A/N - Thank you so much for the reviews on chapter 1. I'm so glad this is being received well and you're all enjoying it so far. It's got a way to go so just bare with it and it will all unfold in time. As always, please continue to tell me what you think xx
The early spring sunshine crept into the bedroom like a silent assassin, poring through the shutters and lighting the room with hints of amber and rose, turning the stillness of the night into a peaceful new day. Saturday mornings were always Henry's very favourite part of the week as he had the whole weekend ahead of him to do as he pleased, but this particular Saturday was by far his most memorable to date.
Her hair was splayed across the pillow, the golden locks a stark contrast to the dark grey linen. She was facing towards the window, clutching the sheet to her chest as she snuffled soundly, her back towards Henry who was watching her shoulder move ever so gently each time she took a breath. Her skin was bronzed and so soft he had to fight the urge to reach out and run his fingertips down her spine. His eyes traced the arc of her hip that was covered by the thin veil of cotton and her knees were tucked into her body, pushing her towards him, giving him a perfect view of the tiny dimples just above the voluptuous cheeks of her ass.
He couldn't fight the grin that spread across his face as he recalled the night they'd just spent together. To say it was spectacular didn't seem enough to do it any real justice but he was at a loss for any other word. The way her body had pressed against his as they moved. The moans of pleasure that fell from her lips and the way her eyes had fixed on his, boring into him as though they held the light of a thousand stars. Drawling him in to explore the swirling emotion hidden in their depths. She was an enigma and she was laying naked in his bed.
Elizabeth stretched her legs out and tried to prise her eyelids open. Her mouth felt like it was filled with a desert full of sand and her stomach was churning, threatening to expel anything still held there. And why, for the love of god, was there an army or woodpeckers drilling her head.
The rather pained "Ohhhhhhh god." That escaped her made Henry chuckle. After the amount of alcohol she'd put away with her friends in that bar, the resulting hangover was inevitable. Although her ability to conduct herself as well as she had while that drunk was impressive.
He toyed with the idea of teasing her for a second but figured that being intimate with someone and actually knowing them were two very different things and all he really knew about her was her name — Oh, and that she squealed like a banshee when her lower back was kissed.
He reached out to place his hand on her shoulder but pulled it back as doubt plagued him. He was suddenly aware that the cold light of day may bring with it a whole host of regrets from Elizabeth and the inescapable rejection that would follow. Personally, his only regret was that he hadn't met her sooner, but he would definitely be keeping that little nugget to himself.
He was having a silent battle in his head. Should he touch her? Should he say it was a mistake before she could? Should he ask her to stay and never leave? He smiled at that thought and was suddenly startled by the bed moving beside him.
"Hey." Her croaky voice broke through his thoughts, dragging him back to reality. She had turned to face him and even when hungover, she was still breathtaking.
"Hey." His eyes locked on hers and he smiled, attempting to put her at ease.
Her expression was one of awkwardness but that gently melted away as she smiled back. "Do I need to beg for coffee or are you going to take pity on me?" Her tongue traced her lips, desperately trying to provide some moisture. "I think I'm a bit dehydrated."
"No begging necessary, I'll be right back." Henry swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, his naked ass on display, before pulling his shorts on and heading for the kitchen.
Elizabeth sunk down into the pillow and smirked. Casual sex wasn't something she indulged in. She'd gone from high school boyfriend to college boyfriend to Simon, never really allowing her promiscuous side to surface. But she was laying naked in a strangers bed, having had, what she could only describe as the hottest sex of her life and as awkward as it should feel, Elizabeth felt nothing but satisfied.
By the time Henry returned, Elizabeth had managed to drag her body upwards and was lounging against the headboard, the sheet wrapped firmly around her body. It was one thing being stark naked while in the throws of drunken passion, but she didn't want to be blatantly slutty. Although, it was a bit late for that now.
"I've made you coffee, but you're not allowed to have it until you've had all of this." Henry handed her a large glass of water and dropped 2 Advil into her palm. "The coffee will only dehydrate you further and that's not going to help the thumping in your head."
She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but that kind of thoughtfulness wasn't it. "Well that's very sweet of you. Thank you."
He perched on the edge of the bed and was transfixed by her smile. It was sweet yet devilish and he couldn't stop staring at her.
"You look deep in thought." She downed the water along with the pills and placed the empty glass on the bedside table "Is it making you feel uncomfortable that I'm still laying naked in your bed!" Her smile faded and was replaced by an anxious unease.
"What?! No — No of course not! I'm glad you're still naked — oh god no — I mean —" his stuttering and tripping over his words made Elizabeth snort. He was such a dork, but she liked that about him.
"You're glad I'm still naked? I must have made quite the impression then."
Henry turned a lovely shade of crimson and buried his head in his hands "I didn't mean that — The nakedness — I like having you in my bed — Oh Christ this is just getting worse."
Elizabeth found his ramblings kinda sweet and as hard as she tried, she couldn't help but laugh at him. She wasn't trying to mock him, but his awkwardness around her was extremely endearing. He'd had no issue having sex with her, yet he couldn't seem to manage a simple conversation. She calmed her laughter and spoke in an even tone. "As much as you like me being here Henry, I do need to leave the comfort of your bed I'm afraid."
Henry looked at her and couldn't hide his disappointment "Oh — Yes of course — I'll let you get dressed." He eased up from the mattress and felt her hand on his arm.
"I'm not planning on getting dressed yet. I just need to use your bathroom if that's ok?" Her gaze dropped and she blushed "I need to pee."
Henry smiled and reached into his dresser, pulling out a T-Shirt and handing it to her "Wear this. It may be a little more comfortable than the sheet."
Having used the toilet and rubbed some toothpaste on her teeth, Elizabeth made her way back to the bedroom but found Henry in the kitchen instead. He was still only wearing his shorts, slung low on his hips and she took in the sight of him. She had felt his muscles as her hands caressed his body in the dark, but now she could see exactly what Henry looked like and she felt a heat rush over her. His body was insane and it actually made her feel a little self conscious, standing in his kitchen with nothing but a t-shirt to cover her.
Henry glanced up and gestured her towards him "I figured you could use something to line your stomach so I've made you some eggs, although I don't mean to be presumptuous. You probably want to get going. I can call you a cab if you like?" The words tumbled out of his mouth, the very opposite to what he was actually thinking.
Elizabeth pushed herself up so she was sitting on the kitchen side, slipping a forkful of eggs into her mouth and humming her appreciation. "Hmmmm good eggs." Swallowing her mouthful, her brow wrinkled "Are you trying to get rid of me Henry?"
"No." The shake of his head just reiterated the fact. "Absolutely not."
"Good." She tucked her finger into his shorts and pulled him towards her. "I have a hangover that I need to abate! What are your thoughts on morning sex?"
Henry grinned "I'm highly in favour of it.'
"Right answer. Now kiss me."
Saturday evening rolled around much quicker than either of them would have liked. The day had mainly been spent in bed and it was safe to say that there wasn't much of each other that they hadn't seen, touched or kissed. It was exhilarating for them both and they were reluctant for it to end.
Elizabeth slipped her feet into her heels and manoeuvred her hair into a messy bun.
"I guess I should be going. The cab will be here any minute." She moved slowly towards the door and smiled sweetly at Henry "I've had a really good time."
"Are you sure I can't drive you home? I really don't mind." Henry desperately wanted to spend more time with her, even if it was only a car journey.
"I don't think that's a good idea Henry. The cab's fine." She picked up her purse and twisted the door handle.
"Have lunch with me tomorrow." Henry's words came out in a rush "I like you Elizabeth and I'd really love to get to know you."
Elizabeth sighed "Henry —"
"I know, I know. This was just a one time thing. But what if it wasn't? What if —" He pulled her hand from the handle and held it softly "— What if we decided it's more than that."
"I'm sorry Henry. Last night was amazing." A small smile tugged at her lips. "And so was today. But this was just two people enjoying each other. Why start to complicate things. Let's just leave it at that."
Henry let go of her hand and took hold of her waist, pulling her body flush against his. He could feel her heart beating against his chest and her breathing was shallow. His lips caught hers in a soft, gentle kiss as his hand moved to squeeze her ass. He wanted to stay like that forever. Less than 24 hours before he was perfectly happy with his life, but now this gorgeous stranger had made such a huge impression that he didn't want it to end. He wanted her to complicate everything.
He stepped back and released her "There's a place just up from the bar — Botellino's — I'll be there at 1pm tomorrow. The rest is up to you."
She stared at him for the longest time until the blare of the Taxi's horn broke the silence. Snapping them back into an awkward reality.
With a sad shake of her head, she walked out the door "I'm sorry. Take care Henry." And she was gone.
The coffee shop was always bustling on a Sunday. It was a sweet little place, run by Greg and Andrew who were by far the loveliest couple Elizabeth had ever met. The girls had gotten to know them pretty well over the years as it was a nice place to meet up and gossip without the heavy atmosphere of a bar. They would sit and talk about work, family, relationships — Pretty much anything and everything. When one of them was having a crisis, the other two would always be there to offer counsel.
Elizabeth walked through the door and waved to Greg who gave her a nod and said he'd bring her usual over to the table shortly. They always sat at the same table, to the left of the counter which gave them an unobscured view of the whole place but enabled them to talk without being surrounded by listening ears. If their profession had taught them anything, it was to always know your surroundings.
"Well if it isn't the brazen hussy herself. And look at the swagger in her walk. Have fun did we?" Isabelle wasn't really one for matters of the heart and rarely had any relationships of her own to speak of. But she was always very interested in what others were doing.
"Leave her alone." Juliette shook her head "You don't have to tell us anything Bess."
"It was — Fun." Elizabeth really didn't need the third degree over this right now and wasn't planning to offer up any more than that.
"Fun? Oh come on Bess, a fairground ride is fun." Isabelle lowered her voice "Was he awful?"
Greg placed the Latte and Blueberry muffin on the table and tilted his head towards Elizabeth. "You're looking really good today Bess. You have a rosy glow about you."
"That's because she got laid last night." Isabelle couldn't help but snigger at her own words.
"Ohhhh is that so. Well good for you. You'll have to bring him in so I can check him out." Greg nudged her arm "I do like the cute ones."
"I heard that Gregory." Andrew peered round the side of the counter and glared at his partner. "But It's good to see you moving on honey." And he gave Elizabeth a wink.
Elizabeth picked at the muffin, pulling little crumbs off but not actually eating any of it. It was acting more like a stress reliever than sustenance. She could feel the girl's eyes on her but was doing her best to ignore them.
"So — When are you seeing him again? He obviously has you all lit up." Typical Isabelle, always pushing for info.
"I'm not." Her answer was sharp and provoked a look between her friends.
"Why? What happened honey? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Juliette was the more empathetic of her two friends which was always welcome. "Because if he did —"
Elizabeth sighed "Nooo. He was sweet and gentle and sooo sexy and we had an amazing time together. But it was just a one time thing. It can't be any more than that."
"Oh Bess, did he give you the brush off? Why are men such jerks."
"He's not a jerk. He asked me out for lunch today but I'm not going. I can't." Elizabeth was over this conversation already.
"Why the hell not? If you like him and he likes you and the sex has you glowing like a firefly, what's stopping you?"
"I'm not ready Isabelle! Now drop it please."
"Please tell me it's not because of Simon?"
"I don't have to explain myself to you. We had a great time together and now it's over. End of."
Isabelle wasn't a great one for knowing when to stop. She was like a dog with a bone which was great at work, but not so much in situations like these.
"Bess, things with you and Simon are over. He's moved on and you have got to try and do the same."
Elizabeth looked to Juliette for backup but she shrugged "She's right Bess. If you really don't want to see this guy again because you're not into him then that's fine. But if you're shutting this down over some false sense of hope that your relationship with Simon will rekindle, then you're not helping yourself."
The muffin was now a pile of crumbs and the latte was cooling rapidly. Elizabeth knew they were right. Simon was in the past and Henry was such a sweet guy. And the sex — Oh god the sex. That was something worth pursuing if nothing else. Her thoughts were a mass of static noise.
"You're stuck in that horrible stage where you don't know whether to look back or move forward Bess. There is nothing for you in the past honey, but there could be happiness in your future if you just give it a chance." This was as sympathetic as Isabelle could muster but it was sincere. "Seriously though, if you really don't want this guy and he's that good in bed — Send him my way."
Laughter erupted and Elizabeth glanced at her watch, Henry's words running through her mind
"Botellino's — I'll be there at 1pm tomorrow. The rest is up to you."
Was this guy really worth taking a chance on? She knew nothing about him after all and did she really need the added complication in her life. She let out a deep sigh and turned her attention back to her friends.
"So — More coffee anyone?"
