24. Lila
TWENTY-FOUR
Lila
“Did I ever tell you that you looked good in that bathing suit?” I sent a splash of water in Harrison’s direction. Instead of retaliating like I expected him to, he took a quick step forward and grabbed me around the waist before I had time to protest. I screeched with laughter as he thrust us both down, threatening to dunk my head underwater, but stopping just when he reached my neck.
He kissed my nose and smiled. “Not half as good as you look in that bikini, I’m sure.”
Sunset had already enveloped the island when we finally got off the ferry back in Santorini. When I had suggested we go for a little evening swim, I had fully expected Harrison to offer some sort of resistance. But there was none. In fact, it was getting harder to remember what Harrison had been like when he was challenging my every suggestion.
He cradled me in his arms so that I was floating in the pool. I traced one of the larger tattoos on his arm. A dragon, circling a flame.
“You know, I asked you about your tattoos once. You were pretty snarky about it,” I said.
He winced. “Sorry about that. You can ask me anything you want now.”
I smirked up at him. “Trying to make it up to me or something?”
He leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “Always.”
I pressed my cheek against his chest. Despite the absolutely surreal feeling of being together like this, I couldn’t deny that I felt more content than I had in a long time.
“Do they all have meaning?” I asked, tracing another one, this one of water lapping against a cliff.
“Some,” he said, craning his neck to look down at the one under my hand. “That one I got for my dad. I have a few for my mom—her favorite bird and her favorite flower. Both of their names are on my other arm.”
“They must really mean a lot to you.”
“They do. They’ve sacrificed a lot for me. I just wish they’d let me do more for them.”
“Stubborn?” I asked.
“Proud,” he said.
I continued tracing the dark lines. “Are any of these for a girl?”
“No,” he said. I could hear the smile in his voice. “I do have one for Oliver, though.”
I dipped my head back and laughed at that. “No way. Which one?”
“It’s a wolf on my back. We were supposed to get matching ones, but he chickened out after I got mine.”
I snorted. “That sounds like Oliver. At least you were already covered in tattoos, or that could have been bad.”
“That was only, like, my third one. But I didn’t mind. I knew I’d always be able to give him shit for it.” He chuckled at the memory.
“That makes it all worth it, then,” I said.
“Do you have any tattoos?”
A blush crept onto my cheeks, a residual effect of still being slightly self-conscious around him. “I’ve always kind of wanted one, but I’m a little nervous.”
“I could give it to you,” he offered. Suddenly, the whole idea felt pretty intimate.
When I didn’t answer, he trailed one finger along the many earrings in my right ear.
“You clearly aren’t afraid of needles, with all these piercings.”
“That was more of an eff-you to my ex than anything else,” I explained, tipping my head to get a better angle of Harrison’s face. “He thought more than one earring in each lobe was trashy. So, naturally, as soon as I dumped him, I went straight to a piercer. I also contemplated dying my hair blonde, but I’m glad I didn’t go through with it.”
His jaw clenched at my explanation. “He sounds like a piece of work.”
“You have no idea,” I said.
Harrison surprised me by dropping his head to place a soft kiss on my forehead.
“So, last day tomorrow,” I said, wariness coating my voice.
He sighed and dropped my legs so that I stood next to him in the pool.
“Don’t kill me, but I’m kind of excited to get back.” The dagger he’d just inserted into my heart twisted a little.
“Oh?” I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Yeah. I don’t typically spend this much time away from the shop. And I feel like—” his eyes searched mine before they moved to the evening sky that spread out in front of us. “I feel like I have a lot of new ideas after this trip.”
“Like getting a working website,” I teased, letting any anxiety I felt about his comment float away.
“Definitely.” He smirked down at me. “Although, I might still need your help with that.”
“Say the word and I’m there,” I said easily. The water cradled me as I floated, my fingers slicing through its warmth. I moved my hands in gentle arcs around my body, feeling the light, comforting pressure against my skin.
I tipped back my head and sighed. “I guess I’m excited to get back, too. Hopefully the office didn’t implode without both Charlie and me there.” I stopped drifting and placed my hands on the edge of the pool.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Harrison said, moving to stand next to me, his leg brushing mine. He kept occupying my space in the best possible way. “Maybe now you’ll feel better taking more time off in the future.”
“Maybe,” I agreed, hoping he was right.
Eventually, we toweled off and headed back to our room. The ominous one bed now sent a thrill of excitement through me instead of solely nerves.
Would he make a move? Would I have to?
My body was on literal fire just looking at him, damp and shirtless. It took everything in me not to reach out and run my hands along his abs, up to his pecs, and along his tattoos.
He must feel it too.
“I almost forgot,” he said, breaking me from my trance.
“Hmm?” I asked, not fully capable of forming a coherent thought at the moment.
“I got this for you,” he said, picking up the jeans that he’d discarded on the bed and pulling out a small box.
Joy surged up inside me as I took it from his hands.
“It’s nothing,” he said, rubbing the back of his wet hair. “I just saw one while we were shopping today, and it made me think of you.”
I opened the box to find a dainty evil eye necklace nestled inside, a swirl of blue and clear crystals on a short silver chain much like the one I had admired our first day here. My eyes started to blur.
“I thought you said it was stupid.”
He shook his head and took the necklace from my hands. He placed one hand on my waist and gently spun me around so that he could fasten the chain around my neck.
“I was the only one being stupid.” His breath on my neck made me shiver.
“I’m glad you finally see it my way.” I turned in his arms and smiled up at him.
“I’m starting to see a lot of things your way,” he murmured.
“Thank you for this.” I reached up to touch the necklace and Harrison dropped his head to place a soft kiss on my forehead. When he pulled away, there was heat in his eyes, and he tightened his grip around my waist.
I tipped my head, giving him full access to my mouth. His taste was addictive, like I could never get enough of him. His tongue gently touched my lips, and I opened my mouth to let him in.
The kiss was soft but insistent, and he held me tighter, his fingers digging into my sides. My own hands were wrapped around his back, and it felt so natural to touch him like this. To kiss him. This Harrison was so different from the one I thought I knew. Getting to know him like this, without all his walls in place, had just made my attraction to him flourish into something real.
Something that I couldn’t deny.
Harrison took his time, kissing me slowly and thoroughly, like we had all the time in the world.
“You’re not going to panic and stop again, are you?” I asked against his lips. “Because if you’re still worried that I have a crush on you, spoiler alert: I definitely do.”
I could feel his smile. “I think I have the bigger crush. Like I told you earlier, I’ll take anything you’re willing to give. I’m yours, Lila.”
My insides coiled tightly at his words as my mouth continued to explore his. My heart pounded and desire surged through me. Even though it was far too soon, and I’d never admit it out loud, I was already falling for him. A fall I was powerless to stop.
I ran my hand along the smooth skin of his back. When he moved his hand up to trace the underside of my breast, I let out a small moan.
For all the dating I’d done recently, I wasn’t a fan of casual hookups. It had been a while since someone had touched me like this, and I didn’t think I’d ever anticipated a touch that much.
He backed up a few steps and I let him lead me to the bed. When the back of his legs hit the edge of the mattress, he sat and pulled me into his lap.
I straddled him, my arms resting on his shoulders and my fingers knotting in his thick hair. He moved his hands up my sides, his thumbs brushing against the sides of my breasts. Only the thin fabric of my bikini top kept me from feeling his touch directly on my skin, and I shivered with anticipation.
He kissed his way across my jaw, to my neck. Heat built in my stomach as I rocked gently in his lap.
“This is so much better than I imagined,” he murmured into my neck.
“So, you admit you’ve imagined this,” I breathed.
“Maybe a few times,” he said, chuckling.
I tugged his hair and pulled his mouth back to mine. My nipples hardened as they rubbed against the flimsy fabric of my top, and I arched my back to increase the friction against his bare chest.
His hand still traced the side of my breast and I moaned into his mouth, silently urging him to move his hand further.
He must have sensed my thoughts, because a second later he pushed the thin fabric aside, exposing my nipples. I let out a sigh of satisfaction.
He ran his thumb over one nipple, making it harden even more, then did the same with the other, until both my breasts were tight with arousal.
“These are perfect,” he murmured.
I leaned back to watch his face. “They’re okay.”
“More than okay.”
His eyes met mine as he squeezed the soft flesh of my breast. He was staring at me like I was the only person in the world, and right then, I believed it.
The air left my lungs as I watched his head move forward and his mouth close over one nipple. When his tongue flicked the tight bud, it sent a pulse shooting straight to my center.
His mouth was warm and insistent as he sucked and teased, massaging my other breast with his free hand. I arched into him, melting underneath his touch.
My hips rocked against his erection, the thin fabric of his shorts leaving little to the imagination.
“Harrison,” I whispered. “You make me feel...”
He pulled away, his eyes locked on mine. “How do I make you feel?”
I rocked my hips against him and smiled.
“A lot,” I admitted.
His hands slid to my hips, pulling me tighter against him. “Like what?”
“You make me nervous,” I whispered.
“Don’t feel nervous,” he said, before taking my other nipple in his mouth.
“You make me happy,” I whispered.
He released my nipple, his mouth moving back to my lips.
“Me too,” he said, softly.
I was overwhelmed by both the tenderness of his touch and the sincerity of his words.
“And, currently, you’re making me feel wet,” I said, my voice low and throaty.
A slow grin spread across his face. “I should really do something about that.”
He picked me up and turned, laying me on the bed, then stripped off his swim trunks, leaving himself completely naked.
I stared at him and licked my lips. When he moved toward me I fell back, allowing him to hover over me.
“I can’t believe this is real,” I whispered.
He let out a soft chuckle. “Neither can I.”
With two fingers, he traced my stomach until stopping right at the top of my tiny bikini bottoms.
“Sure you don’t want me to stop?” he asked gruffly.
“I didn’t even want you to stop yesterday,” I breathed, arching my hips ever so slightly so his fingertips collided with the elastic of the pesky fabric that separated us. Then he moved his hand between us and gently slid my bikini bottoms down my thighs.
“I want to taste you,” he said, staring me in the eyes.
A pulse throbbed between my legs at his words. “I’m not going to object to that.”
He smiled. “Good.”
He gripped my thighs and spread them wide open. His warm breath on my sensitive skin sent shivers through me. It wasn’t just his touch that was driving me up the wall, it was the fact that it was Harrison. This person whom I had admired from afar, but never dreamed I would actually get to touch. Now, here we were—me spread out before him, at my most vulnerable, and him on his knees ready for worship.
When his tongue finally came into contact with my skin, I nearly shot off the bed. I moaned when he brought his fingers up to brush my most sensitive spot, and almost lost it right there. He used his tongue and fingers to work me until I was panting and writhing on the bed.
When I thought it couldn’t get any better, he moved his fingers from my clit and slid them inside. He worked his tongue in time with his thrusts, and I felt myself climbing toward the edge.
“Yes, right there,” I whimpered.
He pulled his fingers out and used his whole mouth, his tongue circling and his lips sucking.
I cried out as my orgasm shook through me. I shuddered under his touch and his grip tightened, his tongue continuing its assault until the last wave passed over me.
He looked up at me, a smug smile on his face. “Was that better than the fantasy?”
“I never said I fantasized about you,” I insisted, although my shaky voice held barely any resolve.
He climbed up the bed and pressed a soft kiss to my temple before pressing his lips against mine. I could still taste myself on his mouth, my stomach immediately clenching with renewed desire.
“Well, that was better than any fantasy for me,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” I joked, smiling against his mouth.
I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue into his mouth and tangling my fingers in his hair. My nipples pressed against his bare chest which amplified my desire.
Twisting our bodies, Harrison rolled me on top of him in a tangle of limbs. I pressed myself to his length and nearly cried out just from the friction.
“Lila,” he groaned, gripping my hips as I started to rock into him. “We don’t have to do everything in one night.”
I smiled and rocked my hips again, feeling his dick tense with arousal. “I thought you were done stopping me?”
His lip curved up. “Good point. I’m all yours.”
I moved my hips again, and a surge of satisfaction washed through me as he let out another groan.
“Fuck, I want you so bad.”
His raw words had my insides cartwheeling with joy. I hadn't felt this good—this comfortable with a man—since... since maybe ever. My ex had never treated me like this, like I was something precious he was lucky to have. And any hookups I’d had since then had felt almost clinical. This was something else entirely.
Harrison kissed me fiercely and I dissolved into him, ready to have him fully.
“Take me,” I said against his lips.
My body buzzed as he flipped us over again and pushed me into the mattress.
“If you insist,” he growled.
When he positioned himself over me, his expression changed, and the raw emotion behind his eyes nearly took my breath away.
He brushed his thumb over my cheek. “Are you sure about this?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
He reached into the nightstand and produced a condom. I eyed it.
“Did you really bring those on what you thought was a friends’ trip?” I demanded, a laugh escaping me.
He didn’t look the slightest bit sheepish as he tore the wrapper off and slid the condom on. “No.”
My brows pinched. “Then when?—”
“I got them today. While we were shopping,” he said, shifting so that he was back over me. “I wasn’t expecting anything, but...”
“You’re so obsessed with me,” I teased, lightly pinching his sides. But when I felt the tip of him at my entrance, I gasped.
“Yep,” he said, then sealed his lips to mine.
With his mouth on mine, his tongue teasing me, he slid slowly inside. I stretched for him in the most intoxicating way.
I moaned, wrapping my legs around his waist, hardly able to process how good he felt. How good everything about this moment felt.
He began to thrust, slowly at first. I tilted my hips up, savoring everything. I didn’t feel vulnerable, lying naked beneath him; I felt wanted, and alive, and aching for more. The connection between us felt unreal and I couldn’t get enough.
“More,” I said.
He grinned, his teeth glowing in the soft light. “So eager.”
My smile was cut off by a moan that escaped me when he picked up the pace. He thrust harder and I tightened my legs around him, my nails digging into his shoulder blades as I met him thrust for thrust. The pleasure was overwhelming, and I couldn’t contain the moans and gasps that escaped my lips.
“Yes, just like that,” I got out, my words barely a whisper.
Harrison groaned with desire.
I was on fire, and the only thing that could put it out was him.
“Harder,” I begged.
He grunted, speeding up, his movements more desperate.
“Fuck,” he growled.
The sound of his pleasure tipped me over the edge and a second orgasm tore through me. I pulsed around him, and the feeling of his thrusts, coupled with his ragged breathing as he approached his own release, intensified mine.
He stiffened and then shuddered. He cried out my name, and thrust once more.
As he collapsed on top of me, my body still trembling from the aftershocks, I realized that there was no going back. We hadn’t even begun to discuss what the hell this was, but it certainly wasn’t casual. At least not for me.
The irony didn’t escape me. This was exactly what Harrison had been worried about last night—sleeping together, and me immediately catching feelings. He had barely pulled out of me and already my emotions were too overwhelming to process.
I didn’t say anything as he gazed into my eyes and cradled the back of my head carefully with his hand. Maybe we hadn’t said everything that needed to be said yet, but his look told me he was feeling this too.
Maybe it still scared him, but I just hoped he’d face it this time.