“Great,” she called as she stripped down and started the water in the tub. She first walked to the shower and stood under the running water. She loved the way the water felt running down her scalp, to the crack of her ass. She loved how good the water felt against her tired skin. When she finally, finished herself off, she looked at the array of shower gels and oils and sighed.
“Which one?” she wondered as she looked at the various bottles. She shrugged and grabbed two bottles before she poured in equal amounts of the gels. “Whoa…” she thought as she inhaled the rich lavender scent. She then wrapped her wet curls in a towel before she stepped into the tub. She leaned against the back of the tub and closed her eyes. She was not sure how long she had been in the water when Daniel walked into the bathroom.
He spent a long minute looking at her, his hands crossed over his chest. He could not help but think how lucky he was to have her. He walked back to the main area of the suite and put on some music before he walked back to the bathroom. He looked at her and slowly took off his clothes and let each item drop to the floor before he walked over to the tub. He looked at her naked body and then slowly ran his finger up her arm. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.
“Scooch over,” he said in a whisper. She moved and let him climb in behind him. He had his legs spread, allowing her to move back into his body. She leaned over when she felt his hand on her back. He reached for a loofah and began running it on the surface of her back.
“That feels so good,” she said in a whisper. It was at that moment that she became aware of the sweet music that was playing in the suite. “But maybe I should be the one doing that seeing that I already had a shower before I came in here.”
“Are you complaining?” he asked and she forced out a laugh.
“No way. I would never do that,” she said in a soft voice. He looked down at her and pressed his lips into her temple. “I love this. It feels great,” she said in a low voice.
“It feels perfect.”
She leaned back on him and let him hold her close.
“What are we doing baby?” she suddenly said.
“We are having fun, right? Isn’t this just great? One big long vacation?” he asked but she was shaking her head.
“And then what? What are we going to do? I mean Seattle, Philadelphia?” she asked without turning around. Daniel took a long deep breath.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said in a low voice.
“But we are almost at that bridge Daniel. We can’t keep doing this forever,” she said sadly. He ran his hands up and down her arms and sighed heavily.
“Don’t. Please baby, just don’t,” he said kissing her forehead again. She looked at him and shook her head. “Let’s just take it each day as it comes.”
“I still feel like we need to figure something out because…” she started but she could not bring herself to finish the sentence. There was a tear rolling down her cheek. He looked down at her and brushed off the tear. “What if we can’t make it work?” she asked in a small voice. Daniel brought his hand up to her neck and then gently wrapped his fingers around her neck. She felt like he was completely hers and she was completely his.
He kissed her temple again softly and then pulled his hand away from her neck before he got out of the tub. He grabbed a towel from the towel rack and wrapped it around his waist before he walked out of the bathroom. He was breathing hard as he sat on the edge of the bed. For almost an entire month, he had chosen to live like the reality of his life didn’t exist but what Erica said had struck a nerve. She was right. He looked up as she walked into the room dressed in a towel. Her head was still wrapped in a towel. She looked at him and shrugged. “You know I’m right,” she said in a soft voice. He looked up at her and nodded.
“I meant it when I said I loved you,” he said.
“I know,” she smiled and nodded.
“So, then you know that I would go to the moon and back for you, right?” he said and she nodded. “Then you know that I will sell my soul if it means that’s what I have to do in order to make this work,” he said in a soft voice. He stood up and walked up to where she was. “I promise you,” he added in a whisper as he put his hands on her waist.
“That sounds really good,” Erica said in a soft voice. He looked at her and tugged at her towel making it drop to the floor. She looked at him as she pulled her towel off revealing her curls.
“Your hair…” he started.
“Yeah, this is what it looks like without the curling irons and the hair dryers,” she said as she touched one of her curls. “Why? You don’t like it?” she asked.
Daniel smiled and shook his head.
“I love it,” he said in a soft voice. He slipped his hand behind her neck and looked into her eyes before he lowered his head and met her lips in a long deep kiss. She let her hand slip down to his waist and pulled off the towel. He took a step forward and held her against his damp body as he kissed her even deeper.
“Do you have condoms?” she asked in a whisper when he began kissing her neck. He nodded and pulled away from her. She sat on the bed as he walked to the closet and took a condom from his bag before he walked back to the room. He looked down at her as he rolled on the condom. She knew he was probably wondering why she was asking him to put on a condom yet she had let him cum inside her just days before. But he didn’t want to bring that up, not right now. She spread her legs and looked at him as he climbed onto the bed. She could almost feel her heart beating hard in her chest. She was breathing hard as she looked up at him, hovering over her as he brought his face down to kiss her. He let a hand slip down to feel the wetness that was her opening. It was too good for her to keep silent. His lips were on hers as he began pushing himself into her. She exhaled into his mouth and tightened the grip around his shoulders.
“You…you’re so tight. Are you okay?” he asked as he looked down at her. She nodded and looked up at him. “Sure?”
“I want it. I want this,” she said as he began working more of him inside her. She spread herself wider and laid back, trying hard not to tremble under him as he moved in and out of her, slowly and surely. She was feeling herself stretching more and more to accommodate his length and every moment she felt him go deeper inside her was making her unravel.
“Oh baby,” he murmured as he moved in and out of her. “What have you done to me?” he was moaning as he went on fucking her. He loved the way she felt around him. She was such a perfect fit for his larger than life cock and he was almost crying out as he moved in and out, harder and harder; each thrust deeper than the last. She held him tightly as she felt herself close to her end.
“Oh God…Daniel,” she moaned as she struggled to get herself in check.
“Come for me, baby. Just let go,” he moaned into her ear and that was it. His words were her undoing. She cried out and felt herself releasing all around his cock, coming apart into a million little fragments underneath him. He was not close behind. He suddenly called out her name and thrust hard into her as he emptied himself into her waiting pussy. She was panting when she finally felt him go rigid on top of her. He kissed her softly as she felt him pulling himself out of her. She looked at him panting. It was like every time with him was a whole new experience. He looked at her and smiled before he brushed off his hair from his face. “So, condoms, huh?” he asked, still breathing heavily. She nodded.
“I know with last time…” she started before she took a deep breath. “That was already taken care of. My…aunt Irma already visited,” she said. He frowned for a few seconds and then it hit him.
“Oh Aunt Irma,” he said nodding.
“But we have to visit a clinic, soon,” she said. He nodded. “You know just so we can officially be in a committed monogamous relationship,” she added.
“Isn’t that what we have been doing?” he asked.
She smiled. “You heard me say officially, right?” “Whatever you want,” he said as he looked at her. “I wi
ll go to the moon and back, remember?” he asked again. She smiled and nodded as he got off the bed. He kissed her softly and began walking towards the bathroom. But somehow, even after that crazy session of lovemaking, he couldn’t shake the fact that Erica had been right. They needed to figure something out.
Chapter 10
Erica was nervous as she and Daniel rode in the cab to the hospital. She was having second thoughts but something told her that she was just antsy. It was just the fact that she was getting into yet another relationship. The last one had ended so badly that every time she thought about it, she just wanted to cry out. She looked at Daniel and took a long deep breath.
“What? You okay?” Daniel asked as he brushed off a curl from her face.
“Just getting a strange sense of déjà vu,” she said as she looked out the window. Daniel took her hand and squeezed it gently.
“Hey,” he started as he brought her hand to his lips. He kissed her hand softly. “Hey, look at me,” he said as he looked at her. “I am not Eli. I am nothing like him.”
She smiled as she looked into his eyes. She knew he was right. He was absolutely nothing like Eli. He didn’t even come close to what an asshole Eli was like. She forced out a smile.
“I know,” she said in a soft voice.
“Good. Then don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “Or are you having second thoughts?” he asked as he raised one eyebrow over the other.
She shook her head.
“I’m just really scared. Things are moving so fast and…” she never got to finish that sentence. Daniel had leaned over and claimed her lips in one long, lingering kiss.
“Well, things may move fast but I am most definitely enjoying the ride,” he said in a whisper. She looked into his eyes and smiled. Even with the jet lag and exhaustion in his eyes, she could still see the honesty in his eyes that made her relax. “I love you,” he said in a soft voice.
“I love you too,” she replied as she looked at him. Just then the cab pulled up in front of the hospital. “Are you ready for this?” she asked.
“Yes. Are you?” he asked with a smile.
“Yes, I am. Let’s just go,” she said as she climbed out of the car. Daniel climbed out of the car and followed her into the hospital after paying the cab driver. “So, how is this going to work? Healthcare in a foreign country?” she asked as they walked to the reception.
“I’ll handle it,” he said with a smile.
“Done this a lot, Mr. Reese?” she asked with a smile.
He nodded and she frowned.
“I mean getting sick abroad, not what you think,” he said. “Or what I think you are implying,” he added with a frown. “Hi, we would like to see someone about getting tested.”
“Fill this out, please,” the receptionist said as she handed Daniel two forms. The two sat down and quickly filled out the small questionnaire before handing them back to the receptionist. “Have a seat and someone will be with you shortly,” she added. Daniel looked at Erica as they sat down.
“Times like this I really miss home. You know, doctors you know and stuff like that,” he said.
“Oh yeah. My OBGYN would definitely like to see me,” Erica said making Daniel frown. “It’s a joke we have. She says that the only action she gets is when she sees her patients,” she added with a smile.
“How old is she?” Daniel asked.
“Not so old. She is actually quite a looker but she has not been very lucky in love, lately,” she said. “At some point, we’d both given up. And then I met you,” she added looking into his eyes.
Daniel smiled at her and took her hand in his. He could tell that she was nervous from the way she was breathing and looking at him. It seemed like forever before the receptionist finally called their names.
“Daniel Reese and Erica Hayes,” the receptionist called out. Daniel looked at Erica who was taking a deep breath and then stood up. “Do you want to go in together?” the receptionist asked. Daniel looked at Erica and nodded.
“That sounds really good,” he said as he looked at her. He shifted his attention back to the receptionist and smiled.
“This way,” the woman said as she led them down a hallway to a room. As they sat down, Erica couldn’t help but frown at the smell. She had always hated the smell in hospitals. She could never quite get whether it was the drugs or just the whole damn building. She always wanted to barf any time she was around a healthcare center but what she didn’t know was that this time round, it was not about the smell but what they had gone there to do in the first place.
“So, Erica and Daniel,” a man said as he walked into the room. “American, judging by your surnames,” he said sitting down. Daniel nodded and Erica smiled uncomfortably. “I am Dr. Gregorio Castillo,” he said with a smile. Erica could not help but notice how much of a heartthrob he was. He looked like he had been pulled right out of a telenovela.
“Hello, Dr. Castillo. My girlfriend and I would like to get tested,” Daniel said. Dr. Castillo raised an eyebrow.
“Together?” he asked. This time, Erica was the one who answered.
“Yes, together. I…we think it’s better this way,” she said.
“That is very strange. Most couples like having the test taken separately. You must really trust each other,” he said.
Daniel looked at Erica and smiled.
“We do,” he said.
“Well, there are a few questions I have to ask first,” Dr. Castillo said. Erica took a long deep breath and Daniel squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Let’s start with your age,” he started.
“Twenty eight,” Erica said.
“Thirty one,” Daniel said. Erica looked at him and smiled. She had no idea how old he was until now.
“And, how many sexual partners have you had in the last two years?” he asked.
“Two,” Erica said.
“Three,” Daniel said. Erica was not sure she wanted to know who the third woman was.
“And how many times have you had unprotected sex in the last two years?” Dr. Castillo asked as he scribbled something on his clipboard.
“Two,” Erica said.
“Same here,” Daniel said. The doctor looked up. “Two, I mean,” he said.
“And have you been showing any kind of symptoms? Rash maybe? Burning sensation while urinating?” the doctor asked.
Daniel shook his head. “No.”
“No,” Erica said in a soft voice.
“Okay. So, how would you feel if you tested positive for HIV?” the doctor asked. Erica frowned and shook her head.
“I don’t know…I would probably go back to the States and shoot my ingrate ex in the head,” she said. Dr. Castillo’s eyes grew wide. “I’m kidding of course…but I don’t know what I would do if that happened,” she said blinking back a tear. She never really thought about that.
“If you have such thoughts, I would be inclined to withhold your results,” he said. She looked at him and then at Daniel. She didn’t know how she was supposed to answer such a question. She looked at the doctor and shrugged.
“I am blank, honestly. I don’t know how to answer that,” she said. The doctor looked at her and then at Daniel.
“What about you? What would you say if I told you if I told you that you had the HIV virus?” Dr. Castillo asked.
Daniel shrugged.
“Like her, I really don’t know what to say,” he said.
Dr. Castillo took a long deep breath.
“You are making it so hard for me,” he said.
“After all this years, is there any answer that would shock you? Because I have absolutely no idea what we are supposed to say,” she said as she looked at the doctor. “What about you? What would you say to that question and do not dare tell me some bullshit about being the bigger man and taking the high road,” she added. In her eyes, you could see the anger she had for the doctor. The doctor smiled at her and then shrugged.
“Perhaps I should just go ahead and take the test,” he sa
id.
“Please,” Erica said. There was more sarcasm in her voice than she had intended. She looked at Daniel and exhaled loudly. “I’m sorry,” she said in a whisper. Daniel squeezed her hand again and smiled as the doctor tied the cord around her upper arm.
“Make a fist for me,” he said. She made a fist and waited to feel the prick. When it finally came, she shut her eyes tightly and whimpered a little. “All done,” the doctor said untying the cord and securing the vile with her blood. “Now, Mr. Reese,” he said as he prepared a fresh syringe. Daniel rolled up his t-shirt as Erica pressed a piece of cotton to her arm. “The blood work will take a few minutes. Luckily, the lab is not busy today,” he said.
“We’ll wait,” Daniel said.
“Alright. I’ll have the nurse get you when I’m ready,” he said. Daniel stood up and led Erica back out into the reception area.
“Someone was a little firecracker today,” he said. She looked up at him and shook her head.
“I’m really sorry,” she said.
“No don’t be. I like this side of you. So feisty, so hot,” he said as he looked at her. She smiled and shrugged. “Coffee? I saw a vending machine around the corner,” he said. She shrugged. “I’ll be right back,” he said as he walked away.
She sat down and leaned back. She had surprised even herself when she snapped at Dr. Castillo like that but the questions he was asking had struck a nerve. And anything and everything Eli related almost always got her angry. Could it have been the fact that she still harbored a grudge against him? And if she did, what did it mean? She forced out a smile when Daniel came back holding two Styrofoam cups.
“Not so sure how the coffee is but I guess it will be better than just sitting here doing nothing,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said as she took a sip. “Actually, it’s not so bad,” she said with a smile.
“Are you kidding me? I feel like I am drinking coffee flavored mud,” he said.
“Well, you would have hated the coffee at Kirkland & Ellis,” she said with a smile.
“I think one of the most important home and office appliances is the coffee maker,” he said as he endured another sip. She looked at him and shook her head.
An Unconditional Love (BWWM Romance Book 1) Page 21