by Sofia Grey
We reached a wide expanse of deserted sand minutes before the sun slid gracefully below the horizon. The clouds I’d seen earlier were amassing in large groups, like rowdy teenagers outside a liquor store, as though they were waiting for the darkness to give them permission to emerge.
I shivered. Daniel released my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his body. He smelled good. Woodsmoke and spun sugar, with a hint of something sharp. Whatever cologne he used suited him well.
My eyes were fixed on the horizon at the last golden fingers that clung to the sky, and reflected in the water, rippling on the gentle waves. “So beautiful,” I whispered.
“Yes,” he replied, his voice low and husky. His arm tightened around me and he pressed his lips onto my temple. “It’s you who’s beautiful, Hannah. You put the sunset to shame.”
My cheeks heated. “Don’t be silly. Nobody could compare to that.”
“You do.” He spun me to him, and cupped my cheeks in his hands. “You radiate beauty. It shines out of you like a beacon.” His eyes searched my face, intent and hungry. “And you have no idea what you do to me, Hannah Steele.”
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly as dry as the sand beneath our feet. “So why don’t you show me?”
Chapter seven
Daniel’s breath hitched. “Hannah,” he whispered. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
I usually had good instincts about people. My gut rarely made a mistake, and right now it urged me to hold onto Daniel as tight as I could. I slid my arms around his waist and felt him tense at my touch. Stretching up on my tiptoes, I brushed my lips across his, paused, and then kissed him again. He stood motionless. Had I offended him? Crossed some undefined line?
Daniel made a muffled noise in his throat, and then responded. His kiss was hard, and hungry, and greedy. He claimed me totally and dismissed every other thought from my head. There was just Daniel and myself, his lips on mine, his hands holding me in the perfect position to drive the kiss deeper. He owned me, body and soul, and I loved every second of it.
He pulled back just far enough for us to gulp for breath. The silver of his eyes darkened in the fading light, but the longing in them was unmistakeable. It probably mirrored my own. Standing on the deserted beach, our bodies pressed together, we could have been the last two people on the earth. I curled my fingers into the fine cotton of his shirt, and felt the heat radiating from his body.
My heart raced and my palms were damp, and right now I was more nervous than when I’d first met him. “I don’t have to stay in the guest bedroom tonight, Daniel.”
“Hannah.” He dropped his head, forehead resting against mine in a strangely intimate move. “I wish,” he hesitated and my heart sank. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
That didn’t sound good. I clung tighter to his shirt and waited.
“I want you, Hannah. More than I can say. But, it can only be for one night. Nothing more.” His voice was ragged and I braced myself to hear something bad.
“Can you tell me why?” The possibilities were many. He had a wife, or girlfriend already. He was paranoid about getting close to anyone.
He took an unsteady breath and gathered me tighter in his arms. “It’s unethical. I’m your funding officer. If anyone found out we’d slept together it would raise all kinds of ugly moral questions about the corporation. In the worst instance, your agreement would be revoked.” His bald words sent a chill through my heart.
“They’d think I coerced you into it, as a condition to receive the funding. It wouldn’t look good for either of us, Hannah.”
“Oh.” There was a flaw in his logic. “But one night is okay?”
“It’s a risk, but we can keep it quiet.” Daniel lifted his head and gazed into my eyes. “There’s something else too. I’m leaving soon for Hong Kong.”
“Hong Kong?” I echoed. “How long for?”
“Four years. I’ve just accepted a transfer there.”
No matter how I tried to think around it, my mind kept circling back to the fact that I wouldn’t see him again. “Well,” I whispered, “we should make the most of tonight.”
“Are you sure?” Daniel’s thumbs brushed against my skin and my heart lurched. “It’s still a risk.”
“Nothing is completely safe.” I sounded more confident than I felt. “But I’d rather have one night with you than forever wonder what I missed.”
Time seemed to stand still. Daniel stared into my eyes for the longest moment, then claimed my lips again. Without speaking, we released each other, clasped our hands and walked back to the house.
It was completely dark when we crunched over the gravel and across the dry grass to step onto the deck. Lights came on and bathed the area in a soft glow. Pearl Jam still played, and it was another of my favourites, Given to Fly. I turned to face Daniel. “Dance with me? I love this song.”
His brow creased, but he gathered me in his arms and we swayed together. I kicked off my shoes and the wooden deck was warm to my feet, but that was nothing compared to the feeling of the man I held. Heat radiated from his skin. It was like wrapping myself around a ball of sunlight. He sang along, his voice muffled against my skin, his fingers caressing me through my clothes.
“The idea that a man can grow wings and fly. It’s just so magical.” I let my head tip back, and Daniel pressed a series of scorching kisses down my throat. I’d never had a one-night stand before. My limited sex life had been with guys I had relationships with.
I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk away in the morning.
The song changed to another crooning ballad, Immortality, and Daniel muttered something I didn’t catch.
“What?”
“Turn around.” He guided me to stand with my back to him, his hands flat on my stomach, his teeth nibbling at the sensitive skin on my shoulder. My breasts ached for his touch. My pulse fluttered at the idea of him undressing me, taking the time to peel away my clothes. I wanted him with a hunger I’d never felt before.
His hard-on nudged my behind and I ground against him, drawing a moan in reply.
It was my turn to moan when his deft fingers eased the button of my jeans open, and slipped inside.
“I want you,” he rasped. “Want to feel you under me. Make you shout my name.” He eased down the zipper and then slid a hand inside my panties, grazing the hot flesh. I knew the exact moment he felt how wet I was. His fingers stilled, and he made a rumbling noise of satisfaction.
I tried to turn, to kiss him again, but he held me firm, one hand splayed across my stomach. “You wanted to dance,” he murmured. “Don’t know about you, but I’m enjoying this.” He nipped at the base of my neck and I whimpered. I was helpless, a toy for him to play with, to tease into submission.
Would I survive with my heart intact? Unlikely.
Chapter eight
We swayed together for another song, maybe two, with Daniel pressed behind me, his erection unmistakeable. I lost track of time. His mouth and hands roamed my body, fanning the flames inside me. Each touch calculated to tease, not giving me what I wanted so keenly.
When he finally stood still, I was momentarily confused.
“Come inside,” he whispered. “I can’t wait any longer.”
Before I could stop him, he scooped me from the floor. He lifted me as though I weighed no more than a feather. He strode easily into the house, his mouth fused to mine, and when we reached his room, he laid me on the bed every bit as gently as a delicate piece of glass.
Subdued lights came to life as though by his command, and I gazed up at him. His face was half lit, half shadowed, and it made him look mysterious. Dangerous. My pulse quickened. Other lovers had been playful, never this intense, but I revelled in the desire pouring from him.
“Take your clothes off.” Commanding too. I wasn’t used to that, but it was a huge turn on.
I pushed down my jeans and then unfastened my blouse, one button at a time. The fabric was sheer, a
nd I took my time easing out of it, and watching Daniel’s eyes darken. “Everything?”
“Everything.”
I’d chosen my underwear with care, in case of this very possibility, and I was glad. He reached out and ran his fingers over the pretty lace of my bra, one side and then the other. “So pretty,” he said, his voice low. “It suits you.” My bra and panties were in the same azure blue of my mosaic tiles, and his cufflinks—my favourite colour.
I needed to feel his hands on my skin. I tugged down the bra straps and then unhooked it, letting it fall to the floor. My breasts burst free, the nipples swollen in anticipation.
Daniel whispered something under his breath and then knelt on the bed next to me. “Your clothes are pretty, but I prefer you in nothing at all.” He cupped my breasts in both hands and dropped his head, tongue flicking at one nipple and then the other. Hot breath surrounded my tight buds and I whimpered again, and clutched at his head, needing to hold something. His hair was silky soft and I ran my fingers through it, holding him close while he lavished attention on me.
I tingled all over, as though I’d stuck my fingers into an electrical socket. Christ. And this was just from his mouth. I squirmed on the bed, wanting more, but not wanting him to stop. My breath came in short pants and I hurtled toward a rapid orgasm I’d never come before from having my tits played with, but this was a night of firsts.
“Daniel.” I hauled in a shaky breath, any other words jamming in my throat.
His teeth closed around one nipple, taking me to the edge of pain, and I cried out. Pleasure flooded my synapses and he bit me again, enough to push me over the edge. The orgasm flashed over me, hot and fast, and left me bobbing helplessly on a sea of bliss.
He was still fully dressed. When his mouth returned to mine and kissed the fuck out of me, his tongue dancing with mine, I pulled my wits together. My fingers were clumsy on his shirt, but I pulled the buttons free and then shoved the fabric back from his shoulders. It was the work of seconds to strip it away, and then I reached for his slacks. I couldn’t resist giving his erection a stroke through the material, and he groaned at my touch. He was hard, a thick bulge under my hand. This was going to be so good.
Between us we tugged down his slacks, and the soft boxer briefs underneath. His cock jerked when my hand brushed against it, and Daniel hissed. His dick was a thing of beauty. Long, hard as steel, and with a pearly drop of pre-cum begging for my attention. I swiped at it gently, before sucking my finger clean.
Mmm. Daniel’s cock. My new favourite flavour. I moved closer, licking my lips at the thought of him in my mouth, and he gave a strained chuckle.
“Much as I want your lips around me, I need to be inside you right now.” He leaned to the side, opened a drawer and snagged a packet of condoms. Ripping through the cellophane, he tore into the cardboard and the foil packet, and rapidly fitted the rubber.
“You still have your pretty panties on.”
I tugged at the fabric and shimmied out of them.
He smiled. “I’m glad you did that. It would have been a shame to tear them.” He knelt over me and ran his hands up the inside of my thighs. The featherlight touch a promise of things to come.
“Hannah,” he whispered, and kissed me hard, before plunging into me.
I gasped, the air leaving me in a rush. Bigger than I’d imagined, he filled me, but in the best way possible. He held still a few moments, maybe giving me time to adjust, but then he withdrew, slow and easy. I’d no sooner caught my breath than he slammed into me again. My heart thudded. I was pinned beneath him, his cock driving into me. Tongue lashing mine. Hands caressing me. His thumbs would flick against my nipples, and then retreat to smooth over my stomach. Every touch twisting me tighter, a desperate coil of need winding inside me, turning me into a panting, moaning animal.
“Daniel. Daniel.” I didn’t have any words, any breath. I burned in the most exquisite fire, and all that would be left was a pile of ash, but still he hammered into me. Every thrust was punctuated with a groan, every kiss increasingly urgent.
So close now, any moment and I’d fly again. When his thumb pressed onto my clit I shouted his name, and tumbled into another massive orgasm. Shocks wracked my body and I saw stars. When Daniel cried my name and followed me over the edge, I clung to him. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. Only one word sprang to my lips. Daniel.
His rasping breath matched my own and his chest heaved as he came back to earth. I pulled him to me, and sought his lips. I needed him. When I could finally form coherent words, he didn’t understand my whisper. “I said I wanted to fly. You gave me wings.”
The night raced by as we enjoyed each other’s body. This was more than sex. More intense than fucking. We made love. There was no other way to describe the passion in Daniel’s eyes as he buried himself inside me, and the joy as he kissed me tenderly. We moved together with the familiarity and ease of long-term lovers, each touch branding him on my heart and building the memories I would carry with me.
We slept a little too, tangled together in his huge bed. If we only had one night, I didn’t want to waste a minute of it.
Surely there had to be a way to see each other again? Hong Kong wasn’t a million miles away. Maybe he could come back to New Zealand sometimes. If the café did well, I might take a holiday to visit him. It wouldn’t be easy, but the best things in life were the ones you had to work to achieve.
As the early morning sun filtered into his room, I finally gave in to sleep, wrapped tight in my lover’s arms.
Chapter nine
The smell of frying bacon teased at my senses and I opened my eyes to a grey sky. Clouds hung low over the sea, in a riot of shades and I longed to capture the image. Padding from the bed, I dug into my bag for my old sketchbook and coloured pencils. I hadn’t drawn in ages. Years. I’d not felt the need, but now I couldn’t resist it. I flicked to an empty page and began work, shading quickly over the paper, and watching the picture grow.
God, I’d missed this. Why did I stop?
I finished the drawing and turned the page. What next? I wanted to make enough drawings to help me remember this weekend in every detail. I’d get dressed and then persuade Daniel to walk on the beach with me. His white shirt lay abandoned on the end of the bed and I tugged that on, fastening enough buttons so it didn’t slide off me. It hung almost to my knees and smelled heavenly, like he did. If I could bottle that scent I’d make a fortune.
With my sketchbook and pencils, I set off for the kitchen. I stood in the doorway and watched him for a few seconds before he turned and saw me. He wore jeans this morning, faded and scruffy, and they hung low on his hips. If I’d thought him delicious in a suit, he was edible now and my mouth went dry at the sight. His chest was bare and his smile wicked. We’d have plenty more fun before we had to leave.
“Look at you,” he said, covering the distance to my side. “You fit that shirt perfectly.”
“Good morning.” I reached up and claimed a kiss. “You don’t need my help with breakfast at all.”
“I’ve forgotten where I’m up to.”
“I’m sure you haven’t.”
He chuckled, kissed me again, and then pulled out a chair at the table. “Sit here and I’ll serve up in a minute. Coffee is on its way.”
I flicked though my previous pictures while he turned bacon and whisked eggs together. What else was in this book?
Seascapes. Mountains. Rain splashed windows. And then a house that I recognised. My heart juddered. The sprawling rose and Pohutukawa were familiar. That looked like Daniel’s house. I must have brought this to Lindsay’s wedding.
I flicked forward a page or two. That was the beach we walked on last night. The next picture jammed the breath in my lungs. A dimly lit bedroom with a distinctive carved wooden headboard, and the side profile of a man in bed. Daniel.
My head spun and I felt dizzy. I had to grab at the edge of the table while the world reasserted itself. How could this be? I looked up, stared
at my lover, and then back at the page. There was no date on the picture, but I’d not touched this in years.
Either I was going mad, or Daniel was lying to me.
Since I’d first seen him, a few days ago, I’d been struck with the idea that I knew him. He claimed we’d met at Uni, but it was more than that. We behaved like people that knew each other better than a student and her lecturer. He knew my favourite foods. The music I loved. The colour I favoured.
I had to know.
I grabbed the book and shoved my chair back, hard. The legs made a shrieking noise on the tiled floor and Daniel spun around. “What’s up?”
My hands shook but I held out the picture. “This. Look at this.”
His eyes darted from me to the sketchbook and back again. Stepping forward, he took it from me. “That’s a good likeness. Did you do it this morning?”
I shook my head. I couldn’t speak. Words tumbled and clashed in my brain.
“Hannah? What’s wrong?”
“I drew this a long time ago. Years ago.” I spoke slowly, enunciating every word with care.
Daniel stiffened and I saw guilt flash across his beautiful eyes. It was enough.
“You lied to me.” The words felt ugly on my tongue. “You said we’d met at Uni. You didn’t say we were lovers, that we’d been here before. Why did you pretend you didn’t know me?” The biggest question was the one that paralysed me. “Why don’t I know you?”
“Christ.” He pulled me into his arms and held me fast. Tears pushed at the backs of my eyes, but I was angry as well as scared. Had he drugged me? Was that why I didn’t remember him?
“Hannah, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He rocked me against his chest. The tenderness was enough to unhinge me.
