Sexy Hart (Sexy Series) (22 page)

“Oh that would be fantastic, and it shouldn’t be too cold for you then either. Well, my door will be open.”

“Thank you, I will definitely come stay whenever I make it over, thank you. I’ll let you know. Don’t forget to keep in contact in the meantime.”

“I absolutely will not, and the same to you - don’t get too consumed by work and forget about your old chum in England.”

“As if I could. It was so great to spend this time with you guys again, I can’t wait for the next trip,” she says as we separate and she slips her elegant handbag on her shoulder over her sophisticated, navy suit.

Daniel and Bea kiss like they’re leaving each other for a week before exchanging whispered pleasantries and parting. I love Daniel, he’s so good for her. I love both of the American boys my girls have found for each other, I couldn’t have picked better for them myself, they’re really two-of-a-kind. I’m thrilled that Tilly finally met her match, the fun will continue for her and Luke until they’re hobbling along with walking sticks, discussing Wriggler’s grandchildren.

Once the
Berkeleys have left, we make our way back to the apartment to pack up our stuff. I have a feeling there’s very little chance of Oliver and I being alone together before we leave; Til and Bea want to stay with us until we arrive at the airport.
Just five minutes? Please, Universe? Couldn’t we just get five minutes to consummate our marriage while we’re still in the country in which our marriage took place?! Is that really too much to ask?

Back at the apartment,
Til and Luke sit in the lounge with the baby while Bea busies herself making coffee and tea. I get stuck into my packing and Oliver does the same, in his room. I keep trying to think of viable excuses to be alone with him and relieve this desperate frustration, but nothing seems to sound convincing enough;
I need to borrow something…
that would take all of twenty seconds.
I need to check something in his bathroom…
what, exactly?
I need him to carry something in his bag for me…
again, twenty seconds. This is infuriating! All I can think of is sex!

When I’m almost done, I double check the walk-in wardrobe and happy that there’s nothing left in there, I get on my hands and knees to look under the bed and make sure there isn’t a lone shoe or anything under there.

“Oh my god.” I hear from behind me, the voice undeniably Oliver’s. “What are you doing to me?” he asks, walking over to rest his hand on my lower back and he slides it down, over my buttock and back up again, repeating on the other side.

I grin to myself before shuffling backwards and standing up next to him. “Shh, someone might hear.”

“It’s okay,” he says, quietly, taking me by the waist and walking with me to the wall behind the door, “they’re out on the balcony, we don’t have long but I need to at least kiss you. Not getting a chance to be alone with you is killing me.”

He slips his hand behind my head and immediately devours my mouth with his, his tongue searching and needy. I sigh, quietly, and run my hands over his back and neck, feeling as much of him as I can in the short time we have. He gently bites my bottom lip, sucking it gently into his hot, wet mouth, before returning his lips to mine, fully. It’s not soft and sweet but it’s wonderfully ardent and so necessary.

I hold his face with both of my hands as he presses his hardness against me, making me whimper. “My god, I need you,” he whispers as he kisses, for about the millionth time in the last couple of days, and I only wish I could satisfy that need - for both of us.

“Me too, so badly… I’m so….” I want to say the word that I hate saying, because that’s exactly how it is right now,
I am totally ready for him, I am…
that.

“So what?” he asks, still kissing me wantonly.

“So… so… I’m…”

“Say it, you can say it, it’s me, baby - it’s me. I want to hear it.”

“I’m so wet for you,” I wail, needing him to know.

I open my eyes to see him frown painfully as he pauses, breaking from the kiss. He opens his eyes and looks
directly into mine, shaking his head and sighing. “I can’t do it, Clare, I can’t wait until we’re back at home for fucks sake - can’t we just… do you think they’ll be out there long? Can we…”

I make a small crying noise, “Oh god, Oliver!
They’ll be back in here straight away if we start doing something, you know they will. What can we do? How can we plan something before we leave? They’re never going to leave us alone…”

He chuckles. “I’ve never wanted my best friends to fuck off more in my life.”

I giggle along with him in agreement. “Tell me about it!”

He presses his forehead against mine, pushing me into the wall as he gently rests his hands on my boobs, seductively caressing. It’s divine.

I close my eyes and savour each and every second of his stimulating touch. “Do you have any idea how much I want to take you to that bed right now? How much I want to peel those sexy clothes from your hot body and kiss every inch of you?” I moan as he continues to tenderly torture me with his touch and those words.

“I’d peel your knickers down your gorgeous thighs and taste you until you were ready to scream for me. I’d have these bare naked in my hands,” he says, squeezing my boobs gently, “your soft skin, perfect nipples under my tongue and in my mouth. I’d push myself deep inside your beautiful body and I’d watch you move beneath me until you cry out for me, squeezing me, making me come hard inside you…”

I’m shocked by how massively aroused I am, almost to the point of orgasm. If he just pressed his fingers against me, I’d come, I know it. “Touch me, touch me…” I whisper, desperately as I grab his bottom through his jeans with one hand, holding him tightly against me as his lips begin to explore my neck.

His strong hands travel from my chest, down my sides to my thighs where he gathers the fabric of my skirt, lifting it gradually. I feel an intense tingling sensation as I become more and more ready, so hot between my thighs and aching
; ready.

One hand slides to the sensitive skin of my inner thigh and I grind my hips, encouraging him to move higher, faster
; as soon as his fingers touch me with any type of pressure, I’m going to burst.

“Olly,” Bea calls, suddenly, and we jump apart, Oliver stepping backwards and away from my aching body.
No! Fucking… no!
He looks at me and shakes his head in utter disbelief, this is ridiculous.

He turns and brushes his hands through his hair as he calls back. “Yeah?” I quickly attempt to compose myself, running into the en-suite.

“Where are you?” she asks as she pokes her head around my bedroom door, “Oh here you are, you done?”

“Yeah, just helping Clare finish off so I can put the bags in the hallway.” I giggle quietly at his choice of words. If only he managed to finish me off, I’d have been done in just a few short seconds.

“Okay, cool. There’s a coffee for you on the breakfast bar.”

Having calmed myself, I emerge from the bathroom, smiling. “Nope, nothing else in there so I think we can zip it up.”

“Great,” Oliver says, beginning to fasten my suitcase before he pulls it from the bed and carries it out of the room.

“Come on, Clara-Belle, Emily’s waiting for her last cuddle and your coffee is getting cold,” Bea says with a friendly smile, holding out her hand for me. I take it, smiling as we head outside to relax for our last short while before we leave, nowhere near over the unbearable sexual frustration.
How will I deal with that, sitting next to him for all those hours on an aeroplane? Gah! I can’t wait to get home and finally be alone!

My last Wriggler-cuddle ends way too soon and I pass her to Oliver as I get my hand luggage together. My emotions are all over the place, I’m so sad to be leaving, excited to get home, crazy mad that I’ve been left so ridiculously horny, and rather apprehensive about how Oliver and I are going to move forwards with a relationship once we’re on UK soil. I hope this doesn’t end in a giant tear-fest.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THURSDAY 20TH JUNE (CONT.)

I hug Tilly like I’m never going to see her again. “I love you. Don’t forget about me!”

“Oh shut up, as if. We’re hoping to have a trip to the UK in a few months so everyone can meet Emily so you won’t have to wait too long to see her. I’m going to miss you though, roomie.”

“But she’ll be so much bigger then! I want to see her every
day, she’ll forget me, just like you. I will miss you more than you know, Tils.”

“We’ll never forget Auntie Clare. Just keep sending her loads of amazing presents.”

“No!” Luke says as he butts in to hug me, “Send nothing, we’ll have to move if we get any more baby crap.”

I giggle as I hug him. “Hey! It’s not crap! I only send the finest quality goods, designed to make your daughter look a million dollars. Okay? Now, look after my girls, and make sure my baby gets shown my picture every day.”

“Don’t you worry, nothing’s going to happen to those girls while I’m around, they’re too good to me.”

“Good, thank you. See you soon, miss you all already.” I say, welling up a little.

I move to hug Bea. “See you in a few days, doll. Love you, safe journey.”

“You too. Make sure you don’t get up to any more mischief…” she says, wiggling her finger between me and Oliver, “Or do, you know… I wouldn’t mind you as a sister-in-law.” Wow. It hadn’t even dawned on me that Bea is my sister-in-law!
Oh my god!
I wish I could share this with her, although, after my dream, maybe she wouldn’t take the news as well as I would hope, given the secrecy of it all. Oh my goodness, I wonder how his parents will take it… oh no. Now I feel bad. We really didn’t think this through.

Oliver hugs his sister goodbye and I reach into the car to give the baby one more kiss on her rosy, little cheek before we make our way into the airport to check our bags in. I’m a little sad, subtly wiping my cheeks to banish the tears before Oliver notices and thinks I’m being silly.

“Over here…” he says, nodding towards the check-in desks before looking at me. “Hey,” he says, frowning, “are you sad?” he stops in his tracks and drops his bags to hold my face in his hands.

I nod and smile, shyly, embarrassed.

“Hey,” he says, pulling me into his arms and hugging me tightly. He rests his face on my head and speaks softly. “Don’t be sad, darling, they’ll be bringing the baby to see us soon and you’ll be back here before you know it. I promise.”

I nod against his chest, releasing my suitcase to wrap an arm around his broad back. I can feel the muscles through his t-shirt and it makes me feel even more secure and protected. He’s my man, now.
Gosh.

I pull back and sniff, forcing a smile and blinking back the tears. “I know. I know.
It’s just… there’s so much to think about and so much to miss… I’m just feeling a little fragile at the moment. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, I understand. We’ve got lots to talk about, baby, and we finally have time alone to do that. We can relax and talk or sleep on the plane, whatever you want, and then when we arrive back home, we can go back to yours or mine and stay with each other for a few days, until Bea gets back. How does that sound?”

“Good. It sounds really good. Thank you.”

“Great. Don’t be worrying about us though, okay? We’re going to work, when we figure out when and how we want to tell everyone - we’ll just be a normal, happy couple like everyone else. We’ll figure it all out between us.”

“Okay. Um, Oliver? I do… I really do… um, you’re… thank you.” I stutter, wanting to say ‘I love you’, but feeling too nervous.

He smiles and kisses my lips, gently. “I know. I really do, too.”

After we check our bags and pass security, we don’t really have an awful lot of time before our flight so we decide to sit down together and wait for boarding. We find an empty row of seats and sit next to each other, Oliver pulling me against him and wrapping his arm around me. I curl my legs up on the seat and rest against him, hugging him, my head on his chest, comfortably. It’s lovely.

“You okay, darling?”

“Yeah. I’m fine, thank you. Is it weird that I’m so sad to leave Emily?”

“No, of course not!” he says, playing with my fingers before entwining them with mine. “You love her, you and Tilly are like sisters so it’s not surprising or weird at all that you feel attached to her baby.”

I nod, thinking about what he has said and agreeing. It is true, so I suppose I am allowed to be sad. “Thank you.”

“Of course. You be as sad as you like, I’ll look after you.”

I chuckle. “I know you will. And I love that about you.”

He puts his other arm tightly around me until my bent legs are resting on his thigh and the rest of me is cocooned in his arms at his side, and we sit here like this, in silence until our flight is called.

We pre-booked the legroom/bulkhead seats on one side of the plane and they’re great, and as the ‘cabin crew doors for departure’ announcement sounds, we realise we’ve got an empty seat next to us.

“Result!” Oliver says, excitedly.

“Yes but someone could still move here if they ask the cabin crew, and I’m sure someone will. No one wants to sit behind someone when there’s a legroom seat available.”

“Yeah, I suppose. Maybe I’ll have a word… excuse me,” he says, calling over a member of the crew. He talks quietly and I watch the stewardess look from him, to me and back again with a huge grin.

“Of course, sir.” she says politely before looking over to me. “Congratulations, such lovely news.”

I look at Oliver, confused, and he grins like the cat that got the cream before leaning over to kiss me. An electric current runs through me, straight to my bits and bobs; I don’t think I’ve
ever
been this severely in need in my life.

“I told her we were just married and have been with our friends for days so I’d really appreciate some time alone with my beautiful, new wife, and asked if it would be a problem to keep this seat unavailable to any other passengers. Lucky for me, she loves a good romance story.”

“Great, Oliver. Well done.”

“I meant it. Would you consider… maybe, wearing this again? For a little while anyway?” he asks, nervously, looking into my eyes for my response as he pulls my wedding band from his pocket.

Aww, he’s so adorable!
“I would love to, darling.” I take the band from his fingers and immediately slip it onto mine. It’s so nice that for a little while, we don’t have to hide. Okay, so I’m not totally convinced that things are going to be quite as simple as we thought at the time, and I have been feeling a little apprehensive about it all, but I am loving being in his company. I love his attention and kisses and cuddles and everything that involves Oliver being so affectionate with me, and to be able to do it in public is such an enjoyable novelty.

Oliver slips his ring on, too, and takes my hand in his. “I know you’ve been feeling nervous, but for me, I’m just really looking forward to starting our lives together, properly. You’re so much more than I could have ever asked for, or deserve. I’m lucky to be the one who gets to care for you, and ‘do stuff’ with you - everyday.”

I blink a couple of times, unsure if this is really happening and if I’m actually hearing this. No one, in all my life, has ever made me feel as important or special as this man right here. And he’s a
man
. A
British
man. The only men I have ever heard be so loving toward anyone are Daniel and Luke, and I just put that down to some kind of best-buddy/American/too-good-to-be-true parenting or something.
Wow
.

“I… I don’t really know what to say, Oliver. Are you trying to make me cry again?” I giggle, because he might be succeeding.

“If you want to cry, cry. But no, of course I don’t want to make you cry or see you upset. Ever. In fact, I’ll do anything in my power to stop you feeling pain of any kind. I have always protected you to some degree, Clare, but now I have a wife to tend to and I’ll shelter you from anything I can. And for the things I can’t, I’ll be there to hold you until you’re right again. I promise you that.”

My heart literally aches as tears fill my eyes. “Oh, Jesus Christ, Oliver,” I say, wiping a heavy droplet from my cheek, “what are you doing to me? I’m an emotional wreck!” I sniff and hold his hand in both of mine, turning to face him. “Thank you, No one has ever made me feel so cherished and I couldn’t think of one single person I would rather have that feeling with, than you. We’ll be ok, won’t we?”

He smiles and lifts our hands to his mouth to kiss my wedding band. “We’ll be perfect. You’ll see.”

And as if we were in a romantic movie, at that exact moment, the plane lifts off the ground and hurtles through the air. I hadn’t even noticed thundering along the runway at top speed prior to the
take-off. That’s what having a husband like Oliver, saying things like that, does to you.

“See
ya later, Cali,” he says, regretfully and all of a sudden, though I already miss Emily like crazy, purely because I
can’t
have her, I feel more positive. I feel excited again and like this is going to work. We will talk everything through in the next few days alone and then we’ll continue to live our lives learning to be a couple, a real life, happily married, perfect couple. And then… hopefully… the rest.

~~~~~~~

Once the seatbelt signs have been switched off, I use the toilet quickly and when I return, Oliver has put the middle arm rests up and is sitting back on a cushion against the closed window with one bent leg up along the back of all three seats, the other foot on the floor.

“Wow, someone looks comfy.”

“Come,” he says, patting between his legs, “sit here and cuddle me.”

As if he needs to ask. Once I’ve taken my cardigan from the overhead locker, I’m in there like a shot. Snuggling up to my new man, whom I happen to have loved for forever. It feels so right.

He laces his fingers between mine and crosses our arms over my chest. “So. What’s the plan?”

“I don’t really know. I think we definitely need to get used to being a couple before we tell anyone anything. What do you think?”