24. Tristan
TWENTY-FOUR
TRISTAN
I grazed a palm over my face and a heavy sigh left my lungs as I exited the shop with two bottles of water in my hands. We had been on the road for two hours already, a time in which Haelyn gave in and let sleep take her. I needed a fucking break from her presence.
The sky was still black with hints of light sneaking their way out, and the cold was still as unforgiving as it was when I parked in front of her house.
I passed the empty gas pumps and glanced over at my BMW where I knew she was asleep with those beautiful lips parted open and a few rebellious strands of hair resting on her heated cheeks.
Driving on long roads was never a problem for me, I usually refused to make any stops, knowing that even a quick halt to the bathroom would have meant a delay. Yet on a three and a half hour drive, it was the second time I parked the car. Every time I spotted a gas station on the empty road ahead, I’d sigh in relief and turn the wheel, eager for a fresh breath of hair.
Haelyn awake? That was somewhat easier to handle. But to see her sleeping peacefully in my car, her head resting on her jacket as she took soft breaths, those tits jostling at every speed bump? Yeah, that was another story. It felt intimate, being able to see her like that.
Maybe if I hadn’t found her fucking sexy lingerie, I could’ve stared ahead and let her rest while I was making sure we’d get there safely. But no. My mind kept wandering to how those panties felt between my fingers, the memory of the raw material keeping my cock hard the entire time while she was next to me, laying there like a fucking temptation.
I couldn’t concentrate. All I could do was remember the blush creeping on her cheeks when I gave my thoughts the power to speak for me right before we left.
Fuck.
What had gotten into me? I was used to having beautiful women around me and most of the time, I didn’t give a fuck even if they sprawled their legs while I was driving, and yet I couldn’t trust myself to get us there just because she was sleeping?
I needed a good fuck. That was what it was.Nothing more.
Maybe it would’ve been a good idea to get that before this trip.
With a much needed deep breath, I got inside the driver seat and roared the engine to life. Just like the first time, Haelyn didn’t show any reaction on her face. She must’ve had a hard night after the call she got.
My eyes swept to her. Her chin was hanging to her chest now and her brows furrowed at whatever she was dreaming. I snuck a finger under her neck and helped her rest on the jacket again, then I drove away.
My dick was still pumping in my jeans and I gave it a squeeze, the pain becoming unbearable after hours of being thick and ready. I sighed, roaming a hand through my hair.
Why had she brought that cursed lingerie with her? Was she planning to wear it for another man while I was there?
I gritted my teeth at the thought and sped on the highway.
Good thing she didn’t have anyone to wear her lingerie for where we were going.
Except me.
“I thought you were going to bail on me.” Sebastian smiled, lifting his hand in the air as I closed the door of the car after me. He dragged me into a hug, patting me on my back. “I’m glad to see I was wrong.”
He was so dressed that his body seemed as built as mine, though Sebastian had always been a small guy. Snowflakes rested on his eyelashes, the snow already pouring here.
“Your wife would’ve cut my balls if I said I was coming and then I didn’t show up.” I muttered under my breath, then hid my palms in my jeans.
He laughed, throwing his head back as his hand rested on my shoulder. Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, but then his eyes were caught by something else. They flew back to my face as he took a step back.
“Who is the sleeping beauty?” He crooked an eyebrow.
I looked behind me, spotting Haelyn slowly coming to her senses as she covered a yawn with her palm, her teary eyes searching around her. My attention turned back to Sebastian.
“Long story,” I admitted. “Give us five minutes and if you hear me scream, call an ambulance,” I joked and he nodded knowingly.
My eyes remained pointed on his back as he turned around and left, his shoulders shaking. He found it amusing and maybe if I wasn’t the one who had to explain himself in front of a woman like Haelyn, I would’ve laughed too.
I kept my feet glued on the ground where snow was slowly painting it white. When I heard a door close shut behind me, I sucked in a breath.
Here it came.
“Mr. Graves?” she questioned, her steps squeaking on the white blanket of snow.
Mr. Graves. Was that what she’d call me if I was fucking her from behind? Or would she have left the pleasantries and called me by my name?
“Are we lost?” she pushed, and I felt the heat of her body approaching. Without looking to my left, I knew we were standing shoulder to shoulder. Haelyn breathed a puff of cold air, dragging her coat tighter to her body.
I still didn’t dare to look at her. “No. This is it.”
Her head moved from side to side and I took a moment to steal a glance at her. She was beautiful with those puffy eyes from the long sleep she had, plumped lips, and red cheeks. Only the sight of her made my blood run hotter in my veins.
My cock jolted in my pants.
Not again.
I twitched my jaw, not ready for another fucking boner after it finally died thanks to the freezing air outside.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered, then pivoted her attention to me. I moved my body to her, watching how her curious eyes surveyed me. “Is this where the business meeting is going to take place?” Haelyn looked around. “In the middle of… nowhere?”
That was a good description of how the place looked. Apart from the cabin we booked, there was nothing else surrounding us except trees. That was why Sebastian and I liked to spend our free time here. Since both of our jobs required media presence and a lot of socialization, coming to the Mountains was a break from all of that. A break from all of our responsibilities.
And we chose it this far in case anything happened, we would have an excuse about not making it, but not far enough in case anything important occurred.
I took air inside my lungs. “There’s no business trip.”
She rounded her eyes and her mouth fell open. “What—Then why are we here?”
A beat passed and I knew that what I was about to say was going to piss the shit out of her. She was waiting with her lips parted, anticipating what my reply was going to be and ready to lash out at any second.
“There’s no business trip, I’m here on a short break with Sebastian, the owner of Yora,” I explained, feeling how my heart beat through my ribcage.
Damn her for having this effect on me.
She blinked. And then she blinked again, tilting her head to the side. “Was there ever a business trip?”
“No.”
“So you just lied to me? Why am I even here?”
“You are here to relax,” I told her, twitching my jaw.
“What makes you think I want to relax?” She lifted her arms beside her body. “You manipulated me to feel bad you couldn’t find a replacement, even though you knew what I was going through.” Her tone sounded disappointed and hurt and for some reason, my heart halted at that.
“It was wrong of me to do so,” I started, my voice low.
“Damn right, it was!” Haelyn screamed, fire puffing out her nostrils. “I have twelve days left to decide what I’m going to do with a life that doesn’t belong to me and you took two away just because you wanted to have your fun?” Her tone skyrocketed.
She was a lot more pissed than I anticipated.
I put a hand on her arm and surprisingly, she didn’t back away. She was too focused on looking at my face, probably imagining ways to kill me.
“I’m not here to have my fun, Haelyn. When we went to Yora, Sebastian asked me to spend the weekend together like old times. I was about to refuse, but after that day in your office, I wanted to do something to help you.”
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked sideways. Haelyn took a moment, biting her lip before putting her attention back on me. “It’s great you care about your employees, really,” she started with anger in her eyes. “But what would’ve helped me relax was spending time with my friends watching movies, hearing their suggestions, maybe getting wasted one night before work and not coming to a place I don’t know with my boss and his friends.”
My teeth gritted over each other back and forth. She was right. She didn’t know my friends. Hell, she didn’t even know me well enough to come.
“Thank you for your kind gesture.” She bit her lip and I noticed that was not what she meant to say. “But I’d like to go back home.” Her feet started walking toward the front seat and my heart picked up in speed.
For the first time, I panicked.
“The roads are closed,” I lied.
She looked at me over her shoulders, squinting her eyes. Then, she opened the door and grabbed her phone. After a few moments of lifting it into the air and looking for signaling, she gave up.
“How do you know if there’s no signal?” she questioned, putting her phone inside her jacket.
“Before we got in town, I had the radio on. All roads outside the Mountains are getting cleaned as we speak,” I continued, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue.
Why was I lying? If she wanted to go home, I should’ve let her go.
Instead, I stood my ground. If I didn’t deviate from my story, she had no other choice but to wait. What would she do? Take a cab home?
I knew—fuck, I knew —it wasn’t right to lie to her, but if that meant she was going to stay, I was willing to accept any consequences that may come.
Gladly.
As long as she remained here with me.
“Fine.” She let her arms drop. “You’ll take me back first thing in the morning.”
Haelyn walked past me and I hid a smile at the small win.
For now, I could breathe in relief.