Chapter 17
Evangeline
Darkness fills the quiet cabin and the only sound is Raphael’s deep breathing. I glance over at him. He’s sleeping, head leaned back against the headrest, arms folded across his chest. He actually looks comfortable. I smile to myself, realizing that he’s probably done this so many times that it’s perfectly natural to him.
He works so hard, always on the go. Always chasing the next deal. Never making time for anything that’s not work-related. I know that these past few days have been a change of pace for him.
He made time for me.
That little fact puts a smile on my lips as I twirl my new beaded bracelet around my wrist. It’s a big deal. He put aside his money chase and swam around in the ocean with me. He left his laptop in the bedroom and had breakfast with me on the veranda overlooking the sea. He fucked me all night in front of the open windows, under the stars.
Things are different now. I felt the shift in him as we enjoyed the island and each other. I just wonder if he still means all those things he said about us ending this thing before we get to Reyfield.
I pull the blanket tighter around me and draw my legs up under me, trying to get comfortable in my seat. But all I can think about is how I’d rather be in his arms right now.
After a few minutes of trying in vain to settle in, I push the blanket aside and climb out of my seat. My heart thunders in my chest as I cross the aisle to where Raphael is sitting. I probably shouldn’t bother him. I should let him sleep. He must be so tired. But tonight is our last night together. In a few hours, we’ll land in Reyfield and I don’t know what happens next.
This moment may be all we have left.
I climb into his lap, my legs straddling either side of him. I run my hands down his strong chest as I lean in, stealing a lungful of his manly scent. I unbutton the top few buttons of his shirt and my fingers slip beneath his collar, running along his hot skin.
He’s so fucking masculine, so strong. Being around him makes me feel fragile and small. But safe, protected. How am I supposed to just walk away from him when we step off this plane?
I try not to worry about that right this minute. I want to just be in the present.
I press my lips to the base of his neck and move slowly up to his jaw, savoring the feel of him, his scent. He groans in his sleep and I feel his cock growing hard beneath me. My mouth twitches mischievously as I rub my pussy back and forth along his hardness.
“Eva…” he rasps out from a space somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.
I cup his cheek in my hand, his stubble chaffing my palm. “Shh…” I whisper as I slide my lips over his. He groans again and I brush my lips back and forth, back and forth over his. His hands slide up my spine as he stirs awake, blinking up at me. I smile at him and then pull his bottom lip into my mouth.
“Kitten…” The growl comes from deep inside of him and it sends a thrill skittering through me. I take his mouth again, loving the taste of him, the softness of his lips, the scratch of his bristle against my chin.
He reaches for the hem of my shirt, pulling it up and sliding his fingers along my skin. I keep rocking against him, keep tasting his mouth. He squeezes my breast, massaging it through the fabric of my bra.
I undo his buckle and slide his zipper down its tracks. His cock is a warm, steely rod in my hands. He pulls a condom out of his pocket and once it’s on, I ease off of him just enough to position myself over the tip. His grip on my waist is firm as he guides me down his shaft.
My jaw slackens at the sensation of being stretched. A quiet growl pours from his lips. He pulls down the front of my shirt, stealing access to my tits. His mouth drops to my chest and he buries his face in the warm flesh, kissing me there as he grinds up into me, slowly savoring my body.
“Raph…” I breathe his name into the dark cabin. Resting my elbows on his shoulders, I lock my arms behind his head, holding him prisoner in my swollen, throbbing globes.
This is heaven. Really and truly. This is heaven.
We’re tens of thousands of miles above the earth. Maybe if we stay here, we can be together forever. No one will ever have to find out. Maybe we should just stay here, kissing each other, touching each other. Maybe we don’t have to go home.
The silly thought slips from my mind when his hand slides between us and his finger passes over my clit.
“So beautiful, Evangeline.” His words are trapped against my skin. “So perfect. That pussy feels so good. Your whole body feels so good.”
I sigh against the pleasure and let my body do the talking.
As the movement of his finger grows faster, I rock my hips more and more furiously. I grind myself on him, bumping our pelvises in the hungry pursuit of relief.
And then, he bites my tit. His teeth sinking into my flesh, the wetness of his mouth soothing the burn. I throw my head back and ride him harder. Commotion builds in my core.
My voice is strained and hoarse. “Oh god, I’m about to come.”
“Come for me, Kitten.” He plunges up into me again and again, and his body grows more tense with each thrust.
My whole world contorts with the explosion of pleasure at my core. I cry out sharply and I see stars before my eyes. And he comes right along with me, his muscles straining, his nails scoring my flesh as the pleasure crests and slowly begins to fade away.
Our eyes find each other in the shadowy cabin. And even in the darkness, I can tell that we’re in trouble. We both feel it.
This connection between us is more powerful than either of us anticipated.
Fuck!
He swallows hard, tension crawling into his limbs. "This thing between us ends tonight, Eva,” he says in a slow, careful tone. “We can't carry on like this right beneath your parents' noses. We have to stop. Now."
Is he really saying this right now? After all that's happened over the last few days? After all that happened in the past ten minutes?
It's impossible that I misinterpreted all of that. What we have is real.
"No!" I say firmly.
"No?"
"No, I don't want to end things with you."
"Eva –"
"I care about you. And you care about me." I'm not willing to pretend that none of this happened. I want him. I want the way he makes me feel.
He makes me feel invincible. He's the steel in my spine, propping me up. I want him. I need him. And he needs me. I see the shift that’s happened in him on this trip. He’s happier, more open. He’s better.
"Eva, this was a mistake. This thing between us is inappropriate." He’s already buttoning up his shirt.
"That's what you think my father will say. I don't care what he says. I only want you."
"You're being a brat, Eva. A child."
He’s so determined to keep these walls up, to shut me out with his ethics. It drives me crazy! No, I won’t allow him to hide behind our age difference or his relationship with my parents right now. I’m not the one being immature. He is.
“You can’t just do this—“ I gesture at our post-coital state, “—whenever it’s convenient for you and then hide behind your morals when you feel shit starting to get real.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
He flings up his arms in frustration. “We talked about this before it got out of hand. We agreed.”
“’We agreed’…” I mimic his tone. “Just another business deal, huh? Just another agreement?” I push a tear away from my eye.
He doesn’t flinch. His shimmering silver irises have turned to cold, gray steel. He's serious. There's no getting through to him. He really is done with us.
Heavy silence weighs down on us, cementing his decision. A sickening ache spreads throughout my body. I thought he was starting to fall for me but I was clearly wrong about everything.
"Fuck you..." I whisper under my breath as I trudge across the aisle and drop into my seat.
I pull the blanket back around me but it isn't enough to ward off the chill penetrating to my soul. I keep my bleary gaze straight ahead for the rest of the flight.