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Now I leave you to what have come to do. Happy reading!
CHAPTER 4
Felicity woke up in the morning, groaning and wishing that the sun wasn't up and shining. She hid her head under the covers hoping to fall asleep again, until she remembered where she was... and with who. The thought made her hop off bed, wondering if Oliver was up or not. She took her cell phone from the night stand to check out the clock... 10:37 am.
"Oh, frack!"
From all the days, why did she had to oversleep that very one?! Two weeks vacationing could seem a lot of time, but it really wasn't. She knew that when they returned to home, there wouldn't be another opportunity like that to talk without distractions. Once she made up her mind to come with Oliver, she promised herself not to waste a single second of her time alone with him. She was ready to deal with their issues and move forward; she needed to know if they'd be able to make things work in their relationship. But how they'd do that if she was sleeping?
Besides, the place was absolutely breathtaking. She wanted to see more of it. And getting a tan wouldn't hurt her. She wanted to see Oliver relaxed and enjoying himself, too. After all, the vacation was supposedly to be about him relaxing.
She went in and out of the bathroom in record time, dressed herself with the first decent thing she found on her bag, and then went to find Oliver.
Coming down the stairs, the smell of fresh coffee was the first thing that hit her. Oh, sweet heaven. She forgot about Oliver and everything else. She followed the distinct aroma to the kitchen, she couldn't help it. She wouldn't function right until she got her good fill of morning caffeine. By the espresso machine, there was a steamy mug waiting. Without hesitation, and giving no a thought if it was meant for her, she took it with both hands and sipped the elixir from the Gods. She moaned in ecstasy as her taste buds exploded in delight. It was exactly as she liked it. A non-fat latte and with a lot of sugar.
She spun around to enjoy the lovely sea view while she savored her cup of coffee. She found her favorite work distraction instead. Oliver was outside, hovering over the pool, doing pull ups from a bar hung off the edge of the upper deck. She couldn't say that the view of him fell short next to the background. Not at all. Countless had been the times her attention was captivated by him working out; specially on her favorite, the salmon ladder. This was close enough.
He was half naked, of course; a fact that didn't surprised her. Actually, she expected it. Oliver was shirtless around her half of the time. He was wearing only the same sweatpants from the night before, and he was barefooted. Felicity bit her bottom lip staring intently his abs, pectorals, biceps, and triceps flexing as he went up and down. Not even the numerous and awful scars covering his torso could diminish the magnificent body he had. She had spent many hours imagining how those muscles would feel under her hands while he was passionately making love to her.
It was starting to be ridiculous the great amount of time she daydreamed about it. Forget reading erotica; her imagination was quite capable of creating vivid and steamy fantasies of them having sex. Tender, rough, dirty, sweet, slow-paced, fast, kinky... you name it, and Felicity had already fantasied about it. To think about Oliver was the same than to have private erotic moments with him in her head.
It wouldn't be long before she spontaneously exploded. The level of arousal she constantly was in only could end in her burning down, if nothing happened between them any time soon. Taking the matter in her own hands wasn't helping anymore. Felicity wasn't sure how she was going to survive the next 2 weeks. She was regretting the request she had made him months ago to take things slow between them. She did it to protect herself for further heartache, but, as time passed, it became a slow and insufferable torture.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She needed Oliver to pull her against a wall and kiss her fiercely until the world around them vanished. She yearned to feel his rough hands exploring her body, seeking under her skirt, and pull down her underwear. Her body was screaming to be filled... to feel each one of his frenzied thrust inside her. All she wanted was to have feverish, mind-blowing sex with Oliver before going completely insane.
She snapped out of her horny thoughts, giving thanks to God that Oliver hadn't caught her on them. She knowing how filthy her mind could be was enough. She would die of embarrassment if he knew. Avoiding to look at him anymore, she turned around and drank the rest of her coffee quickly, too flustered to enjoy it.
When she was washing the mug, a soft thud behind her let Felicity know that Oliver had jumped off the deck. "Morning" he said, a few seconds later.
Smiling, she spun and said the word back, and added, "Sorry I stayed in bed so long."
"Felicity, you don't have to be sorry. This is our vacation. It's meant for us to rest and relax, isn't that right?"
"Yes."
"So, you can sleep all you want."
He was leaning on the door frame, his arms loosely folded over his chest, and had an ankle crossed over the other. His relaxed stance pleased her. She hadn't seen him like this in a long time, if ever. Oliver looked genuinely happy... as if the weight he always carried on his shoulders had been lifted. The lazy smile on his face made him look boyish, innocent even. Felicity knew that was the face of the infamous playboy who had broken the heart of so many women out there.
And it was hard not to fall for him. God knew she had tried. The more she fought to stay at safe distance from him, the harder she fell in love.
"Earth to Felicity!" she hummed and he chuckled. "I lost you for a moment. Where were you this time?"
"Er... Nowhere you want to know," she quickly deflected.
"Every time you say that, curiosity bites me, you know," he stepped away from the door frame and got closer to the kitchen island. "But I won't pry," this time was left unsaid. They both knew that sooner or later Oliver would press for an explanation and Felicity would tell everything. Her practically non-existent vocal filter was absolutely no match for the skillful interrogator he could be. In the worst case, she'd end spiting it out anyway, with no persuasion needed.
She sighed. It was better not to think about that. She'd be mortified by it in due time.
"Are you hungry?" Oliver asked her.
"Not as much as I should be. Guess the jet-lag has my inner clock all messed up."
"Understandable," he bent over the counter, leaning on his forearms. Mischief brightened his blue eyes. "Want to take a walk to stir your appetite, and then have a brunch on the beach with me?"
Felicity was thrilled about the suggestion. She copied the wide smile Oliver was giving her. "A date on the beach?"
"If you want."
"I'd love to."
# # # # # # # # #
During the 20-minutes-hike to the beach, Oliver and Felicity talked about everything and nothing. They had the same easy talk they used to have a couple of years back, when things weren't so complicated in their lives. However during the last 6 months, the camaraderie between them was slowly returning to be what it was at the beginning of their friendship. Being away from everyone and everything seemed to knock down the last wall that kept them from reach that blessed harmony again.
They were relaxed. Just enjoying the moment.
Felicity and Oliver sat on a large towel, which protected them from the beach sand beneath them. The shore was rocky, but they were able to find a nice spot near a tide pool, where the sand was smoother.
They continued chatting while they ate all kinds of exotic goods taken out of a large basket Oliver had prepared for them. Felicity pointed the canister with an almost imperceptible tilt of her head. "How much do you have there? If you continue taking out delicious things out of that thing, I'm going to start thinking that that's Mary Poppins' bag."
Assorted crackers; Pita bread; fruits (grapes, figs, pomegranates, and all kinds of berries); 2 pieces of Feta and Mizithra cheese; and Caprese salad in a plastic bowl laid between them.
"Are you comparing me with a freaking flying nanny?" the humorous spark in Oliver's eyes contradicted his offended tone and dry expression. Somehow, she missed that.
Flustered, Felicity widened her eyes. "No! That's not what- Oliver, I'm sorry-. I..." she hid her red face behind her hands and whispered furiously, "when am I going to learn to shut my mouth?!"
He burst laughing out loud, in a way he seldom did, which made her lower her hands and stared at him. "I'm kidding, Felicity. Don't worry. I'm just teasing you." Before he knew what he was doing, Oliver leaned forward and planted a soft kiss in the corner of her mouth. When he realized what he had done, he slightly pulled back to make eye contact with her. Oliver expected to see Felicity's fury in them, or a very least her distress. It had been months since they shared a meaningful kiss. Since then, Felicity had made her escape, every time that things got intense between them, leaving them both in disappointment... and in a rising frustration. That was without mentioning the request she made him to take things slow. A promise he had kept through and through.
This kiss had started innocently enough, but as soon as Oliver's lips brushed hers, the air around them charged with concentrate sexual tension. Once it was unleashed, it was hard to collect again. It wasn't the first time it happened. In the past, it would be followed by an awkward phase, when the emotional distance between Oliver and Felicity seemed to grow. It was like making a step forward to just take two backwards.
In the present, Felicity held Oliver's gaze, a thousand of feelings running through her. They were spellbound, neither wanting to break apart. Time stopped and the world faded away. It was just the 2 of them that mattered.
Felicity put a hand on Oliver's cheek and smiled coyly. Oliver breathed easy. This time she wasn't rejecting him. A grin appeared on his face, but didn't dare to speak, afraid to say the wrong thing and undo the unexpected progress. Then, she did something even more unexpected. Like a woman with a mission, Felicity pushed aside the food that was between them. Then, it was her turn to lean forward and catch Oliver's lips between hers.
Far from gentle, Felicity kissed him fervidly. Oliver moaned at the taste of her. The ferocity of the kiss send a jolt directly to his groin and made his blood boil. He placed one hand on the back of Felicity head and buried his fingers in her hair. Oliver wrapped his other hand around her back and pulled her closer. He couldn't get enough of her. He needed Felicity more than oxygen.
Felicity wasn't immune to the passion of the moment either. While their tongues danced together, her heart raced like runaway horse. A blazing-hot wave washed over her, a heat that had nothing to do with the warmth of the scarce sunshine that managed to bypass the dense field of storm clouds in the sky. It liquefied every bone in her body and made her grow wet between her legs. She put her hands around Oliver and under his tee. She roamed them up and down on his back. She could feel every scar he had under her fingertips. Suddenly she had the urge to kiss each and every one of them. Her breasts were pushed against Oliver's hard chest. Her nipples became taut and oversensitive due friction against her clothes. She wished that Oliver played with her puckered nipples, as much as he yearned to do the same thing.
But much sooner than either of them wanted, they broke the kiss. Breathless and overheated, they put their foreheads together and looked into each other eyes. Oliver cupped her face with both hands, while she had her hands against his chest. "I've wanted to do that for a while," Felicity whispered out of breath.
"You did?" Oliver's tone was laced with disbelief and astonishment. "Then, why didn't you...? You should've told me," or better yet, do something sooner.
Felicity nodded and smiled sheepishly. "I was a fool and afraid. I thought I was doing the right thing taking things slow, but turned out to be the worst torture, ever! This wait, this yearning is the most difficult thing I ever endure in my life! It was worse than hacking Bruce Schneier's email," her long dated idol, a renowned cryptographer and computer security expert. "Have you any idea how difficult that is?! No one has been able to do it. Not even me... not yet. To tell the truth I've been a bit busy lately -fighting crime, taking down the League- and supposedly I shouldn't be hacking anything... 'cause I could go to prison, but it's every hacker dream. Although, if I crack Schneier's security, probably he would offered me a job. He should anyway, not send me to jail..."
She wasn't exaggerating on that. However, she had gone through really tough things in the last year alone. It hadn't been easy. Going against Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins had taken toll on everyone. They were still picking up the debris, physical and emotional, caused by the destruction the Demon's Head had left behind.
"Felicity," Oliver gave her a quick kiss to quiet her adorable ramble. "You had every right to be cautious. I know I hurt you," guilt waned the happiness that had invaded Oliver minutes before. "It's a miracle that you even talk to me."
"Hey, no, Oliver," she caressed his jaw, "it's true that I wanted to beat you senseless for having your head so far up your butt, but I eventually understood that you weren't ready for us at the time. I couldn't force you to be with me. You had to come up with that decision entirely on your own. It was your choice not to be with me, and mine not to wait for you forever."
"You didn't wait to move on that long, either" Oliver said, without thinking. Jealousy had won the race to his common sense. As soon the words were out, he cringed inwardly, knowing what was coming. Felicity was going to chop his head off.
Felicity pull her hand off his face and widened the space between them. "What did you wanted me to do, Oliver? Hide in the same cave as you, seeing life pass by in front of my eyes while I got old. What would have happened if you decided that you weren't going to fight for us? I'm not fool. Despite my feeling for you, I wasn't willing to waste my life waiting for what I thought was impossible. And I did chose you." Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but Felicity stopped him. "Let me finish."
She took a deep breath and continue. "What I had with Ray isn't of your concern, but I going to tell you this. While I was with him, Ray offered me all I wanted it at the moment. The things that you weren't giving me. Looking at it as objectively as possible, he's almost the perfect man. I could've married the guy, easily. But do you want to know why I didn't stay with him?"
"Why?"
"Because he's not what I need, Oliver. Need and want are 2 very different things. I need you, and I love you. Even with your pigheadedness and all," he stared at her, a veil of bewilderment over his face. "What? Why are you looking me like that?" she asked.
"You- you just said that you love me," Oliver was the one who had declared those words to her in several occasions and in different ways. She had never said it back. Even though, he had no doubt that she loved him. But it was nice to hear those 3 little words coming out of her lips.
"Oh," Felicity blushed and exhaled sharply, embarrassment covered her face again. She leaned again closer to Oliver, trapping his bright face between her hands. "Some things are better left unsaid, but when something settles on your heart, sometimes you just need to let it out. And I've taken long enough to gather the courage to say it out loud. Oliver Jonas Queen, I. Love. You," she repeated, enunciating each word carefully. "I always have, and always will."
For very long time, Oliver thought he had a whole universe in which he needed to be alone... only it wasn't what he wanted anymore. Now he all he needed was Felicity. With her at his side, as his friend; as his partner in crime, or rather fighting against it; and as his lover, his life was complete. And right now, all he need it the most was to show Felicity how deeply were his feelings for her, that he would never again take her for granted. His body demanded to show her how hungry he was for her. To make a communion of their bodies in supreme ecstasy.
But for that, they needed privacy. Granted that the beach was almost deserted, there was just a group of 4 people at the opposite side of the shore, but he wouldn't do that to Felicity. Not when this was their first time together. She deserved much better than a quicky in a public beach where anyone could spot them. Oh, no. After months and months of dreaming about it, he was going to take his time with her.
This moment was just for the 2 of them.
Disappointment fell upon Felicity when Oliver didn't kiss her as she expected. Instead, he eased himself up and held a hand out to her. "Come on. Let's go."
"Wha-where? We just got here," despite her confusion, Felicity grabbed his hand.
As she weighed almost nothing, Oliver hauled her up to her feet, and pulled her tight against him. "Back to the house. This is no place for all the things I'm going do to you."
His seductive and throaty voice send chills through Felicity's body. It electrified her. The arousal she felt minutes before came back at full force. She could feel how Oliver's body seemed to hum with need and desire. And the scorching gaze he had on her made Felicity's skin tingle in anticipation.
The thought of finally making love with Oliver made her knees weak. She was only capable of watching him picking up the things they brought. She was almost certain that, if she made a step, her legs would fail her. Fortunately, he grabbed her hand once more to start back to the house. Felicity took his strength to walk straight.
Even when they took less time to return, the way back seemed longer than before. Time seemed to go slower. The clouds went from gray to black during their walk, the air vibrated with the thunders and the sky filled with lightning. The storm was coming. It was one of those that said it was the start of the apocalypse.
But not even that would prevent what was about to happen. Not God, or the Devil could stop Oliver and Felicity to fall in the hands of lust.
