Chapter Eighteen #2
The cat peered at her from under a bush, the swishing of its tail twitching the leaves.
“Come on, kitty,” Faye encouraged, creeping a little closer.
The cat slinked out from under the greenery and tentatively sniffed her hand. After another sniff, he rubbed his soft head against Faye’s knuckles, and she beamed. Friends. Sweet.
She turned to grin at Diana, who was watching the encounter from a safe distance with curiosity. “Come say hello.”
With the same cautiousness as the feline, Diana moved closer. “Do you do this with every animal you meet?” she teased, bending next to her.
“Pretty much.”
The ginger cat switched his attention to the new arrival, taking his time to assess the status of friend or foe. When he relented, brushing against her, Diana let out a little laugh of delight. How could she be so adorable and so hot at the same time?
The cat scampered off, and they both rose to their feet.
“Do you have any pets?” Faye asked as they carried on along the path. The sun hid behind the clouds, allowing them a brief respite from the warm rays.
Diana shook her head. “No. But there were cats at the farm my dad worked at, and I used to play with them sometimes.”
Faye grinned, imagining a young Diana chasing cats around the barn. “I love cats. I have four.”
“Four?!”
“Yup. Biscuit, Mochi, Angus, and Taco.”
“I don’t know why I’m surprised. It makes perfect sense.”
“Yeah, you’ll have to…” The words died on her tongue.
Diana couldn’t meet them sometime. Even if it were something she wanted to do, she was going back to America, and Faye back to England.
She’d be na?ve to think otherwise. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
The harsh truth stung like someone had torn off the world’s largest wax strip on the back of her legs.
“You’ll…er, have to get a cat. When you’re home. Cats are great.”
Cats are great? She repressed the urge to scoff at herself. Smooth recovery, Faye.
The hill curved upwards, the ruins poking their stone heads out of the trees in the distance. Faye directed her attention to the different flowers and plants on the way, pointing them out to Diana. She needed distraction.
As the incline steepened, she pushed through the burn in her muscles, the path turning to stone steps taking them higher.
She actually enjoyed the feeling. The pain.
The breathlessness. Her body proving it wasn’t always a complete failure.
She always erred on the side of caution, always doubting, always preparing for the worst. But how far could she go without giving up?
The fresh sea air encouraged her to go further, stand taller, be more, and so she did, relishing the ache in her legs until they reached the top.
She wiped her forehead, pulling the water from her bag and gulping it down. She didn’t realise she’d left Diana behind until she joined her a minute later.
“If that was a race, I guess I lost,” Diana said, turning to look out over the view.
“Sorry.” Faye managed between breaths. “I got a little carried away.” She tried to hide the tightness in her chest and the dizziness between her ears.
It hurt, but the sense of accomplishment pumping through her veins overpowered the pain.
“That felt good.” She felt Diana’s gaze on her and turned to meet it. “What?”
But Diana just smiled, making her way into the crumbling castle. Faye’s focus fell on the slow swish of her hips as she followed, the silk flowing around Diana like water.
Inside the ruins, Diana tilted her head back to look at the tower, the windowless hole where Princess Inês was rumoured to sit.
“Would you live here?” Faye asked.
Without breaking her gaze, Diana answered, “On the island or here in the ruins?”
Faye imagined Diana’s apartment. Judging by the woman’s exquisite taste in clothes, it had to be grand. Large open windows, marble counters, expensive furniture. Why she was choosing to spend any time with Faye was mindboggling. She probably has nothing better to do.
The sick feeling tainted her mouth again. Stop ruining this, brain.
She placed a hand on the cool stone, trying to ground herself. “Would you live in the ruins,” she clarified.
“It’s a little…sparse for my liking.”
Faye pushed off the wall, letting her eyes wander the empty space. “Oh, I don’t know. A lick of paint, some light reconstruction work…I think it’d scrub up nicely. Realtors would go bananas over the view alone. So what if it’s missing a roof?”
“I suppose the archways are still surprisingly intact.”
Faye ducked inside, waving her arms like a fairy godmother. “A giant bookshelf here, an even bigger sofa by the window, some cosy, fluffy rugs. I’m not sure about the empty space over there, though.”
Diana joined her, pursing her lips. “A bar would be nice. Then I can sit and drink my cosmopolitan while you do your sudoku.”
Though said in a playful way, her reply warmed Faye’s cheeks, sending sharp tingles across her skin. She tried to hide her body’s response, playing into the game. “A good addition. Might I request a butler or three so the lady’s hands don’t get tired holding her glass?”
Diana hummed. “Most thoughtful. To repay your graciousness, the lady will demand a cluster of cats to fill these empty halls.”
“A cluster? That would be exquisite!” Faye laughed, surprised by Diana’s willingness to indulge the fantasy.
She took her hand and pulled her into the centre of the empty space.
The ground, hard from the lack of rain, was almost like that of a sleek ballroom—if you ignored the debris in the corners and the stench of earthy moss.
She wrapped her arms around Diana’s waist. “Did you know they call a group of cats a clowder?”
“I did not,” Diana said. “But I’m not surprised that you know that.”
“I’m full of useless animal facts, my queen.” She spun Diana, a little less graciously than their time dancing in the courtyard. “But thou dazzle me with thy kindness.”
“You’re very cute.” The corner of Diana’s mouth lifted. “But I thought you didn’t enjoy Shakespeare?”
She remembered. Warmth filled Faye’s chest. She laughed. “I don’t enjoy him. But that’s what I imagine rich people in his day spoke like.”
“Probably not Princess Inês.”
“Probably not.”
Diana tugged their bodies closer, caressing Faye’s hips. The subtle smirk curling her mouth made Faye want to kiss it off her gorgeous face.
She knew that look. Surely, Diana didn’t want to fool around here, did she?
Her thoughts became tangled, lost in Diana’s touch as she explored her with her strong hands, taking her time, her steady gaze assessing every reaction.
Faye’s breath became ragged, anticipation already slicking wetness between her thighs.
Whatever game they were playing was over.
Faye only had one thing on her mind. Keep teasing her like this, and she’d be begging Diana in no time.
Diana brushed hair away over Faye’s shoulder and leaned closer. The warm breath of air tickling Faye’s neck turned her on further, and she wound her fingers into Diana’s blouse.
Diana pressed a kiss to her pressure point before dragging her mouth over the sensitive skin. Faye let out a whimper, and Diana sucked just hard enough to weaken her knees.
“Do you think the princess would approve of this?” Diana whispered.
Her clit pinged, arousal dripping where she needed Diana the most. She swallowed. “I…I think she would, yeah.”
Diana kissed her hard, all traces of softness and teasing gone. Faye welcomed it, gasping into her mouth, her hands threading through her hair. Her whole body held taut, winding tighter with every touch and feel of her soft lips.
Any fears or hesitation she’d had vanished. She needed this. She needed Diana. Nothing was going to stop her.
Somehow, they ended up against the wall, their hands squeezing and caressing, leaving no part untouched. Faye groaned, trying to grind her aching pelvis against Diana’s. Her clit pounded so hard, she thought she might pass out if she didn’t relieve it.
Without breaking their kisses, Diana gripped Faye’s shirt, loosening the buttons one by one with her slender fingers.
Then she pressed her lips to Faye’s chest, her sternum, lower with every inch of exposed skin.
She cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra, and Faye tilted her head back.
Why not indulge? Why not enjoy it? Their time was limited, so why the hell not?
There was a crackle in the distance. Or maybe it was fireworks conjured up by her brain.
Completely dizzy with want, she cupped Diana’s chin, bringing her mouth back to hers. She ached to touch her, to feel her, to see if she was as hot for her as she was for Diana, but she kept her hands on her waist, letting her mouth do the talking.
But then there was the crackle again. Louder. And this time, a deep voice following it.
Oh, shit.
Faye didn’t want to stop. Her body begged her not to.
But Diana must have heard the noise too, because she broke their kiss, pushing her against the wall.
Another wave of arousal washed over her.
The close proximity. Diana’s gorgeous, plump mouth.
Those talented fingers resting against her sternum, and what she knew she could do with them.
Their chests heaved together as they listened, breathless, for anything besides the birds chirping in the woods behind the ruins.
When nothing followed, Faye nipped Diana’s lip between her teeth, eager to continue.
“N?o há nada aqui.”
A loud crack echoed through the building, and they froze.
“Onde?”
The gruff voice was looking for something. Faye’s Portuguese lessons were finally coming in handy.
“Eu disse-te.” The man huffed. “Aqui n?o há nada.”
“What are they saying?” Diana whispered, and Faye shivered, still aroused by her proximity.
“He’s looking for something.” A lightbulb flared in her mind. “Wait. What if he’s after the birds?” Without giving it much thought, she followed the voice, using the crumbling structure to shield her from view.
The sound came from the woods behind them. She waited, feeling Diana come up behind her.
“What are you doing?”
“Just having a look.”
A blur of black moved between the trunks, and Faye called out, “Hey!”
The man snapped his head up and sprinted in the other direction, back down the hill.
Adrenaline still pumping from Diana’s touch, she didn’t think; she just ran.
Clearly, this man was up to no good. Why would he run otherwise?
Something had to be done, and for the first time in a long time, she knew she was the person to do it.
She leapt over the roots, weaving between the trees, her open shirt flapping. There wasn’t really a path, and the bushes and branches reached out, making it difficult to navigate.
Luckily, the man also had the same problem, and she started to gain on him. She kept her eyes pinned to his back. Unassuming khaki shorts, a black T-shirt, and a rucksack that clunked with every step, helping Faye keep track as they weaved through the undergrowth.
“Hey!” she called again. “Wait!”
But then her foot caught on a tree root, and she stumbled.
A branch whipped her across the face. She spun and cried out, her tired legs burning, unable to right herself.
Maybe she’d overdone it with the hike earlier, or maybe Diana’s touch had jellified them too far.
Whatever the case, she tumbled downhill, thorns and branches digging and pinching at her, until she finally rolled to a stop.
She groaned, her face throbbing. Spluttering blood from her busted lip, she rolled onto her back, the taste metallic and sharp in her mouth. The blue sky looked down at her with pity, as the thump of the man’s footsteps grew quieter in the distance.