Sexy Berkeley (1) (27 page)

Tears threaten and I manage, somehow, to keep them at bay. "Please, Daniel, I can't talk about it anymore. I just want to stay here with you, I don't want to get out from under this duvet and if I have to, I want it to be because you're taking
us
to the airport so that
we
can get on a plane and go to England,
together.
"

Daniel holds me tight, saying nothing. I want to burst into tears but if I start, I won't stop, and that'll ruin what precious time I have left. I wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze him as tight as I can, resting my face against his chest. It almost slips out; '
I love you so much',
but I manage to control myself. Just.

I sigh and loosen my grip on Daniel to lean forward and take my drink from the table in an attempt to lighten the mood. I sink my champagne and hold the flute in front of him. "More, please," I say with a wide, cheeky grin.

Daniel rolls his eyes, jovially. "Off you get then, sugar lips."

When he returns, he brings a tray with two clean champagne flutes, a fresh bottle of champagne and a cardboard box on a plate.

"Ooh, what ya got?" I ask, my eyebrows dancing.

"Patience, Beatrice," he scolds as he places the tray down on his fabulous fabric coffee table.

He pops the champagne and pours us another glass each. "Here, baby," he says, handing me mine and sitting down next to me, "here's to you and me and the universe making it happen, somehow."

"To us and the universe," I repeat, praying to god that the universe has some sort of trick up
its sleeve.

"Anyway, I got you something delicious," Daniel says, reaching for the plate with the box on.

"Oh, I'm intrigued, what is it?"

"Close your eyes and keep them closed." I do as he asks. I hear the cardboard box opening, and another container. "Open your mouth, baby," he says, and as I do, he pops his finger in. "Suck."

I suck and taste delicious, warm, chocolate sauce. Just like we had after our dinner at The Palm. I feel a buzz in my belly, recalling the sexy things we did with it. "Mmm, chocolate sauce," I say as he removes his finger. I open my eyes and he's grinning at me.

"Uh huh, and warm doughnuts, I enjoyed it so much last time..."

"Me too," I respond, my eyebrows raised, "are you going to lick it off me again?" I ask, excitedly.

"If you want me to, I'd be more than happy to oblige." He takes my champagne and places it on the table before holding my face in his hands and kissing me, deliciously.

We spend the next couple of hours, covered in chocolate, laughing and making lots of lovely, dirty, chocolaty love. I fall asleep in Daniel's arms and wake after about an hour, when the deep, evening sun is shining through the huge windows of the room.

It must be about six and Daniel is still fast asleep beneath me. I nuzzle into his chest, inhaling his scent and savouring the feel of his silky skin against my body. He tightens his arms around me and groans appreciatively. "Mmm, hello, baby," he says, his voice course and gravelly.

"Good evening, Daniel," I reply gazing up at his face and smiling at him. It's so nice waking up, wrapped in his arms.

"How long have we been asleep?" He asks, reaching for his phone on the coffee table.

"I'm not sure, about an hour?"

"Mmm, it's just after six. That was good."

"Yes, it was, do we have to move?"

"Nope," he says quickly with a beautiful smile on his face. He tightens his arms around me again and kisses my hair.

"I need to clean my teeth though, if I am going to kiss you, that is..."

"Well, we gotta move, th
en, because I need kissing."

"You need something else too, judging by the bulge digging into my belly..." I say with a salacious grin on my face.

"That's always the case, when it comes to you, Beatrice."

"I'll take whatever you're offering. I can't get enough of you."

"Did you enjoy earlier? With the sauce?" he asks, and I think back to all of the licking and sucking from a couple of hours ago.
Mmm, it was incredible.

"Oh, I more than enjoyed it."

"You're so shy when I do that," he says and I squirm.

"Well, you know..."

"No, I don't. Why are you shy?"

"Oh, Daniel, do we have to talk about this?" I grumble.

Daniel props himself up on his elbows and looks down at me, frowning. "Yes, we do, Bea. What's up?"

"Nothing's up, Daniel. I'm just shy when it comes to you looking down there. It's not the nicest part of a ladies body, is it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Daniel cries, "You're beautiful, I love it. It's one of my favourite parts of you, I could spend a week with my head between your legs." I flush scarlet.
This is too embarrassing, my god.
"People have told you that before, surely?"

"Look, to be honest, Daniel, Dylan was never really into it, he didn't like venturing 'down under' and we probably only did it a couple of times while we were together. After that, I always avoided it really. Whenever someone has done...
that
, I've just closed my eyes and waited for it to be over. It makes me really uncomfortable, vaginas are so ugly, Daniel, I don't know how you do it."

Daniel has a look of disbelief on his face as he strokes his chin with his fingers. "So, when I've been down there, loving every minute, you've been clenching your eyes shut, waiting for it to be over? It seemed, to me, like you were enjoying yourself."

"It's different with you, Daniel, you seem to be some sort of expert and it's amazing. I really do enjoy it, although I still wonder what you're thinking when you gaze at it the way you do. You can't call a vagina, pretty."

"Is a penis pretty? Hell, no! Yet you happily gaze at that, I can assure you, your bits are a hell o
f a lot prettier than mine. Bea, I love it, I really do. I could gaze at it all day. I wish I could!"

Oh god, I cover my face with my hands,
this is so embarrassing
.

"I mean it, please don't hide," he pleads, pulling my hands from my face, "you're beautiful, baby, everywhere. Whatever your ex said, forget it, he's an ass who obviously can't appreciate something special. I'm telling you, you're beautiful, believe me, please? You must understand that he is not normal, just because he didn't like it, it doesn't mean there's anything ugly about you. I mean seriously, a couple of times in five years? The guy was loco! But we know that already," he adds, under his breath.

My word, he really does like it. He '
loves
' my va-j-j and wants to spend all day gazing at it. He desperately wants me to feel less self conscious, and is doing a pretty damn good job of it. "Thank you, Daniel. You're the only person I'd let spend a day in my lady garden. You're welcome back, anytime."

He laughs and tightens his arms around me. "God, you're incredible." He gazes at me, saying nothing. A few moments pass and I wonder what the hell he's thinking because he's just staring at me in total silence.

"So... shall I clean my teeth then?" I ask, breaking the silence as Daniel looks away and then back at me with a totally different expression. Now he's smiling, sweetly.

"Yes, baby. Then I'd like to kiss you non-stop until it's time to get some dinner."

"I'm up for that!" I reply as I slowly pull myself away from his warm, delectable body. I stretch and yawn before making my way to his en-suite, completely naked.
Daniel joins me at the vanity, beautifully naked, and starts to brush his gorgeous, sparkly, white teeth. He smiles at me, mouth full of foam, and stands behind me with one hand resting on my belly. He pulls me close and closes his eyes, briefly. Butterflies flutter in my tummy.
I love you.

We spit and rinse and make our way back into the living area. Daniel grabs me by the hand as we pass the kitchen and pulls me into a warm,
muscular embrace, holding me firmly. He gazes into my eyes and kisses me, tenderly, his tongue slowly caressing mine. I rise onto tip toes and wrap my arms around his neck, returning every ounce of his affection. A small moan involuntarily escapes me, as Daniel presses his hand firmly at the small of my back, holding me against his muscular body.

He slows the kiss and gradually breaks away. His eyes closed, he runs his nose up and down mine.
"Mmm," he murmurs.

"Mmm," I echo, grinning.

"Stay? Please, please stay? I need you here, I want you so much."

I look down, frowning, it would be so easy to say yes. But I just can't.
"I want to say yes, so much. I need you too, Daniel, I want to stay with you, I want to stay here. I love it here."

Daniel's eyes remain passive. He lets out a long sigh and rests his forehead against mine. "I'm going to find a way, baby."

"I hope so, darling. I really do. I'd say I'd wait for you, but I don't think it's wise for us to make a commitment like that when we can't see any future."

"I wouldn't ask you to, baby. Although I can't bear to think of you out on a date with some schmuck. Promise me you won't let any assholes near you?"

I smile at him, he's just adorable. "Cross my heart. And the same goes for you, no gold-digging whores."

He grins at me. "Done. No one will be good enough after you, anyway."

I am starting to wonder if - maybe - he does love me. Many of the things he says point to it, but I'm probably looking into it too much, being over-optimistic. I mean, no one falls in love after a week. Except me. It'd be too much to hope that Daniel had done the same. I know he feels strongly for me, I believe everything he says and I don't think he acts like this with any old passing tourist, but I don't think he could have fallen in love, as much as I want him to. It's kind of irrelevant anyway, it's not like we can be together.

"What do you want to do, Bea
?" He asks, still holding me, leaning against the breakfast bar.

I don't hesitate with my answer. "I want to make love,
baby.
" I kiss him softly on his neck, over and over.

I can hear the smile in his response, "You do? You don't want to 'fuck' now?"

I continue kissing his neck. "As much as I enjoyed 'fucking' earlier, because - let's face it - it was damned hot, now I want you to make love to me. Sweet, slow, Daniel love."

"Baby, I want nothing more," he says as he grasps my behind.

"Take me back to bed?" I ask and Daniel immediately sweeps me off my feet, carries me to his bed where he crawls on top of the mattress and gently lowers me. He leans over me and strokes my face with the backs of his fingers.

"You know, your asshole-ex had everything I could ever want. He had you, he had five whole years of you loving him, being faithful to him, making love to him. And he threw it all away. I bet he regrets what a dick he was every day of his life. I've only had you for a week or so and I can't bear to think what I'll do without you. He wants you back, doesn't he?"

"Well, we had the conversation a few times a while back, he still asks after me when he sees the girls out and stuff like that. They think he does but he has a girlfriend, who hates me - incidentally - so I don't think he still does."

"He does," Daniel says, sharply, his face serious, almost angry.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I stroke his face and he closes his eyes.

"I can't do it, Bea, thinking of you at home, of that mother fucker coming on to you, wanting you and begging you to go back to him. The thought makes me feel sick," he says, disgust is his expression.
Oh my, where has this come from?

"Daniel, he's done all that already, I said no and I always will say no. I'll never get back with him. It wasn't right, and anyway, he has his girlfriend now, he won't ask again."

"And she hates you, baby, because she knows he wants you. More than her."

"I don't necessarily think that's true, darling, but either way, it's irrelevant. I have no feelings for him. I feel for you, a gazillion times what I feel for him. I'm more likely to be with you, living over five thousand miles apart, than I ever am, to get back with Dylan. Ok?" I ask, running my fingertips down his cheek.

"I need you. I want you with me, every day."

"Look, Daniel, please don't do this. I want that so much, more than you know. You don't understand just how painful tomorrow is going to be for me, in fact, just talking about it now is making me want to cry," my voice wobbles as I speak, my eyes prickly as the tears begin to well above my lashes.

As one escapes, trickling down my cheek, Daniel closes his eyes briefly and frowns. "Oh, baby, please don't cry, I'm sorry. I... I just... I can't..."

"I know Daniel," I say through a sob, "it's ok, it's just hard to leave, you know? Leave you, leave all this..." I wave my hand around at his beautiful apartment, "leave Hollywood, I love it here. I love it all."
And you, my darling Daniel, especially you, more than any of it.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry for bringing it all up. I just..." he shakes
his head and gazes at my face, his beautiful eyes look pained and exhausted.