Chapter 37
Ihad no clue when she had left, but I knew that after I finally noticed that she wouldn’t be staying behind with the rest of the younger guests for who knew how long, my interest instantly waned as well. So, I returned home, wishing that she was with me so that I could take her on a drive. I had a jet-black McLaren that I had been wanting to have a little fun with but hadn’t quite been able to work myself up to feeling excited about it until now. Now there were so many things that I wanted to do and watch her enjoy along with me. For instance, the beach. A few couples who were at the bonfire rehearsal dinner eventually went away from the crowd, and you could see them holding hands and walking by the waves.
It was a serene, beautiful sight, and even though I wasn”t staying any longer I couldn”t help but wish that she was available so we could do the same. There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask her, I realized.
I also realized that this desire was extremely inappropriate given the state of our relationship, but in the romance and nighttime, I didn”t really give a fuck. I wanted to be speaking to her in low tones that no one else could hear between us too, and I wanted to see the fire dancing in her eyes. I already knew that it would be licking underneath her skin, and perhaps we would have even found a spot of our own where we could lie, perhaps on the sand, and be together. Whether that or we could just talk, either one would have been great.
These were what I couldn’t stop thinking about, and so even though I had tried to convince myself that her leaving was for the best, I eventually had given up battling with myself and headed back to the house. It was empty as the majority of the guests were still at the beach, and it was the perfect time for us to spend together.
My only hope as I knocked on her door was that she wouldn’t be asleep, but even if she was, I found that I truly didn”t care. I wanted to see her, and I didn”t have to be considerate about it given the nature of our current relations. It took a little while, but eventually, she answered the door, and my heart thundered in my chest as I watched the door come open.
I perused her appearance, and I was not disappointed. As I laid eyes on her, it was very clear to me that she had been asleep. Her hair was tousled, her eyes and cheeks slightly swollen, and it made me wonder then if she had simply left because of Lindsey or if she had simply just been tired.
This wasn’t a question, though, despite how tired I was, that I thought appropriate to ask. It was sure to open a can filled with worms, and if we were truly going by our earlier agreement, the foundation of which was nonchalance and all of this being casual, then there was no need for me to know.
“Can I come in?” I asked. For a long moment, she stared at me as though she wasn’t quite sure what she was seeing and couldn’t believe that I was here, at the door.
“Uh,” she started, and then eventually, when it seemed as though she heard a sudden noise from the staircase, she stepped back and ushered me in.
I was amused, the stark difference between her and Lindsey coming to mind. While the latter had tried her hardest to announce to everyone that there was some intimate connection or history between us, this one here was trying to hide ours as best as she could.
It was indeed our agreement, but I had to admit now to myself that I most certainly didn’t like it one bit.
She shut the door behind me while I looked around and assessed her room. It was much smaller than mine and quite earthy, which I loved. There was a lot of white and dark green, a pop of pink here and there. It was a good room, and I wondered if it was ok with her.
“Is this place okay?” I asked. “Do you feel comfortable here?”
She smiled at this then and started moving.
“It’s great. It looks better than most hotels, so I can”t exactly complain, can I?”
Her words hit me in a different way from the way she had intended it.
“You can complain,” I told her. “About whatever you need to.”
She stopped then and turned to me. We stared at each other, and then she continued on her way into the bathroom. I went to her window.
It was so quiet here, quite the contrast to the noisy party I had been coming from, and I found it infinitely more peaceful. Not just because it was quiet, but because it was her space. It smelled like her, I realized. The entire home had a distinct smell due to the scents used all around, but hers had taken over, and I couldn’t miss it because I had inhaled it from her neck as I had kissed her, tasted it on her skin. I would never forget it; it was far beyond this, even, and our current interactions. I stared out at the sky then, not realizing that she had returned, as I wondered truly how far I wanted to take this.
“Hey,” she called, and I turned around then to see her standing by the door to her bathroom.
“Did you want to speak to me about something?” she asked, and it made me smile.
“No, not really,” I replied. “I noticed you left the party early, so I wanted to check up on you.”
“You left way too early, then,” she said. “I’m sorry. You didn’t have to check up on me; it”s supposed to go on until the early hours of the morning.”
”I know,” I replied. “And that”s why I left. It”s one of the reasons, at the very least. Plus... I noticed you had left as well.”
I started to head towards her then, and she remained in place.
“Yeah,” she said. “I was uh... quite exhausted. Busy day.”
I stopped then in my tracks because I couldn”t help but be sensitive towards her and her words.
“You”re exhausted now as well?” I asked, and it was clear exactly what was happening. She straightened then, her eyes going towards the door, and then I watched as she swallowed.
“Um… I feel a bit better now,” she replied in a much lower tone, and it was amusing, to say the least. I continued on my way to her and didn”t stop until I was mere inches away.
“You don’t like parties?” I asked, and she smiled.
“Generally no, I don”t, but this party wasn’t bad. It was quite nice. I don”t really ever want to give Victoria compliments, but I have to in this case. A bonfire dinner party, as opposed to the usual at restaurants, was a pretty good idea.”
I looked away then as I considered her words, but only one response came to mind.
”The water will be too cold to swim in.”
“Yeah,” she replied.
However, and as I recall, the one glimpse I had of her in a bathing suit, the urge to swim came over me.
” What color was the bathing suit you were wearing earlier?” I asked. “I was barely able to see you.”
“Yeah,” she replied shyly, her head lowering. “It”s a gorgeous night too, so I was quite busy trying to get the needed shots.”
“Understood,” I said and waited. She finally thought about my question and then she answered.
“Hm, it was green,” she replied. “With white and black straps. In case you need more details.”
This made me smile.
“Definitely don”t need more details, but I”m glad to know.” I glanced back at the door. “I want to go for a swim,” I told her. “To round up the night properly. Fancy joining me?”
She immediately began shaking her head to refuse without even so much as considering it.
”Um, not exactly,” she replied. “I”m really tired and -“
My hand reached out to hold her chin, and it instantly made her stop. I couldn”t help running the pad of my thumb then across her bottom lip, and she instantly went still. I looked into her eyes then and could feel her anticipation. I leaned forward and kissed her.
She tasted just as sweet as I remembered, perhaps even much sweeter now. I found myself wishing that the taste of wine lingered on her lips, but she had properly cleaned up before me.
“We could take a shower afterward together,” I told her. “Don”t worry; I”ll make sure that you”re properly clean and tucked in by the time we’re done.”
She stared at me, very clearly tempted but still battling with herself about holding back.
“Uh…”
“Say yes,” I urged as I leaned forward once again to kiss her. She melted into it, her hand resting against my chest so that she could maintain her balance.
“I’d love to swim, but I”d rather we speed things up.”
This made me smile.
“What do you mean?”
“Let”s skip the pool and just use the shower here.”
I tilted my head at her, and then she diverted her eyes.
“Alright,” I replied, my hand going to the tie around her waist. I undid it, and in no time, it was falling open to reveal the skimpy but sexy nightgown she had underneath. She didn”t have a bra on, so her breasts were full and perky against the fabric. It dipped low, revealing her gorgeous cleavage, and I couldn’t help but reach out to cup the weight in my hands. They were gorgeous on her. Though full, they wonderfully complemented her frame, and it made me wonder if I would ever tire of looking at her. There was just something exquisite about her presence that instantly made me feel slightly awed that we had connected. Indeed, there were so many gorgeous women in the world, most of them at my beck and call, but none quite like her.
“What is this about?” I asked as my arm went around her waist.
“What do you mean?” she asked, smiling up at me. She was glorious just like pearl, and I couldn’t stop staring. I cupped her ass behind, pressing her into my hardness so that she could feel the effect that she had on me.
“I”m so drawn to you,” I kissed her. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you earlier. I had to leave early.”
Her smile grew even wider.
“That”s how flames work,” she said, reaching up on the tips of her toes to wrap her arms around my neck. She nibbled on my chin, pressed kisses on my cheek and up my temples, and then she finally placed one on my lips.
“So… want to?” She looked around, and I understood why she seemed a bit lost.
The moment, though sweet, wasn’t as charged as earlier, and I actually liked it. I wanted to talk to her instead. To find out a bit more about her. It was unnecessary. All I needed to do was fuck and leave, but I wanted this, and so I let her go and stepped away.
“I”m a bit hungry,” I said. “All the socializing made me drink more instead of actually eat. Will you accompany me down to the kitchen?”
She seemed a bit surprised at this and even a tad bit alarmed, and it was quite amusing to watch. Eventually, though, she seemed to make up her mind and then she nodded. I was somewhat starving as well. I was so busy tonight, only realized that I mostly drank after I came home. We smiled at each other then and started to head out.
I wanted to hold her hand, and the urge truly startled me because it was the first time I had felt that way. I immediately suppressed it and continued on my way, and soon she was shutting her door and coming behind me.