“Serena, oh my God, what happened?” I move closer to her and try to put an arm on her. She shakes me off quickly. “Serena, whatever Marie said to you... don’t think anything of it. She’s just bitchy like that.”
“Then why did you hook up with her?” She turns her head and gives me a sorrowful look, one that makes me hate absolutely everything that came in my life before her. “Is she right? Have you been together for ages?”
“Not together,” I close my eyes in frustration. “It isn’t like that. She just... we hooked up once then she started following me to events and...”
“But why did you continue to hook up with her? Is it because she’s beautiful? It is because she’s sexy? Is because she isn’t as boring as I am?”
“Boring?” I pull Serena around to face me and stare at her with utter seriousness. “Serena, I don’t think you understand, you really do captivate me. I don’t think there’s anything boring about you at all. I think you’re amazing.” I can tell that I need to be honest if I’m ever going to get anywhere with Serena. “Yes, I hooked up with Marie a few times, but that was never anything. There was never anything emotional there at all. She knows nothing about me at all. What we have is an emotional bond, you know me, I’ve talked to you about stuff. I’ve opened up to you. You’ve changed me for the better. What I feel for you is nothing like that... I think... I think I might...”
I can see her eyes widen in expectation. I want to say those three little words, they’re there, burning in the back of my throat, but something is blocking them from coming out. Maybe it’s just scary to finally open up that much... I don’t think I’m ready for it.
Instead I go in for a kiss.
At first, Serena seems resistant. She stands there with her hands firmly planted by her sides. I know she’s disappointed, I’m sure she wanted me to say those three words but I just can’t do it. I will, but when I’m ready. Eventually her hands move up my body and she plants them on my waist. She leans in closer to me and deepens the kiss. Thank God she’s forgiven me for whatever Marie said to her. It seems that she said Serena was boring and that I’ll always want her. Serena is about to learn just how wrong that is.
“Oh, Ben,” she murmurs as my mouth goes to her neck. I run my hands slowly up her torso and cup her breasts between my fingers. I squeeze lightly which causes her breaths to become shorter and more ragged.
I need her to understand, really understand, that it’s only her I want.
I slide one hand down, pinching her hip as I go and soon I make it to the waistband of her leggings. She rolls her hips towards me, pressing against my groin, seemingly totally unaware that we’re outside her work anymore. I don’t care, the more she forgets about the real world the better I can make her feel. All I want to do in this moment is make her feel amazing.
My fingers dip into her underwear and I brush past the hairs there edging myself closer and closer to the heat I can already feel emanating from her. My heart races as I wonder how soaking she is for me, the serene expression on her face suggests that she’s so turned on she could scream. There are people around us everywhere, but we’re tucked into a nook meaning that no one can see us. The risk of being caught is there without the actual threat. It’s the perfect, hot as hell, scenario.
I reach around and slide my fingers into her, pushing into her wetness until she gasps and clings to me. I know her body well now, almost better than I know my own and I know just how to turn her on. While I’d much rather spend a lot of time exploring all of her flushed, beautiful skin, I know that she needs to be quick because she needs to get back to work. I’m going to have to use all of my best tricks.
I flick over her clit with my thumb while dipping my fingers in and out of her. Serena’s walls tighten around my fingers, she grips onto me, keeping me there, encouraging me to move faster and harder inside of her. While the passion overcomes her, I
watch Serena’s face, admiring her beauty. She’s absolutely gorgeous, naturally so. She’s absolutely the most beautiful woman that I’ve ever been with. I want to keep her, I don’t want anything to get in our way, not even my own insecurities.
I need to say it, however terrifying it is I have to find the words somehow.
She grinds against me, her whole body shuddering as the pressure builds. I move my hand in the way I know that she likes and she stiffens just before the sensations claim her completely. As she shatters and falls apart in my arms I make sure to hold her upright. Her legs have jellified, she can barely hold herself upright, and the last thing I want is for that beautiful ass of hers to hit the dirty ground out here. She’s my princess, far too good for that.
“Oh God, Ben,” she gasps into my mouth once she’s done. “That was amazing. How the hell am I supposed to go back to work now, after that?”
I pull my hand away from her and allow her to adjust herself. My chest swells, the words fill me, I can feel them trying to burst free. I need to say it. I can’t keep it in anymore, it’s almost too much for me.
“I love you.” The fall out of my mouth rapidly.
Serena’s head snaps towards me, her eyes are wide and terrified. For a moment I fear I might have said the wrong thing completely. I don’t want to freak her out with my feelings. But then her lips part and she finally speaks.
“You... you love me?” she stammers. I nod, trying to look more confident than I really feel. Now that she doesn’t look sure, I’m not too sure myself. “You know that I love you too, right?” She hooks her hands around my neck and places a kiss on my lips. “I never thought that I would say those words to anyone, but I do love you.”
Relief floods me and the bond between me and Serena tightens. As I hold her, the love flows between us. We love each other now, we’ve survived Marie, the worst thing that could ever happen to us, and we’ve got through it.
It can only be up and up from here.
“I hate that you have to go back to work now,” I tell her sadly. “All I want to do is scoop you up into my arms and to hold you tight to me. But I know you have to, Tia needs you and of course you like your job. I suppose I’ll just have to wait until you finish until I can get you into bed.”
There are stars in Serena’s eyes, she looks happier than I’ve ever seen her before which makes me just as pleased. All I want is to make her happy. I don’t think that sensation will ever subside.
“You don’t have to stay, you know?” she says while swinging my hands. The passion has transformed to romance in a heart beat which I surprisingly really like. “I don’t expect you to.”
“I know, but I’m going to. I like to watch you work. I love you.” I wonder if I’ll ever get tired of saying it. I don’t think I will.
“I love you too.” And hearing it is just as good. My ears want those words, all the damn time. I no longer have to worry that we’re moving to fast, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks now. Me and Serena are in love and we’re moving at exactly the right pace for us.
Chapter Eighteen – Serena