“Way too much information.” I laugh and grimace, as he disappears down the hallway towards the bathroom. Trying to lose the discomfort of his toilet needs, I turn to his girlfriend, feeling the need to change the subject. “So Coral, I don’t think you’ve ever told me how you and Shane hooked up.”
“Oh,” she says, making a face. “Nothing exciting, we just hooked up at the pub. I really liked his accent, so I was an easy catch, I think.”
“He seems to like you a lot,” I offer. I'm shit at these conversations.
Coral just shrugs her shoulders looking slightly disheartened. I’ve said the wrong thing. Awesome. An uncomfortable silence stretches out for what seems like forever before she shifts the conversation.
“How long have you two been together?” she asks looking from me to Elliot.
“Oh… I… we’re…” I stammer, freaking out a little about qualifying any relationship status at this early stage.
“We met on the plane over here,” Elliot puts in, sliding an arm around my waist. Touch me some more.
“Oh, you’ve been together a while then,” she comments.
“Seems that way doesn’t it?” I say, eyeing Elliot, who’s grinning down at me.
“Best day of my life.”
I blush and force myself to look away before I turn into a puddle of mush. “What is it you do for work, Coral.” I need the distraction of conversation before I do something to embarrass myself.
She’s a little difficult to talk to, not wanting to elaborate too much. It makes me wonder if that’s how I come across to people, thinking that perhaps I need to make the effort to change that. I’m supposed to be reinventing myself, after all.
Thirteen
Elliot
As we all walk towards the Hole, I decide to go bold this time by putting my arm around her. When she slips her arm around my waist, I breathe a slow sigh of relief. I didn’t even realise I was holding my breath while I waited for a response.
When everyone else enters the pub, I hold her back and turn to her as she smiles up at me, her cheeks and nose pink from the cold air, her long hair sitting over her shoulders in the thick glossy curls she created for work.
“What is it?” she asks, those amber eyes of hers search my face as she waits for me to tell her why we stopped.
Hooking my finger under her chin, I tilt her head up to mine and lower my mouth to hers. “I need to taste your lips,” I whisper, brushing my lips against her own. Nodding imperceptibly, her eyes lock with mine as her tongue slips out of her mouth to wet her lips.
Watching her, I feel so turned on right now. I can barely see straight. I want to crash my mouth into hers and carry her back to the flat with me. But, I restrain myself, slowly closing the last few millimetres of distance between us. As our lips touch, I tease her mouth with mine, brushing, but not fully kissing her, testing if she wants me as much as I want her.
When she moans and opens her mouth, this surge of need floods through my body, and I slide my tongue inside the warmth of her mouth. Responding with equal intensity, her mouth and tongue move with mine as we take our time exploring all the crevices in each other’s mouths.
All too quickly, she hums and places her hand on my chest, pushing me gently. I separate my mouth from hers and take a moment to admire the way her face appears right now. Her eyes soft, her cheeks even more flushed than they were before, and her lips have progressed from pink to almost red.
Paige
Clearing the huskiness in my throat, my voice is still barely audible when I speak. “We’d better go inside,” I whisper, my head swimming from the lust and desire that’s threatening to take over my body and make me do things I could get arrested for in a public place.
Elliot looks at me intently then nods, before he hugs me to his chest. I wish I could just fuse to him and stay there. This is now my favourite place to be.
“You OK?” he asks, as we separate, and he holds my hand.
“More than fine. I am hungry though,” I reply, pulling on the collar of his jacket. “For a lot of things.”
His eyes darken with arousal before he kisses me again. I could dine on this mouth until I starve myself for food and I still wouldn’t stop. “I should feed you first,” he says, tearing his mouth from mine “We can continue this later.”
Biting my kiss-swollen lips, I nod.
“Later,” he says like he’s restraining himself before he leads me inside to join in with the group.
The joining in part is fairly unsuccessful as we sit together, talking quietly and touching regularly. It’s been so long since I’ve let someone in my body space that I feel this burning need to touch and be touched. I’m greedy for him.
There’s something about Elliot that makes me feel that maybe he’d understand my truth. Although, deep down, I know it’s impossible. No one could truly understand. Hell, I barely understand a lot of it myself. I know I should stay away from him. I know I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be giving either of us hope. I should never have even shaken his hand on the plane. I should never have agreed to cut his hair. I should never have agreed to live in the same flat. There're so many ‘should never’s at play here. But I’m trying to focus on what Naomi said about regrets a couple of weeks ago. I don’t want to say goodbye to Elliot then spend the rest of my life wondering ‘what if’. This is my perfect moment in time, the one that will overshadow everything that came before and carry me through the darkness when I need light. It’s selfish. But I want it. I want him to be my moment.
Elliot
“So, what’s going on with you two?” Naomi prods from across the table as everyone watches the change in Paige’s and my interactions.
“Yeah, have you two finally hooked up?” Brian asks.
“Haven’t they been together for weeks?” Coral adds.
“No, they’ve been dancing around each other,” Naomi responds.
“Well?” we’re asked, a host of expectant faces looking at us.
As we glance at each other, I notice that Paige’s face is bright red with embarrassment, so I answer for the both of us. “We’re just moving forward. That's all for now,” I tell them.
“Well, forward is the right direction.” Naomi says first, beaming as she gives Paige a wink. “It’s about time you both just got on with it already.”
We get a chorus of agreement from everyone, and dinner continues on normally after that.
As we all get up to leave, Brian informs us he’s heading off to his girlfriend’s house. Gavin claps his hands together. “Who’s up for clubbing?”
Paige immediately shakes her head ‘no’, and I join in with her refusal. Naomi, Shane and Coral all agree to go, parting from us with more than a few knowing glances.
“Well, that was fun,” I say, as we start the short walk home trying to make small talk through my nerves. We’re going to be alone. For the first time since Friday night, we’ll be completely alone and I’m nervous like I’ve never been with a woman before.
“Mmm-hmm.” Paige leans her head against my shoulder as we walk, arms entwined and hands interlaced, falling into an easy quiet as we continue on our way.
Paige
I imagine that this is what falling is love feels like. There’s an entire zoo enclosure full of butterflies flying about in my stomach, something I’ve never experienced around a man. I’ve mainly been chemically confident or wantonly stupid, but this…it’s different. Special. My time with Elliot is fleeting, so I want to make the most of what time we have now. I want to give him what I can of myself, while I can. I don’t want to fight this anymore.
As he closes the front door to the flat behind us, he takes my hand and leads me through the kitchen towards the couch. Maybe he isn’t planning on going as far as I am, but I’m sure he won’t object when I plant my feet as we reach the hallway leading to the bedrooms and shake my head.
“Bedroom,” I explain when he looks at me, then I brazenly lead him to his room.
Shuttin
g the door behind us, he looks at me with raised eyebrows, his fingers on the lock. I nod, shivering as a skitter of anticipation flits through my body when he spins it, giving us all the privacy we need.
I take a nervous step back as he moves towards me, sliding his hands around my waist as he pulls me against him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmurs, my head swimming with attraction as I breathe him in, luxuriating in the scent of him so close to me. I glide my hands up over his well-muscled arms following them with my gaze until I reach his shoulders. There, I meet his eyes. The blue pools of perfect ocean water look down upon me with such intensity I feel lost in them.
“Are you sure this isn’t too fast?” he asks, his voice thick and low, caressing my ears, sending shivers down my body.
“Well, we did meet on the plane,” I joke, smiling as I rise up on the tips of my toes to kiss him. As our mouths welcome each other, my world explodes. His arms circle me tightly as I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing myself against the hard planes of his body.
As our kisses become more frantic, he walks me towards the bed, my knees collapsing as I fall backwards onto it. When he pauses to remove his shirt, I watch in awe, gasping at the sight of him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I say, earning myself a chuckle as I push up on my elbows, reaching out and running my hands over his chest that I can only describe as amazing. My mouth waters, as my fingertips rise and fall, exploring each hard-muscular bump. Leaning forward, I press a kiss in the space between his abs and his pecs, delighting as he slides his fingers into my hair and tips my head back to lean down, kissing me once more.
He supports his weight as he joins me on the bed, his hands roaming underneath my clothes and setting my skin ablaze. Completely lost in his mouth and touch, I wish for this moment to never end and pray silently that this isn’t some dream that will be over the moment I wake up.
Cupping my breast in his hand, he kisses my neck, causing me to moan as my pleasure flows like waves inside me, crashing with each kiss against my skin.
Sliding down my body, he lifts my shirt, his fingertips brushing my already heated skin and setting it ablaze once more. When he starts to kiss his way toward my bust, I gasp and moan, coming undone as he releases my breasts, swirling his tongue around each nipple until they’re so hard I think I might explode with each suck.
Gasping as each sensation shoots straight down between my legs, I writhe—oh god do I writhe—as I urge him forward, wanting him to touch me more.
“Can we take it off?” he asks breathlessly, holding the shirt that’s now bunched up to my armpits. I hesitate momentarily, realising that this will be the first time anyone has seen me naked in a very long time. I’m talking years long.
Reaching up I touch his face, his eyes close as he turns his head to kiss my hand. My heart soars at the tenderness. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I nod my head, trusting him as I sit up and remove the shirt myself.
Elliot
I practically hold my breath as I watch her remove her shirt along with her bra. She's so beautiful as her hair falls down over her shoulders and rests like silken curtains just above the two most perfect breasts I've ever seen. Round and firm, they’re just the right size to fill my large hands.
As my eyes travel over her upper body, I notice that her tattoo curls over her shoulders and her sides.
“Will you let me see it?” I ask, knowing that I’m risking ending this moment between us if she clams up, but I can’t help myself. I want to drink in every inch of her with my eyes.
A look of hesitation flits across her face before she nods and turns her body to show me. My eyes grow wide as I see it for the first time. Her back is like one big canvas for the most remarkable tattoo I’ve ever seen. Flames start at her waist as the phoenix rises, its beak open as it calls out over her right shoulder with wings outstretched. They reach up over her left shoulder, spanning diagonally to her ribs on her right side as if it’s hugging itself around her. The phoenix's tail feathers fan out near the flames, curving around her body until they reach her hip bone in swirls of yellow, orange and red.
I run my fingers lightly over it, tracing this mythical creature’s body. “It’s beautiful, Paige,” I whisper, caught up in admiration, not only for the art but for the time and pain she would have invested in getting it.
“Really?” she asks, turning back to face me.
“Yes, really.” I reach up and thread my fingers through her hair, pulling her face toward mine, kissing her with everything I have. Her arms circle around me, her fingers pressing firmly into my back, compacting our bare chests closer together until there’s no more space. We’re merged almost as one, her skin so soft against my own, melding into me, beckoning me forward.
Paige
Pressed together, our tongues slide in a lavish dance of passion, our teeth clashing as our urgency increases and we fall back on the bed. Travelling down my neck and across my chest, his kisses cause the rest of my skin to feel chill in comparison to the heat his mouth evokes. My mind swirls as I pull desperately at his body, drawing him closer with my overwhelming need to feel him inside me.
Reaching down, I unbutton his jeans, urging him to move forward. “Take them off,” I pant out.
He breaks away and removes his pants, stepping out of them and sweeping them to the side of the room. With my eyes glued to him, I unbutton my own jeans and wriggle out of them. Swiftly reaching out, he grabs them for me, pulling them off my legs and flinging them over his shoulder, grinning wickedly as he climbs back over me, planting gentle kisses over my body until we’re once again face to face.
As the silken feel of his body slides on top of mine, I’m overcome with wanting, rocking my hips upward, urging him to push inside of me. Moaning, he shifts slightly to the side and captures my mouth in his, kissing me, sliding his hand down the length of my chest and over my mound as erotic sounds escape his throat and ripple through me causing my insides to contract.
Finding its way between my legs, his touch is exquisite as his fingers slide through the slickness of my arousal. Gasping upon contact, I reflexively rock my hips against his hand, moaning as I feel his fingers enter me, curling forward and working my tender insides, already desperate to burst. As we moan into each others mouths, he works his fingers in rhythm to my rocking, circling his thumb around my swollen nub and causing a flood of glorious warmth that spreads out quickly and explodes from my body as I call out, thrusting my hips and clamping my thighs around his hand.
Gasping out, I clutch his hand. “Please, I want you inside me so badly. I need you inside me.”
“Are you sure?” he whispers, his nose brushing lightly against my neck.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I want to be beneath you,” I whisper, reaching between us to guide his tip to my entrance. “I feel safe with you.”
A guttural moan comes from deep in his chest and fills my tingling body as he pushes his length into me, both of us gasping and moaning as he moves inside my body, gliding in and out with forceful perfection, filling me to my core, his rhythm heating me from within once again, radiating outward until I burst yet again.
“Shit. Condom,” I cry out as my body is wracked with an orgasm so powerful, I can’t stop myself from convulsing as I clench myself around him.
Stopping suddenly, he holds himself on straight arms, dropping his head until his forehead rests on my shoulder. “Fuck. It's too late,” he whispers through laboured breaths. “I’m sorry.”
“Fuck.” The glory of our love making ends abruptly as I realise what we’ve done. How could we forget a fucking condom? I’ve been too lax in my past, and I know how important they are now. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Annoyed with myself for getting carried away, for losing my mind with yet another man, I push at his shoulder to get him to roll off me.
Lying on his back, he presses his hands to his forehead, forcing out a loaded breath. As I sit up, I reach out, grabbing the sheet f
rom his bed, wrapping it around myself as I rise off the mattress to visit the bathroom. I need to clean this up.
“Paige,” Elliot pleads, as he sits and reaches for my arm.
A painful ache forms in the pit of my belly as I pause and turn towards him, touching his face and brushing my hand over his course stubble. I don’t want to ruin this. “I’m just going to take a shower, OK?” My voice is barely above a whisper as I try to appear unaffected.
“Are you alright? Listen, you need to know I’m clean, OK?” he says, looking genuinely worried as he rests his hands firmly on my hips and pulls me towards him. “I’ve been tested recently, and I promise you I’m clean.”
“I’m fine, Elliot,” I lie. I’m not fine at all. “And I’m clean too. I just need a shower to clean…. I'll come back afterward, alright? Don’t worry, we’re all good…But I want us to use one in the future, OK?”
“We will, Paige. I just got carried away. I'm sorry I—”
Leaning forward, quickly pressing my lips against his, I silence him. I’m the one who urged him inside me. I’m the one who wasn’t thinking. “It wasn’t your fault. Don’t be sorry,” I whisper, before stepping toward the door, the sheet trailing along the floor behind me as I make my way to the shower to clean it all away…
Fourteen
Elliot
Sighing heavily, I feel like such a fucking idiot as I lie here, listening to the sounds of Paige showering. I can’t believe I did that. I fucked up.
Rising from the bed, I pull on a pair of boxer shorts as I pick up our discarded clothing and fold it in a pile on top of the suitcase I keep at the foot of my bed. When the door cracks open, I turn to see Paige, looking like an apparition, bathed in the light from the hallway as it filters around her and into the room. She’s wearing an oversized white t-shirt, her slender legs, long and tan in contrast as I watch her move towards me, holding out a clean sheet.
Forever: Beautiful Series, book two Page 11