Good Sensations

by S. L. Scott

  “Thank you,” I say, blushing from his sweetness. “You don’t look so bad yourself there.”

  I straighten his bow tie and give him a full once-over, appreciating how good my man looks in his tuxedo.

  The doors open and we enter the gala, hand-in-hand as a couple for all to see.

  “Holy shit, Mal! What happened to your hair? Do you know how much Larn gets paid for those up-do’s? And you just go and get it carelessly messed up during sex.” I couldn’t tell if Kate was asking me a question or simply venting her frustration.

  I try my best to acknowledge her irritation and calm her down, but I don’t want her mad at me either, so I point at her brother. “Evan will pay you back since he messed it up.” When I look at Evan, he’s chuckling.

  “It’s not about the money.” She looks away, annoyed. “Seriously, there are ways to have sex and still look like you didn’t just have sex in your office. So I hear,” she says with her own wry smirk. She touches her hair to punctuate her point.

  By the time we all catch onto what she’s really saying, Sunny grabs my hand and yanks me out the double doors again. “It’s not that bad. I can fix it.”

  When I steal a glance back, Evan is glaring at Murphy and his sister. “Real classy, Kate.”

  Before Sunny and I are out of earshot, I hear Kate say, “You should really learn to control your libido, baby bro. This is the Ashford Gala. A little respect.”

  Sunny points to the restrooms in the lobby. “In here, missy.” She directs me to a cushioned stool and gets busy. A few minutes later, she says, “Bend over and let me fluff.”

  “Fluff?”

  “Trust me and bend over.”

  Tossing my long hair over my head, her fingers rub my scalp, which feels quite nice actually. I should let her fluff more often.

  Her tone is strict as if fixing my hair is the most important thing ever. “Flip back up.”

  When I flip back up, she takes a can of hairspray from the counter and sprays me while shielding my eyes with her other hand. “Perfect. Look,” she says, pointing toward the mirror.

  “Holy Hair, Sunny. I love it!”

  She beams with pride. “And you look hot.”

  “I totally look hot.” I turn to the side to take it in over my shoulder.

  “Very sex kittenish I think.”

  “Glamorous. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she says proudly. Her gaze travel south. “And don’t think I didn’t notice your tights are missing.”

  “They were sacrificed for the greater good, if that makes a difference.”

  She laughs and sits down on the stool. “Did you even have time to say hello before you went at it?”

  While I go into the first stall, I burst out laughing. “That is how we say hello.”

  “That was rhetorical by the way.” The giggle in her delivery keeps the fun going.

  When I walk back into the sitting lounge, I step right into a cloud of perfume. It fills my throat and I start to cough while waving my arm furiously in front of me. “Trying to kill me, Sunny?”

  “No, just trying to cover up the sex smell.”

  My mouth drops open and I freeze in place. “You’re kidding, right?”

  She shrugs. “Kind of.”

  I chase the last bit of the perfume before it dissipates into the air. The last thing I need to be smelling like is sex when I’m seeing his mother for the first time since last summer. I reapply my lipstick and head for the door, but Sunny stops me. With a sweet smile on her face and her hand on my arm, she says, “You look good in love.”

  “Thanks,” I say, and hug her. “Evan’s a great guy and…” I lower my voice, “…I’m in so deep.”

  “Yeah you are, but the good part is, so is he.”

  As soon as the doors to the gala open, I feel all eyes on us. Guys are smiling, even winking, girls are frowning and gossiping. The weight of being an outsider is heavy on my bare shoulders as I search the room for the only set of eyes I want to see—Evan’s.

  Murphy, Kate, and Zach are near the dance floor, waving us over, but Evan off to the right is like a beacon straight to my heart. The light around Evan draws me in like a moth to a flame and once again, I knowingly go to him, ready to feel the burn. He smiles that sextastically perfect smile and my knees go weak.

  When I reach him, he grabs me around the waist, spins me onto the dance floor, and says, “You shouldn’t be alone, Miss Wray.” He signals his head toward the crowded ballroom. “It’s dangerous out there.”

  “I noticed,” I say, unable to look away from his deep blues.

  “And yet, you tempt fate.”

  “I like living dangerously.”

  “All those men,” he says, pulling me against him, leading me, and spinning me around as the big band plays up on the stage. “They want you and all those women…” He dips me, dragging his nose down my neck, breathing me in. “They want to be you.” He flips me up so we’re face-to-face, and says, “Marry me, baby.”

  I slide my cheek against his, which is already forming an eight o’clock shadow. I press my mouth to his ear, and whisper, “No, Mr. Ashford.”

  He sighs. “I’m willing to wait you out. I know what I want and I want you.”

  “How do you want me?” I tease, remaining cheek-to-cheek with him, slowly swaying, though the music is upbeat.

  I feel his cheek rise into that familiar smirk as he says, “You’ve put all kinds of dirty thoughts into my mind.” His breath is hot against my skin and covers me in goose-bumps. “But what I really want is to go to bed with you every night and to wake up to you every morning. I want to make love to you and I want to fuck you. I want to see you blush like you’re doing now. I want to feel the way you make me feel every day for the rest of my life. This time apart has made me realize what I want and I want to be with you. I never want to be away from you again. I need to be tied to you and need you to be tied to me.” He turns his face and looks into my eyes. With less than an inch between us, we stop dancing. “I like wearing this ring because it makes me feel closer to you and I want to spend my life making you happy forever and a day. Marry me, Mallory.”

  The surrounding air stills as I listen to him say what I know must be the most romantic words ever spoken to another person. The blue of his eyes sparkle in the dim lights, equally playful and lustful. It’s a lethal combination and I’m mesmerized.

  “Okay.”

  His eyes crinkle at the outside corners as his smile shows every emotion I’ve ever desired. “Okay?” he questions.

  “Yes, Evan, I’ll marry you.” I’ve never felt more certain about anything in my life as I do right now. “I’ll marry you.”

  In an instant, his lips are pressed firmly against mine, consuming my words as if hearing them isn’t enough. Desire turns to need as he tastes and savors every syllable ever spoken from my heart to his.

  The doorman opens the door and we walk outside into the chilly night air to catch a cab. Mallory’s hand is safely tucked in mine. I hope I’m not hurting her, but I feel like if I loosen it, she’ll somehow slip away, as if she’s just a figment of my imagination.

  When the cab pulls to the curb, I reach forward and open the door. She crosses in front of me with a smile and wink, looking breathtakingly beautiful. I follow quickly, slipping inside the warm cab of the car, and she asks, “Where are we going?”

  “I don’t know. I just didn’t want to be in there anymore. I want you all to myself.”

  “Where to?” The cabbie shouts from the front, eyeing us up in the rearview mirror.

  Whispering to Mallory, I say, “We’re all dressed up. I should take you somewhere nice.”

  “I don’t want to go anywhere fancy. I just want to be with you,” she says, sliding across the ripped, cheap vinyl seat. I should’ve called for the car.

  I lean forward and give our destination, “Fifth and 34th please.”

  “You got it.” The cab pulls into traffic as I reach over grabbing Mallory’s
seatbelt and buckling her in before attaching my own. This driver is crazy.

  She squeezes my hand when the cab takes a sharp corner, holding onto the door with the other. “Whoa!”

  “Hang tight.”

  “No joke.” She glances out the window then back to me with her smile back where it should be. “I’m glad it’s just the two of us. I spent the day with Sunny and Kate and we had a good time getting ready for the gala together, but all I wanted to do was see you.”

  “I didn’t even ask if you wanted to stay—”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Even though you haven’t seen Sunny in months?”

  “We had today and she’ll be home for Christmas. We’ll spend time together then. This weekend is about us, babe.”

  The taxi comes to an abrupt halt and shockingly we make it to our destination in one piece. After I pay the fare, I join Mallory on the sidewalk. She signals over her shoulder with a big smile on her face. “The Empire State Building?”

  Taking possession of her hand again, I shrug. “I heard there’s a great view at night.”

  “Are you romancing me, Evan Ashford?”

  I open the door for her and as she walks past, I slap her ass. “You could say that?”

  She stops, and with a telling grin says, “You know, despite what you may think, I’m actually not an easy lay.”

  I can’t stop the laugh. Trust me, I try. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone how fast you jumped my bones.”

  “Jumped your bones? I did not jump your bones. You have clearly forgotten how the events of our first date went down.”

  “Well,” I say, rubbing my chin. “It wasn’t really a date from what I recall and you still ended up in my bed… under me one time…” I close my eyes remembering how fucking sexy she was that day. “… on top of me another. Oh, and I can’t forget how hot your ass looks from behind. I clearly remember three different times.”

  “I thought it was two.”

  “I haven’t even mentioned the pool action, so definitely three… at least, and I wore you out, Miss I’m-Not-An-Easy-La—Ouch!” I rub my arm where she knuckles me, then laugh. “You’re feisty, Miss Wray.”

  “It’s one of the reasons you fell in love with me.”

  “It’s one of the many reasons I fell in love with you. Being easy was a bonus.”

  She jerks me to a stop in the middle of the lobby. “Oh my God, Evan, you make me sound like a slut.”

  Wrapping my arms around her neck, I pull her close, and whisper, “Do you regret being with me that first day?”

  “No, none of it.”

  “You’re not a slut.” I kiss her on the nose. “You’re not easy. We both knew there was something more between us, something different. We did what we wanted and what felt right, and it doesn’t matter now anyway. Here we are thousands of miles away from where we started—”

  “Starting a new life.”

  “Our new beginning starts today.”

  With a heavy sigh, she says, “Oh no.” Her smile falls away. “I let you have sex with me right when we first met. I am a total whore.”

  “Only for me, baby.”

  She rolls her eyes. “You’ve turned me into a very bad girl, Mr. Ashford.”

  “I like bad girls. Now c’mon and let’s do all this romantic stuff so I can take you home and fuck you properly.”

  Laughing, she rolls her eyes again. “You’re terrible.”

  “You love it.”

  “I love you, so yeah, I guess I do love it.”

  “Are you cold?” I ask, looking down at her bare legs as we walk around the observation deck.

  Mallory wraps her arms around herself as if I’ve reminded her that it’s winter. “No, my coat is keeping me warm.”

  “Sorry again about your hose.”

  She pats me on the chest. The lights from atop the building reflect in her eyes, making them sparkle. “It was worth the sacrifice. Now stop worrying about me. I’m good. I’m actually better than good. I’m great.”

  We enjoy the walk around the deck, stopping briefly on each side to enjoy the view. Our earlier declarations seem more real now that it’s just the two of us, the reality that she said yes sinking in. Maybe it’s just the holiday spirit creeping in. Standing behind her, I wrap my arms around her waist, and rest my chin on her shoulder. Her right hand comes up, her fingers sliding into my hair, holding me close.

  She whispers, “I love you.”

  I nuzzle my nose behind her ear and plant a small kiss near her hairline. Peace quells the New York nerves that I live with day in and day out. It’s freezing, but being with her comforts my soul and when I close my eyes, we’re in paradise again. The warm sun shines on us, the sound of the ocean crashes before us, and sand is gritty under my feet. I sigh, momentarily losing myself.

  “Come back to me,” she says, a hint of concern lacing her words.

  “I never left you.”

  She turns in my arms and looks me in the eyes. I can feel her chest rise and drop with each breath. Lifting up on her toes, she kisses me. My eyes close and my embrace tightens around her, never wanting to let her go again.

  When we part, she tucks her head under my chin and we snuggle, quietly looking out at the city.

  “You’re the best surprise I’ve ever had,” I say, cupping her face while trying to protect her from the wind.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t know, that Zach didn’t tell you. You looked really stunned when I walked into your office, but you pulled yourself together quickly.” She laughs lightly and so do I.

  I take her hands in mine and rub them trying to warm her. “You were like an angel or apparition. I didn’t want to wake up if I was dreaming. I still feel that way.”

  “I’m really here,” she says, looking up at me under long lashes.

  “Yes, you are and we need to make the most of every minute. It’s too cold out here. Let’s go eat.”

  Twenty minutes later, we walk into the restaurant I always told myself I would bring her if she was here. “Une table pour deux s’il-vous-plaît, de préférence privée,” I say, holding Mallory’s hand. I swing her around in front of me as we follow the maitre d’ to the table. We’re seated in the corner of the cozy French restaurant I discovered a few months ago. I come here when I need a change of scenery. It’s authentic in detail and food.

  I reach across the table for her hand as our waiter arrives with a small baguette and asks, “Que voulez-vous boire?”

  “Champagne. La meilleure. Nous celebrons. Cette belle femme a accepte d’etre ma femme.”

  “Ah, les felicitations sont de l’ordre.”

  “Merci.”

  Mallory leans forward, lowering her voice and says, “You speaking French does very unexpected things to me. Why have you been hiding this talent from me?”

  “I thought I’d mentioned I spoke other languages.”

  “You did, but hearing you say you speak French and hearing you speak French is two very different things.” She whispers, “You’ve got me all bothered and I only understood the word champagne.”

  “Then watch out when we get back to my place because I’m going to teach you the real language of love.”

  Her cheeks flush as she readjusts in her chair. She’s subtle, but I catch it.

  “What do you think?” I ask, raising my arms out.

  Mallory slowly turns, taking in my apartment then says, “I think your money’s showing, Ashford.”

  “My parents own it—”

  “Your parents bought you and Kate this fancy apartment in a fancy building in an even fancier part of town?”

  “They live next door.”

  Her eyes go wide and she points at the door. “Like across the hall next door?”

  “Yep.”

  “So your family owns both apartments on this floor?”

  “Yep.”

  “Enough with the yeps,” she jokes, walking to the window and looking out, seeming to need time to think this through. �
��Nice view.” She turns abruptly. “We should talk about where you want to live once you graduate.” She crosses her arms and I can tell she’s starting to stress. Her tapping foot might be giving that away as well.

  I walk to her, unfurl her arms, and hold her hands between us. “Wherever you are. That’s where I want to be.”

  “But where do you want to live, Evan? I want to know. I can’t be your aspiration in life. I know you have dreams and goals and I don’t want to hold you back from achieving all that. You’re smart and sexy and you spoke French tonight and asked me to marry you and I’m worried that I can’t fulfill all your dreams, so I need you to—”

  “Shhh!” I say, putting a finger to her mouth. “We have time, baby.”

  “I just don’t—”

  “You know my current goals. As for where to live, I don’t honestly know. You may land a job somewhere and that’s where we’ll go. I may end up somewhere and I know you’ll come with me.”

  “I realize the sacrifice you’re making by coming to Colorado, so I need you to know that I’ll follow you anywhere after that.”

  “It’s not a sacrifice. I was bumming around Hawaii. I’m coming to college to accomplish something. Colorado’s a great school. It’s not a sacrifice.”

  I take her jacket from her shoulders, slip mine off, and toss them over the back of a chair. Giving her the grand tour, I lead her by the hand. “This apartment may look big , especially by New York standards, but it’s only a quarter of the size of my parents.”

  “I can’t believe your parents live across the hall. Why did I not know this?”

  “Discussing my parents is not really a priority when we talk.” I end the tour in my bedroom just as planned. After she explores the room, we end up on opposite sides of the bed, looking at each other, and I ask, “So what do you feel like doing?”

  “You mentioned something earlier about teaching me about the language of love.” She lifts an eyebrow, challenging me, and I harden instantly.

  I kick my shoes off and get on the bed. On my knees, I cover the distance that divides us and grab her by the hips, pulling her down onto the mattress beneath me. “I’m fluent in that language and more than happy to teach you everything I know, baby.”