by L.H. Cosway
“Come home with me,” James murmured in my ear and I flushed, my stomach fizzing with nerves and excitement.
“Okay,” I whispered back.
When we arrived at the house, I noted several new items of furniture. James had installed some coat hangers by the door, and a side table in the hallway. I walked into the kitchen and saw a brand-new table and chairs.
I turned to him. “You bought furniture?”
He rubbed a hand along his jaw. “Just a few pieces.”
I stared at him. “Why?”
His eyes were on the floor before he lifted them to me. “I’ve been thinking about staying.”
“You’re going to live here? But I thought—”
He came to stand in front of me, taking my hands in his. I savoured the warmth of his touch. “I thought I couldn’t stay. I thought this place would only ever remind me of Diana. But it was never hers. You were the first person to really live here. Every single room makes me think of you. I could never give that up.”
I sucked in a gasp, my pulse hammering. James had said so many sweet things to me tonight, but this was by far the sweetest. I was sure my disbelief was written all over my face. “You’re being serious?”
“As serious as I’ve ever been,” he answered.
My heart wasn’t sure what to do with this information. I went up on my tiptoes to kiss him. He grabbed the back of my neck while I gripped his shoulders. The house was so quiet, and all you could hear was our laboured breathing.
I broke away, trying to catch my breath. “So you’re going to live here all by yourself?”
He started to smile. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“It’s a big house for one person.”
His smile grew. “Are you hedging for me to invite you to move in?”
My eyes bugged. “What?! No, that’s not what I—”
“Is it such a crazy idea?” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw. “We’ve known each other almost a year now. I’m in love with you. I want to wake up with you every morning, go to bed with you at night.”
Tingles filled my stomach. I stood in front of him, not knowing what to say. The prospect of moving in with James, of living together as a couple, made everything inside me come alive. I wanted that future for us. The idea of it filled me with the purest kind of hope.
“Let me think about it,” I said and his gaze darkened.
I saw several emotions flit behind his eyes; arousal, desire, need. His focus ran along the silk scarf around my neck. He reached out, fingering it before slowly dragging it off over my shoulders. He draped it along the back of a chair then helped me out of my coat. I stood in the middle of the kitchen, allowing him to undress me while he still hadn’t so much as taken off his jacket.
Goose bumps covered every inch of my skin. It felt like an eternity since he last touched me. He walked around me, his movements lithe and efficient. I was in only my underwear now, my clothes carefully placed on the back of the chair. James was a man who knew how to tease, how to take his time.
His eyes lingered on the swell of my breasts as I held still, hardly daring to breathe. He moved behind me now, his hand sliding down the curve of my spine, feather-soft. I inhaled sharply when his lips met the hollow of my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin.
“Look,” he whispered and I suddenly saw our image reflected through the large glass window in front of us. James’ eyes held mine in the reflection, his desire evident. It was too dark to see out. Anyone could’ve been watching us, but I didn’t think about that. I let my self-consciousness trickle away and allowed James to take me in. His heat left me and a second later the room was encased in darkness.
Every tiny hair on my body stood on end.
I closed my eyes, waiting for what he might do next, then heard the slow clip of his shoes approach. I rubbed my thighs together, nervous but turned on. I expected his touch but instead felt silk. My scarf? He slid it along my arms and neck, a seductive texture, and then it was gone.
His hands braced my hips as he moved me so that my back hit the wall. My eyes started to adjust to the dark when he lowered to his knees then nuzzled my stomach. I gasped at the tender sensation. He pressed kisses to my hips and upper thighs, taking one of my legs and settling it over his shoulder.
James slid my underwear to the side and pressed his mouth to my sex. My moan pierced the quiet. He tongued my clit and a tremble moved through my body. James groaned, like he was enjoying what he was doing to me just as much as I was.
“Tell me when you’re going to come,” he said, breaking away a moment before returning his attention to my clit. I nodded, words failing me. I’d never come standing up before. The pleasure was somehow more intense. Sharper. His tongue drew circles on my sensitive skin and I felt a release building.
“Soon,” I panted. “I’m going to come soon.”
Just like that, his mouth left me. I heard him take off his jacket. It fell to the floor. Next, he undid his pants. I was about to complain about a ruined orgasm, but then he flipped me to face the wall. He stood behind me, his hand coming around my stomach to hold me to him, his erection flush with my backside. His other hand yanked my underwear down then spread my legs apart. A second later, he was pushing inside me, one hand splayed out on my stomach, the other coming up to cup my breast. He pulled it free of my bra, pinching my nipple as he drove into me deep. Pleasure shattered through me, and I moaned loud. His laboured breathing and sexy groans filled my ears.
He fucked me from behind hard and fast, a physical expulsion of his need for me, of the turmoil he’d been going through the last two days. I lost my mind when his hand dipped down, fingers finding my clit. Just like that, my orgasm was back on track, so much more intense than before. His cock filled me while his fingers drove me to the height of pleasure.
“I love you,” he murmured right when my orgasm hit, then bit down on my shoulder. The sting of his teeth felt illicit. I was surprised how much I liked it.
“I…love you, too,” I said, gasping.
He kissed my neck now, nuzzling with his nose. I turned my head to stare at our reflection in the glass, transfixed. He was beautiful. No, majestic. I still couldn’t get my head around the fact that this incredible man belonged to me. I had his heart and he had mine.
He let out a deep groan and I felt him fill me. Still, I watched. I couldn’t look away even if I tried. He held me tight, burying his face in my neck, his breathing heavy. When he finally came down from his release, he pulled out then swiftly picked me up. I let out a squeak, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me upstairs to his bedroom.
He kicked open the door then laid me down on his bed. My head hit the pillows and I was momentarily overwhelmed by the smell of him. I turned my head to the side, breathing in the masculine scent.
James disappeared into the bathroom and turned on the light. It filtered through the hallway and into the bedroom, illuminating the space in shadows. I heard the tap come on and a moment later, he reappeared with a washcloth. My chest squeezed with affection when he brought it between my legs, cleaning me, his eyes on my body.
“You were made for me,” he whispered and butterflies filled my stomach. I would always be overcome when he levelled me with his intense, singular focus.
When he was done, he returned the washcloth to the bathroom and turned off the light. The room was dark now. The bed dipped as he crawled in next to me. He wrapped his arms around me tight and held me to him, my back to his front.
“Never leave me again,” he said, and there was a note of desperation in his voice. I suspected our separation had been as tough for him as it was for me. “Promise me no matter what hardships we face, you’ll always come talk to me first,” he went on.
Guilt pinched at my heart. I twisted around to face him, my voice heavy with emotion. “I promise.”
He reached down to interlock his fingers with mine. “Whatever comes our way, we’ll face it together.”
“
Together,” I agreed.
I kissed him gently, then buried my face in the crook of his neck. I was surrounded by his warmth and scent and I never wanted to leave this cocoon of contentment. For as long as I could remember, I’d wanted to be invisible, but I was slowly coming around to the idea of being seen.
Because James saw me and it was the most wondrous feeling in the world.
Epilogue
James
4 Months Later
It was good to be back in New York. The city held only fond memories. I moved across the Brooklyn rooftop, the iconic Manhattan skyline just across the water. I knew there were cameras nearby, capturing our run, but my focus was on my friends and me. I loved parkour, loved how much skill it took, the mental and bodily calculations, the focus. When I managed to achieve a flow state that synced with those of my castmates, there really was no feeling like it.
Well, except for when Michaela smiled at me. That was a pretty spectacular feeling, too. When I was old and grey and my body was no longer equipped to run, her smiles would see me through.
I leapt through the air, breaking the six-foot gap between one building and the next, my feet landing with a thud on the solid concrete. I caught up with Trev and reached out to give him a high five. Today had been a good day.
We climbed down a fire escape to the street level and shot across to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where the rest of the TV crew were waiting. I spotted Michaela sitting on a bench next to Reya, who held her four-month-old daughter on her lap. Trev hadn’t been able to handle the idea of leaving them to film Season Five, so he’d packed up his little family and brought them with him.
Their daughter, Grace, was admittedly adorable, with jet black hair and bright blue eyes. I watched as Michaela smiled at her, running a finger over one of her wispy baby curls. A sudden, sharp pang hit me right in the chest. It wasn’t a pain exactly, more like a longing. It was in that moment that I realised I wanted her to have my kids someday. It was still early on in our relationship, and we’d only been living together a few months, but I wanted it all with her. Kids, marriage, the lot. There was a lightness in my soul to know I’d finally found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
I admired her quiet strength, how gracefully she handled being in a relationship with me, what with my fame and the media attention. After discussing it with the Running on Air PR team, we decided to give a short magazine interview, simply to say that we were seeing each other and to put rumours to rest on who Michaela was to me. We hadn’t had too many paparazzi following us since, which was a relief because neither of us particularly enjoyed that side of things.
Trev approached Reya and picked up Grace, cradling her in his arms. “Hello, Gracie,” he murmured, beaming down at her. He’d taken to fatherhood better than any of us could’ve ever expected.
I went to Michaela, placing a quick kiss on her lips before whispering, “Hey.”
“Hey,” she whispered back. “How was your run?”
“Great. You hungry? We should grab some food.”
“There’s no time for food,” Neil interrupted, carrying his ever-present tablet. “Two cars are waiting to take you all to Autumn’s podcast studio in Bushwick. She’s interviewing the entire cast for her latest episode, remember?”
“So forgetful,” Michaela teased me playfully as she nudged her shoulder against mine.
Neil’s phone started ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out, swearing under his breath when he saw someone was trying to FaceTime him. Neil wasn’t a fan of FaceTime. He despised it in the same way my sister Shanise despised people who called instead of texted.
He pressed cancel and shoved the phone back in his pocket.
“Hey,” Michaela said curiously. “Was that Afric’s name I saw flashing on your screen just now?”
Neil’s expression clouded. “Yeah, um, it’s a different Afric.”
Michaela arched a suspicious eyebrow. “Just how many Africs do you know?”
“A few.”
“Ha! Don’t lie to me. Why is my best friend calling you?”
Neil sighed, casting her a beleaguered look. “If you must know, I’m helping her with her accounts. Her old accountant retired and her finances are a mess.”
Michaela frowned. “How did this come about? I thought you hated Afric.”
“I don’t hate her, but she’s doing something for me, so I’m returning the favour.”
“What is she doing for you?” I questioned. Now I was curious, too.
“That’s no ones’ business but mine,” Neil answered in a clipped voice. “Now come on. The cars are waiting.”
Michaela and I shared a look, both of us intrigued by Neil’s shifty body language. Unfortunately, the bloke was like a fortress. If he didn’t want to tell you something, then good luck getting it out of him.
When we arrived at Autumn’s place, her sound engineer welcomed us all in before leading us into the studio. Me, Trevor, Paul, Isaac, Leanne, and Callum sat while Autumn took her spot at the head of the table and put on a pair of headphones.
“Okay, welcome everybody. How exciting!” Autumn began once we started recording. “I’ve never interviewed six people at once before, so this should be interesting.”
“We can always kick this lot out,” Paul interjected with a flirtatious grin. “You know I’m your favourite.”
Autumn chuckled. “As much as my listeners adore you, Paul, I’m sure they’re eager to hear from all of you. Today, ladies and gents, I’m interviewing Callum, Leanne, Isaac, James, Trevor, and of course, Paul, or as you might know them, the stars of one of our favourite shows here on the podcast, Running on Air.”
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” Leanne replied.
“I talk about your show pretty much constantly,” Autumn went on, “So I’m really pleased you managed to fit this interview into your schedules while you’re here in New York. You also have no idea how excited I am that you’re filming in my city. But first, I’d like to congratulate one of you on a new arrival. How are you finding fatherhood, Trevor?”
Trev broke out in a smile at the mention of little Grace. “I won’t lie to you, Autumn, I’ve taken to it like a duck to water, a bit too much, actually. Her mum complains that I’m hogging the baby all the time.”
“Of course you’ve taken to it too much,” Cal teased. “When have you ever done anything by half measures?”
“Hey, I don’t blame him. I caught a glimpse of the little one downstairs when you all arrived and she’s completely adorable,” Autumn said.
“Yeah, I’m loving being a dad,” Trev went on. “She’s pretty much my whole world right now. Stole both our hearts as soon as we laid eyes on her. And let me tell you, that first sighting was kind of gruesome.”
“Great, you had to go and ruin it,” I said, shaking my head at him.
“What?” Trev threw his hands up. “It’s the truth.” Now he leaned into his microphone. “Childbirth is a shocker, boys and girls, remember that and don’t forget to use protection.”
“The public service announcement comes free of charge,” Isaac added with a chuckle.
“I’m just looking out for Autumn’s younger listeners. Teenage pregnancy is an epidemic,” Trev went on.
“I never thought I’d see the day when Trevor Cross was preaching safe sex to teenagers,” Leanne commented with a wry smile.
“Okay, well, I appreciate you thinking of the sexual health of my young listeners,” Autumn laughed softly. “But what can you guys tell me about the new season? Will there be bigger stunts than last time?”
“Of course! We always go bigger and better,” Cal replied. “There are so many places here for us to film, too. We’re like kids in a candy shop.”
“I’m still trying to convince our director that climbing to the top of the Empire State Building isn’t suicidal,” Paul said.
“I honestly can’t tell if you’re joking or serious,” Autumn replied, shaking her head at him.
&nbs
p; Paul shrugged. “You’ll have to tune in and find out.”
“Yesterday we shot in Central Park at Belvedere Castle. It’s so beautiful there,” Leanne said. “We even managed to get the place shut down for a few hours.”
My eyes went to Michaela where she stood in the corner of the room next to Neil. Belvedere Castle was one of the places we visited on our trip to the city last year. It was during those few days that I truly fell for her and they’d stay forever etched in my memory. All of the places we visited during that short trip would always remind me of us.
“Sounds amazing. Can you give us any hints of what happened?” Autumn asked.