Chapter 19

Gemma

I had lost track of time by now; it could be the sun setting or the crack of dawn. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t looking ahead or daydreaming about the future. I was living only in the present.

We were both naked, sitting comfortably in a hot tub in the backyard of the cabin. Vincent was sitting opposite me, and our toes were entwined together under the hot bubbling water. When I looked up, I figured it could be dawn now, because the sky was a curious shade of deep yellow, nearly orange. I could hear birds beginning to chirp somewhere far away.

We had slept on and off in each other’s arms. Vincent had cooked dinner at some point, too, delicious steaks that I had dug into hungrily. Slowly but surely, I was losing my self-consciousness and turning more into myself. Vincent didn’t seem to care or notice. If he had an issue with my table manners, he wasn’t showing it.

It was calming as we sat there, the water bubbling and grazing against my sensitive skin. The bottom of Vincent’s dark wavy hair was damp, and it stuck to the sides of his wide neck. The top half of his torso was above the water level, and he had his arms stretched over the sides of the hot tub. I could see his chiseled muscles in all their wonderful glory. He had mentioned he was a swimmer in college and his body showed it. He had an athlete’s sinewy built.

Vincent was looking at me while I ogled at his body. When our eyes met, I blushed and looked away.

“It’s going to be morning soon,” he said quietly and a chill ran down my spine. I knew what that meant. One more day gone, and one more day closer to him leaving. My breath caught in my throat again, and I refused to meet his eyes.

“We should go for a hike soon,” he said, sliding himself over to me. I nodded my head and wrapped my arms around his neck. I wanted to cling to him for dear life. It was ridiculous, this feeling coursing through my veins. He was still here, but I was sad already. Vincent had no idea how he had changed my life in a matter of just two days. He had shown me a glimpse of a different life and made me believe that I did deserve better.

“Are you familiar with the trails?” he asked as he pressed his lips to my cheek and gave me a soft tender kiss.

“Somewhat. I should be able to figure them out. The locals aren’t allowed on the estate though, so I don’t know this area as well as I know the rest of the mountain,” I told him, kissing his chin as he held me close.

His hands had found their way to the back of my waist, and he was pressing me close to him. I could feel his erection against my legs and I breathed in deeply.

“You sure you have nowhere else to be?” he asked, catching my gaze. I shook my head, my eyes sparkling as I stared at him. I wondered what he thought of me then? Whether he thought I was desperate, a loser… why I had nowhere to go.

“I’m free today,” I said, and we kissed. Our lips met in a gentle kiss, like we had known each other for years. Despite the sexual fire burning in us both, which I knew would make us lunge at each other in a matter of minutes, our kiss was soft and long.

His hand traveled up, from my back to my shoulders and then to my front as we continued to kiss. He squeezed one of my erect nipples and tugged at it, making me desperate for him again.

“Oh, Shoot! It’s my phone,” he said, pulling away from me suddenly.

I heard the ring then as well, from somewhere inside the cabin. Vincent was out of the tub in seconds, hauling his drenched body out of the water as he strode quickly back indoors. I was smiling after him, watching his naked tight butt walking away from me. I couldn’t wait for him to return so I could kiss him again. I wanted him to finish what he had started.

The sky was getting lighter at a faster rate now, and I realized how early in the morning it was for him to receive a call. I could see straight through the French windows into the living room, where Vincent was pacing the floor, roasting himself in front of the fire as he spoke into the phone. He had assumed that serious look on his face again, I could see that he was talking business.

Still smiling, I shook my damp hair out and threw my head back to look up at the sky. What had I gotten myself into? How was I supposed to resume a normal life again once he left? He still hadn’t told me exactly when he was going to leave, and just the thought of it made me sick to my stomach.

I heard the doors sliding open, and I looked up. Vincent was walking back over to the hot tub; his brows were crossed and his face was dark. I sat up straight in the water, my heart beginning to race. It was very seldom that I saw that look on his face. This couldn’t be good news.

“Everything all right?” I asked him as he came over to me, placing his hands on the edges of the tub. The fact that he didn’t want to get back in the water told me that something was wrong. What was he going to tell me?

Vincent looked away from me, toward the horizon where the sun was rising.

“That was my secretary calling from LA,” he said quietly, still not looking at me.

I breathed in and let out an enormous sigh. Here it comes…

“I have to go back to LA today for a meeting I can’t miss,” he said, turning to me again. His eyes were heavy, and his mouth was firmly set in a thin line. I could see that he was clenching his jaw. His nose looked sharp and chiseled, I still couldn’t stop admiring his physical form, despite the news he was giving me.

“Today? When?” I asked, draping my arms across my breasts. For some reason, I felt like I suddenly needed to preserve my modesty. Vincent’s gaze dropped to my covered breasts and then he looked up at me again.

“First flight out; she’s already booked my ticket. I don’t think I have more than three hours remaining here,” he said glumly. Did he expect me to cry? Did he expect me to make a scene? He was looking at me like he was sorry for what he was saying. Even though I could feel my lip quivering, I tried to force a smile on my face.

What else was I expecting to happen? I knew this was coming from the moment I stepped into his car.

“Of course,” I managed to say, in a squeaky mild voice.

“Gemma…” he said and reached out a hand to my cheek. He stroked it gently, and I closed my eyes for a second, just to savor the moment.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. We knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Sooner rather than later, right?” I said and even forced a laugh. Vincent met my eyes; he wasn’t laughing. He looked like he was afraid.

“I really don’t want to go, I’ve been having such a great time with you,” he said, moving his hand away from my cheek.

I threw him a smile again. I was shivering in the hot tub for some reason. I wanted to get out of the water, to get away from him. It was hard holding the tears in, but I wasn’t going to let him see me cry.

“I’ve had a good time, too, Vincent,” I said and stood up in the tub. He was watching me as I reached for the towel on the side and wrapped it around myself tightly. Even his towels felt great, soft and luxurious and good enough to wear all the time. I stepped out of the tub, and he helped me out, holding my hand in his.

“Gemma…” he said again, and this time I turned my head to look at him. I knew my face was burning up.

“What?” I snapped, unable to control the misery I was feeling inside.

“It doesn’t have to end like this,” he said.

“Do you mean you want to fuck me again before you go? One last time?” I said, surprised that I had said it aloud. I knew how crude it sounded and it even took him aback when he heard the words. But Vincent always maintained his composure, and he was doing it this time as well.

“That is not what I meant,” he said, as I drew my hand away from his. I was shivering; goose bumps covered all my exposed skin and I could do nothing but stare at him. I didn’t know what I wanted anymore. I wanted him to go, and I wanted him to stay. I wanted to scream, and I also wanted to cry.

“How else can it end, Vincent?” I asked, in a softer voice.

“You could come with me,” he said, looking at me directly. My mouth nearly dropped open when I heard him say that. It hadn’t occurred to me that he could suggest such a thing. Going away with him, leaving this town… had never even crossed my mind.

“From the look on your face, it seems like I shouldn’t have suggested it. I’m sorry—”

“I’ll come with you,” I blurted out. Neither of us were smiling; it was as though Vincent was in as much shock as I was.

“I know it’s too much to ask, but I don’t want to cut this short. Just for a few days… I could show you around LA. You could have a mini vacation,” he said, and I could see his eyes changing again. The idea was sinking in, for both of us.

My heart had never felt like this, like a crazed rabid dog, beating inside my chest. What had I just agreed to? Holy Fuck! I was going to be whisked away to California by a man I’d known for exactly two days. By Vincent Stoltz, one of the most eligible bachelors in the country!

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, the smile spreading on my face.

I was in Vincent’s arms again; he had pulled me close to him. He was kissing my neck, licking the spot at the base of my throat… I closed my eyes. This was too damn good to be real. I didn’t care about the consequences anymore, I just wanted to live for once.

Thoughts of my parents crossed my mind. They were going to lose their minds when I told them. If I told them the truth. What was I supposed to say to them? In the past twenty-six years of my life, I had never stayed away from home for this long. Wouldn’t they be happy for me? Or would they only worry that I was being taken for a ride? Being used by a playboy billionaire who wanted nothing more from me than my body.

Vincent was kissing my lips again; I could feel his heart beating against my own chest as he held me close.

The problem of handling my parents would just have to wait.