43. Archer
Chapter forty-three
Archer
L eaning against the door to the balcony, I waited for Delilah to finish getting dressed. Pushing the hair out of my face, I tried to compose myself as my hands began feeling clammy.
Even though we spent almost every day together, this was only our second date, and I was fucking nervous. Each time I saw her, I had to hold myself back from saying how much I was in love with her. We weren’t ready for that part of our relationship, or to better rephrase, she wasn’t ready for that part.
She was just getting used to the term “girlfriend,” and for me to push myself on her constantly may seem a bit inconsiderate, but little did she know how much I was actually holding back my feelings. If it were up to me, we would have gotten engaged the week we were in Paris and gotten married a few weeks later, but that would be too soon for her… too soon for everyone but myself.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard a throat clear, and I gazed over to see Delilah standing very proud of the way she looked tonight. I had to give her props. She was stunning —the absolute definition of perfection—and it took a lot of self-restraint not to lose complete control of myself.
Dressed in a tempting little baby pink dress and heels, she was the defining line between adorable and absolutely fucking sexy.
She noticed my stare and a small blush rose to her cheeks as I wasn’t exactly discreet about how beautiful I thought she was.
I beckoned her over with my finger, and she bit her lip as she approached me. Once she was within arm’s reach, I pulled her over to me by the waist, and she giggled as I peppered her neck with small kisses of affection.
She pulled away after a moment and smiled. “I take it that I took your breath away,” she said boastfully, and I smirked.
“Quite literally… you look amazing, Princess.”
She smiled timidly as her blush continued to rise, and I laughed as I turned her around, backing her against the glass door as I looked down at her.
“You can’t go all shy around me now, Princess. We were just having fun… weren’t we?”
She didn’t say anything but nodded slowly as she gazed up at me innocently. Deciding to tease her even further, my hand caressed her slightly red-tipped ears from her blushing as I trailed my fingers down her cheek to her neck and right above her delicious neckline.
“We should get going, but eventually… I will find out just how far this little blush of yours will travel. ”
She looked at a loss for words, and before she had a chance to think any longer, I leaned over and kissed her lips as my hand grabbed her neck.
Jerking her closer to me, she was caught by surprise, but eventually, her hands found their way up my chest, and she pulled me closer by my shirt, even trying to go on the tips of her toes in her heels. Placing my hands on her waist, I pulled her flush against me, and as I began to trail my hand down her lower back, we heard someone clear their throat.
“Mr. Lockwood, Ms. Russel... The car is waiting.”
I pulled away from Delilah, who surely looked embarrassed, and I groaned.
“How long have you been there, Fuller?” I asked.
He deflected the question as he spoke again. “I’ll be waiting by the car.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure you will.”
His footsteps left the room, and Delilah giggled cheekily as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along as she walked to the door.
“As embarrassing as that was, we needed it because you didn’t seem ready to leave the room just yet,” she said jokingly.
I kept silent as I shrugged internally. She wasn’t entirely wrong.
Taking in her attire again, I noticed how much her light pink dress and heels were a complete contrast to my black suit. Looking down at my hand, my lip twitched as it wanted to go into a smile. She’s wearing my bracelet. She wore it every day, but seeing it always gave me the same feeling I got when I first saw it on her.
When we arrived at the car, I opened the door for her. Once we were situated inside, she looked over to me. “What’s first on the agenda?” she asked, and I sighed.
“If you must know, we will be going to dinner at one of the best restaurants in town, of course, and I had the idea to do some evening sightseeing. My other plan involved visiting a vineyard for a bit of wine tasting.”
She beamed happily as she replied, “Looks like we just passed the legal drinking age.”
Placing my hand under her chin, I bit my lip as she gazed up at me. “The only problem I have is that you get a bit irresponsible with drinking… but you’ll be a good girl tonight for me, won’t you?” I questioned her, and she seemed at a loss for words. Her lips parted slightly as I held back a groan as I had the urge to kiss them, suck them, bite them.
She stared at me for a moment before winking as she replied, “Maybe.” She bit her lip with a smile, and I chuckled, looking away. She was definitely something else, my little princess.
We reached our first destination, and I escorted her to our rooftop table. Pulling her chair out for her, she thanked me as she took a seat. I took my seat as well and held my hand out across the table for her to place hers in. Once she did, I used my thumb to rub the back of her hand. She sighed, looking over the edge at the ocean.
“It’s beautiful, Archer,” she said softly, and I nodded as my eyes remained on her.
“Indeed, it is…”
The server walked over, and I put in an order for both of us. As he walked away, she gave me a look.
“You know I can order for myself, right?” she asked, and I nodded.
“Of course, Princess. I know you’re more than capable of doing so. I just so happen to know what you like to eat, and I don’t think it’s necessary for you to think about what you want.”
She nodded silently, and a smile came to her face. “What else do you know about me?” she asked, and I smiled.
“Where do I begin? I know you get cold easily; I know you dance; you love and admire Kimiko as if she were your older sister; when you’re focused, nothing gets in the way. You can be shy at times, but that doesn’t mean you don’t know when to talk. I know only a few people can truly get under your skin, being as I am definitely one of them. Your favorite colors are within the pastel range. You love your dog Snowball like he’s your firstborn son,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully, and she laughed softly.
“...I know you can get stressed rather quickly. I know Killian can make you feel suffocated, but it’s almost always to show that he loves you. Everyone adores you. When they say they don’t, it’s because they’re obviously jealous. You have a fantastic relationship with your siblings, you try to see the good in many people, even when you clearly shouldn’t at times, and you enjoy drinking mango smoothies. That’s clearly not everything, but how did I do?” I asked sarcastically, and she sighed.
“Spot on. It’s sad that you know that much about me, but I would expect nothing less from you. Would you like me to tell you what I know about you?” she asked, and I nodded.
“You have the floor, sweetheart.”
She stayed silent for a moment before beginning, “I know you care for me and others around you, too, even if you don’t show it. I know you want to build a better relationship with your brother; I know you care a lot about trust and respect, you like to be in control in most situations, and you live for the piano whenever you are not busy. You’re diligent, careful, and particular about many things, and for some reason, you like to make fun of my height,” she finished, narrowing her eyes at me, and I chuckled.
“You’re fun-sized, Princess. It’s adorable,” I said harmlessly, and she pulled her hand out of mine and crossed her arms childishly.
“You’re also an ass at times.”
“You also forgot to mention how much I like to spoil my princess as well, hmm?” I replied, and she knowingly avoided eye contact as she thanked the waiter who brought over the fresh salmon, asparagus and rice. Smirking at her little game, I let it go as we began to eat.
Afterward, we found ourselves wandering the city with Nathan, unfortunately, not too far behind. We looked at a few of the popular attractions, and soon, we made it to the vineyard. It was lovely during the day and even more beautiful at night as the lights decorated the bushes, and the decor was exquisite.
“Ah, Mr. Lockwood, please come with me. Your area has just been prepared,” a man said, approaching me.
Delilah held my hand as we walked through the garden, and eventually, we reached our section. Oddly enough, I recognized a few faces that looked just as surprised to see me.
“Well, if it isn’t Lockwood’s son,” said one of my father’s partners for overseas affairs, and I shook his outstretched hand.
“Didn’t know you’d all be here taking a trip to the islands too. How’ve you been?” I asked.
The other men approached and said hello as well. Delilah continued to stay beside me, and I rubbed her hand gently.
“We were actually about to begin discussing some of our plans for the upcoming months. If you’re not busy, we’d love to have your input,” one of the younger associates said, as he gazed over to Delilah for a split second.
I looked over to her as she seemed to be a bit skeptical of them seeing us together.
“You can spend some time with them; I don’t mind,” she whispered.
I excused myself from the men as I pulled her aside. “Tell me how you really feel, Princess. I don’t need to speak with them if you don’t want me to.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay, I promise. They seemed so excited to see you, and even if it’s nothing major, I don’t think it’ll take too long,” she replied, and I placed my hand on her chin, slightly forcing her to look up at me.
“You say the word, baby, and I’m gone from them… understood?” I asked, and she nodded. Leaning down, I placed a small kiss on her lips before pulling away. I muttered as a blush crept up her cheeks, “We won’t be long.”
Soon, I found myself laughing alongside my father’s partners as we sipped on a variety of wine. I occasionally glanced over to another section of the garden to see Delilah speaking with a few of the hostesses and women as they introduced her to many of the flavors. Taking a sip, I directed my attention back over to the men as they spoke about another subject.
“Our imports have gone up dramatically in price, and if we don’t do something soon, our client is going to throw a damn fit,” one of them stressed, and I sighed.
“Usually, these prices are only temporary. With a company of their size, they know they can’t raise the price too far as it will surely backfire on them. Most of them will undoubtedly lower their prices in a month or two if they don’t want any repercussions,” I assured him, and he nodded, going to speak again when he looked up and went silent.
All of them directed their attention beside me, and before I could look at what they were seeing, Delilah found her way in front of me as she took a seat on my lap comfortably.
Crossing her leg over the other, we didn’t utter a word as she took a sip of the wine in her glass.
One of the men spoke. “You seem familiar,” he said indirectly to Delilah, and she shrugged her shoulders.
“I guess I just have one of those faces,” she said freely, and I sent them a look that forced them to let the topic go.
As expected, they went back to speaking to one another as if they had forgotten she was there. She took another sip of her wine, and I placed my hand on her leg as I leaned up to her ear.
“You’re awfully comfortable,” I remarked, and she bit her lip seductively. It was clear that she may have tasted a few too many varieties, and I could tell she was probably a bit tipsy.
Placing my glass on the table beside me, I sighed. “What did we discuss earlier, Princess?” I asked her, and she giggled, catching a few of the eyes of the men sitting across. I internally groaned as I grabbed the glass out of her hand, and she bent down to my ear.
“You told me to be good,” she whispered, and I nodded.
“I sure did… Do you think you’re being a good girl right now?” I asked her sincerely, my voice lowering.
“Maybe I want to be a little bad.”
I held in a chuckle as I rubbed her leg softly, amused by her words.
“You think you have a choice?” I questioned, and she stood up abruptly.
“Of course I do. Now, if you’ll excuse me… gentlemen,” she finished, bidding them goodbye, and I stood up as well and grabbed her hand before she could wander off again.
“Gentlemen, I apologize, but I think it’s about time we left. We’ll keep in touch,” I concluded, leaving no more room for discussion as I walked out of the garden.
I looked down at Delilah as she continued giggling, and soon, she finally noticed we were leaving and pulled on my arm softly.
“B-but wait, Cindy was going to let me try one more—AHHH!” she screamed, as I cut her off by lifting her up over my shoulder and walking with her upside down.
She began hitting my back. “Hey, let me down!! I have rights, you know.”
“Of course you do, Princess, but you told me you have the choice to be bad or good. How’s being bad working out for you now?” I asked with a smirk, and she scoffed.
“Go to hell, Lockwood,” she seethed, and I could tell she enjoyed this a bit too much. I sent a slap to her ass as I shook my head.
“Bad girl.”
She flinched in my arms and whined childishly. “You’re so mean.”
“I know I am. Are you going to be good now?” I asked, and she huffed.
“Fine. I’ll be good,” she muttered.
I let her down slowly as she kept her glare on me. Pulling her into my side, I ignored her complaints, and eventually, Nathan found us and brought us back to our room.
We entered, and she slipped out of her heels almost immediately. Taking off my suit jacket, I placed it on the chair as I removed my cufflinks and tie. Looking over to her, I could tell she was having trouble reaching the back of her dress. I pulled the zipper down for her, and her cheeks went red as she seemed to be sobering up a bit.
Placing a kiss on her temple, I tried to soothe her nerves. “We’re not doing anything right now, Princess, not until you’re ready, and not when you’re intoxicated. We had our fun tonight, but now it’s time for you to get some rest,” I assured her.
She visibly relaxed as she stepped out of her dress and practically sprinted into the closet. I smirked at her response and got fully undressed before pulling on a pair of joggers.
Lying on my side of the bed, I watched as she walked out of the closet and into the bathroom to wipe off her little bit of makeup. Eventually, she came out of the bathroom, and I allowed her to lay in my arms as she rested her head on my chest.
“My shirt suits you,” I remarked as she was in one of my t-shirts, and she nodded.
“It’s comfy… Also, remind me never to drink again,” she muttered sleepily, and I chuckled.
“Duly noted,” I mumbled as I gradually felt her breathing patterns starting to change.
She slowly drifted off, but I managed to catch her small whisper.
“Best night ever.”
I felt a wave of relief as she said that, and I whispered back, “It sure was.”
Walking into our room from the bathroom, I watched Delilah look out towards the balcony as she lay at the edge of the bed. We were planning on going to the beach, and although we were both ready, she still seemed a bit tired from last night. I watched as she graciously leaned to her other shoulder, and I approached her slowly.
I fully turned her on her side and leaned down to kiss her lips. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I rubbed her cheek as I pulled away.
“Are you ready to go, Princess?” I asked, and she nodded, slowly sitting up.
We soon left the room, and upon walking onto the beach, she stopped midway. I looked over at her, and she shushed me silently before I could say anything. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused about what we were listening for, and I heard a voice in the distance.
“Can you stop touching me? It’s getting annoying!”
“ You know how much I love to annoy you, tiger. This shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
Delilah’s head snapped in the direction of the voices. I looked toward the beach and chuckled as Kimiko attempted to get away from Sterling, who continued teasing her. Delilah glared at me accusingly, and I grabbed her hand.
“You knew about them being here together, didn’t you?”
I gave her a look that seemed appalled by her question, but it faltered once I nodded.
“Of course I knew.”