CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
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EMMA
If I could’ve stayed in bed longer, I would’ve, but the sunlight was right in my face and there was no way of getting away from it. Trapped underneath a roasting, twelve-stone man, I couldn’t move even if I wanted to. Our legs tangled beneath the white sheets. I loved the feeling of his skin against mine, but my face started to sweat and I desperately needed the loo.
I tried to wiggle, moving my legs and gently placing the arm that hung over my waist on top of the pillow. But as soon as I did this, his grip tightened.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His voice was hoarse from sleep. I glanced at him, and he opened one eye and smiled.
I swore my heart skipped a beat. Never in my life had I seen James at this level of sleepiness. Even when we were kids and stayed for sleepovers, he was always up and ready before me.
“I was going to the loo. Kind of bursting, you know?” I said, trying my best not to kiss him.
He pouted as he closed his eyes. “Do you promise to come back?”
“I promise.” As fast as I could, I ran to the toilet, avoiding the cold tiled floor. The reflection I saw in the mirror wasn’t the one I was used to. My hair seemed shinier, if not a tad messy, my skin perfectly smooth. A slight blush also lit my cheeks while a spark in my eyes, which I hadn’t seen in what felt like a long time, gazed back at me.
I was happy, and it showed.
Rushing back to the bed, I snuggled as close as possible to the warmth that James’s body radiated. I pressed my cold feet between his legs.
“You’re like ice. How can your feet be so cold?” James muttered, turning around to face me.
I placed my frozen hands underneath the duvet and sighed in bliss.
“The floor is very, very cold,” I said, smiling.
He moved himself to give me more space and supported his head on his elbow. With his free hand, he brushed aside some of the hair that had fallen over my forehead.
“I could kiss every single freckle on your face.” He placed small kisses over the bridge of my nose as he spoke.
“There’re plenty of them. You might be kissing them for the rest of your days.”
I had never especially liked my freckles, particularly in my teenage years when I would’ve easily have swapped them for golden skin, much like James’s when he tanned. But at that moment, I wasn’t complaining. I would even add more freckles if it meant him kissing me for longer. The feeling of his lips against my skin was addictive.
I didn’t want to burst the bubble we seemed to be in, but I had to. “James, I’ll need to get home. I know I said I wouldn’t, but I have to get things ready for college… as well as other things.”
He groaned. “Can you not go tomorrow? Or maybe even next week, or next month?”
His lips were now creating havoc on my neck, making it difficult to think.
“I have to be there to sign papers. I’ll need to catch my flight after your interview.”
He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and smiled. “We have plenty of time,” he murmured as his hand travelled down my backside, giving it a little squeeze.
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“Breakfast’s ready!” James shouted from the kitchen.
I’d already tied my shoe laces and followed the smell of bacon. “That smells amazing. I’m starving.”
“I thought you might be,” he said with a wink. “Pancakes, just for you.”
“Did you make them?” He’d told me before that he was a crappy cook, so I was surprised the pancakes were so fluffy.
He laughed. “As if. Carmen, my cook, made them.”
Two polystyrene cups were on the table. I picked one up, thinking it was tea.
I took a sip and almost gagged. “What is that?”
James stopped midchew to say, “It’s a smoothie.”
“Smoothie my arse. It tastes like mud!” Wiping my mouth, I wrinkled my nose in distaste.
He stabbed another bit of food with his fork and mumbled, “It’s good for you. It has plenty of antioxidants that will help cleanse your body.”
Not sure how to react to that, I burst out laughing. “Now, there’s the geek I knew. Where’ve you been hiding?”
He smiled. “I’m not a geek.”
I nodded, unable to wipe the smirk off my face. “Yes, you are.”
“Call me a geek one more time and you’ll regret it.”
I stood quietly, watching him eat. But I couldn’t help myself. “Geek!”
He placed his fork on the table and wiped his hands on the napkin beside him. “You’re going to regret saying that.” A mischievous grin appeared on his lips.
“What are you going to do about it, geek?”
When I saw what he was going to do, I started running, knowing deep down that there was no chance I could outrun him. Still, it was fun.
In a matter of seconds, James had me by the waist and pinned against the wall. His lips found their way to my neck, nipping my sensitive skin with his teeth. His hands roamed my body in time with his nips and kisses. Tugging my clothes, his fingers then found skin where he drew patterns, pulling my goosebumps to the surface.
My knees weakened and I wrapped my hands around the back his neck for support.
“Now, that should show you I’m not a geek,” he said, smiling, before releasing me and walking away.
Left breathless, I was almost crippled by the need of his touch.
“Are you really going to leave me here?” I asked, shocked. His willpower was stronger than mine.
He threw me a wink and gave me the smile that broke a thousand hearts every day.
“You’re an evil, evil man.” I remained against the wall where he had taunted me, trying to regain my balance.
As he walked away, he shouted, “Yeah, but you love it!”