Oceans Apart 3

by Amanda Heartley

  She turned around and slid her hands up to rest against my chest. I could hardly believe I had her wrapped in my arms with the stunning view of the Thames behind her. It was like a scene from a dream I’d always had. A beautiful, loving woman beside me as we enjoyed everything life had to offer. I could tell she was tired, but looking down into her eyes, all I could see was contentment and that made me feel…well, I felt incredible.

  I slid my hands up and buried my fingers into the hair at the back of her neck. I pulled gently until she leaned her head back with a soft sigh. I caressed her lips with mine and felt her breath quicken as her mouth opened into the kiss. I reveled in the feeling of her lips crushed against mine. Her hands moved down to clutch at my hips and brought the lower halves of our bodies tighter together. Despite our closeness, the kiss stayed slow and sweet and we explored each other’s mouths as if we had all the time in the world. Soft grunts and moans were traded back and forth as our tongues danced slowly and sensually together.

  “Let’s show you to the bedroom so you can get a little rest,” I whispered. It was difficult to let go of her in favor of grabbing her bags, but I forced myself to do it. “I have a few calls to make to free up some time in my schedule so we can be together as much as possible.”

  “You know you don’t have to do that. I know I just showed up randomly —”

  “Gin I—” I interrupted.

  “—And I know you said your job was suffering and Mike won’t be there and I really don’t want you to have to change your life for the two short weeks I’m here.” She continued, “I don’t want you to do anything that’s going to jeopardize your job. I can always go out sightseeing on my own and I’ll definitely be here when you get home. I’ll even cook dinner for you!”

  The thought of Ginny being here when I get home from a hard day at work and her home cooking filling my apartment with warmth and happiness was nearly orgasmic on its own. “Ginny, its okay.” I took her hand in mine and brought it up to brush a kiss against the back of it. “I’ve barely used any of my annual holiday time and quite frankly, I think I deserve some time off. But believe me when I say, the thought of you being here when I get home is something I’ll never say no to.”

  The look of surprise and happiness on her face made me even more sure of my decision to take some vacation time while she was here. We walked into the bedroom and I placed her suitcase near one of the wardrobes as she settled onto the bed.

  “If you have some work to do, I can just relax here and wait for you,” Ginny said with a smile.

  I smiled back. I leaned down to sweep her hair behind her ear before brushing a soft kiss against her lips. I enjoyed the sigh of pleasure that escaped her mouth. “I do have some things to square away for this week,” I conceded. I pushed gently on her shoulder until she lay back against the soft, dark sheets of my bed. The sight of her lying there got me so excited. “Bloody fuckin’ hell.”

  Ginny looked up, startled. “What?”

  “You look so fucking incredible lying in my bed like that. I could just stand here and look at you all night long.”

  She giggled as she took my hand, tangling our fingers together. “So I’m here in your bed for the first time ever and all you want to do is look at me?”

  “Baby, that’s the least of what I want to do to you,” I growled. I loved the way her body shuddered in response to my animal lust. If it weren’t for the fact that I needed to make some calls real quick, I’d have taken her right then and there. As it was, I simply smoothed out her hair before kissing her forehead. I breathed in deeply and forced myself to stand up straight. “Get some rest, Gin. I’ll get these phone calls out of the way and then tomorrow, give you a real tour of the city.”

  “Can we go to the pub you and Mike like? Hey! Maybe we could take him with us. Get him out and about since he can’t drive right now.” Though Ginny spoke hesitantly, I couldn’t help but smile at her thoughtfulness. I don’t think Vanessa had ever actually cared for Mike, or thought of doing anything nice for him. If she’d been in this situation, I’m sure she’d have given me the silent treatment for paying more attention to him than her.

  “That would be a great, and I know Mike would really appreciate it,” I replied. “Get some rest, I’ll be here when you wake up.” I gave Ginny one last kiss on her soft lips before flicking off the light and walking back into the living room.

  The phone calls took longer than I’d thought, though they mostly consisted of shifting around a few dates and calling in favors to get other parts of the projects handled in my absence. It wasn’t until I was staring at my father’s number that I paused. I really had no desire to speak to him, boss or not. Swallowing my pride, I pressed the call button and sat rigidly, waiting for him to answer. To my surprise, his voicemail answered and I hastily left a message.

  “Hello, Dad. I know it’s short notice, but I’m taking a few days off this week to have a small holiday. I’ve moved everything in my schedule to Coleson and O’Malley, including the supervision of sites fifty-six through sixty. You can always reach me on my phone if anything urgent crops up. Cheers.”

  I felt relieved that I didn’t have to talk to him but the words Mike said about making up with the old man were still fresh in my mind. Shaking my head, I put all of that out of my mind and returned to the bedroom. The sight of Ginny curled up in my sheets made me pause at the doorway. It seemed like a dream I was afraid I’d suddenly wake up from. Here was the woman who’d turned my mind inside out for months, asleep in my bed, a contented smile on her face.

  I moved around quietly, easing out of my shirt and climbing into the bed beside her. Ginny didn’t stir at all from her slumber, her breath still coming out softly and evenly. She must have been so exhausted after her 5,000-mile journey to see a man who hadn’t even given her any idea about what we were to one another. I just hoped I could be half the man she thought I was,

  I pushed all of those thoughts from my mind and shifted over to take Ginny into my arms. The warmth from her body relaxed my mind and her enticing fragrance filled my senses. A final glance at the bedside clock and I let my eyes slowly close, figuring I’d sleep for a little bit then wake the both of us up around an hour or so…

  “Tristan…” The sound of her soft voice calling my name woke me gently. Ginny was still in my arms, but during our nap, we’d moved around and I was on my back with her head against my chest and our legs tangled together. My arms were still wrapped tightly around her and one of her hands rested against the side of my neck. Just feeling her warm gentle pressure against my body was incredible and I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find myself aroused by her.

  I cleared my throat before angling my head so our eyes could meet. Ginny still looked sleepy and I knew by the lack of light coming into the bedroom, it was later than I’d thought. A quick glance at the clock confirmed we’d been asleep for almost three hours, but what the hell. I wasn’t about to move away from her comforting presence.

  I looked at her and without even thinking, I said, “I missed you.”

  Ginny looked up, the surprise clear in her expression. Why did I just say that? I hadn’t consciously planned on putting a voice to my feelings, but now I’d just blurted them out and for the most part, I was ok with it. I felt comfortable saying it. Mike was right. I needed to step up with Ginny and figure out what it was I wanted.

  “I missed you too.”

  Peering down into Ginny’s warm grey eyes, I shifted until our lips met. It was a simple press of our mouths together, our eyes still open and I could feel puffs of air brushing against my cheek as Ginny’s breathing sped up. I cupped her cheek and angled her head slightly. The sound she made in her throat, high and sharp, changed the feeling of the kiss from slow and exploratory to rough with an edge of desperation.

  “I thought I’d never see you again, Tris,” Ginny gasped when our lips parted so we could take a breath. I bent my head further down and gently brushed the stubble on my cheek against the smoothness o
f hers. The hand I had pressed against her back moved in a simple rhythm in response to the sad tone in her voice. I felt the need to soothe her a little, remind her she was here with me now, safe and loved.

  “I know baby,” I replied, my lips brushing against the edge of her reddened ear. Her hand clutched tightly at my shoulder as if making sure I didn’t leave. She moved her head until our lips met again in a clash of unrestrained passion. I knew we should get up and bathe, but I found myself unable to do little more than tighten my grip and flip us so I was bearing Ginny down into the mattress.

  Her legs fell open at my gentle nudging and I settled between them, my hard prick nestling against her heated mound. I twitched in my pants as the memory of her warm pussy clutching and pulsing around my hard cock flooded my mind. I groaned harshly, my tongue darting forward into the warm recesses of Ginny’s mouth in a sensual mimicry of what I longed to do to her body. The sexy whimper that greeted my actions almost pushed me over the edge with desire.

  Rrrrrrring!

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me!”

  I couldn’t help the almost manic laugh that bubbled up from my chest at Ginny’s angry outburst. Both of us were panting and looking at one another in disbelief. I glanced briefly at my cell phone.

  “Fucking arse, it’s Mike.” I groaned out before burying my face in Ginny’s neck. I breathed in her natural scent and almost lost myself in her warmth again.

  Rrrrrrring!

  “Okay, I changed my mind. I hate Mike.” Ginny teased. Her hands were still clutching at the skin of my back and I wondered if I’d have any scratches there from her nails. I almost wanted them, a physical reminder of her passion. Maybe it was time to get a new tattoo.

  “I quite agree.” I shifted until I was sitting up on the side of the bed. My hand fumbled across the sheet until I could tangle my fingers with Ginny’s and I gave her hand a squeeze. “But I did tell him to call me if he needed anything. And he wouldn’t call for the hell of it. Let me go and check on him. I’m taking him home in the morning, so after few more hours dealing with this, we’ll get him home, fed and then we can come back home.” I wiggled my brows on the last part making her smile.

  As I stood up to go see Mike, we both laughed at the boner in my pants. Ginny pointed and with a sly, crooked smile, said “You might want to hide that or Mike is gonna think you guys are more than just friends!”

  Chapter 7 — Ginny

  Home.

  My brain was still reeling from this word, even as I sat in the car on the way to Mike’s flat. It had taken all of my strength and willpower to get out of Tristan’s bed and freshen up. I hoped I smelled a little less like sexual frustration and more like…oh, who was I kidding. I’m sure sexual frustration was written all over my face. We’d stopped by the pub Mike and Tristan normally ate at so we could get some of Mike’s favorite foods. The owner knew exactly who Tristan was and even gave us a few extra orders when he realized I was from the States. It was still a bit strange how freely the word Yank was thrown around and I didn’t completely understand what everyone was saying, but they seemed pleasant enough. I promised to return to the pub before I left for America and try out some of their guest beers.

  Tristan put the food in the back of the car with Mike and closed my door. He leaned down and kissed me and said, “You’re incredible.”

  I was warmed, yet confused with Tristan’s sudden praise.

  “And you’re amazing,” I chuckled. He walked to the other side of the car and sat on the towel that was still there covering the chocolate he’d told me about the night before.

  He turned to look at Mike and then back at me. “I really don’t’ want to talk about this, but I have to say something. You know, my ex, Vanessa? Well, she would've never been okay with ordering food from here. She’d always say it was beneath her to eat anywhere that didn’t have a Michelin star. Said it was ‘uncouth’”

  “Well…that’s not very nice,” I responded. The warmth I’d been feeling from Tristan’s praise faded a little at the mention of his ex-fiancée, though I tried to keep my voice steady. He’d only mentioned her casually, and it wasn’t to praise her, so that had to be a good sign, right? At least, he was feeling comfortable enough to open up about his past relationships. It wasn’t as if the twit had bulldozed herself into his house like Brad did.

  “She wasn’t a very nice person now that I really think about it,” Tristan replied. “Mike warned me about her so many times. I really should’ve listened to him.”

  “Why didn’t you?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “Coz he’s a bloody wanker!” Mike’s voice chimed in from the back seat. I didn’t realize he could hear our low voices, and the look on Tristan’s face said he’d probably rather talk about something else, but he continued on.

  He blew out long breath and continued. “Lots of reasons, none of which sound very good to me now. My parents liked her, though now I know a few more things… I think my father only liked the idea of her. My mum probably faked it for me.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. I mean, I knew Tristan’s dad didn’t like me. The man called me a freakin’ strumpet for Christ’s sake! But I didn’t even know if his mom knew anything about me or if I even existed for that matter. I was a little worried maybe Tristan was trying to hide things, well, maybe trying to hide me.

  “I hope, maybe one day in the future… she’ll actually like me and not have to …to fake it.” My words tumbled out and seemed to plunge the car into an awkward silence. The only sound I could hear was my own breathing. The silence stretched past the point of comfort and just as I was about to take it all back, Tristan finally spoke.

  “My mum will adore you.”

  The remainder of the drive was made in silence and soon enough, we found ourselves at the door of Mike’s flat. Even Tristan seemed to need a moment to brush off the seriousness of our conversation.

  Mike hobbled out of the car to the doorway on the crutches the hospital had given him. “Home sweet home. No place I’d rather be right now. Are you two lovebirds going to be cooing and swooning over each other, or can you hold off for a while because you’re both making me sick...and jealous.”

  From the sound of his voice, I thought he was being serious, but the smile on his face made me rethink my assessment. Once again, I was struck by how annoyingly similar he and Kari were. Tristan got the trays of food from the trunk and when Mike saw them, he looked disgusted. “Is that all you got mate? How am I supposed to live on that? Are you trying to starve me to death?”

  “Oh, come off it!. You’ve got enough of a gut that you could probably last a week before you need fed again,” Tristan ribbed back at him as we walked to the front door. Once we got inside, I could see the apartment was quite a bit smaller than Tristan’s but tastefully decorated. It consisted of one large open room with a kitchen a spacious seating area in front of a huge TV and doors to what I assumed to be the bedrooms and bathroom. Although it was a lot smaller than Tristan’s penthouse, it felt very comfortable, the kitchen appliances looked brand new and I figured Mike didn’t cook very much.. It was a typical bachelor pad and it didn’t look like Mike did much of anything there.

  “Oh, here we go. Not everyone has time to train like a bloody athlete.” Mike smirked. “Plus, I have it on good authority that the ladies like how huggable I am. Having a little extra meat on your bones is apparently in this season. What do you think, Ginny?”

  I snapped to attention at the sound of my name. “What? Sorry, what was that?”

  “Just ignore him, Gin.” Tristan laughed as he set the food on the coffee table in front of the couch. “He’s somehow convinced he’s a prize catch.”

  “That’s because I am a prize,” Mike quipped, as he shuffled over to the couch and plopped down.

  “Of course you are.” Tristan shot Ginny a look, the amusement clear on his face. I giggled as they continued to tease one another good-naturedly. Although at times I didn’t understand wh
at they were saying, I enjoyed Mike’s company enormously. He was hilarious, very quick witted and the way he riled Tristan up was admirable. I found myself laughing more than I had in a long time.

  “Mind if I use your bathroom, Mike?”

  “No problem, it’s right through that door.”

  “Thanks.” I stood and walked to the door he was pointing at but just as I was about to close the door, I heard a name that made me pause.

  “While we’re alone, just thought I’d mention that I got a call from your dad this morning. Said he’d been calling you and you hadn’t called him back. Something about Vanessa trying to get a hold of you.” Mike said quietly. I think he thought I couldn’t hear him, but he was a terrible whisperer. I pretended I hadn’t heard anything and quietly shut the door behind me. Rather than sitting on the toilet, I carefully leaned my ear against the door and hoped it wasn’t too thick for me to hear the conversation.

  “What do you mean she’s trying to get a hold of me? She should be in Los Angeles by now, shouldn’t she?” Tristan asked. His voice was completely flat with no inflection to hint at his mood.

  “Your father was telling me she’d been trying to get in touch with you. He wanted me to convince you to call her or something.”

  My heart beat faster at the thought of Tristan’s dad actually trying to get Tristan to talk to his ex. I only knew a little bit about her, but I had an obvious dislike for her and her wily ways. I was worried we might accidentally bump into her, but then I remembered he said she was in LA.

  Tristan spoke again. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Good. You have my complete agreement on that one mate. Hand me a beer and turn on the telly. Match Of The Day’s about to start and Chelsea are on.”

  I backed away from the door and sat down on the closed toilet seat. The conversation I’d just overheard made me nervous. I knew Tristan had said he didn’t want to talk to his ex, but what if his father kept pushing the issue?