The Pitch: City Love 2, page 22
My eyes were pooling with tears too and I swiped them away with the back of my hand quickly. “I had no idea how lonely I’d been before that. I was dedicated to building up Grounded Marketing and thought I could do it on my own – ”
“You can do it on your own.”
“I know, but it wasn’t until you were there with me that I realized I didn’t want to do it on my own. You don’t know how much it means to me to be able to talk to you about my work, to bounce ideas around with you and to have your unwavering support. And then you took me to Fiji …”
My voice trailed off and I looked at him meaningfully. He grinned.
“Once I finally got my hands on you, Paul, I knew. The physical is amazing, but you mean so much more than that.”
“Much more?” The corner of his mouth twitched, but his eyes were guarded.
“I love you!” I smacked a sloppy kiss on his lips. “I’ve wanted to say it for weeks, but I was scared to …”
“Scared to?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “As my friends so helpfully pointed out recently, I don’t do things by halves. You? You’re more considered, more careful, and I was worried it was just me rushing in. So I was scared to say it.” I glanced at the guitar. “I guess that was my way of letting you know.”
Paul glanced at the guitar too, then back at me. “You shouldn’t have been scared, but I have to say, it was a pretty good way of letting me know.”
I smiled at him deliriously. I didn’t think I’d ever been so happy.
“Come here,” Paul whispered. “Let’s hope I’m better at showing you how I feel.”
Chapter 29
He led me up the flight of stairs to his bedroom.
Moonlight and the glare of the streetlights filtered in through two tall French doors. Paul closed the pair closest to the bed, shutting out the city twinkling in the distance. He pulled the blinds, then flicked on the bedside lamp. It cast a warm glow over the room.
Paul walked to me, his eyes glittering in the half-light. They held love and desire, and just a hint of mischief – that same irreverent look I’d first fallen for. He gently circled his hands around my waist then dipped his head down to meet my lips.
I was greeted by the slow burn of a kiss that spoke of a man prepared to take his time, and I felt my stomach clench. I would have been happy for him to throw me on the bed and have his way with me. Instead, he broke away from the kiss and traced slow, lazy circles just below my jawline with the tip of his tongue. I released a contented sigh.
Slipping the strap of my dress off, he stroked my bare shoulder with the palm of his hand.
“I like your dress,” he muttered, then pulled me in for another kiss.
Thumb caressing my collarbone, his kiss was deeper and more insistent this time. I dived into it like a woman starved, demanding more.
“Uh uh,” he whispered. “No rushing me tonight, you hear?”
He stepped back and turned me around so I was facing the French doors. He found the zip of my summer dress and undid it slowly, letting it float noiselessly to the floor. Still behind me, he removed my bra so I stood almost naked in nothing but my heels and underwear.
He brushed my hair away and bent down to taste my shoulder. As his tongue traced a path to my ear, his hands wound around me possessively. He groaned when he cupped my waiting breasts and teased them to taut peaks. His body pressed into me from behind, molding itself to mine. I could feel the length of him ready, needy for me.
I tried to turn around and he tightened his grip. “Not yet.”
His hands traveled down, across the expanse of my stomach and lower still. I moaned when his fingers found me wet and ready. “Paul.” I felt like a whining child, but I wanted him – now.
He remained silent but I could feel him grinning into my shoulder.
I whimpered as his fingers taunted me, sending a wave of electric shivers through me from my head to my toes. He held me as I tried to push away when his ministrations became too much. My legs felt weak and I suddenly didn’t want to be standing anymore. “Paul,” I gasped, shuddering.
He backed us up to the bed and lay me down across the cool, cream sheets. Finally. I reached up to push his shirt off but he grinned again, his eyes pools of calm contentment.
Easy for him, I thought. He wasn’t the one teetering on the edge.
Before I could lift his shirt, he dived deftly below. His tongue found my warm center and I cried out, my legs digging into his shoulders. He gripped my hips firmly and he didn’t stop for a breath, not even one damn gulp of air.
I was losing control. Fast.
“Paul,” I begged.
He ignored me and involuntarily I rose up beneath him, tipping my hips toward him. He didn’t shy away. He simply held onto me tighter until my body sparked alight, shock waves of pleasure rolling from my center until I felt as though I was going to split at the edges.
“Please,” I whispered, desperate to hold on.
He was relentless. The fire burned in my fingers and toes until finally I could stand it no longer. I reached down and grabbed his shoulders in an attempt to pull him on top of me, but all I got was a fistful of his shirt.
I screamed, loud and long, as I found my release, shudders erupting from deep within me. My fingers gripped his shoulders and my legs slipped onto the bed below, sapped of any strength. When I opened my eyes, I blinked several times. I attempted to focus on the ceiling – on anything – but I felt listless, removed from myself. Or perhaps that was just because I couldn’t feel my body anymore. Had I been burned alive?
Paul slipped from beneath my legs and stood at the end of the bed, watching me with a satisfied smile. He removed his shirt then let his pants drop to floor, not taking his eyes from mine, until he stood completely naked.
Okay. Maybe I was lucid enough to focus on that.
I watched as he climbed on top of me but discovered I was still unable to move.
“Hey,” he said to me, from above.
“Mmmpf.”
His lips quirked. “It’s good to lose control now and then.”
“I’ll get back to you on that when I figure out if I’m still alive or not.”
Deep, rolling laughter filled the room and judging by the way my stomach flipped at the sound of it, I was definitely still alive.
“Let’s see if I can revive you.” Paul looked at me meaningfully and my eyes widened when I registered his intent.
Moments ago it was the only thing I’d wanted. Now, I was wondering if I had the strength. I shouldn’t have worried. The moment he slipped inside me, my body responded in spite of itself. I pulled him closer, pushing myself up so my breasts brushed against his chest as we found our rhythm.
We moved together in a sort of desperate dance, eager for more but holding enough back so we didn’t push ourselves immediately over the edge. Paul moved with sure, long strokes, wringing out every last drop of ecstasy that was pooling in my body. His self-control was admirable, but destined to be short lived. I arched my hips up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing him deeper still.
“Madeleine,” he groaned, sounding like he was in pain.
I weaved my legs behind him and brought us deliciously closer to the edge. With a few final thrusts, we rode the wild ride to its climactic finish, both of us crying out.
He collapsed onto the bed beside me. We lay breathless and blissfully exhausted, a mass of wrecked, quivering muscles.
After a while, he reached over and grabbed my hand. “I love you. Got it?”
“Got it.” I exhaled a long breath. “And I love you too.”
*
Honolulu reminded me of the Gold Coast, with its tall high rises overlooking the ocean. There was a constant bustle to the place, yet it was relaxed. I wondered how the locals felt about living in a continual holiday atmosphere. From what I could tell, they didn’t seem to mind and their regular, friendly greetings seemed genuine.
Paul rented a cottage about half an hour’s drive from Honolulu. It was worth the wait. A weatherboard bungalow, it was only a few simple rooms – nothing too luxurious – but it had everything we needed. The view was obviously the selling point. The cottage fronted its own secluded stretch of beach, shared by a few other similar houses, which were unoccupied.
We spent the first few days sleeping late, strolling along the perfect soft, white sand and swimming in the ocean. We took a few trips into Honolulu for meals and shopping, but mostly we kept to ourselves.
On our last night there, we were sitting on the deck of our cottage, staring out at the horizon. The endless stretch of sea lay still like a slumbering animal, the only sign it was alive and breathing were the gentle waves lapping at the shore.
When Paul’s mobile phone rang, we both frowned. Neither of us had been receiving many calls during our time away. Both of our businesses were closed for the Christmas break and our families had been giving us privacy.
Paul’s frown deepened when he read the display on his phone. He answered it.
“Laura?”
His ex-wife.
“Yeah, we’re still here. We leave tomorrow. Is everything okay?”
A long stretch of silence followed. I had a strong feeling it wasn’t a social call and suddenly wondered if his boys were alright. I reached over to place a hand on his arm, but to my surprise he brushed it away and stood up. I watched, perplexed, as he walked to the water’s edge.
I couldn’t hear the conversation and waited. I caught the low bass of Paul’s voice now and then, but it was a deep melody rather than intelligible words. After what seemed like a lifetime, Paul ended the call and joined me on the deck again. I opened my mouth to ask him if everything was alright but paused when I saw his expression. His face was unusually pale.
“Paul?” I asked softly.
He blinked and met my eyes, looking as if he’d only just remembered I was there.
I smiled reassuringly. “Is everything okay?”
He swallowed and returned his focus to the horizon again, running a hand roughly through his hair.
My smile disappeared. “Is something wrong with the boys?”
“What?” He shook his head quickly and turned back to me. “No. Nothing like that.”
Thank God. “Is your wife alright then?”
He nodded slowly as if still trying to absorb his recent phone conversation. “Yes. She’s fine.”
He blew out a long breath, then sat down beside me. He reached over and grabbed my hand, grasping it tightly.
“The boys are going to be living with me for the next three months,” he announced.
I sat back in my seat, still holding his hand. Relief flooded my body. The news was completely unexpected. “That’s good, isn’t it?”
Paul sighed. “It’s fantastic. Laura and Gabe are taking an early honeymoon. When they return Laura says she’s prepared to consider altering our arrangements permanently.”
“That’s wonderful,” I breathed. “Aren’t you excited?”
Paul’s eyes met mine, and he swallowed. “Try more like terrified.”
Chapter 30
Paul was quiet when we made our way to the airport the next morning.
We checked our bags in and headed straight for the nearest café, more worried about coffee than food. Ever since Laura’s news, Paul hadn’t been able to eat much. The expert barista produced our order in record time, so we located a small table and sat opposite each other, inhaling the warm scent of our lattes like it was our lifeblood.
“I’m going to take some more time away from the office, while the boys are on school holidays,” he told me. “Greg is well versed on the ACB account if you need anything.”
“It should be fine,” I replied. “The campaign is due to start in two weeks and you’ve had the media booked since last year.”
Paul nodded. I watched as he swirled the contents of coffee. I reached over and squeezed his arm.
“Hey,” I said.
Paul glanced up at me, then back at his coffee. “The new living arrangements mean you won’t be able to stay over at my place – initially anyway.”
I nodded. It didn’t come as a complete shock. There was no guest room for me to sleep in and Paul obviously wanted the boys to settle in at his place before I shared his bed.
Paul glanced at me, misreading my silence. “It’s only for a little while.”
“It’s fine.” I threaded my fingers through his. “I understand, Paul. Although I’m not going to lie. I’ll miss you.”
He shot me a pained look. “Tell me about it, but I think it’s the right thing – for now.”
“I agree. We’ll survive.”
He sighed and set down his cup of coffee on the table. “I let Laura down a lot over the years,” he said softly. “She all but raised Jack and Noah on her own in the early days when I was setting up NTRtain.”
“You’re very hard on yourself.”
“I deserve to be. I failed them.”
I didn’t know what to say. The expression on his face said it all: regret, mixed with guilt and sadness.
“Paul,” I started.
He shook his head. “Don’t, okay? This isn’t self-pity. I’m just stating facts.”
“You’ve never forgiven yourself,” I said softly.
Paul’s face twisted in pain. “How could I?”
“Laura’s giving you another chance. She’s forgiven you.”
“Only because I spoke to her and the boys about it,” he said flatly.
“When?”
He looked up from his coffee, his blue eyes appearing darker than usual. “A few days after our conversation at my place, when you encouraged me to see how the boys felt.”
“And what did they say?” I asked.
“That they’d like to spend more time with me.”
“That’s great. Don’t you see? Maybe that’s what Laura and the boys needed to hear from you. I don’t know why you never had the conversation earlier.”
“Because I didn’t deserve to.”
“Stop punishing yourself. The only thing it’s achieved so far is to keep you from your kids.”
Paul nodded. “I see that now. Thanks to you.”
I flushed. “I didn’t do anything – ”
“Yes, you did. You got me thinking about it again, even if I didn’t want to.”
“You mean I’m pushy and opinionated? I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”
His face broke into a genuine smile this time. “I mean it. Thank you. I’m only sorry the new arrangements will make things more difficult for our relationship. I know it’s a lot to ask.”
“Alright, I’m going to be pushy and opinionated again,” I said. “Get over it. I already have. See it for what it is: a wonderful opportunity.”
“I love you.”
My breath caught in my throat at his passionate stare. “I love you too,” I whispered.
Paul released my hand and gave me a gentle smile, sitting back in his seat. “After the divorce, when Gabe came into Laura’s life, I was worried about a stranger being involved with the boys.”
“Is Laura concerned about me?” I asked, alarmed.
Paul shook his head. “No, nothing like that. She’d like to meet you at some stage, but that wasn’t what I was getting at. When Laura met Gabe, I saw the way he made her light up.”
“Were you jealous?” I asked carefully. I knew things between Laura and Paul were well and truly over, but it seemed an odd thing to be telling me.
He shook his head and reached over to take my hand again. “Not jealous. Shocked. I realized we’d never had that sort of relationship. We have a great friendship and we once loved each other, but there was never that spark between us. It made me realize our whole marriage had been missing something right from the start.”
Paul toyed with my thumb, stroking it in small circular motions. “Actually, you’re right. I was jealous for a while. I was happy for Laura – I’d never been able to give her what Gabe has – but it left me feeling like I was missing out.” He looked up at me, the intensity in his blue eyes surprising me. “Until now.”
I pressed my lips together to stop the emotions I could feel threatening to wash over me.
He reached over and stroked my cheek. “Laura can see it in me now too. How I’m different when I’m with you. If things get a bit chaotic over the coming months with the boys, I want you to remember something.” He leaned across the table and kissed my forehead lightly. “You’re my spark.”
*
“The more I get to know your boyfriend, the more I like him.”
I looked over at Scarlett. She was reclined comfortably in one of Paul’s outdoor chairs. We were sitting in his front courtyard overlooking the city and I had a feeling it was Paul’s view, rather than Paul himself, that Scarlett had taken a liking to. It was New Year’s Eve and we were waiting for the nine o’clock fireworks to start.
“Think of all the poor sods all over the city, who have been camped out since six this morning. Bugger that. We’ve got the best seat in the house,” Scarlett said.
I just smiled and sipped my wine, because she was right.
“This is the perfect way to spend the night,” Cate agreed. She was sitting on my other side appearing equally relaxed. “No overcrowded pubs, no drunk guys leering at you and trying to kiss you at midnight. This is much nicer.”
“You’re so tame,” Scarlett said.
Cate looked put out. “You’d rather some strange man trying to grope you and put his tongue down your throat? Smelling of alcohol, no less.”
“It’s got a certain appeal.”
“So does sitting here in a family environment celebrating the night with my friends where I can actually hear them,” Cate replied.
Scarlett’s mouth twitched. “A family environment? You’ve got middle-age envy if you ask me.”
“I do not!” Cate’s face reddened and she looked flustered. “Besides, what’s wrong with having the kids here?”
