“You’re serious?”
I nod, hoping he’s happy about this because, right now, his facial expression isn’t telling me one way or the other. The silence is almost deafening as we sit there, and I wish he would say something. This was not the reaction I was expecting. I continue to watch him when his mouth makes an, ‘O’ shape, as if a light bulb has just gone on in his brain, and he smiles. “So that’s why the suitcase was missing. I wondered what had happened to it.”
He turns to me, his face now beaming, and I release the breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.
“So, you’re happy with this?” I ask him, still a little unsure.
“Happy? Why wouldn’t I be happy? I get to spend four days with a beautiful woman lounging around a pool in nothing more than a bikini, sipping cocktails. What’s not to be happy about?” He leans in and kisses me before pulling back, a serious expression on his face. “Although, I am going to have to check what you’ve packed, because if there’s anything in there for you, other than bikini’s, especially that sexy green one, it’s got to go.”
When he waggles his eyebrows at me, and his eyes grow dark, I know we won’t be getting much sleep tonight and tomorrow is going to be a long day.
Chapter 27
Crissie
This is the life.
I could seriously get used to this. Lying here, in the sun, cocktail in hand and my man lounging next to me. This is something we should have done a long time ago.
After a chaotic journey to the airport yesterday, we just about made our flight with minutes to spare. Sometimes, even the best planner can’t account for someone deciding to cause trouble by driving the wrong way on the motorway.
Two lanes were closed, so it was single file traffic for a good two miles, which meant we only just made check-in before it closed and then had to go straight to the gate.
Thankfully, the flight was delayed by ten minutes, or they wouldn’t have let us board. The flight itself was uneventful, as was getting through customs in Alicante. Surprisingly, our luggage was amongst the first ones to come along the conveyor, which never happens to me, so we grabbed them and headed straight to the coach that would take us to our hotel.
As an extra bonus, when the hotel staff realised it was Cal’s birthday the next day, being today, they had upgraded our standard double room to a suite, meaning we now have a corner suite with an extended balcony, a free mini bar and spectacular views over the pools and beach.
Within ten minutes of us getting to our room, the management had sent up a bottle of champagne, two glasses and a basket of fruit. So far, this break was turning out to be the best we had ever had.
“Señor, señorita. Would you like another drink?”
I look up at the waiter, who’s smiling down at me, and across to Cal, who’s giving him a look that could kill. I grin before requesting another Cosmopolitan for myself and a beer for Cal. The waiter nods and walks off to take other orders. I sit up and lean on my elbows as I look at Cal again, whose eyes are still fixed on the back of the waiter.
“Cal, you can’t glare at every guy who looks at me,” I say with a small laugh. “Besides, you’re getting way more attention than I am.”
I lie back down on my lounger and shake my head when he looks as oblivious as ever. Part of me likes this possessive side of him, but the other part is getting a bit pissed at the constant looks he’s giving every guy who even dares a glance in my direction.
What I said was true. I’m practically covered in my one piece, yellow, zip front swimsuit. Cal, on the other hand, is just wearing a pair of short swim shorts. When you add in the tan he’s already begun to develop, the slicked back wet hair from the pool, and the six pack abs he’s flashing, I’m surprised more women haven’t passed out, and it wouldn’t be because of the heat.
The waiter returns after a few minutes with our drinks, and I thank him as he places them on the small table between us.
“Gracias,” I say with a smile.
“De nada, señorita.” He flashes me a wide smile, highlighting perfectly straight, white teeth as he walks off to deliver more drinks. I don’t look at Cal, knowing what I’m going to see. After another few minutes, I’m surprised when Cal swings his legs round onto the floor, downs his drink in a couple of gulps, and starts putting our stuff in my beach bag.
“What are you doing?” I say as he slips his feet into his flip-flops and stands with my bag in his hands. “Seriously? You’re that pissed that guys are looking at me that you want to go back to the room?” I hiss at him.
Cal removes his sunglasses, and I see his eyes are dark, but not because he’s pissed. Shit, he’s turned on.
“I wouldn’t call this pissed,” Cal says as he shifts position and removes the bag from in front of him. I glance down his body, seeing the erection starting to tent his swim shorts. “Unless I do something about this damn quick, it’s going to be embarrassing for both of us.”
Downing my cocktail, I grab my book and put on my flip-flops. Once I’ve slipped on my cover-up, I accept Cal’s outstretched hand. He’s definitely a man on a mission as he all but drags me across the pool area and into the hotel. We whizz past people in the lobby and over to the lifts. He punches the call button several times before the door slides open and we enter.
Before an older couple behind us enters, Cal stabs at the close button and the doors slide shut. Then our stuff is all over the floor and I’m being pressed against the mirrored wall, his mouth on me.
“Fuck, Cris, I need you. Right now.”
Alarm bells are ringing in my head as I know the lift could stop at anytime for someone else to get in, but all negative thoughts escape as he drags down the zipper on my swimsuit and takes my nipple in his teeth. He bites down hard and a sharp stab of pleasure goes straight to my clit as I cry out, my hands raking through his hair as I fight to stay upright.
I feel him tug my swimsuit to the side as he fumbles with his shorts, and then he thrusts upward into me. I almost scream at the intrusion, my fingernails digging into his shoulders.
“This is going to be quick, Cris, and it’s going to be hard. I can’t hold back.” He doesn’t give me any chance to answer. Instead, he begins thrusting into me, hard and fast. His grunts and my quick breaths are the only things that fill the silence as my body begins to tighten after only a minute.
Cal lifts my legs and wraps them round him, altering the position so he can slide even deeper into me. My head falls back against the wall, and I see our reflection in the mirrors. Cal’s eyes are shut tightly, the muscles of his arms and legs bunching with the exertion each time he pummels into me.
All I can do is hold onto him as he continues, and, only moments later, when he leans in and bites my nipple again, do I scream out his name as my body convulses around him. After two more strokes, Cal empties himself into me, my name on his lips as his body shakes.
I hold on tight until he lifts his head and smiles, and it’s only then I realise the lift has reached our floor and hasn’t moved. I look around, then at Cal, before I burst out laughing. Our bodies are still connected, and I feel him twitch inside me as he begins to grow hard again. My eyes widen when I realise, and he just grins.
“As hot as that was, I don’t want to push my luck,” he says as he slips out of me and tucks himself back in his shorts. I zip up my swimsuit, my nipples still sensitive as they rub against the fabric.
Cal pushes a button and the door opens. Once we’ve gathered our stuff that’s now scattered all over the floor, we leave the lift and make our way to our room. I’ve a feeling we won’t be leaving the room again until dinner tonight.
No complaints here.
I lean my head against the window as we begin our descent into Manchester airport. It’s been a wonderful few days, especially after Cal fucked his jealousy and possessiveness out of his system. That is one day I shall never forget, and a memorable birthday for Cal. It was as if other men looking at me made him want to stake a claim on me, and by t
aking me in the way he had, he was branding me. Not that I was complaining.
That was some of the hottest sex we’ve ever had, including the last night where we threw caution to the wind and made use of the table and chairs on the balcony, not caring if anyone saw, or heard, us.
“Back to reality, eh?”
I turn my head to see Cal looking at me. He looks as depressed as I feel.
“Yeah. Do we have to go back to work tomorrow?” I say with a pout as Cal gets rid of our empties as the flight attendant walks down the aisle with a rubbish bag.
I hate this part of a holiday. Gone is all the excitement of going away and it’s replaced with disappointment at having to come back to the real world and carry on with life.
“You know,” Cal says quietly, “There is one more thing we can do to make this holiday memorable.”
I don’t need to ask him what he’s referring to when he glances over his shoulder towards the back of the plane. My heart rate kicks up a notch or two as I imagine what it would be like to join the mile-high club, and I have to admit, it’s a very appealing thought.
Just as I’m about the give him the green light, the seatbelt sign lights up, and at Cal’s audible groan, I let out a giggle.
“Oh well, maybe next time,” I say as I fasten my seatbelt and squeeze his thigh as we descend into a cold and wet Manchester.
Caleb
By the time we clear customs, get our baggage, and make it home, it’s almost two in the morning. I’m running on empty, and all I want to do is dump our stuff and crawl into bed. Cris is the same, if not worse than me. She dozed off in the car on the way back from the airport, and she’s walked up here on autopilot.
Leaving our case in the living room, I take her hand and lead her towards the bedroom. After I’ve pulled back the covers, I sit her down, take off her shoes and tug off her jeans. Deciding to leave her in the vest top she’s wearing, I gently push her back into the pillows. When her eyes flutter closed, she sighs and tucks her legs in. I cover her with the duvet and she’s fast asleep within seconds.
After kicking off my shoes, I strip off my t-shirt and go back through to check the front door is locked. Bending, I grab the few envelopes on the floor from the post that was delivered while we’ve been away. I flick through them as I walk over to the coffee table to leave them there until the next morning, when the return address on one envelope catches my eye.
Canada? Who is writing to Crissie from Canada?
I glance back towards the bedroom, seeing Cris is still fast asleep. I put the other letters on the table and look again at the letter in my hand. She’s never mentioned Canada to me, other than to say it would be her dream holiday spot. After taking a breath, I drop the letter onto the pile and head back towards the bedroom. I’m sure Crissie will tell me about it tomorrow.
As I unbuckle my belt and unfasten my jeans, I push them down my legs, keeping my eyes on Crissie’s sleeping form in our bed. It can’t be anything major or she would have told me about it before now. Kicking my jeans to the side, I pull back the duvet and climb into bed. As if by instinct, Crissie turns over and snuggles into my side, a position she always adopts when we first get into bed.
Closing my eyes, I will myself to sleep without thoughts of Canada running through my head.
She opened the letter over breakfast, her expression revealing nothing to me as she read it before folding it up and putting it in her handbag. She hasn’t mentioned it to me or said anything about what it might have contained.
I’ve not been able to concentrate all day. I might as well have just stayed in bed for all the work I got done. I know it’s probably something really stupid and unimportant and I’m stressing over nothing, but somehow, I don’t think that’s the case.
My instincts have always been something I rely on, and in this case, my instincts are telling me Cris is hiding something from me. I think back to the time when she hid the fact she’d been offered a place at a college in Birmingham. She didn’t tell me about that until her mum accidentally mentioned it, believing I already knew. If Diane hadn’t said anything, I’ve a feeling Cris would have never gone to college and I’d have still been in the dark to this day.
I don’t think she would have ever told me about the college offer if she hadn’t been forced to. Could this be something similar? I can’t leave it up to her to tell me. I need to ask her about it and gauge her response. If it’s one thing I’m good at, it’s telling when Cris is lying. After almost five years together, there isn’t much I don’t know about her.
For the first time in, well, ever, I’m home from work before Crissie. The garage had run so smoothly in my absence that we only had three jobs to do, and we’d done them by three p.m., so with no new jobs due in until tomorrow, I’d decided to shut up shop early.
Now, I am trying my hardest not to pace the floor as I wait for Cris to come home. I’ve no idea how I’m going to ask her about the letter. Shall I just come out and ask her about it? I’m still debating it when I hear the front door open and she walks in, a smile on her face when she sees me.
“Hey, you’re home early. How’s your day been?” she asks me as she crosses the room and kisses me on the cheek before stripping off her coat and hanging it up.
“Quite quiet really. The guys did a great job while we were away. How about yours?”
“Emails followed by more emails and then, just for something different, a few more emails.”
I force a smile, hoping she believes it, but I can tell instantly that she doesn’t when her expression changes. “Hey, you okay?”
“Not really. There’s something I need to ask you, Cris.”
“Okay. Sounds serious.”
“I hope it’s not and it’s just me being paranoid.” I take a breath and look at her as she stands in front of me. “When I picked up the post yesterday, I noticed you had a letter from Canada. You opened it this morning and put it straight in your bag, not on the letter rack or in the recycle bin like you usually do.” I pause for a moment as Crissie just looks at me, her expression not changing, but her eyes do widen slightly. “I’m probably being silly, but I was just wondering why you did that?”
Crissie stays silent for several moments before she goes to her bag and takes out the letter, bringing it over and placing it on the counter between us. “I was going to speak with you about it over dinner tonight. Before you read it, I need you to know that I ordered this before we lost her. It wasn’t cheap, probably more than we can afford, but I figured she was worth it. I didn’t want to cause you any more pain by showing it to you, so I was just going to send them an email from work today to cancel and then get rid of the letter. Work was so busy that I didn’t get chance to contact them.”
I hear Crissie’s voice break as tears fill her eyes, and I begin to feel like a bastard for making her feel that way, and I’ve not even read the letter. Reaching out, I pick it up and scan the contents, now understanding why Cris has reacted the way she has. I feel my eyes fill with tears, and I don’t try and stop them when a couple slip down my cheeks.
Crissie had seen a crib online from a manufacturer in Canada and had ordered it two weeks before we lost Aria. The letter was an apology saying that, due to popular demand, they had yet to ship the item and they were offering us a discount because of the delay.
Dropping the letter on the counter, I brace my arms on the edge and let my head drop forward. I don’t realise the tears are coming thick and fast until I feel Cris squeeze in between me and the counter and wrap her arms around me, holding me tightly as I bury my face in her hair.
There hasn’t been a day since we lost her that I haven’t thought about Aria, but this is the first time in several months that I’ve cried like this, and the first time ever that I’ve cried in front of Cris.
I release the counter and wind my arms around her back, pulling her close as we both cry for our lost daughter.
Chapter 28
Crissie
Present Time
In hindsight, I should have known he was putting on a brave face; not wanting to discuss it because it hurt too much, or he didn’t want to upset me. At the time, I was too busy trying to forget to consider what Cal was going through. It was only when I received that letter and I was faced with having to tell him, that I actually considered how it would make him feel.
We were in a good place in our relationship after everything that had happened, and I didn’t want to rock the boat in any way. I should have known it would somehow backfire on me, and it did, but in the best way possible.
It got us talking about Aria, about how we had felt when we lost her and how it had changed us. One thing we agreed on, though, was that we both still wanted children and we would try again when the time was right, which we decided would be after the wedding.
Talking of the wedding, we did eventually find a location for our ceremony, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. I had always had my heart set on a specific venue for my wedding, and Cal, being the perfect guy he is, had managed to arrange it.
The reception had proved to be a bit harder. We hadn’t been able to find a venue we could both agree on, and when we did, we decided it was just too far away from the wedding venue for it to be feasible. We had all but given up hope, when out of the blue, we received a phone call that would make our wedding day even more perfect.
Chapter 29
Crissie
January 2012
Takes You Page 13