Page 52 of Cloud Nine Love

Hearing him say those words, You’re mine, sent a shockwave of pleasure rushing through me. My entire body began to shake as my mouth fell open in a silent gasp.

“Do you want to come now?” he rasped.

I nodded.

“Tell me,” he demanded.

“Yes,” I breathed out. “I want to come now.”

He stood back up, and his fingers gripped my hip tightly, digging into my skin. My opening began to spasm around his engorged head; my body was doing everything it could to draw him inside of me.

His breaths were coming in jagged pants as he asked, “Who do you belong to?”

“You.” I could hear the desperation in my response. “I belong to you.”

Before I’d even finished speaking, Remi slammed into me with a force so strong that it stole all the oxygen from my lungs. His hands flexed against my hips as he pulled out, then drove into me again with equal passion. The third time, he tilted my hips up before he thrust into me. His body tensed when his thighs slapped into mine, and he went deeper than I even knew was physically possible, filling me to the brim. That was all it took for my orgasm to claim me. In the blink of an eye, my entire world erupted in a frenzy of cataclysmic eruptions, filling my entire being with nearly intolerable pleasure. I surrendered to the fevered rush, as ripple after ripple carried me into erotic oblivion.

When I finally drifted back into reality, I found myself limp and panting on the table. Remi was still buried inside of me as he pressed soft kisses along my spine. His soft lips, tenderly brushing against my skin, stirred something inside of me. Something I feared, I would not easily detox from, even after Remi went back to California. Something I feared no matter what distance was between us, what time passed, or what other partners we may have, I would never get him out of my system.

23

REMI

“The lifespan of tastebuds is ten days.” ~ Tim Rhodes

My eyes fluttered open, and it took me a moment to acclimate to my surroundings. When I adjusted, I was overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu. Just like a week before, when I woke up in the hotel room, I immediately knew I was alone. I felt the same void I had in the Best Western in Chicago, except now I was at ‘Ana’s’ house.

Last night had been…inevitable. We’d made love three times. The first time in the kitchen. The second was in the hallway as I carried her back to her bedroom. The third and final time had been in this bed. After our second encore, Taylor had fallen asleep in my arms, just like she had the first night we’d spent together. And just like the first night, she’d snuck out like a thief in the night.

I sat up and shifted so my legs were off the bed. My feet hit the hardwood floor as I scrubbed my hands over my face. I lowered my arms and saw the clock beside the table. It read 10:00 a.m.

Shit. I hadn’t meant to sleep that long. I hadn’t meant to sleep at all. My plan had been to wake Taylor up with kisses and have round four in the shower before she left for work. I’d never been a heavy sleeper. All my life, the slightest sound or movement would wake me up. But with Taylor, I passed go and went directly to REM sleep.

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I decided not to read too much into it since she seemed resolved to keep ‘us’ a secret. If I lived here, I’d definitely challenge her on that. But since I was leaving, I didn’t really see the point. At least not now.

I’d decided last night at the wedding that I’d go home today; deal with everything there, and then I didn’t see anything stopping me from moving back to Wishing Well. My sister lived here now, and something was going on with my mom that I still had no clue about.

Once I wrapped up things in California, I’d be back to stay. By then, Taylor would have some time to miss me. She’d have some time to wrap her head around our situation. My hope was that once I lived here, officially, we could date. Getting past her strikes would not be easy, but I was confident that I was up for the challenge.

Our story was not over; it was just to be continued…

When I stood, I noticed my clothes were neatly folded on a chair in the corner of the room. Sitting on top of them was a handwritten note. I stalked across her bedroom, naked, and picked it up.

Remi,

I don’t really know how to put into words the past week. It has been unlike anything I have ever experienced. Thank you for respecting my decision not to let anyone know about us. I appreciate your discretion more than you know. It is just one more piece of evidence that you are a good egg…a good man.

I know that I’ll think of you and the time we’ve shared often. I’ll dream of you when I’m asleep and when I’m awake. In my dreams, there is an alternate reality where we are Kyle and Ana. A reality where you’re not the best friend of the father of my baby, or the brother of his new wife, or my cousin’s childhood sweetheart. In that reality, Kyle and Ana live happily ever after…

Have a safe trip home.

Always your Ana,

Taylor

She would always be my Ana. What she didn’t know was that she was also my Taylor. But I was a patient man.

After getting dressed, I headed out of the house, taking one more look at the kitchen table as the memories we’d made on it filled my head. When I did, I noticed that Taylor had left me a to-go cup of coffee with a smiley face post-it on it. As much as I appreciated the gesture and was tempted to drink it, I decided not to. I could still taste her. Even if it was just for the ride home until I brushed my teeth, I wanted to enjoy the flavor just a little bit longer.

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