Day Three - Valentine’s Day

I woke up the next morning with an unfamiliar soreness between my legs and a heavy conscience. I made it to the bathroom without waking Nick and stared at the unfamiliar woman in the reflection. I didn't know who she was.

I, Angel Rose, had sex with a stranger. A person I'd known for less than forty-eight hours. And not just once. It was an all-night performance with multiple encores and revivals. We moved our frantic fucking to the bedroom, along the way erecting the stage at the threshold, then the bedroom rug, unable to stop ourselves. The audience begged for more, I begged for more.

We resurfaced a few hours later, and Nick found a note that had been slid under the door. Our cold dinner was waiting on top of a fancy trolley with a pristine white cloth. He called downstairs, had it removed and got a selection of fresh food brought back up to renew our depleted energy stores.

And it wasn't long before the curtain rose all over again. The show had to go on… and on. He seemed unstoppable, and I certainly wasn't going to say no. The seal had been broken, and I was addicted to him and the way he made me feel.

I felt sorry for our neighbours and hoped the walls weren’t thin enough to hear our wild night and morning.

“What am I doing?” I mumbled, pressing my head against the bathroom door trying to hide the smile from even myself.

But I couldn't lie, not to myself, the sex had been beyond amazing, the best I'd ever had, and I doubted I could ever go back to the vanilla sex I'd experienced with Tim or any guy. I doubted anyone could ever live up to Nick in the bedroom.

Nick was an attentive and energetic lover, making good on his promise to kiss every inch of my body, driving me crazy along the way. I had done things with him I hadn’t ever done before and allowed him liberties… trusting him completely. My cheeks flushed thinking about it.

But throughout my whole life, I wasn't the type of person to just jump into bed with someone. So why now? Why him?

Because while I was drifting off to sleep in his arms, I was thinking about how nice it would feel to have this back home, that’s why. Rational people didn’t think like that.

"Ugh, stop it," I said aloud, splashing water on my face, pleading with myself to live in the moment for once. To do something wild and damn the consequences. To have fun and not make it into such a big deal. I couldn't take him home; he wasn't going to be my boyfriend. Nick would simply become my dirty, secret valentine. A one-time only affair. I would face him and the morning with my head held high. I would embrace the last few days we had left and not overthink our fleeting time together.

I would have the fun that I sorely needed.

Yet despite my good intentions, there was a lingering thought that wouldn't be dismissed. I was scared of how easily I'd let him into my life, how quickly we'd fallen into bed with each other. And I was scared I might lose more than just time to him…

* * *

Two hours and one big breakfast later that we’d eaten naked, picnic-style in our room by the fire, I kept pace beside Nick as we made our way to the winery building. The stiff breeze chafed my skin, making my nose tingle. It was beyond cold out, the wind up a bit from yesterday and I felt for the crazy people that thought it was a good idea to ski in this weather. They were going to be icicles before they got to the bottom.

“What’s so funny?”

I looked over at Nick, my heart thudding against my chest as I took in his handsome appearance. I should consider myself lucky that I had hooked up with him for he had to be the sexiest man alive today.

“Just thinking about icicles.”

“Well that’s different,” he answered, and surprised me by wrapping an arm around my waist. “Pretty sure ice and wine don’t mix.”

I laughed as we stepped inside the building, glad for the blast of warm air that hit us.

He squeezed my waist before letting go, and I sighed inwardly, enjoying the feel of his arm around me far too much. That and he was willing to go on a wine tasting tour together. I'd prepared myself in the bathroom for our days to spent apart, for us to go our separate ways. Having sex did not automatically mean we would be joined at the hip. He might have wanted time alone, or away from me. Because maybe I was just another lay to him… a fling he could cast aside during daylight hours and hook up later with when the lights flickered out. But no, I'd been cautiously optimistic when he suggested first breakfast then a winery tasting tour. How did I get so lucky?

Before we could register for the tasting tour, my phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out. A familiar number on the screen glowed like a bad omen. My finger hovered over the end button, knowing I should ignore it and move on. Let Tim think what he wanted to. I was no longer his responsibility and I no longer cared about what he did.

But my heart, well, it was still smarting from the fact that he had walked out on me when I thought everything was going so well. I wanted him to hurt as I had.

“Two seconds I have to take this,” I said to Nick and moved away slightly.

Pressing the answer button, I held the phone up to my ear. “What do you want?”

“Angel, baby,” Tim’s voice filled my ear. “Where are you?”

"I'm on vacation," I said, my eyes on Nick as he stopped to look at me. "What do you want?"

“I’ve been worried sick about you. You weren’t at the apartment and… I made a huge mistake babe,” he started, his voice dropping a notch. “I should have never left you for her.”

“What did she do, dump you? Find out what a worthless piece of shit you are?” I asked, unable to help myself.

"Angel, come on," he sighed. "That doesn't matter. I want you back. Come home, and we can fix this. We can't throw away two years. I was wrong to think we could. I need you."

“Tim, no.”

"It's Valentine's day; I love you. Come home," he said again, pleading with a voice that made my knees grow weak. "Or better yet, tell me where you are, and I'll come to you. I don't care where it is; I'll fly across the world to get you back. Give me another chance?"

“Angel?” Nick whispered and held out his hand, “We’re going to be late.”

The seconds slowed to a crawl, and I closed my eyes, torn. Go forward with a man I would probably never see after these days were up, or take back someone I knew I'd loved? Give him a second chance and pick up where we left off.

I waited for the anguish and hurt to well up inside, to guide me through. I waited for the love for Tim to come flooding back. But it didn’t, not entirely. It was still there beneath the surface, but now it was tainted. A poison that had perpetually corrupted any and all of my feelings for him, not to mention our history together. I could never trust him again.

“We are over,” I whispered into the phone, keeping my eyes on Nick. He’d given me the strength to finally say and understand what I needed to.

“You don’t mean that,” Tim said, his voice desperate.

“I do,” I replied, finding more courage with each word. “You cheated on me. You left me. It’s your loss, not mine. Don’t call me again. I never want to see you.”

"Angel," he started, but I ended the call, tucking the phone back in my pocket.

I felt liberated; I felt free. And I owed a lot of that to the man beside me now. It didn't matter if this was a fling, what I'd experienced with Nick, even briefly, had made me realise that I deserved so much more than what Tim could ever offer me. I owed it to myself to not be the doormat Tim wanted to wipe his cheating mucky boots on.

“Everything okay?” Nick asked as he stepped forward, concern in his eyes and his hand still waiting for mine.

I leaned over and took it, and unable to help myself brushed my lips over his. “Yes. Everything is perfect.”

He took my hand, his grin reappearing. “Good. Let’s go get tipsy.”

I allowed him to pull me along, a broad smile appearing on my own lips as well. I was doing the right thing. I was enjoying myself, being the person I hadn’t been in forever. All the time I’d spent attempting to make my old relationship work had caused the person within me to be trapped inside a cage with a busted lock, rusted over.

But with the help of Nick, who’d come crashing into my life, shattering my walls, that caged girl was free. So, what if I walked out of this place at the end of my trip with only a wild story to tell and a possible broken heart? I could survive. I would survive.

Hell would freeze over before I went back to my ex.

* * *

I sighed as Nick's lips ran over my neck, the fuzziness from the wine messing with my head. We lay in the bed together in the middle of the day, naked except for the sheet covering us, the smell of sex lingering in the air.

“God this is nice.”

“You can say that again,” he chuckled, his hand roving over my stomach lightly. “I could do the wine tasting every day if it meant ending up like this.”

“Me too,” I replied, longing creeping into my voice. “Don’t get to do things like this back home.”

He murmured and kissed my neck.

I cracked open an eye and looked at him. “So, where is home exactly for you?”

“Minnesota,” he answered, his hand stilling on my skin. “Why?”

I groaned inwardly. I lived in North Carolina, nowhere near him. “No reason. Just curious.”

He resumed his exploring, eliciting shivers from my body, but my mind was reeling from the fact that I had found a great guy that lived halfway across the country.

Great, just great. This was why I wasn’t cut out for this. I couldn’t help but dream of more.

“What time is it?” I asked, already counting down the hours till we would have to say goodbye.

“I dunno, about four maybe? Oh shit!” Nick exclaimed and bolted out the bed. He searched the side for his watch then swore again.

“What is it?”

“Nothing… just erm, we need to get dressed. Quickly,” he said and pulled the covers off me, revealing me naked like a dirty magic trick.

“Hey!”

“Here put these on,” he said and threw my clothes at me.

I sat up and frowned as my leggings hit me against my chest. “Nick, tell me why and I will.”

“No, it’s a surprise.” He was already fully clothed at the foot of the bed, pacing.

I pouted. “But—” I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence, with his hands wrapped around my ankles he pulled me slowly towards him down the bed then leaned down to kiss me.

His nimble fingers sought the heat between my legs, caressing my clit for a moment before thrusting inside me. I gasped and knew I would do anything he wanted me to.

“Get dressed, now,” he demanded with a smile then removed his hand.

“Okay,” I breathed.

It wasn't long before I was fully clothed, boots and all, out the door with Nick pulling me towards the entrance of the lodge where there was a white shuttle van waiting for us. The driver tapped the face of his watch, and Nick apologised.

"Nick seriously, what are you up to? Where are we going?"

"You'll find out when we get there. Now get in," he said and smacked my ass as I climbed into the van.

The driver expertly wound his way through the mountain trails. The ride was a little bumpy and no matter how hard I tried; kissing Nick's neck or teasing him with a well-placed finger, he still wouldn't tell me what was going on. He made a point of sealing his lips and throwing away an invisible key. But luckily that didn't stop him from kissing me during our expedition.

We snuggled and got comfy and watched as the breath-taking views went by, the sun starting to dip low, bathing everything in a golden blanket.

“It’s so beautiful up here,” I said wistfully.

“And that isn’t even the best part. We’re here,” the driver interjected announcing our arrival. “I’ll be back to pick you up at nine. Everything is set up Mr Lowry. The small lodge is open and over there with all you need.”

“Thanks,” Nick said and pulled open the sliding door for us to get out.

I glanced around, peering out the windows, still trying to figure out where we were and what the big secret was all about.

Nick helped me out the van, and I turned, spinning around till I saw a wooden sign up ahead. Nick came up behind me, wrapped his arms around me, lips nuzzling at my neck, and I held onto him. "Happy Valentine's day, Angel. You thought I forgot didn't you?"

“Oh, Nick…”

"I know you're not that fond of the cold, so…"

Lover's Rock Hot Spring was engraved on the sign a few metres away.

“The place is all ours,” he whispered. “Fancy a dip?”

I spun in his arms to face him and twisted my lips playfully. “But I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”

“Oh baby, do you really think if you had that I would’ve let you keep on for long?”

Once Nick had found us a couple of towels from the pint-sized lodge, hand in hand we made our way down the steps of carved rock to the steaming pool that awaited us. There were patches of grass in places on small landings, and rock-jetties that jutted out above the water. Fairy lights twinkled, and lanterns that gave off a yellow glow lit the area.

I bent and let my fingertips skim the surface, my mouth broadening into a wide smile as I felt the lovely warmth spread up to my hand and arm.

“Oh, this is lovely,” I breathed and tentatively shook off one boot, then the other. Nick was already pulling at his clothes, discarding them one by one as he stared passionately at me.

"Come here; we need to do something about these clothes," he said and pulled me close, tugging at my zip, removing my coat. I shivered lightly, and he rubbed his hands up my body, then peeled off my layers till I stood naked before him.

"Are you sure there's nobody here?" I said hugging him, shielding my body from would-be witnesses.

"Totally alone, I made sure of it. Let's get you warmed up," he said, and we took the last few steps down to the water's edge.

After testing the hot spring again, this time with my toe, I took a breath and plunged right in following right behind Nick.

The waters were heavenly, liked being wrapped up in the perfect blanket. Better than a soak in a tub that was for sure. The pool was shallow enough that my feet could touch the floor but deep enough to swim. I did just that using a lazy breaststroke over to Nick. He took me in his arms, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, his hands cradling my ass.

“Baby, I’m so hard for you right now.”

I rewarded him with a coy smile and played with the ends of his wet hair at the nape of his neck. “Good,” I whispered, “because there’s nothing I want more than you inside me.”

Without another word, his eager cock found my greedy entrance and forged an assault. He delved within me hard but slow, pulling out then thrusting back in, our bodies crashing together, skin on skin, slapping, making waves.

Nick held me tight as I cried for more, my pleas crystallising in the air. He let me lie back, my nipples exposed, my breasts swimming in the warmth, the buoyancy of the water to supporting me, while he pleasured me relentlessly down below.

I was near to exploding when he tugged on my hips and drew me in, our chests touching. “Wrap your arms around me,” he breathed. “I need to see your eyes when I make love to you.”

I laced my hands behind his head and started to grind my hips desperately trying to ignore the slip of his tongue. I didn't want to analyse what he meant right now; I just wanted him never to let me go. So I bit my lip and maintained eye contact. His chocolatey eyes were as warm as the hot spring, and I could feel myself getting lost in them. Oh so very lost.

It felt like the waters were about to boil over, but I knew it was just the way he was making me feel. Expertly knowing exactly how to get me to scream his name. He had me panting in the pool, my walls clenching, on the brink of bursting. Effortlessly he turned and positioned me so my back was against the worn smooth rocks at the edge, pinning my body between them and himself. Now he had the freedom to caress me all over as we frantically pursued that blissful high.

With my tits in his hands, he kneaded them gently, but urgently. Sucking on my nipples until I could bear the torture no longer. I yanked at his ass, my ankles tight around him, wanting him to thrust harder. Wanting to give me his all.

He didn't disappoint. And with renewed fervour, his breathing became laboured, and I bit my lip again.

"Angel, I'm cumming. Baby, oh fuck," he yelled as I desperately held on to him, my limbs turning to jelly as I erupted like a fiery volcano, screaming so loud I was in danger of causing an avalanche.