Chapter 28 #3
Part of my brain was screaming at me not to pursue the topic but the tone of Erik’s voice had ignited another sudden fire in my belly, and encouraged the other part of my mind to do its utmost to convince me that sticking to my Big Love ethos could mean I would never get to feel the exquisite pressure and pleasure of Erik’s lips on mine again, and that if the opportunity arose then I should just go for it.
So much for the friend zone I’d been working my way back towards, but in that moment, missing out felt like it would be a tragedy, whatever the resultant consequences.
‘I was worried,’ Erik said so quietly that I had to lean in to hear him, ‘that I’d struggle to keep my feelings for you in check and end up doing something which could jeopardise our friendship for a third time.’
Rafe had said to me that the third time might be the charm. Was this a sign from the universe that no harm would come from giving in to temptation?
‘Your feelings for me?’ I breathed.
I knew I wasn’t being fair encouraging him to say more, but I wanted all the information I could get before I responded.
‘Yes,’ he blurted, ‘my feelings for you, Skylar. You must know I have some and even though I told you right at the beginning of our friendship that I was happily single and you told me you were the same and we both agreed that processing the changes in our lives left no room for romance, I haven’t been able to stop myself thinking about you… and not just in a… friendly way.’
After the words had tumbled out, he ran a hand through his hair and huffed out a breath. I didn’t know if the declaration had felt uncomfortable or cathartic for him, but I had enjoyed it.
‘I see,’ I said. ‘So, all the while we’ve been acting as a PPO for each other, we’ve both secretly been wanting more.’
‘You feel the same?’ Erik gasped, and his gaze snapped back to mine.
‘I certainly feel something,’ I confirmed.
‘But I’m not sure exactly what. I’ve only ever gone in for serious relationships, but I keep thinking about you too, and not just in a friendly way.
’ Erik smiled at that. ‘You’re beginning to feel very much like an itch that I need to scratch but the last thing I want is to ruin our friendship as a result of you thinking I’d expect a committed relationship to be the outcome of us getting together. ’
‘This is exactly why we need clear heads,’ Erik said firmly. ‘If we’re going to consider acting on our feelings then we need to be certain we’re doing the right thing.’
‘Is that what we’re doing?’ I whispered. ‘Contemplating acting on our feelings.’
‘Well, I know I am.’
‘Me too,’ I swallowed. ‘Though I need to be certain that we’re both on the same page and in agreement that whatever happens won’t go any further than this weekend.’
I could scarcely believe the words coming out of my mouth!
Who even was I? I’d never suggested anything like this before, but I’d never experienced such desire either.
If it was a one-off or nothing, sorry Mabel, but my libido was determined not to miss out even if it meant denying what I truly felt in my heart.
‘We are on the same page,’ he nodded. ‘We’re both still coming to terms with other things, and neither of us has the headspace to nurture a new relationship. Do we?’
‘We don’t,’ I said after the briefest hesitation. ‘I’m not looking for any kind of commitment.’
‘I mean,’ he babbled, ‘we’re both at major crossroads in our lives and as we only live a stone’s throw apart and might end up working at the same place, we must—’
‘Erik—’
‘And I don’t want you to think I invited you here in the hope that anything would happen, because it genuinely was about the papers and those photos and my dad—’
‘Erik,’ I cut in again. ‘We are definitely on the same page.’
‘We are?’
‘We are.’
I reached for his hand, laced my fingers through his and pulled him close.
Having had such a lengthy run-up, setting out the ‘what happens in Wynbridge, stays in Wynbridge’ ground rules, what happened next could have felt stilted, but it wasn’t.
With so much pent-up passion on both sides, we were immediately lost in the moment, and unlike in the fern garden, there was no one to interrupt us.
Our previous kisses had been intense, but these were searing and the way we tore at each other’s clothes it was a miracle they stayed in one piece.
The second Erik’s fingers touched my bare skin I was desperate to feel more of him, the whole of him.
I wanted to feel his firm body pressed against mine and rushed towards the bedroom, pulling him along with me, all inhibitions lost.
‘Are you sure?’ he whispered as we fell onto the bed and began to explore the parts of us that had been hidden from each other for what felt like far too long.
In response, I ran my hands across his back and pulled him down on to me. The weight of him made me yearn to complete the connection.
‘Yes,’ I gasped, as his kisses ranged far and wide. ‘Yes.’
In the next moment we both gasped and I was swept away on a rapidly building journey of the most intense pleasure.
It was repeated more than once and exhilaratingly lasted until the early hours.
Feeling satiated in every way, we finally fell asleep with our limbs entwined and ended up missing what Sunday morning in Wynbridge had to offer.