Page 62 of Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye

Tarquin moaned, Leia’s open lips and sweet gasps pushing him beyond the brink. I’m in trouble. I’m in freefall, losing myself completely. I… I love this girl. “Fuuuck!” He plunged over the edge, jerking with each intoxicating wave rolling through his body. Holding Leia tightly, his legs trembled with relief as the sweet ecstasy of learning her body’s secrets and earning her trust stole his breath—and his heart.

Fifteen

LEIA

I love it! This room looks like a hip bookstore meets Soho coffee shop—but tidier. He’s way too neat! Wrapped in Tarquin’s thick cotton robe, Leia sank into his luxurious sofa, a modern oasis of curved edges and sumptuous mulberry velvet, and admired the towering walnut bookshelves framing the room. Their contemporary design was comprised of one hundred and two (Leia had counted) open squares and rectangles of various sizes, stacked and arranged to best showcase Tarquin’s enviable collection of trade fiction paperbacks and hardbacks—all organized in a rainbow of candy-colored spines. I can’t get over all this! Tarquin should be a Bookstagrammer. She sipped her chilled orange juice and sat back, marveling at his knack for bookish flare.

The only wall spared of books was actually a window, yet another of the vertigo-inducing variety overlooking London’s jewels—in this case, literally. Leia had read about the Crown Jewels being kept under lock and key in the Tower of London, and the eighth-floor library offered an impressive cross-Thames view as well as a front-row seat to the morning’s spectacular sunrise.

She stretched against the sofa, careful not to aggravate last night’s injury—a pulled muscle in her back. Ugh, it pinches. Turns out, sex against his phone booth wasn’t one of my brightest ideas. She giggled quietly, filing away the long-held fantasy finally come to life. That orgasm was totally worth this morning’s bruises, though.

A loud text tone sounded and she fumbled her phone, determined to keep noise to a minimum while Tarquin dozed in the master bedroom next door. She took another sip, peeked at the screen—a bunch of eggplant and crying-with-laughter emojis along with…

Sarah: He’s SO into you!

Leia smiled. Saz, you’re so lucky I had a great time last night. Otherwise, I’d be cursing a blue streak over that stunt you pulled.

She hit rewind on her mind’s highlight reel of their frenzied overnight adventures. Tarquin had made good in more ways than one, giving her a grand tour of both his penthouse and his body. What started in the snooker room moved down to the living room (with a brief sojourn for mind-blowing oral in the kitchen), then back up to his bed where, satiated after a fourth orgasm, his fingers tenderly drew London landmarks on Leia’s stomach and thighs until sleep whisked them both away. He’s totally to blame for my dream: sex with him on the London Eye…

Her skin still tingled from his touch. His hands! To die for! Hands that climb mountains, build schools, save theaters… holding me down and lifting me up, taking me higher and higher until I shatter and float back to earth… heavenly.

But their evening wasn’t all peel-me-off-the-ceiling sexcapades. That second time on the snooker table, though… me on top, straddling him… I totally cracked up when our bouncing sent the snooker balls clacking and spinning into different pockets. She bit her lip, killing a burst of laughter bubbling up her throat. Then, Tarquin got the giggles and neither of us could come. It’s so sexy being with someone who has a sense of humor in bed. I’ve never had that before. An aching yearning flirted inside her panties. Oh, Leia. This isn’t good. Her tired eyes followed a plane slicing through the pink clouds above Tower Bridge. You’re starting to like him—a lot.

Leia missed the give and take between the sheets, the savage need and playful pillow talk of her early years with Tyler…all things Tarquin offered, all wrapped up in a sexy smile and a generous heart. And it wasn’t just her imagination. Every tender caress, each desperate, steamy kiss was like a blowtorch melting the ice she’d carefully packed around her heart.

But am I falling for him—really? Or is it the orgasms? They trick you, orgasms… make you feel like you’re falling in love when it’s really just feel-good chemicals in your brain. Staring at her primroses happily on display in a squat square vase, she swirled the juice in her glass. Sometimes I miss the old Leia. She was joyful, romantic. Believed in happily ever afters… Her heart pinched. No. Stop it. I can’t get sucked down that rabbit hole just because Tarquin’s gifted in bed. I didn’t fall for Xavi and I won’t for Tarquin. Although, to be fair, Xavi likes to check his Instagram during sex, so the bar wasn’t set very high there. She cringed and took a long sip. I’m leaving in two days so… I’ll just enjoy this for what it is—a brief infatuation, a lovely London fling. And that’s all!

She set down her juice and opened the notes app on her phone, her thumbs flying easily over the small keyboard.

January 15, I was grateful for:

1. Saz getting her promotion. So deserved!

2. that massive lunch hamper from Tarquin. Simon and I have leftovers today. Yay!

3. FOUR soul-rattling orgasms and tons of laughs. I haven’t laughed like that in months.

She pressed ‘save’, planning on transferring the entry to her journal when she got home. I should get going soon. I need to shower, change clothes.

“This is my fave room.”

Leia looked up, finding Tarquin dressed in a fresh pair of snug boxer briefs and a gray Horton Hears a Who t-shirt, faded and obviously much loved. His fondness for Dr. Seuss is cute—unexpected, too! “I hope you don’t mind…” She raised her glass of OJ. “I made myself at home.”

“Good! You hungry, too? I can make waffles or eggs, a brekkie burrito?”

“You are such a rule breaker!”

“You’re only finding out now?” He yawned and reached under his tee. The scratching motion lifted his shirt, gifting Leia a tease of glorious six-pack. “Or we could go back to bed? I’m an awesome cuddler. ‘Spooner of the Year’, me.”

I’d love to be wrapped in his warmth again, but one thing will definitely lead to another… “No, ’cause we won’t just spoon!” She chuckled, pulling her eyes away from what she really craved for breakfast. I need to hit the brakes here. I’m in way over my head. I can’t let whatever this is veer out of my control.

“Yeah, probably not.” A sly smile danced across his lips. “How was the sunrise?”

“Stunning. All bright pinks and oranges. You were right about the bridge, too. It looked magical.”

With a lazy nod, he rubbed his eyes then blinked several times, his focus drifting away.

“You okay?”