19. Neve
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Neve
I woke up a little freaked out.
Celso had his arms around me and to be entirely and utterly honest with myself - it felt amazing. It was like we fit together perfectly. And don’t even get me started on last night.
What the hell was that?
How was it so fucking good?
How is it possible for a man to make me feel that incredible?
I was lying there snuggled against Celso and suddenly I felt too comfortable, too happy - and yes - it freaked me out.
So, I wiggled out of bed without waking him up. I grabbed a t-shirt and hurried down to the kitchen. For a while all I could do is stand there in shock over last night’s experience and how quickly he is winning me over.
I shouldn’t be this easy.
But then I wanted coffee - and because the universe likes to test me at every chance, it can get - the coffee machine is identical to the one Celso has in his home. Our home.
And I pushed the wrong button.
Now, Celso is standing with his hips pushed between my legs, his thumb brushing over my lips and my heart is racing at the sight of him.
I’m trying so hard not to make this easy for him, but I can’t help the way he makes me feel.
“Don’t test me, my angel.” He whispers, a darkness touching his words.
It sends a current of fear and desire washing over me. I nod.
I want him again .
Last night was the most incredible experience. The way he took me, I felt - free .
Celso chuckles and he’s close enough to me his chest vibrates and my body tingles. I want to wrap my arms around him and pull him even closer. I want to trace my tongue over the muscles on his stomach. I want to taste him.
But I also want to let him know he doesn’t own me. And he seems to think he does.
With a cheeky smile on my face I decide to choose to do something today that is the most unlikely thing a man like Celso would enjoy. I’m determined to annoy him.
“I would like to go to the natural goods market in the park.” I love markets.
I watch his face, waiting for the glimmer of annoyance or disappointment, but one side of his mouth curves upward into that gorgeous smile, pressing a dimple into his cheek - and he says, “That sounds perfect. We can have breakfast there. They have the best homemade foods at those things.”
It takes me by surprise. I try to hide it, but I think he notices my eyes flare open .
His grin widens and my heart beats a little faster.
“I’m ready when you are.” He says.
“You’re going in your sweatpants and nothing else?” I giggle.
“And you can go in nothing but that t-shirt. We would cause quite a scene. But I told you - we make our own rules, Neve.”
Walking around the market, Celso always wants to touch me. He will hold my hand or keep his hand resting on my lower back. He will wrap his arm around me and kiss the top of my head while I browse some of the market stalls. He holds me close and makes me feel so wanted it’s almost impossible not to fall a little deeper for him.
In all honesty I don’t even think I’m fighting it anymore.
Between the incredible chemistry we obviously share and his ridiculously tender way of handling me - and his obvious obsession with me - I have never been so desired and so adored.
Of course, in the back of my mind I’m waiting for him to get bored with me. For the spark to wear off and for reality to kick in. It’s how the real world works, unfortunately. The fairytale of who you think someone is fade away when you finally get them.
He’ll wake up soon and be bored with me and he’ll find a new girl to obsess over and I’ll be the wife he keeps at home because he is obliged to.
But right now, walking around a random Sunday afternoon market, I laugh with him, leaning towards him, enjoying the warmth and connection. I can let myself enjoy this for a little while. I have to be careful with my heart.
Celso grabs my hand. “Neve, you’ll love these.” He says a spark of excitement in his eyes. He pulls me towards one stall and sets me in front of his body so that I can see what he’s spotted.
My heart melts.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I didn’t expect him to know things like this about me.
I stand there, staring at the dark chocolate color leather boots. They are army style, a little rugged looking, but still feminine and cute if paired with the right outfit .
“Oh.” I say, my voice tight. “What makes you think I’ll like these?” I ask, curious to see if it’s a wild guess he’s making, because he’s spot on. I freaking love them.
“Aren’t they perfect for the adventure we are going to go on - hiking through the jungles of Peru? Searching for ruins and lost temples?”
I glance over my shoulder, looking up at him with my brows knotted.
“You remembered?”
“Of course, I remembered.” He says, knotting his brows too, confused why I thought, for even a moment that he wouldn’t remember.
I turn back to the boots, but my mind is muddled. Why is he so sweet and tender? How is it he listens and knows things about me that my family didn’t bother to know?
“What color do you want?” Celso asks, pointing out the black, caramel and dark chocolate options.
“Um, what do you think?” I ask, unsure, still taken by surprise .
“It’s hard to choose, but I can picture you in these and some cute little shorts, or a summer dress. Us on a road trip, your feet up on the dash board - maybe we need to get two. I’d say black and caramel?”
I nod, picturing us on that road trip and thinking it is the most perfect thing he could have said. An image of freedom, the wind in my hair as we drive through a desert somewhere - lost together.
Celso buys two pairs of those boots for me and carries the paper shopping bag, filling it up with other things he buys me, as we roam the rest of the market. We get home-made custard pies and coffee, and Chinese noodles for lunch when we feel like taking a break, and we sit on the grass, letting the sun warm our faces. Celso pulls me close him to that I can lean my back against his chest while we watch other people walking past.
It’s late when we return to the hotel and pack up our things to go home.
And I’m happy.
I haven’t been happy in so long it’s a weird thing for me to accept. Especially that I am happy with a man like Celso. With the man who I was terrified of. He is warm, generous, buying everything that makes me smile - he is attentive and affectionate.
He whispers in my ear that he thinks I am beautiful. He kisses my face and plays with my hair.
How can I not fall for him?
Over the next week things only seem to get better and it takes everything in me to stay cautiously aware that at any moment he might get bored with me and drop me like a stone into a deep, deep lake.
“I ordered Chinese.” He calls upstairs. I’m climbing out of the shower, a thick fluffy towel wrapped around me and a smaller one wrapped around my hair. “I’ll be down in a second.” I call back, but he walks into the room and wraps me in his arms. “Hi gorgeous, I missed you.” He grins, and presses his lips against mine.
“You were only gone for a few hours.” I giggle as he scatters kisses across the rest of my face.
“Mm. A few hours too long. But I saw something, and it instantly made me think of you.”
“What was it?” I ask, curious .
“Come down stairs and find out. I’ll get the plates out for dinner. Wear something cozy. We can watch a movie after dinner and snuggle on the sofa.” He kisses me again, steps back, admiring me for a moment before he grins and leaves the room.
Even these small interactions make my heart flutter and widen the smile on my lips. He keeps me curious and his affection keeps me wanting more.
I get dressed in a hurry, wanting to know what he saw.
Wearing my comfy sweatpants and a little crop top I skip down the stairs like a child on Christmas morning.
When I walk into the living room where he has spread assorted Chinese take outs on the coffee table - I pack up laughing.
There is a life-sized llama teddy bear standing next to the sofa.
I can’t stop laughing at the randomness of it.
“A llama?” I ask through my giggles .
“Not any llama.” He grins, walking over to it with his hands behind his back.
He sets a tiny sombrero on its head. “It’s a Mexican llama.”
I shake my head and scrunch my nose. “Why is there a Mexican llama in our living room?” I ask, walking towards it and running my fingers through its fluffy teddy bear coating.
He wraps his arm around my waist and holds me against his body, whispering in my ear.
“Because he’s going to help us plan for our honeymoon.”
I scrunch my nose again. “Our honeymoon? I thought?—”
“You thought we weren’t going on one?” he asks in horror. “Neve, the wedding was crazy - rushed - and I have some things I need to close off at work before we can leave, but I am definitely taking you on a honeymoon. An adventure of your dreams. I thought we should go to Peru and because it’s almost October, we can time our trip so that we are in Mexico right during the Dia De Los Meurtos festival.”
“Day of the dead.” I whisper. “That festival has always been something I wanted to see.” For a second I’m fighting tears. This is all so overwhelming.
“I want to see that festival too - but only with you, my angel.” He says, his lips brushing against my cheek. I turn in his arms and lift my face towards his. I pull him close and kiss him.
This is the first time I have initiated a kiss.
My heart screams with wild excitement and his cock goes hard.
I giggle, because I am too happy to hold it inside me.
He steps away from me, chucking and shaking his head.
“You will be the death of me, Neve.” He laughs. “Let’s eat before everything gets cold and after that I will do things to you that you can’t even dream of.” His eyes are dark and full of promise.
We both sit on the floor at the low coffee table and eat straight out of the boxes as we talked about the different things we want to see when we travel. It’s not only Mexico we talk about. It’s Asia too - Cambodia and Vietnam - the gorgeous temples there and the lost jungle paths. Again, I can’t stop smiling because I’ve never found someone who was as excited about these things as I am.
Why does he have to be so perfect?