Chad's satisfaction. Samantha had the time of her life during those three days.

Helping Kyle, watching Kyle ...

There was just some poetry in motion there. It was hard to believe that he was fourteen as he was so serious and dedicated. And that physique of his.

There was one unscripted scene that Raine had been extremely happy about, and Chad also agreed that it would stay. It was when Kyle did the last routine: the wall climb.

Seeing the back and arm muscles working as he climbed up effortlessly was already a sight. The strenght in those arms. When the sweat glistened and trickled down his back, people gulped.

When he reached the top (which wasn't that high), Kyle simply pushed himself off, did a somersault and landed on the ground with his head down. He got up, his hair wet with sweat and plastered over his face. He brushed it back, revealing his gorgeous face, his chest moving up and down quickly, with the heavy breathing he was doing.

It truly was a breathtaking sight.

Samantha even found her breath caught in her throat at that scene. Kyle turned, and their eyes met. Something seemed to pass between them. Something primal. She hardly heard the director saying 'Cut' ! and that the whole thing was over.

At that moment, it was as if she only saw Kyle and she felt that Kyle only saw her.

Samantha only came to her senses when people around her started clapping. It was the traditional method of showing appreciation after the scene was well done and wrapped up.

As the crew was about to start work to dismantle everything, Samantha told them, "Do it tomorrow. It's getting late."

They nodded, though they thought it wasn't late at all. Still, she was the owner and they had to respect her wishes.

Samantha came over and handed Kyle a towel. He didn't look at her, but merely said 'thanks' and proceeded to wipe the sweat off his face and chest.

"Here, let me help," Samantha said, taking the towel from him.

She went to his back and started wiping it and noticed how rigid Kyle was standing.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, getting closer.

Kyle took a step forward, distancing himself from her.

Seeing this, Samantha became angry and stomped to face Kyle. She grabbed him by the shoulders and said angrily at him, "What's wrong with you?!"

"Nothing," he mumbled, looking at the floor, "Erm, thanks but I need to go take a bath now."

He tried to leave but Samantha stood in his way, trying to peer at his face.

He stepped to the right, she went left. He went to the left, she went right. They were doing the tango. By this time, there was only the two of them in the room as all of the crew members had left. The bodyguards were not around as well since it was only in the mansion.

"Stop it, Kyle. Look at me," Samantha insisted and she saw Kyle sigh.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked softly, her voice quivering.

Only then did Kyle look up, looking worried, "No! Not at all. No, it's not you ...."

"Oh please, don't give me that 'it's not you it's me' line. What is it then?" Samantha cut him off, standing there, with her hands on her hips.

Kyle ran his hands over his hair, brushing the wet hair away from his eyes, "Look, Samantha. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just tired, I suppose."

"Don't give me that," Samantha said, now sounding hurt as she looked at him.

She put her hands around herself, saying, "You know what? Forget it. Nevermind. If you don't want to talk about it, then who am I to force you to talk?"

She turned to walk away and was already at the door when she felt him suddenly hugging her from behind. She froze, feeling the warmth at her back and the strong arms around her waist.

She waited, not daring to move - or even breathe.

Her body was already reacting from such an innocent hug and she was worried that he would notice. Feeling how her body just seemed to fit into his just made her heart beat even faster. She wasn't even trying to seduce him but she was so sensitive to him that even this small thing could make her feel so strongly.

"I'm sorry," came Kyle's hoarse voice from behind her. His breath tickled her ear, and she gulped.

"It's just that ... I mean ... argh. I'm ..." Kyle began hesitatingly, unable to say what was on his mind.

"What?" Samantha asked softly, moving, as she wanted to see him but could not do so as he didn't let go. In her attempts to turn, she didn't realise that her butt was brushing continuously on Kyle.

"Please. Don't. Move," Kyle rasped out, as he gripped her harder around the waist and he put his forehead on the back of her shoulder.

"Wh-" Samantha was about to ask when she felt it.

Something hard was poking her from behind.

It doesn't take a genius to know what it was.

The realisation hit her hard.

Samantha grabbed onto Kyle's arm that was around her waist, her thoughts in turmoil. She thought her heart was already beating fast but now, it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

Samantha has had many guys lust over her. She had seen the desire in the eyes of so many men and it simply made her feel powerful. She had control over the situation and over the men.

This time, however, the feeling was different. To know that Kyle desired her, touched her deeply. Tears came down her face and she wiped it hurriedly.

Kyle seemed to have noticed this and he quickly turned her over, peering worriedly into her face.

He gently wiped the tears from her eyes, on her cheeks but the tears kept falling.

"Why are you crying?" Kyle asked helplessly.

"I - I don't know," she sobbed.

Actually, she did know.

She didn't know when it happened, but happen it did. During the entire time she was playing the 'game' to get Kyle to fall for her, she had fallen for him instead. Their conversations over mealtimes were special and she felt connected to him.

He was unlike any 14-year-old that she had ever met. He was intelligent, articulate and most of all - he treated her like an intelligent woman. Not some trophy girl or a sexy girl or a person to sleep with. He saw her, Samantha.

She admired him. She respected him... and to have him want her meant that he liked her, too. She didn't think she deserved any of this. She didn't deserve him. These feelings need to be kept under lock and key.

Kyle was only 14.

Previously, she hadn't cared and would have done all that she could to get him. Statutory r*pe? Who cared about that? The law was there simply because stupid adults judged that those below a certain age wasn't mature enough to actually give proper consent. They may 'think' they want it, or is old enough to do it, but in reality, they did not know the true consequences of that decision.

Samantha never cared about the consequences since it was just pure sex. What sort of consequences are we talking about here? He'd just enjoy it, right?

Now, however, she couldn't. She felt that he really was too young despite the fact that he was so much more mature in thinking than any guy she knew. She would be patient. She will wait for him to grow up. If he still felt the same, then nothing would stop her then.

It was so ironic.

She hastily wiped her tears and gave him a teary smile, "I'm just being silly. Come on, you're right. You need a bath."

Samantha watched Kyle who seemed to be thinking hard about something. A myriad of expressions went by his face: from hesitation, bewilderment and finally, a seriousness that she had never seen before.

Before she could process that expression, she felt Kyle pull her close into his embrace and then kissed her.