CORAL - Fallen (A Romance Trilogy, Book 2) (3 page)

Once his breathing has calmed down, he
finally speaks to me. “Give me a minute,” he says and storms off to the
downstairs bathroom –
Fuck what have I done, I knew this would happen.

I grip my head in my hands and start to
rock myself. The angry tears are back, I fight against them, but they silently
fall against my cheeks. Now I’m really pissed – It seemed like the right thing
to do, George said I should tell him, and if we had ended up staying together,
I know I would have eventually told him –
Fuck what have I done?

Strong arms envelope me from behind – I snap
my head up just as Tristan crushes me to him, so hard in fact I have to tell
him. “Tristan...c-can't....b-b-breath.....” He relaxes his grip a little, but
still says nothing. My heart slowly relaxes. He came back. I haven’t lost him –
Well, at least I don’t think I have?

“Tristan,” I whisper turning around,
gripping onto his vest and crushing myself harder against him. “Please...say
something.” He doesn’t respond with words. He just crushes me harder against
him, his arms wrapped tightly around me, and starts rocking me back and forth,
staring blankly into the fire.

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” I croak.

He freezes then glares down at me. “What?
What kind of thing is that to say?” he asks in astonishment.

“I...I just don’t want it to change how you
feel for me?” I squeak out.

“Well it has!” He answers sharply, gripping
me tighter. I wrap my arm around his neck, caressing the hair at the nape of
his neck.

“Please come back to me,” I whisper kissing
his ear, his sideburn, his cheek. Tristan looks down at the floor, then back at
the fire, contemplating his response.

Finally, he glares back at me. “I want to
know who. I want to know when. I want to know everything. His name, what he
looked like, everything...you will tell me,” he says, his voice is low and
menacing. My breathe catches in my throat –
Does Tristan have a dark side?

“I’ –“Coral!” Tristan shakes his head so
subtlety than it sends a shiver of fear running down my spine.

“Ok, you’re scaring me now,” I choke,
wanting to get up and out of his arms. His eyes slowly close, and he takes
several deep breaths to calm himself.

“I’m sorry,” he softly says. H opens his
eyes and I can see my Tristan is back, his eyes the colour of milk chocolate.

“Don’t be,” I answer, kissing him lightly
on the lips, but he doesn’t reciprocate. I pull back frowning deeply at him, at
his behaviour. Feeling angry, I scramble out of his arms and up onto my feet. “So
this is it! This is how it’s going to be? I let you in, opened my heart to you,
and this is your reaction? I knew I shouldn’t have come back, I knew I
shouldn’t have told you!” I screech as I pace up and down, my hands clenched
into fists.

Tristan stands in one fluid movement and
moves towards me. “Coral,” he reaches his hand out to me.

“Stay away from me,” I choke turning my
back on him. He doesn’t want me.
So this is what rejection feels like? My
legs tremble and I hit the floor, choking back angry tears. I feel his arms
wrap around me again, my back to his front. I try to struggle free but it’s
useless.

“Stop Coral…stop! I’m sorry baby, I just...that
was the last thing I expected to hear,” he says, trying to sooth me. “Please
baby, calm down...please.” Tristan squeezes me tighter. “Coral, listen to me. Nothing’s
changed, nothing’s changed at all. Please believe me, I still want you, I still
want to be with you. I just didn’t know how to handle...” Tristan breaks off
again.

I finally turn my head and our eyes meet. I
can see his anguish, his pain for me. I turn my body around and launch myself
against his chest. His arms wrap around me, making me feel safe and secure.

“I'm so sorry baby,” he whispers into my
ear. I close my eyes and surrender to the feeling. I’ve never allowed myself to
be vulnerable with anyone besides George, so I relish the feeling and let a few
stray tears fall. For some reason I know it’s ok and Tristan isn’t going to
turn me away. If anything, he’ll be more protective of me. I'm starting to
realise I kind of like that.

“I still want you to tell me,” he croaks,
rocking me gently.

“I think it’s best’ – “Coral’ – “No don't
Coral me,” I argue leaning back to look at him. “It happened on a Sunday night,
he said he was from London, but I doubt that anything he told me was true’ –
“Do you remember his name?” I close my eyes for a second.

“I didn’t tell you so you could drill it
out of me you know,” I say gritting my teeth.

Tristan sighs heavily. “But we might be
able to catch him’ – “He did give a name,” I interrupt. “But when I looked him
up, there was no one by that name living in any area of London.” Tristan exhales
slowly. “Believe me, I checked just in-case I did find him. Besides, you know
how the system works, even if we catch him it’s my word against his and it
happened two years ago Tristan, there’s no evidence…” I drift off.

Tristan winces knowing exactly what I mean.
“If we find him, it doesn’t have to go through the system. I’ll make his life
hell, he’ll wish he’d never been born. If I find the fucker, I’ll have him
tortured, they can knee-cap him first then slowly pull his fucking fingernails
off, one by one,” he rants.

“Stop,” I shout. “Please no more,” I say
weakly. I don't want to think or talk about him anymore. I stare back at his
big chocolate eyes I can see he’s still angry about it. His jaw tenses several
times, then he looks down at the floor, takes in a deep breath, and slowly
exhales it.

“Better?” I ask.

“No, not really,” he says looking down at
me. “But no more,” he adds repeating my words. I close my eyes in relief. I
feel Tristan pull me to him, crushing me against his body again.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Oh baby,” he coos, rocking me again. Then
he takes my hand and leads me over to the beanbags. We sit watching the fire
again, quietly sipping more brandy. Tristan hasn’t said anything more about it,
which I'm thankful for. I don't want to re-live it, I don't want to remember –
I just want to get better….

I WAKE UP STARTLED.
It’s
pitch black outside, so the only light is from the fire that’s still on,
keeping us warm. Tristan’s music is still playing. Rumer is singing Slow. I
turn and see Tristan is softly sleeping.
Wow, he looks so cute and sexy at
the same time!

I watch Tristan sleeping as I listen to the
words of the song. I wonder if this is how I make Tristan feel, because it’s
how he makes me feel, word for word. Suddenly one of his eyes flutter open and
he gazes up at me. I smile, feeling shy that he caught me watching him; he
silently reaches up and strokes my cheek.

“You ok?” He croaks.

“Yes, we fell asleep,” I whisper.

“Yeah, I guess we did.” He smiles, then
yawns.

“Come on, let’s go to bed.” I stand and
hold my hands out to him, he smiles enigmatically at me places his hands in
mine, and I pull him to his feet.

“Why don’t you go up,” he says. “I’ll
switch everything off.”

“I’ll stay,” I whisper, not wanting to be
apart from him. I don’t like big houses with dark rooms, they scare me.

He cocks his head to the side. “You don’t
want to go up?”

“No, not without you,” I whisper.

“Why?” He asks his eyebrows pulled
together.

I stare down at the floor. “I don’t like
dark, empty places, reminds me of being a kid.” I shudder slightly and wrap my
arms around myself.

Tristan frowns and nods once. “I can
understand that,” he softly says.

I smile up at him, feeling shy again. His
eyes darken and that magnetic pull fills my stomach again. Slowly, he reaches
out, takes my face in his hands and softly kisses me, making my stomach flutter
madly. Then he lets go, bends down and switches of the fire and the music.

Taking my hand, we pad into the kitchen. “Want
some water?” He asks.

“Please.” He fills two glasses and hands
one to me. “Oh! My bags,” I squeak remembering them.

“I’ll get them,” he says passing me his
water. I watch Tristan walk down the hallway, pick up my overnight bag and my
handbag and walk back over to me.

“I have to say, it doesn’t suit you,” I
giggle.

“What?” He questions.

“The handbag,” I say cocking an eyebrow up.

He looks down at the bag on his shoulder. “Yes,
I have to agree, here.” He pulls the bag off his shoulder and hands it to me. I
throw it over my shoulder and giggle up at him. “Yes, definitely suits you more,”
he says leaning down to kiss me. I can't help giggling again. “I love that
sound,” he says.

“What?” I laugh.

“You giggling, it’s very sweet,” he says, tucking
my hair behind my ear then he leans down and kisses my forehead. “Shall we?” he
says, gesturing for me to go first.

“Yes.” I smile up at him and we silently head
up the stairs.

As we reach the master suite, Tristan
flicks the light on. I eye the big bed with renewed appreciation. Placing my
glass on the floor, I collapse onto the bed and smile.
Mmm, it’s so
comfortable.
Tristan reaches into his overnight bag and pulls out two glass
looking objects, flicks them in his hands, and they start to glow, like
candles.

“What are those?” I question.

“Electronic candles.” He smiles wryly at
me.

“You and technology,” I chuckle.

“Well…there safer than candles, and they
last a long time.” He says as he switches off the main light. The room suddenly
takes on a warm, romantic atmosphere. Tristan smiles at me then heads off into
the bathroom. I lie on my back staring up at the ceiling, watching the strange
shadows flickering from the candles.

The bathroom door opens and Tristan comes
walking over to me, stripping his vest as he does, and throws it on the floor.
Wow,
he really is an Adonis.
He has the perfect v shape and no chest hair, his
body is just so…perfect. He must work out a lot. My heart starts to beat
erratically, just as butterflies swarm in my stomach and in that moment, I know
– I’m going to bed him and I don’t feel nervous about it –
I want him so
badly and I want him now –
I’ve decided.

Sliding off the bed, I make my way to the
bathroom. I quickly brush my hair, and strip my sweats off. Then I pad back
into the bedroom. Tristan is lying on his back, watching me walk towards him.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he tells me
in that sexy husky voice of his. I reach the bed and without a word, I straddle
him; he looks so confused.

“Coral, what are you’ - “I want you,” I
tell him. “So badly,” I add leaning down to kiss him hard, forcing his lips
apart, lapping my tongue against his. I run my hands across his chest, down his
abdomen and into his sweats, my eyebrows raise in surprise.

“Commando.” I smile.

“Yeah,” he croaks.

“I like that,” I tell him kissing him
again.

“Coral…” Tristan takes hold of both my
wrists, and sits up so we are nose to nose. “Don’t do this because’ – “Stop!” I
say. “And let go.” Tristan instantly releases my wrists. I can see he is very,
very hesitant about this, so I decide to give him a challenge.

Taking a breathe I rest my hands on his
broad shoulders. “Tristan,” I whisper closing my eyes for a moment. “I love you,”
I say opening them up to see his reaction. He looks shocked, in awe, and kind
of school boy bashful that he would hear this from me. “I haven’t with anyone
since…and that was two years ago. I’d really like to replace all those negative
emotions, with positive ones, and I want you to be the one to do it. I know you
can, I love you, I trust you, I feel so safe and protected with you, and I’m so
god damn crazy about you. I have been from the very beginning…” I shake my head
at myself, surprised at what I am saying. “If I had a pound for every time I’ve
pictured you naked, I swear I’d be a very rich woman by now.”

Tristan lips quirk up at the corners, as he
stares back at me in wonder. “Please,” I beg. “I want this, and I want you more
than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my entire life.” I can see I’m getting through
to him, but he’s still hesitant.

“Coral’ - “Please…” I beg again and start
kissing him. Tristan’s tongue laps slowly and smoothly against mine. I pull
back and stare down at him. “Don’t hold back,” I tell him. “Be like you would
be if I hadn’t told you.”

Grabbing hold of my vest top, I pull it up
and yank it over my head. Tristan stares down at my full breasts, my nipples
standing to attention just aching for his touch. I take his hand and place it
over my right breast then lean down and kiss him again. He doesn’t resist.

I close my eyes and before I know it I am
lost, lost in the moment and the feeling of his hands making smooth, soft
movements across my breasts, my shoulders, down my back, his lips kissing me
all over. It’s exquisite and heady and warming and sexy, I instantly moisten
down below. I hear his moans of pleasure as he lifts me and squeezes my backside,
moving us so that I am lying down and he is on top of me.