Chapter 8 #4
“I'm doing it because I don't want to be apart from you. A week is too long to be away from each other, I would miss you too much.”
“Can you leave the company for a week?”
“It's been years since I've taken a few days off, I suppose I can do it. Baco can stay in my place. I'll talk to him. Besides, I'd like to meet your brother.”
“Then, I'd love for us to travel together.”
“Maybe we could even take a few more days and visit another city. Would it be a problem at your work if you take a few more days off?”
“I don't think so, it's been ages since I've taken leave,” I replied.
“I think it's better if we talk about this tomorrow because it's clear you're very tired, your eyes are closing.”
“I am.”
“Go to sleep, my love.”
“I'm going to the bathroom, I'll put on your t-shirt and curl up next to you. Do you have an unused toothbrush?” I asked, as I got up from the bed and Hermes devoured me with his gaze.
“Check the first drawer, if there’s nothing there, use mine.”
I quickly went into the bathroom while his gaze followed my every movement. When I returned to bed, he had freshened up in another bathroom and was lying down waiting for me. I slipped under the sheets and comforter and snuggled against his body. Hermes embraced me and pulled me even closer to him.
“I’m going to give you that t-shirt because it looks so sexy on you,” he stated.
“I accept the gift because it’s very comfortable,” I responded with a smile.
“Tonight I’ll be able to sleep peacefully because I have you with me. These past days I couldn’t sleep at all. You owe me many sleepless nights, and I plan to collect by doing with you everything I imagined when I couldn’t sleep.”
I smiled and kissed his chest. He shuddered.
“I also owe you a shirt, don’t forget that when you’re collecting,” I said, smiling.
“Aaaah, you’re right. I had forgotten about that.
You ruined one of my best shirts, but I’m not complaining because it was the day I met you.
When I looked into your eyes, you took my breath away.
I suppose you noticed I was paralyzed, I couldn’t speak and couldn’t stop looking at you.
Nothing like that had ever happened to me before, I couldn’t react and didn’t know what to do or say.
After you fled from me, I was so bewildered that I left the place, feeling confused and terrified. ”
“Something similar happened to me. When I looked at you, I felt my world stop. I was caught between being horrified by what I’d done to you and being dazzled by you.
As you rightly said, I ran away from you, I left there as fast as my legs would carry me because I was also completely bewildered.
That night I thought about you a lot, I couldn’t forget your eyes. ”
“I couldn’t get you out of my thoughts either. When I saw you in what I thought was my brother’s apartment, I was also stunned, but then I got furious because I thought you were dating Baco and jealousy blinded me.”
“I noticed your fury, you went from being my Prince Charming to a grumpy ogre,” I said, smiling.
“Ogre?” he asked, and my comment seemed to amuse him greatly.
“Yes, a handsome ogre, but an ogre nonetheless.”
He leaned in and gave me a sweet kiss on the lips, then caressed my cheeks and said:
“You have every right to think that, I’ve treated you very badly. I didn’t know how to handle the jealousy that overwhelmed me when I saw you with my brother or with any of your friends, and I reacted in the way I knew best, with authoritarianism and sarcasm. I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you. You’re almost transformed back into the prince.”
“I promise to earn more points to transform completely,” he affirmed.
“That’s very good for me. I love you,” I said, looking at him completely enchanted.
“And I love you.”
I rested my head on his chest and Hermes held me tight. As sleep was taking over me, an idea came to my mind and I opened my eyes and looked at him. My movement also made Hermes open his eyes and look at me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“You gave me the painting I was looking at in the exhibition,” I stated with certainty, because after what he had confessed to me, I had no doubt it had been a gift from him.
“Yes, I did. I couldn’t not do it when I noticed the emotion it provoked in you. I wanted you to have it.”
“Thank you. I never imagined it was you. At first I thought of Baco because he was the only one I mentioned to that it had made a big impression on me, but when he confirmed it wasn’t him, I was ready to return it, though I didn’t know to whom.”
“Don’t return it to me.”
“Now that I know it was you, I won’t,” I said, caressing his face.
“Thank you again. That painting made me feel sad, but I think it’s wonderful.
Baco says the sadness was because I was sensitive, because it gave him a sense of peace.
It’s likely I was sensitive and distressed because I missed you terribly and thought I had lost you. ”
“I’m sorry for behaving the way I did.”
“You’re forgiven.”
I rested my head on his chest again, feeling his heartbeat, and it was an incredible sensation. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
◆◆◆
I opened my eyes and found beautiful green eyes watching me with a smile. Yes, his eyes were also smiling and shining with happiness. We were both lying on our sides, facing each other.
“Good morning,” he greeted, without lifting his head from the pillow.
“Good morning,” I responded, smiling.
“It’s wonderful to wake up having you by my side and watching you sleep peacefully, but even better to see you smile,” he affirmed, placing his hand on my chin and caressing my lower lip with his thumb.
“I must look like a witch,” I replied.
“With all that blonde hair spread across the pillow, you look like an angel descended from heaven.”
“Is that your gentlemanly way of telling me I look like a witch in the morning?” I asked, trying to appear offended, but failing completely because happiness overwhelmed me and I couldn’t stop smiling.
Hermes burst out laughing, looking truly happy and carefree.
“I was actually trying to be romantic,” he said, still laughing.
“You always told me you weren’t romantic, but I can assure you that with me you’ve had many romantic words and gestures.”
“That’s because you awakened the romance in me,” he declared, leaning in and giving me a sweet kiss on the lips, “you awaken everything in me, just look,” he said, very smiling and proud, pointing to his groin which was fully awake and erect.
“And there goes the romance,” I said, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at his head.
Hermes laughed heartily again and pulled me down on top of him.
“You’re going to have to do something about that part of my anatomy that’s demanding your attention,” he said mischievously, pointing again to his erection.
“It seems I will.”
I lowered my mouth to his lips and kissed him passionately, then descended down his neck and continued the fiery journey to the area that needed attention.
“Ohhh, Delfina. Ohhhhh, my love.”
His moans were the most exciting sound I had ever heard in my life.
◆◆◆
That weekend we didn’t separate for a minute.
I barely stopped by my apartment to get clothes and a toiletry bag with some of my personal care items and makeup.
I also took an outfit for work on Monday because I assumed I’d be leaving from his place.
If we continued like this, we would end up living together before the trip.
I had to admit that living with him was turning out to be a surprisingly wonderful experience.
I may have never felt so complete in my entire life.
I was clear that I shouldn’t forget I was drawing conclusions based on just one weekend—and not just any weekend, but our reconciliation weekend—but at that moment I had no complaints and was happy.
We understood each other perfectly and were getting to know and enjoy each other.
Hermes had asked one of his employees to pick up his car because on Friday it had been left in the hotel parking lot, and Saturday night we went out in his car to the movies and dinner.
Sunday afternoon he asked me to accompany him to his mother’s house because he wanted to tell her about our trip and our living together.
His mother welcomed us with open arms; she had always been a very warm woman, but that day she radiated happiness and went out of her way to make me feel comfortable.
As soon as we arrived, she led us to the garden where she had prepared a table with everything necessary for a delicious afternoon tea.
The three of us sat around the table placed under a large umbrella.
“Well, Mom, here we are. I know you were eager to see us together because I suppose you still didn’t quite believe we were dating,” Hermes said, looking at me with a big smile.
“Seeing you happy is what I’ve always wanted, Hermes.
You deserve to be happy, you deserve to have by your side a woman who values you and loves you with all her heart as Delfina undoubtedly does.
” She looked at me and I nodded. “You two may not believe me, but let me tell you that from the moment I saw you together at my birthday, I knew you were made for each other. This beautiful girl arrived with Baco, but it wasn’t until I saw her with you that I knew she was going to be part of our family.
When I saw you dancing, I had the absolute certainty that Delfina had come into your life to heal your wounds.
Your looks left no doubt. A mother always notices these things,” she concluded with a big smile.
“It seems you’re a great observer and you weren’t wrong,” Hermes affirmed.
“You can’t imagine how happy I feel,” she expressed with emotion.
“We have something else to tell you,” Hermes announced, then paused and took my hand and brought it to his lips to place a soft kiss on it. “Delfina and I are going to live together.”