by A. Constanza
I stayed in that position for ten minutes, focusing on the darkening sky, the cottage that had the fire going, and enjoyed the sounds of the rustling winds. It was the first time in two weeks when I actually felt good even if the negative thoughts were still on the surface. They were being masked by a wave of tranquility that I desperately needed to enjoy.
The sound of moving water was enjoyable to hear. I would stand on my balcony so many nights, and I never heard the water as well as I did at the moment. It felt like I had supersonic hearing.
I had to thank Marcelo tomorrow.
I dragged my hands across my face and enjoyed the warm sensation of touch. I could actually feel the vessel that I called my body, and it made me a little more alive. I lowered my hands and looked out over my balcony and into my backyard.
My heart went to my throat at the sight of Estella. She was sitting on the edge of my pool and looking back at me.
There is no way that’s Estella.
I knew that I was buzzed, but I didn’t think that I’d hallucinate. It was cruel of my mind to torment me with a vision of Estella in real-time when I knew that she probably wanted nothing to do with me anymore.
Regardless, I walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the backyard. If I was going to hallucinate Estella, then I wanted a good visual of her. She could feel real to me even for a minute.
I opened the glass door and still found Estella sitting on the edge of the pool, kicking her legs in the water. The thought of being submerged in heated water seemed unbelievable. I kicked off my shoes, pants, glasses, and slowly unbuttoned my dress shirt as I kept my eyes locked on Estella. The cold air greeted my bare skin.
My head collided with the water and it consumed me into a warm embrace. The contrast between cold air and then immediate heat was amazing. I truly felt free, ignoring the rules of gravity by experiencing weightlessness. I spread my arms open, moving toward the deeper end of the pool where Estella sat.
I emerged from the water, the droplets trickling down my face and my breath labored. I gripped the edge of the pool and made sure I was directly in front of her bare legs. She sat there, watching me as I admired every inch of her, her face sweet and delicate, her body embraced by a silk dress, her wavy hair loose and cascading down her shoulders.
“I’ve missed you,” I said to the hallucination. I hovered my hand over her legs, tracing the silhouette that the pool lights had created. “I need to touch you.”
“Touch me,” she whispered, her voice raspy.
I lowered my head in anguish and grumbled at the sound of her voice. God, it felt too real. I knew she wasn’t here with me, but it was difficult to make the distinction. I knew I shouldn’t have continued my torment, but I ended up gliding my hands up her calves.
Warmth.
A hallucination couldn’t feel like this. The effect that Estella had on my body couldn’t ever be replicated by a hallucination. Estella was living, breathing, and in front of me.
“Estella,” I breathed. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you,” she exhaled, sliding her hands down her leg to hook her fingers with mine. “I’m so sorry for leaving you, Ignacio. I was so scared of everything. I was scared of the love game. I thought that love would make me weak because I’m so used to it breaking me, but real love is supposed to make you stronger. I haven’t felt strong or good since you’ve been gone, Ignacio.”
I stared at Estella in disbelief. Was she really admitting her true feelings for me?
“I understand if you don’t want to take me back, but just know that I do want to try again with you,” she said, twiddling with her fingers. “If I haven’t lost you already…” she added with sadness in her voice.
“You would never lose me, Estella,” I declared, my hands running up her legs. “Come in the water.”
“I don’t have a swimsuit.”
“Neither did I. Come in with your dress.”
Estella bit down on her lip and contemplated it for a second. She went from unsure to confident in a mere second. She slowly lifted herself up and stood at the ledge of the pool, sliding one arm out her dress, followed by the other one until her dress fell down her body, pooling around her feet. If I wasn’t turned on before, I certainly was now.
My eyes wandered up and down her beautiful body. She was almost naked, wearing just white, lacy underwear and her long hair covered her breasts, but the slightest movement would have changed that.
Estella dove into the water with ease, and within five seconds, she broke through the surface. The water cascaded down her hair, and the longing look that she had on her face made my heart skip a beat or two. She resembled an angel in the water.
We swam in circles, staring at each other with need in our eyes. Teasing each other. It almost felt like a competition to see who would give in first. I lost. I would always lose because I needed to have Estella in my arms again.
I rushed toward her, pulling her against my chest, feeling her breasts pressed against me. Estella wrapped her arms around my neck and enveloped my midsection with her legs. I didn’t waste a second longer and pressed my lips against hers. I gripped her back, deepening the kiss with a desperation that said I was afraid of losing her again. I could feel her melt into me as she moaned against my lips, submitting to the idea of us.
My hands traveled down her back and to her thighs, gripping them with desire. I tasted the inside of her mouth, enjoying every blissful moment that she was giving me. I kept waiting for her to tell me to slow down, but she continued to kiss me. She wanted me to keep going because every time I paused to think about this moment, she would pull me closer into her. She didn’t want me to think; she wanted me to explore. She was opening herself up to me.
Her full body.
I disconnected from her lips and trailed her graceful neck with kisses until I reached her breasts, placing a nipple in my mouth.
“Ignacio,” she moaned, her nails dipping into my back. I didn’t know what that was, but it was incredibly sexy. I needed to explore more of her, and I couldn’t do that in the water.
“Let me take you to my bedroom,” I whispered in her ear.
Estella tightened her grip on me and nodded. I carried her out of the pool and into the villa to my bedroom. The mattress was beneath her, and I watched her splay over the bed, ready for me to unravel her. I didn’t waste another second and hooked my fingers on the edges of the lacy fabric that clung to her skin, tossing it aside. In response, she lifted herself back up and lowered my boxers down, eyeing the happiness that sprung out.
I placed my hand on her chest, suggesting she lie back down. I trailed kisses between her legs, savoring every moment that led to the inner part of her thighs. With every deep kiss that I placed, she tasted sweeter…absolutely divine.
Estella sucked in a deep, raged breath as I began to indulge in her sweetness. “Ignacio.”
She pounded her fists into the bed and opened her hands only to ball the sheets in her hands.
I wrapped an arm around her leg, bringing her closer to me as my other hand traveled up her body to mold my hands over her perfect breasts. I gave them exactly what they wanted, to be teased, gripped, and cherished.
“Fuck,” she gasped faintly.
There was something enticing about a woman who had to use foul words in bed. She was making herself even more irresistible.
I pressed my mouth deeper into her depths, sucking her sweet spot, teasing her by pushing a finger in, slowly sliding it in and out. I could feel her blossoming under my touch and it only made me want to ravage her body even more.
I moved my head in a sensual way, losing myself in her taste and smell. Her legs tightened around my head and her moans filled the room.
“I want to be the last man to be with you,” I declared. I didn’t want another man to have her the way I had her.
“Ignacio, I need to tell you something,” she gasped, her fingers running through my
hair.
I slowed down my pace to look up at her. “You’re going to come?” I teased, lightly blowing air in between her legs, watching her circle her hips around in desperation. I lowered my head back down and returned to my original speed.
“You’re the only man I’ve been with in that way,” she muttered quickly and covered her face.
I stopped immediately.
My heart crashed against my chest, and my mind brought forward all the memories from that night in Paris. She seemed nervous, but I thought that was normal for anyone who was going to sleep with someone new—I sure was. I remembered how she pressed her lips against my neck when I entered her, and how I felt her stifle a cry, but then she moaned lightly when I rocked against her.
Oh shit.
I propped myself up and climbed over her to look directly into her face.
“Estella?” I whispered. “I’ve been the only man inside?”
She nodded, her hands still concealing her face.
“Stella mia, why didn’t you tell me then?” I reached her hands to pull them away from her face.
“I didn’t want you to think less of me. I wanted you to see me as a woman, not a girl.”
I cupped her cheek as if I was holding the most beautiful, precious possession of my life. Estella was everything to me. I plunged my hungry lips against hers, and she grabbed my head with both hands, kissing me until she was breathless.
The thought of delving into her beautiful depths, the garden that I only had access to, only made me even more painfully hard. The urge to push myself deep inside her and take care of all her needs, release her from all her worries, was driving me insane.
I wrapped my hand around my hardened cock and brushed the tip against her entrance. Estella’s chest rose up and down with anticipation as she looked at me with lust-filled eyes. All my thoughts faded into a seriousness focused on giving us a night we would never forget.
“Can I tell you something?” I whispered, still teasing her entrance.
“What?” she exhaled.
“You were the first and only girl I’ve slept with,” I said, my body tensing before pressing myself inside her.
“Oh my God,” she purred into my ear. Estella clung to me as if I was the only solid thing that could keep her grounded. I lowered myself, pressing my body against her scorching chest, and moved myself deeper into her. Her soft, tan legs hooked around my lower back in response.
Being inside of Estella overwhelmed my senses; I couldn’t imagine sex getting any better than this. Sex with Estella was ethereal, she evoked sensations that I never knew I was capable of feeling, and I just wanted more. More. More.
We lost track of time in my bed. We went two, three, four times in different positions throughout the night. We were making up for lost time—those five years we missed out on each other.
If love were a game, then Estella had won.
She won ten times over, five years ago and forevermore.
TWENTY-FOUR
Estella
It actually happened.
I slept with Ignacio.
Sun rays filled the room with light, lulling me out of my restful night. I was sprawled across Ignacio’s bed with nothing on but his navy-blue sheets tangled around my legs and Ignacio’s arm around my chest. I peeked over to the side and watched Ignacio still sleeping. I lightly brushed a curl away with my finger and admired his handsome face.
It felt like I was sleeping next to a statue that the angels had carved out themselves.
Ignacio’s dark lashes began to flutter slowly, and then his eyes focused on my face. He smiled widely, and the butterflies in my stomach swirled around in giddiness.
“Happy Birthday,” I cooed.
“Mmm, a happy birthday indeed,” he replied in his deep, sleepy, raspy voice that caused those same butterflies to flip around in a frenzy. His face came closer to mine, and his sleepy eyes closed as his lips touched mine. He slid his hand to the back of my neck, through my hair, and brought me closer toward him.
I shifted toward him, and my body ached in a beautiful kind of way. “What would you like to eat?” I asked against his lips.
“You,” he groaned in response. His hand was no longer in my hair but making its way down to my ass. “I want you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
“I think it’s a little too late for breakfast.” The clock on the wall read 11:25.
“Brunch then,” he said, hungrily. Ignacio bit on my lip as he gripped my thigh, pulling my leg until it hooked around him.
I giggled against him, unable to contain the happiness that overwhelmed me. “Ignacio, I want to make you breakfast.” Breakfast was a big part of birthdays in my household, and I wanted to have the same tradition with Ignacio. I wanted to make a meal that would set the mood for the day.
Ignacio placed a patient kiss on my forehead and smiled. “Okay, I’ll wait for after breakfast,” he said with a chuckle.
“That’s all I ask,” I replied and flashed him a smile before raiding his closet for a shirt and dancing out the room.
There was nothing much in the fridge except for eggs, tomatoes, herbs, and shredded cheese so I made omelets. Smooth jazz played in the background as I continued to scurry around the kitchen in hopes of finding something that would elevate the dish. There was a loaf of bread tucked away in one of the cabinets.
“I thought I lost these for a second.” Ignacio came in from the backyard as he slipped on his glasses. “I haven’t had a birthday breakfast in years.” He looked at the dish and then pulled out his phone to read incoming messages.
I wondered if he’d received a text message from either of his parents. I couldn’t imagine what he had gone through as a child, not having his parents there to love him.
“It’s the best I could do considering what you had in your fridge,” I said, handing him his plate.
“It’s amazing, thank you.” He leaned over the counter to place a light kiss on my lips. “I see you’ve found Lucia’s bread,” Ignacio said, taking a bite of said bread.
“Who’s Lucia?” I asked.
“She’s my house manager, a little, old tan woman who manages to make the place function perfectly without ever being seen.” He took a big bite of the omelet and smiled with genuine contentment.
“Is she here now?” I whispered.
“I give everyone who works for me my birthday off, so no.”
“Was she there last night?” I whispered again. I wouldn’t have wanted her to witness everything that happened in last night’s pool session.
“No.” He chuckled. “She leaves after six and only stays overnight if I’m traveling.”
“Good.” I sighed.
“So, we have this big house to ourselves. What would you like to do?” He had a hopeful smile on his face; he definitely wanted to finish what he’d started earlier in the bedroom. To be honest, I wanted the same, as well, but I also wanted to finish what we had started in the piano room the night of the engagement celebration.
“Can you play the song you wrote after leaving Paris? I want to record it, as well,” I asked, circling the island to be near him again. We had spent so much time with a distance between us that I now wanted to close it whenever possible.
Ignacio pushed his finished dish away from him and then turned around to place me in between his legs. He slid his hands around my waist and brought me into him, looking at me as if I was the cause of all his happiness. “Whenever you want, amore mio,” he whispered against my lips. His words created a beautiful warm surge through my body that embraced my soul, an embrace so tight that it felt like I was levitating.
Ignacio lifted me with ease and kissed me repeatedly until we reached the piano room. I noticed that the cream chaise was no longer there.
Ignacio saw me eyeing the empty corner and gave me a nod of confirmation, that we both knew what our best friends had done that night.
We took our places on the bench and
I scooted close to him to watch him perform his magic. He started to play the soft, sensual song. It had a French jazz style to it, but I didn’t expect anything different considering it was fitting to that night.
I pressed my thighs together in an attempt to conceal my desire for Ignacio. Having a handsome, talented man play a passionate song that he composed for me was beyond attractive, it was fantastical.
The song came to an unfortunate end, and then my phone vibrated multiple times on top of the piano. I reached for it, flicked through my screen, and opened up the messages from my younger sister, Maya. I missed a call from her.
Her text message alarmed me: CALL ME ASAP. 911.
I frantically tried to call her as I rushed off the balcony and through the grand hallways with blurred vision. I wasn’t sure what happened, but any positive emotion had been eviscerated, and all I did was panic.
I crashed through the bedroom door, waiting for the line to be picked up, and Ignacio followed behind me. “Estella?” he called tenderly as he reached out for me. “What’s wrong?”
“Estella,” Maya’s voice came through, sounding low and cautious. “It’s Dad.”
In a matter of seconds, I went from feeling on top of the world to plummeting down to the depths of the Earth.
TWENTY-FIVE
Ignacio
“I have to go to New York,” Estella spoke, her voice rippling with emotion. “My dad, he was robbed in his market and ended up having a heart attack. He’s currently in a coma.” She crashed into my chest and muffled her cries against me.
I pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed the top of her head. “I’m going with you. I’ll set everything up; you go home and prepare your luggage.”
“Really?” Estella asked, looking up at me with damp eyes.
“I’ve lost you twice; I will not lose you again.” She was my angel, yet I was her guardian.
Estella cupped her gentle hand over my stubbled cheek, then leaned forward to take my lips, but held me at bay with her hand. I inhaled her sweet scent of pomegranate, peonies, and vanilla. I’d never kissed a woman that awakened my body and connected with my soul with such sensuality. I didn’t want there to be an end to the kiss, but Estella slowly and almost unwilling stepped back.
