CHAPTER 9

~ 1:12 AM ~ Boulevard Suchet, Paris ~

They lay in silence for a long while and Hanna watched Caleb's hand as his fingers kept weaving and unweaving in between hers. There was an unmatched expression of bliss etched onto the fine contours of his face, which she had never seen before. She could only assume that her face was looking just the same. She was feeling genuinely happy... Content. Loved. Worshipped.

Aroused.

She wordlessly moved to lie on top of him and, taking his head in her hands, drew him towards her before she kissed him deeply.

As their lips parted, Caleb continued to hold his head up and pressed his forehead against hers, whispering her name softly. Then, moving her head down, she recaptured his mouth with her own.

His tongue found easy passage into the warm cavity of her mouth, which she opened in order to meet his tongue, eagerly, hungrily with her own. It was like falling into a bottomless pit, except that the falling was the best part. Hanna felt a tingling sensation coursing through her whole body, causing her to shiver involuntarily. For a split second, her eyes opened in reaction to the surprising realization that her body seemed to be ready for more.

Sensing her readiness, Caleb pulled her down against him, deepening their kiss, and Hanna moaned as she felt his hot hands slide down from her shoulder blades down to her waist, taking great care to trail one finger down her spine as he went. Hanna's upper body moved backwards and she steadied herself on her hands. She let her head tip back and groaned softly, as Caleb trailed kisses down from her neck to the swell of her breasts which stuck out perkily before his eyes. With his hands, he explored the sensitive muscles of her back, gently reaching up to let his hands comb through her blonde mane.

Hanna could sense the rate of Caleb's breathing increase, she felt limp, as though she were melting into his arms. All thoughts flew from her mind when she realized that she could feel his awakening erection pressing up against her pelvis. In answer, her own hips pressed against the growing hardness, and she bent down to kiss him. Caleb's low moan made her feel weak at the knees, and as their lips parted for the briefest of moments, his hand reached up and found her breast. He let one finger gently trace the outline of her taut nipple.

"Caleb!" she gasped as her head fell back, her mouth opening as he continued his sweet torture. Noticing that Hanna was about to lose control, Caleb wordlessly took over. Hanna's breath came in mewling gasps as she felt the softness of his warm lips close around her hardened nipple. She leaned away, only to be brought quickly back for more. Her nerves felt as if they were on fire, the almost unbearable heat moving from her breasts to her pelvis, pulsing in the latter.

"Don't ever stop doing that," she hissed through her clenched teeth. She forgot about everything around her except him and she shoved her hands against him, trying desperately to find the waistband of his boxers. His mouth fastened on hers just as she discovered it, and she heard him groan as she slipped her hands down inside the tight-fitting material. She took him into her hands and rubbed up and down, feeling an awkward mingling of curiosity and embarrassment at her own forwardness.

Caleb squirmed under her touch and his groans gradually grew louder. Hanna removed her hand from his boxers and changed her position as she moved along his body in order to feel him closer to her center. Getting the hang of how she was supposed to move in order to get the most breathtaking response from both her own body and his, Hanna started grinding her hips against him.

Their bodies moved in a synchronised rhythm against each other's in an almost crazy anticipation of what was to come. Hanna's mind screamed while her teeth clamped down on her lips to keep the cry silent.

As Caleb's boxers were vigorously shimmied down to find a new home by their feet, Hanna reached out and pulled him to her, using her tongue to distract him as her hands once again searched lower for a more precious prize. He cried out as the sensation of Hanna's fingers gently caressing his length with even more pressure sent fire racing up his spine and made him ache with need.

This was still all so very new to her. But there was something about the way his dark eyes were looking at her with absolute confidence and uninhibited desire that gave her an instant burst of courage. She began to trail kisses down his chest, along the hard muscles above his stomach, and then lower to his thighs, all the while shifting lower until she was straddling his knees. She felt him shudder under her light touch and she flicked her tongue out to gently explore his length as he stiffened even more, fighting for control. As his fingers clenched and unclenched at his sides, Caleb felt his willpower slipping from him.

"Is this okay?" Hanna whispered softly as she took him inside the warm moist cavity of her mouth and began to suck, very gently at first, and then more strongly.

"Oh God! Hanna…" His throaty cry was almost a plea and he brought his hands up to her head… willing her… needing her to continue… But this wasn't right… He wanted this to be special, for her, too. Caleb called upon that last ounce of control he still possessed.

"God, stop it!" He squeezed his eyes shut in despair, wanting both more and less pressure from her at the same time, but then he felt her mouth slip away. "Otherwise I won't last…" He saw her questioning gaze and reached down in order to pull her up by her arms, so that she was once again facing him. His eyes drank in the curves of her body as he memorized every line, every feature. He pulled her up against him, gasping as the warm skin of her thigh came into contact with his erection. Desperate to continue, Caleb fastened his mouth onto Hanna's with an urgency that brought her mind screaming to a halt and her body to life.

When she pulled away, she could see that his eyes were on fire, and she suddenly cried out as his questing fingers found her hard, hot center and began to stroke it firmly and rapidly. She didn't think she could wait any longer. She didn't think she could ever not do this with him again; it was all so intoxicating!

Her breathing accelerated as she lifted her hips in order to get rid of her panties and watched Caleb as he reached for the pack of condoms again. This time, there was no hesitance on his part, no shaky fingers while he waited to explore uncharted territory in a joint adventure with her. He made quick work of tearing apart the foil with his teeth and sheathed himself in near-record time before his head fell back onto the makeshift pillow that was her jacket.

Hanna positioned herself above him again, hovering close to the tip of his penis. For a moment, she thought hard about what to do, but then she felt his hand back on the sensitive skin of her breast and all conscious thoughts left her again.

Caleb used one hand to playfully caress a nipple, while the other held on firmly to her waist, ready to push her down onto his shaft.

"You wanna try out being on top…" It was a statement, not a question, but Hanna had lost all of her ability to speak. Caleb brought her down slowly, sliding into her warm wetness until she could feel the base of his erection pressing against her pelvis. Her moan of pleasure mixed with his, and instinctively she began to move her hips against him while steadying herself by gripping his shoulders.

It all happened by feral instinct, rather than any kind of experience, for both of them. It was the same inner voice that told them that there could be no wrong way, anything would feel good in the whirlwind of their new-found passion.

Hanna arched her back and moved her splayed fingers down to his chest, holding on to him in a vice-like grip. Her mouth opened as a subsequent stream of new sensations coursed through her body, fulfilling her, filling her.

"Hanna… Oh God…" Caleb's vocabulary seemed to have been limited to an incoherent uttering of worship as his mind failed to come up with valid thoughts. This was new to him, surrendering himself to the girl, letting her choose their speed and angle. In his need for release, all he could do was deliver counter pressure by thrusting his pelvis up.

It wasn't long before his voice transformed into a deep moan and then a cry as he climaxed, which was soon followed by a series of high-pitched wails as Hanna lost the last of her own restraint and exploded around him. Hot waves of ecstasy raced along every one of her nerves as the orgasm took over her body in an uncontrollable fashion. She clutched the fabric of the sleeping bag beneath his head with one hand and dug her nails into his shoulder with the other.

It was the most exquisite sensation she had ever felt in her life, better yet than the ones she's had just minutes before… wilder, more boisterous.

As she collapsed on top of him, her breath continued to come in gasps. Her breasts pressed against his chest and she could feel his racing heartbeat as it sought stability.

Caleb was utterly lost. Nothing had prepared him for the reality of Hanna. The feel of her around him, the erotic noises that she had made when she was nearing the edge had driven him over the edge a little too soon for his liking. She took in all of him, and she fit him better than he had ever imagined. Even his most vivid fantasies of her couldn't compare to the reality of it all.

"Caleb… I… this… was… " Hanna tried in a whisper, but she was unable to complete her sentence as she suddenly felt his lips on hers.

"I know," he huffed in between kisses.

Hanna felt exhausted as their lips parted. She lay her head down in the perfect space between his neck and his shoulder, smiling, wondering if he… if they could go on like this all night long… forever?

Suddenly, the light all around them turned noticeably darker, and they both reasoned that someone must have pulled the plug on the backyard's electricity supply. They chuckled in unison, wondering whether it was a sign that they should call it a day.

But neither of them moved a limb, unwilling to part ways.

For a long time, there was silence, broken only by the sound of their breathing as they layxentwined in each other's arms. Then, Caleb carefully eased her off of him in order to remove the condom and wipe himself clean. After seeing her lying and waiting for him to return to her, Caleb decided to give in to the temptation of holding her in his arms for just a few more minutes before they had to get dressed and leave the tent in order for him to take her home again.

Hanna sighed heavily as he lay down again and pressed more tightly against him.

"What is it?" Caleb's voice sounded oddly husky in the calm silence.

"Nothing. Everything. That was... amazing." She felt for his hand and pulled it up in front of her as she lay on her side, nestled into the side of his body.

"I know," Caleb repeated as he squeezed her hand, grinning broadly into the semi-darkness.

"I've never felt this way before. About anyone, ever. I mean, I know you know how I feel… about you, it's just, I feel like… like we're…" Hanna stopped, seemingly at a loss for words.

"We're joined? Somehow?" There was uncertainty in Caleb's voice, and Hanna craned her neck to face him while allowing him to pull the sleeping bag over their bodies again before his arms wrapped themselves around her back, drawing her closer in order for both of them to stay warm.

"Yeah. That's exactly what I mean. Emotionally and physically." Hanna smiled shyly at him.

"Yeah," Caleb concurred, his gaze unwavering. "I mean, I hope, I … I wasn't a disappointment for you, I mean, for your first… because I wasn't able to last for that long. Oh fuck, now I'm ruining it." He turned his head to the side, and Hanna moved one hand from his chest in order to nudge his chin back towards her.

"God, stop it! It was everything I ever hoped for and so much more. I mean… we're in Paris. There are, okay, there were… fairy lights. It was perfect. And I'm glad that I got to have my first time with you… I love you."

"I love you." Their lips met in a passionate kiss. "Look, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I feel like everything that's happened to us, every burden we've had to endure… I'm kinda thankful. Because…" Again, words left her as her emotions took over.

"Because they brought me to you," he finished her sentence, staring into her eyes. She immediately knew that he was feeling just the same as she was. She pressed herself tightly against his body for warmth and reassurance.

"Caleb?" Hanna whispered and lay her head against his chest. "How do you say 'I wanna fall asleep in your arms and wake up next to you tomorrow morning' in French?"

~ 5:07 AM ~ Boulevard Suchet, Paris ~

Caleb's eyes flew open upon hearing the steady humming of a cell phone close by. At first, he had trouble realizing where he was. The batteries of all but one candle had died and its warm orange glow was barely offering any light inside of the tent. After a beat, he noticed that something heavy was pressing down on his lower body.

A strand of hair brushed against his chest and by the faint smell of perfume, he recognized that it was Hanna laying cuddled up close to him with her head on his shoulder. All of a sudden, the humming stopped.

Was this a dream?

One of those good ones that you wished would never end?

Caleb watched her sleep for a moment. She was breathing evenly in and out against his chest, looking so content, so pretty. Her naked breasts were pressed against his side and at long last, his tired brain caught up with the situation.

This wasn't a dream. This was even better. This was reality, and he and Hanna were really laying half-naked in a tent in the middle of Paris after a night full of passion.

He noticed that his left arm had gone stiff, so he used his right one to reach above his head and grab his phone from where it was laying next to the candles. A text message appeared on the small screen. It was from Sèb.

Where are you man?

His gaze fell onto the clock in the upper right corner of his phone screen. Just a split second later, he realized with dismay that they really shouldn't be there anymore.

"Fuck! Hanna, wake up!" Caleb jerked from his half-awake state, suddenly alert. His abrupt movement had caused Hanna to shift on his chest and she, too, startled with confusion.

"What? What is it?" Tiredness still clung to her body and mind, and she blinked and rubbed her eyes, finding it hard to grasp the reality of the situation.

"We fell asleep," Caleb was quick to help her out.

Suddenly, she was wide awake. "Shit! What time is it?" She instantaneously grabbed her clothes that lay piled up next to the spread out sleeping bag beneath them. With her mind still slightly clouded, she was surprised to find herself still very naked in their makeshift bed, lying between the two sleeping bags that Sèb had apparently deposited there for them. She and Caleb hadn't even bothered to connect the zippers of both bags. She reasoned they must have fallen asleep too quickly due to their exertions after midnight.

All at once, everything came back to her. Paris… lights… Caleb's 'I love you'… pleasure and pain… and then… even more pleasure. Busy recalling the events that had led to her first time sleeping with Caleb, she didn't hear his mumbled words. "Huh?"

"It's after five already. I'm taking you home," Caleb said as he swiftly searched for his sweater.

"You don't have to do that. I know how to get there," she said, though she wasn't too sure about it. But she didn't want to cause him any trouble.

"No talking back, I'm taking you. I insist. Who knows what kind of creepy people take the subway at this time of day. I don't want you having to deal with a lurker all on your own, Han. This is Paris, not Rosewood."

His remark made Hanna cringe inwardly. She didn't know which was the more dangerous place to be right now and she scolded herself for not having told him yet that, in reality, she was already being threatened and followed by an anonymous stalker named –A. She made a mental note to tell him about –A. as soon as an apt opportunity arose.

They both scrambled to get dressed within the confined space of the tent and proceeded to switch off the electric candle afterwards.

Caleb crawled outside and handed Hanna her shoes, which she quickly put on before joining him outside on the lawn underneath the weeping willow. It was absolutely dark there as the tea lights set up by the path had died down a long time ago. She instinctively grabbed his hand when she heard a few branches and twigs rustling in the feeble night breeze. Caleb switched on the display of his phone in order to use it as a flashlight.

When they were both fully dressed again, Caleb picked up his trash. "Okay, are you ready to go?"

Hanna nodded as she slung her tote sack over her shoulder, hastily checking to see whether her own phone was still in there. Together, they ran back to the house, through the corridor and out to the street, where Caleb finally dumped his trash in a garbage can that stood on the sidewalk. They started running through the streets as Caleb yelled directions. They only slowed down when they approached a crossing and eventually, a red light stopped their race through the awakening city.

And as the early morning commuters' traffic sped by, the two lovers stood embracing one another, losing themselves in a series of lingering kisses, and missing their green light twice before they finally continued running towards the nearest Mètro station.

to be continued…

This was the penultimate chapter, hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading (and reviewing)! Zip

Thank you, Jenna! Seriously...!