Volleyball Fiasco #2
“Oh.” My lips parted slightly, a shallow inhale escaping as his warm, smooth hand—moments ago caressing my neck—glided along the lines of my jaw, my eyelids slowly drifting downwards, fluttering closed for a brief moment.
God, what was happening to me? I couldn’t tell for sure.
And then his thumb, like the beating of butterfly wings, a featherlight touch, brushed against the lower curve of my lip, a whisper against my faint breath.
This was far from a kiss yet it felt like that’s exactly what he was doing.
“Miles,” I murmured, my palms finding themselves against his chest, fingers curling tightly around the fabric of his shirt.
His hand slid right to the back of my head, carefully threading the wavy locks of my hair, while the other lifted my chin up.
The moment our eyes locked we both knew where this was going, and we both knew there was no going back from that now.
Because…was I pulling him closer? Well, duh!
Grazing his breath over mine, finally his soft lips pressed against my lips.
First a slow brush, a tease, a small taste.
My fists tightened around his collar, his scent filling all my senses, so intoxicating and addictive.
His mouth moved slowly and deliberately, savouring mine, and then—a bite, dragging my lower lip between his teeth. A kiss that was urgent and hungry.
His hands ran down my spine, his arms wrapping me tight before returning back into my hair as our mouths caressed, insatiable.
Our tongues danced, playfully exploring this newfound delight.
My palms framed his face, fingers tangling in his silver locks as I inhaled his scent, lost in the blissful moment.
The fucking tobacco I thought I hated so much was now my new favourite flavour.
“God!” he muttered, “is this really happening?” He gently bit my swollen lip, pulling it with a groan.
“Oh, it’s happening,” I murmured with a smirk. “It is definitely happening.”
“Good,” he growled, his voice low and husky as he leaned in closer, “because I wouldn’t be able to stop now.” He cupped my face, his mouth descending for another urgent kiss.
A hum escaped my throat, followed by a strangled gasp.
I surrendered completely, his for the taking.
A few steps back, his thigh between my thighs, and I was pressed against the wall.
His eyes darkened, his fingers tightening in my hair and pulling my head back to expose my neck. A trail of kisses followed, his teeth sinking gently into my skin, sucking on it softly, his hot breath electrifying every single part of my body.
“Miles!” I gasped. “Oh, God!”
Would there be marks tomorrow? I couldn’t care less.
“Florence?” A sudden voice made us both freeze in place. “Are you in your bathroom?”
“Shit!” I muttered, my eyes widening.
“Elizabeth?” Miles mouthed, looking at me. “What is your mother doing here?”
“Hide behind the shower curtain. Now!”
“Is this really necessary?” He glanced at me.
“Please!” I whispered.
“Florence?” my mother called again, then shortly after appeared at my bathroom doors. “Who were you talking to?”
“Me?!”
“Is there anyone else here? Of course, you!”
“Um, that was…that was Alex.”
“I hope that’s not another pigeon friend of yours?”
“Nope, this time it’s just a human, Mum. From work.” I mastered a smile, pointing at my phone, then quickly shoving it in my back pocket. “Um, shall we?” Motioning with my hands I stepped forward, offering her to move into my bedroom.
“Oh God!” she exclaimed, looking at me. “Is that Miles?”
“What?” My eyes went wide that very moment.
“Your lips are all swollen!” she gasped, staring at my face.
“They are?!” I blurted, feeling my cheeks burn with, well, not exactly embarrassment, but something like an oops-you-caught-me-red-handed-right-there fluster.
“Oh, yeah,” I drawled, relief flooding me once as I realised she must have meant the accident, not the charged moment we’d shared seconds ago. Thank God! “Yeah…they are.”
“You are acting very strangely today.” My mother glanced at me suspiciously, hands at the sides of her waist, still standing inside the door frame. “Did he hit you in the head too?”
“Um,” I sighed deeply. “Was there…something you wanted, Mother?”
“Well, just to check on you, really. Josephine told me what happened.”
“Oh! Well, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Is Miles okay too?”
“Um.” I cleared my throat. “Yes, he is.”
“God, he must feel awful. Have you seen him anywhere? Jo said he went home to change.”
“Have I?” I blurted a question; a small laugh followed. “No,” I drawled the word, shaking my head. “I definitely have not.”
My mother gave me a long, piercing stare, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You know,” she said, gently patting my shoulder, “I think you should lie down for a bit. A little rest might do you good…I mean it.”
“Sure, Mum. I’ll do just that.”
***
The second my mother vacated my room, my cheeks burned. Why? Well, there was a guy in my bathroom, hiding behind the curtains, and suddenly I was sixteen all over again…
I closed my eyes, sighing with…not quite relief, but maybe partially.
I tiptoed back to face another situation I thought I had perfectly under control…
until he showed up here. Gosh, what a doozy day!
I opened the door. “We’re good,” I whispered.
Then, with a deep breath, I slid the shower curtain aside.
Miles was standing there, shoulders leaning against the tile wall, arms crossed, his gaze on me.
“Sorry about that.” I winced, my gaze awkwardly darted around the room, trying to avoid his. “I kind of…panicked.”
Miles raised his eyebrow at me, a devilish glint in his eyes. “It’s fine,” he said with a faint smile tugging the corners of his lips. “Can we resume now?” he asked, then swiftly pushed back and took a large step out of my shower cabin.
“Um…” My gaze helplessly followed his arm as it looped around my waist, his palm pressing against the small of my back, pulling me closer. His other hand brushed the side of my cheek as he leaned in, waiting for me to meet his lingering, stormy eyes.
And when I did…
I drowned in them at once.
Miles paused, then; with a grin, he bit the corner of his mouth.
“What…?”
A dark gleam entered his eyes as he murmured. “You know…it feels so wrong misleading your mother like that…” He meant her catching him at my bedroom door just the other morning. “We might as well commit to the story and… make it true…what do you think about that?”
A shy smile spread across my face momentarily.
“Well, that’s very…direct!” I let out a soft chuckle.
“Why waste another day?” he rambled in a whisper. “We clearly both want this. Hell, I know I do!” he added with an encouraging enthusiasm in his voice.
“Miles…um,” I began, a strange sensation coiling down my stomach; my mind raced…
Something that bold and straightforward was obviously meant to be a fling.
He wanted sex and the undeniable truth was I wanted that too.
God, every time we were in one room together the air itself seemed to tighten with sexual tension.
Our bodies were drawn together like magnets, lingering an inch closer until we’d snap.
Well, we did snap. Today. And I was definitely annoyed when the moment was interrupted.
And yet, something was telling me that it was far from over.
We both felt that. We knew it. We had crossed that line and the next opportunity would undoubtedly find us right back here, right where we left off.
So yeah, why waste another precious moment?
What if…I mean, we could fool around. Right?
My brain might not have been able to comprehend everything that was happening at this very second, but my body gave me all the direct signals and biology was the simple, obvious answer to all my questions.
I took a deep breath. The pheromones and hormones were seemingly increasing as we spoke, so yeah, just like I said. Add physical attraction, psychological factors, and the proximity of us being here together, and there it was: the spark. Even a blind bat could see it; the chemistry was undeniable.
And…a hand on my chest…okay, I could admit he was very, very attractive.
But we weren’t really emotionally attached, so it was going to be absolutely fine.
Right? Right? God, would you just look at those eyes…
lips…all the undone buttons of his shirt, distracting me this very instant ?
My mind practically traced the lines of his bare chest…
um, after all, biology was one of my favourite subjects in school, so…
maybe we could explore some of that? Sex wouldn’t hurt.
Seriously, a week of fun couldn’t possibly hurt anyone .
One problem less, my mother. She’d be happy, thinking her matchmaking scheme worked—finally, she’d leave us alone!
And oh, would I be…happy? Please. Happy was an understatement.
Ecstatic? Delirious? Maybe even orgasmic ?
Yes, please! The fact remained that I wouldn’t be complaining either.
And so, considering all of the above…hmm, where do I sign up?
“Um…” I finally managed a whisper, my voice cracking slightly. “Okay…yeah…”
Then, I thought, was this going to be like…
now? So many questions flooded my mind: How would this work?
Would we just go to my bed, because I badly needed a shower first. Did he have condoms?
And who’d go down on who first? My palms turned clammy and a nervous breath caught in my throat.
Then, to my surprise, Miles brushed his fingers against my cheek, tugging a curly strand behind my ear, before muttering a question. “Do you want to go for a ride?”
Huh?
Confused, I took a step back, staring at him. “Wait, you want to do this…in your…car?”
“What?” he asked, a low laugh rumbling from his chest. “God, Florence. No! Unless—” He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow. “—you do?”
Caught in a quandary, a puzzled frown creased my forehead as I locked eyes with him. My mind raced to make sense of the meaning of his words.
“Um…” he said, “I did think of just a ride…as in driving. In the car. In separate seats. Maybe occasionally talking…”
I struggled to process the conflicting implications of his…suggestion.
“So…” I drawled in a question, “you want to talk?”
“Well.” Miles smiled at me. “That would be nice.”
“Hmm, okay, I guess we can talk…” Wait a second.
He did mean sex, right? Or did I completely misinterpret the whole situation?
“Sorry,” I blushed, glancing at him, feeling the heat spreading up my neck.
“I’m a bit confused here. When you said, ‘Why waste another day,’ did you mean with clothes… off? Or on?”
Holding my gaze, Miles tilted his head back. Then, seeing a slight uncertainty in my eyes, his lips quivered with a slow smirk. “Well, someone is eager,” he teased. “I mean, I thought I’d buy you a drink first, you know, before we advanced things further.”
Feeling my cheeks burn, I stole a large gulp of air. “Wow, this is awkward.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” he drawled. “I do appreciate your enthusiasm—”
“Please, don’t.” I cringed immediately, wishing a huge black void would appear beneath me and swallow me whole. “Stop talking.”