Connected (Connections, #1)(53)
Grinning his so-sexy half smile, he shook his head and kissed me. He ran his nose to my ear and whispered, “I wished for you.”
Feeling slightly confused, since I was right there, I leaned back and asked, “What do you mean?”
Moving closer to see the dancing water perform its show, we stood and watched the spectacular beauty in front of us. Then he dunked his head and looked right into my eyes. “Come with me to LA tomorrow.” It wasn’t a question; it was more like a plea.
With the brilliant white lights twinkling in the flowing water and spray misting us from our close proximity to the fountain, I felt like I was back in our own private, enchanted world. As he stared at me with such intensity, I knew he was completely serious, that he really wanted me to go with him.
He paused a minute and caressed my cheek. When he licked his bottom lip, shivers ran up my spine before he continued with, “I just moved so I live alone, and I have some down time while I wait on contract negations for the new album.”
Pausing again, only for a moment, he pressed one palm into the small of my back, ran it up my spine, and pulled me flush against him. Goosebumps surfaced all over my body when he said, “I really want us to get to know each other, to spend some time together.” Then kissing my nose, he finished with, “I’m feeling something between us I’ve never felt before and want to give it a chance.”
Tapping the back of the fountain wall with his heel, he leaned back slightly and rested his hands on my shoulders, waiting for me to answer.
It was a moment of pure vulnerability. My throat clenched at his words, and I fought back the tears of joy that stung my eyes. At the same time I had such a mix of emotions swirling throughout my mind. I didn’t know what to say. Of course I wanted to go with him, but I didn’t know if I should. I didn’t really know him. Did I?
The night had been perfect; our whole time together had been actually. Sure, I had a semblance of a life back home, a job, and friends, but my life of the past two years was nothing like the happiness I had experienced in the last two days. And I knew right then, in that moment, as I stared into his eyes that looked so much like two crystal balls, that I could see my answer. There was nothing I could deny this man.
I remembered the first time I looked into them that night in the bar so long ago, and I remember feeling the exact same way I felt right now; like he could see into my soul. I knew then that if I jumped in I would never get out, and to this day I never have. So I took the answer I saw in his eyes, and I decided to keep swimming, to be happy, to live in the moment. As I glanced at my LOVE bracelet, I bit my lip and playfully answered, “What time are we leaving tomorrow?"
Even before I could finish my words, he crooked his head in the most adorable way and smiled his full dimpled smile. He lifted me up, urging my legs around his waist as he twirled me around and around. Then in a surprising move, and before I knew what was happening, he jumped over the fountain wall holding me in his arms. There we stood in the streaming cold water, fully clothed, lights twinkling underneath us, mirroring the stars in the sky above. I just looked at him, shook my head, and continued to smile the same smile I had been wearing for the past two days.
Wiping drops of water off my face, he gazed into my eyes and winked at me as he said, “See, wishes really do come true—even if you share them.” Then he kissed me.
Lying here now, smiling at the memory of the fountain, I look at our wet clothes that are strewn all over the hotel room. As the light becomes brighter and more radiant, I wish we had closed the blinds so I could stay asleep, dreaming of him.
I start thinking about how I really should text Aerie. I carefully reach over to the nightstand for my phone. Damn, it’s dead. Aerie is probably so pissed at me. I forgot my phone yesterday in my haste to retrieve my ring, so I never called her. I’ll have to borrow River’s phone and call, but that can wait.
Since I know I won’t be able to fall back asleep unless I get up and close the blinds to darken the room, I decide it’s time to wake my Dirty Dancer. Did I say my? Sliding my fingers down his chest as it rises and falls with his shallow breathing, I trace every defined crease of his abs, sketching the line leading the way to his deep V.
Waking, he makes a pleasant noise in the back of his throat as he leans down and kisses the tip of my nose. I glance up at him and when our eyes meet he mutters, “Good morning,” while grinning his sexy crooked grin at me.
Raising myself up on one elbow, I continue to etch the deep lines of his muscles. With my fingertips heading back up toward his chest I whisper, “You were sleeping so soundly. Were you dreaming of rainbows and butterflies?”
Chuckling, he quickly untangles our bodies from the sheet and rolls me over onto my back. With him hovering over me, I stare into his eyes, now shining with need as he pins my arms to each side of my head and retorts, “I’ll give you butterflies!” Then driving me crazy, he glides his nose to my ear and whispers, “Can you wait a bit for your coffee?” And he proceeds to do just what he said he would do—give me butterflies.
Hanging up the phone with Aerie, I can hear River singing Beautiful Day in the shower. Having already showered, I’m working on the interview as I listen to him while smiling ear-to-ear. Hitting the send button in the email program on my portable notebook, and finally submitting the interview to Sound Music, I think how my dad would have really gotten along well with River.