by Claire Adams
I felt him slowly pull out from between my legs, but he never made a move to tumble off my body.
I’d needed a man like Christian for a very long time, and it seemed as if I finally had him.
“Stay with me tonight,” he said into my skin.
“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Christian
My eyes slowly peeled open before my arms tightened around her body. The sunlight was streaming lightly through the curtains, cascading over her naked form as she laid there sleeping. Her shoulders rose and fell with the peaceful slumber we had both slipped into last night, and I curled my body around her while she continued to sleep.
Waking up with Stella in my arms felt right. The way her light snores tumbled from her lips coupled with the way her jet black hair sprawled out over the pillow made me want to press my nose into the crook of her neck. I peppered light kisses along her shoulders, watching as her skin flushed underneath my touch.
Even in her sleep, she wanted me close to her.
I felt her body move instinctively into mine, and I slipped my leg in between hers. She drew in a deep breath before she let out a sigh, and I couldn’t help but pull her even closer to me. Her warmth kept me covered from the world, and just for a few seconds, I was able to pretend this was how it should be. My entire guard dropped with her the moment she pleaded with me last night, but I knew the rough part of our journey was far from over.
Todd’s reaction told me that much.
“Morning,” Stella said.
“Hey there,” I said. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like a rock. That airplane ride was bullshit. You?” she asked.
“Perfect next to you,” I said.
She twisted around in my arms and flashed me the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. Her eyes were still half-hooded with sleep, and the sheet had fallen from her body, exposing her sexy tits to me as well as the mark I’d left on her last night. I bent down and nuzzled the bruise, causing her to jump at the touch of my nose. Her hand slowly began to untangle my locks as I peppered kisses up her chest and neck, and she wrapped her arms around me so she could draw me closer.
“Any plans for today?” she asked.
“No work plans, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said.
“That’s not what you said yesterday.”
“Well, I was being a distant asshole yesterday, and I’m sorry,” I said.
“What happened?” she asked.
Should I tell her? About the way Todd reacted? Should I show her that there was a side to the world that thought we were doing something wrong? Gross, even?
I didn’t want her pulling away from me. Not after what we’d shared, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about my conversation with Todd.
Not just yet.
“I freaked, I guess. We’re wading through this whole business thing after losing our parents and not seeing each other for years, and then suddenly our lives upheave, and I own a company, and we’re sleeping with one another? I guess it was a bit much, and I shut down to process,” I said.
It wasn’t an entirely inaccurate statement; it just wasn’t the whole story. I figured I could live with that for now if it gave me another day to bask in the beauty of Stella.
“I get that,” she said. “So, next time, just talk to me instead of making me miserable, huh?”
“I’m so sorry, Stella,” I said
“Don’t be sorry. Just be better.”
“Your father always used to say that to me,” I said.
“And your mother always used to laugh at him. He took himself too seriously, and she never took herself seriously enough. They were the perfect pair,” she said.
I laid there, staring at her while her eyes darted around my face. Even the sunlight of the city somehow obscured her beauty, and I rolled her on top of me just to get an unadulterated view of her. She giggled, wiggling herself between my legs, and then she reached down and slowly encompassed her lips with mine.
“You taste like me,” she said, giggling.
“Is that something you like?” I asked.
“Very much so,” she said.
I ran my fingers through her hair before I brought her lips back down to mine. My tongue swiped for entrance, slowly inching its way in while my cock jumped to life. I could feel her hips slowly swirling against mine, bringing my body alive while I tasted the percolating flavors of her morning breath. There was something raw and intoxicating about having her first thing in the morning, but there was something I wanted to do with her first.
“Why don’t we go out and get some coffee?” I asked.
“You don’t want to stay in?” she asked, reaching down to grasp my cock. I jolted, feeling her cool palm against my aching flesh. Every single part of me wanted to take her, to flip her over and make her ass bounce in the air for me. My body screamed out to find its house again within the depths of her pussy, and even she giggled when she felt my cock twitch at the idea.
“I think someone likes that idea,” she said, smiling.
“I want to explore the city with you today,” I said. “The exploration of your body can happen after.”
“Oh, sounds intriguing,” she said as she let go of my cock. “What’d you have in mind?”
“Well, I figured we’d start with coffee. That’s how we seem to start all our mornings, so who are we to ruin tradition?”
“Tradition, huh? Alright, what’s after coffee?” she asked.
“Shopping. If we’re here until Tuesday, both of us will need at least another two outfits, especially since I don’t think we have a washer and dryer here,” I said.
“Sounds practical. Anything impractical to get ourselves into today?” she asked as she folded her arms across my chest.
“After shopping, I figured we’d drop our stuff off here and go take a walk in Central Park. I hear it’s beautiful this time of year, and I’m sure we could find something to get into after that,” I said.
“Oh, a walk in the park. How romantic, Christian,” she said mockingly.
“I figured you’d like it,” I said, winking.
She giggled before she sat back onto her heels, and I watched her slowly climb off the bed. The way her hips swayed as she found her way to the bathroom beckoned to my raging cock, and I knew I’d have to take a cold shower to get my body back under control. I had been resisting the hold she had on me for days. Now I had to hold back for a different reason.
We were in a beautiful city, and I had the opportunity to escort a beautiful woman around it. I was not about to allow that chance pass me by.
I got up and showered and met Stella at the door. She was dressed in a simple pair of leggings and a tunic, and my eyes couldn’t get enough. I held the door open for her as we made our way down to the lobby, then we walked into the city for four blocks before we stopped at a coffee house.
“This place looks packed,” she said. “Must mean it’s good.”
We grabbed our coffees and took a seat in the corner, relishing in how strong and potent the taste was. The designs in the foam were creative, causing us both to take our phones out and get pictures of them before we sucked it all down. We sat with one another quietly, watching people bustle in and out of the coffee shop, and by the time we got up to go, it was almost time for lunch.
“Shopping then food?” she asked.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” I said.
We darted in and out of a few different specialty stores and boutiques, trying on clothes we both loved and hated. Stella apparently had this weird penchant for massive sunhats that made her look ridiculous, but it was outmatched by my apparent inability to match even the most basic of colors. Again, I found myself being dressed by Stella. As before, she delighted in being in control of my appearance and using her skills to make me look good.
By the time we were done shopping and headed for lunch, we had a cab full of bags and would have to purchase mor
e luggage just to get it all home.
We took everything back to the hotel before we headed to Central Park. Lunch at a sandwich shop was delicious before we crossed the road to take a walk. The park was covered in trees and lined with people playing music for money, and I slipped my arm around her while we walked through the park. I watched her take in the trees and the people running around. She gawked at the birds and the swans in the lake. I saw her smile at the mothers walking with their children and the college kids leaning up against a tree with books, and for a split second, I could see a deep desire flicker behind her eyes.
I wasn’t sure what it was, but I made a mental note to ask her about it later.
“It’s beautiful here,” she said.
“You make it even more so,” I said.
“Christian, I’m serious,” she said, giggling.
“What makes you think I’m not?” I asked.
“I’m just saying; it really feels nice out here. It’s the first time since Dad died that—”
She swallowed deep, and I wrapped my arms around her. I twisted her around, catching her watering gaze as her eyes stared down at my chest, and I crooked my finger underneath her chin to pull her gaze toward mine.
“Don’t block me out,” I said. “It’s the first time since your father passed that what?”
“That the world has seemed safe again,” she said.
I pulled her close to my body and felt her tears wet my shirt. I knew exactly how she felt. How cruel she must’ve thought the world was for ripping away her only parent. I felt the same anger rise in the pit of my stomach every time I picked up the phone to call my mother to tell her something only to remember she wouldn’t be on the other end.
“It’s alright, Stella. I’ve got you.”
I brushed her hair from her face as she sniffled against my chest before the wind kicked up and swirled around us. The leaves fluttered around our bodies, and the grass began to rustle with its force. Stella peeked out from the safety of my chest to witness the way the earth seemed to hold us in the only arms it knew how to conjure, and suddenly she tilted her head back to grab hold of my stare.
“Thank you for a beautiful day, Christian,” she said.
“The day’s only half over,” I said. “And whatever you want to do is fine with me.”
“What if I wanted to go see a Broadway show?” she asked.
“Then I’d get us tickets,” I said.
“What if I wanted to go play with puppies and kitties?” she asked.
“Then I would find a pet store and some allergy medication,” I said, chuckling.
“What if I wanted to take a nap before going to a titty bar and blowing through half the company’s money?” she asked.
“I’d ask you who you were and then ask you where the hell Stella Harte was,” I said, smiling.
“But you said anything,” she said slyly.
“And anything is what you’ll get. Unless it involves spending half the company’s money,” I said.
“Oh, but we’re cool if I want to go see titties?” she said.
“Do I get to see yours in the process?” I asked.
She patted my chest playfully as she flickered her eyes down to my chest. I felt her lean back into me, resting her chin against my heartbeat, and I knew what she was doing. She was relishing in the fact that it was beating, breathing life into me just so she knew this was all real. She missed the heartbeat of her father and the comfort his life brought her, so she was reminding herself there was someone here who cared for her whose heart was still beating.
I knew that’s what she was doing because it’s what I did last night after she fell asleep.
“Stella,” I said as she raised her gaze to mine.
“Yes, Christian?” she asked.
“You really do make this park more beautiful,” I said.
I raised my hand to cup her cheek, drawing her lips closer and closer to mine while the rest of the world faded into the background. Our tongues collided in a soft tango of gratefulness and understanding, swallowing as much of each other as we could taste. Her body pressed into mine, gripping the fabric of my shirt and pulling me closer, and my hands cloaked her back as our lips began to swell with the pressure of the other’s.
And all that was left was the beating of her heart rushing through my ears as it pounded against my chest.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Stella
Our afternoon of romance swirled into another night of passion, and I found myself waking up Sunday morning tangled up in him. His smile brought warmth to my soul while his naked body filled my world with protection, and I swung my leg over his body just to draw him even closer. I couldn’t get enough of him, this man who had captured my world. Christian was far from the ignorant man-child I had accused him of being when this entire process started, and the way he kissed me evidenced the tenderness of a man that couldn’t soak up enough of me to satiate him.
I felt beautiful when I was in his arms, and I silently dreaded what would happen to us after this weekend was over.
“Another day in paradise,” he said, smiling. “How do you feel about going to see the Statue of Liberty?”
“Oh, can we do it on that boat ride? The one that offers lunch?” I asked.
“I had a feeling you might ask that,” he said. “So, before we fell asleep last night I booked us two top-deck lunch dining seats for the cruise that takes us around the statue.”
I squealed and threw my hands around his neck. I could feel him smiling into my skin, and I rolled him over as my knees planted into the bed. I wiggled and wiggled, ecstatic for what the day was going to bring, and I felt his hands slowly rub my back, trying to get me to calm down.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Stella. You do that too much, and we’re going to be in trouble,” he said.
“You’re not a morning sex person, are you?” I asked.
“It’s not when I perform my best, no. But, if it’s something you wanted, I would be more than happy to give it my best shot.”
“What about shower sex?” I asked.
“Did you have something in mind for this morning?” he asked.
“Not particularly. I’m logging things away for future use,” I said, grinning.
“Well, you rode me pretty hard last night.”
“Literally,” I said, winking.
“Literally,” he said. “I could go for a warm shower, but I don’t know if I could make any more use of my body for a few more hours yet.”
“I see I’m already wearing you out,” I said playfully.
“And it’s the best I’ve felt in a very long time,” he said.
I sat up on his hips while his hands lightly rested on my legs. I knew what he meant by an aching body. My back was most definitely not happy with me. I could feel my thighs trembling with exhaustion just trying to hold my body up over his, and his hands slowly massaged my legs before he leaned up and wrapped his arms around me.
“How about we stay in bed and lose ourselves in each other’s eyes until we have to get ready for lunch?” he asked as he pressed his face into my chest.
“Want to turn on the television and see what’s on?” I asked.
“Oh, yes,” he said.
We hunkered back down into bed and found a random movie to watch. Christian kept making these funny little comments throughout the entire thing which made it impossible to watch. I found out he was the type of person that yelled at the television screen like the characters could hear him, but every time I laughed at him, he scolded me.
Something about the characters being stupid and them needing to know it or some such shit.
When the time came around for us to get ready, we both took showers and got dressed. We took a cab over to the loading dock, where he helped me up to the top deck, and we placed our food and drink orders before the boat set sail. I was beaming with excitement as I glanced around the harbor, but as we got closer, I felt a bit of disappointment.
I f
igured there would be someone narrating the journey for us instead of us just sailing around the statue in the harbor.
“Everything alright?” Christian asked.
“I figured there would be a tour guide or something. Is there not?” I asked. “I should’ve grabbed a pamphlet or something.”
I looked around the deck, trying to see if I could find a microphone or anything of the sort. Anything to indicate that someone might come out here and educate us while we were dining. It was something I assumed would happen, but I honestly didn’t think to look it up before we got here.
But, I guess Christian must have realized no one was going to come out and serenade us with facts about the statue, so he started to rattle off what he knew.
“Well, the statue itself weighs 225 tons, which is around 450,000 pounds,” he said.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah. The actual statue, from its original base to the tip of the flame, is 111 feet and six inches tall,” I said. “And if any woman gets self-conscious about her waistline, all she needs to know is that one of the most important statues of this country has a waistline of 35 feet.”
I giggled before I continued to sip my drink. My eyes turned out toward the statue as Christian’s voice filled my ears, serenading me with that intelligence he kept buried deep within the recesses of his mind. Lady Liberty rose above the harbor, signaling a peace and freedom this country had always provided, and I drew in a deep breath to take in the sight.
“What else?” I asked.
“The torch is covered in thin sheets of 24-karat gold. It was restored in 1986 after a massive storm blew through, and they felt the torch of freedom needed a bit more pizzazz,” he said.
“Wait, seriously?” I asked.
“Seriously. And the seven rays on her crown? They don’t signify the seven parts of the country like many people think. They actually signify all seven continents on the planet,” he said. “And there is a date on her tablet: July 4th, 1776.”
