That One Time (10 page)

~ Seven ~

“No, you can’t treat me.” Ayah had a determined look on her face the next morning as they set off for
Ngong Ping 360,
a popular recreational park located at one of the outer islands of Hong Kong.
 

They were both munching on sandwiches bought from a 7-11 outlet near her workplace, with water bottles tucked into the side pockets of their backpacks. Hers was a colorful
Toki Doki
with more keychains and charms than zippers while his was a baby pink Jansport backpack. It was that or the one with a huge photo of some guy named
Lee Min Ho
, a really famous actor in Korea. It was an original item made especially for his fans club members, Ayah had assured him. That may be true, but he would rather hand-carry everything than have another man’s face printed on a backpack he was using.

“Be reasonable,
lieverd
. I am the man—”

“But you spent so much money on your flight here,” she argued. “I want this to be my gift to you. Think of it as…” She chewed on her lip, obviously thinking of a way to salvage his pride without budging on her stance.
 

He was content to wait as it gave him time to simply look at her. He had known from her friends that she liked dressing casually. It was what he knew of her, too, which was why Nic had a urge to snatch her into his arms and kiss her, knowing that Ayah had worn a dress for him alone. It was a very modest dress, but because of her curves it had become sexy as hell. It revealed her slim arms, showed off the barest hint of her generous cleavage, and displayed most of her legs. He loved that it gave him something to enjoy staring at, but he hated the fact that other men would be able to see it, too.

“I got it!”
 

When he glanced at her questioningly, she told him smugly, “Think of it as a dowry. There! You can’t argue with that!” When he started to speak again, she frowned. “I mean it, Luuk. I want this to be my treat.
Please
?”

There were so many reasons to say no. For one thing, the truth was nothing like what she said. He had not spent all his money on the flight here. In fact, he hadn’t spent a single penny since he had been using one of the family’s private jets, and all of its expenses was paid by the family firm.
 

Also, he was a man. He was the one supposed to pay. Thirdly, he was used to paying and was raised to pay a lady’s tab at all times. But when he looked into Ayah’s eyes, seeing how proud she was to do something for
him,
he heard himself saying, “It will be as you say.”

And so they took the subway when they could have taken the limousine. They queued for tickets when he could have reserved the entire park for the two of them alone. And when they booked the thirty-minute cable car ride, she went for the—

Nic started when he heard her say, “Crystal cabin please.”

The park offered two types of cable cars – the standard one had a pair of benches placed across each other while the more expensive crystal cabin had a completely transparent floor but no seats.
 

“Are you sure?” Nic had to ask. It was twice the cost of the standard cable car.
 

She nodded, a discomfited look on her face.
 

It puzzled him, but Nic managed to refrain from asking until they were safely ensconced inside the cable car. He looked at her and was stunned to see her turn a little green. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, slowly.

“Ayah…” He had a nasty feeling about this. Nic’s gaze narrowed. “Are you by any chance scared of heights?”

She smiled weakly. “A little?”

He groaned. “Why the hell did we ride this then?”

“It’s the best way to get to the park,” she answered simply.
 

Exasperation lined his tone as he growled, “I’m not going to enjoy myself while you look like that.”

“It’s just the first few minutes…”
 

Without a word, he lowered both of them to the transparent floor and settled her on his lap. She quickly snuggled closer to him. “Tell me a story?”

Nic rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised you asked me that?”

“Please?”

“And that you’re saying please?”

“Just one.”

He chuckled. “We both know that’s a lie.” But even so, he started to speak, and when he did, what he said surprised both of them. “When we get married, will you live with me in Europe?”

It was the first time she heard him open the subject about their wedding and married life together, and her heart was filled with so much love for him that she had to…

Nic grunted in pain when she practically strangled him with her embrace.
 

Laughing, Ayah released him. “Sorry.” But she sounded more giddy than apologetic, making him roll his eyes. And yet, he was grinning, too, which made Luuk even more handsome. He was dressed in another three-piece suit, and she loved how he could make something so terribly formal seem like it was normal clothing for him. She wondered if it was a European thing, but she had a feeling it wasn’t.

Luuk was just the kind of man who would look good in any kind of clothing simply because he knew he was that kind of man and wasn’t afraid to show it.

He raised a brow at her. “Are you planning to answer my question?”

Oh! She said without hesitation, “Wherever you want to live is okay with me.”

“But what about your life here?”

“I can always visit them.” She shyly kissed him on the lips. “I want to live with
you
.”

He sighed.

It was an odd kind of sigh, like she did something wrong. “What is it?”

“Do you still feel queasy?”

“No. It’s passed.” Most probably because of the excitement. She had been worried that she had somehow jumped the gun, but his words earlier had assured her she hadn’t. He really wanted to marry her. It was insta-love between them all the way, she thought dreamily. She took one look at him and fell in love without planning to. And now, a year after, he took one look at her and proposed marriage, probably without planning to.

Ayah smiled to herself. Most likely he had no plans to, she thought, since he didn’t even have a ring when he proposed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yup.”
 

“Good.”

In an instant, he was on his knees while he had her propped up on one corner. She looked down at him in confusion, but before she could ask him what he was doing Luuk had already flipped her skirt up. Ayah squeaked in surprise, but her squeak turned into a shriek when he disappeared inside her skirt.

“Luuk!” She glanced around them in a panic. She knew they were alone and thousands of feet above sea level, but – there were cable cars returning at the other line and there were also cable cars in front and behind them. What if they had binoculars? Surely they would see—

“Relax.” He nuzzled her lace-covered flesh.

Luuk was pushing her legs apart widely, forcing her to clutch the rails. “This isn’t right,” she said weakly.
 

His answering chuckle tickled her skin. “It is if it feels this good.”
 

She whimpered as he pulled her panties down and placed it inside his pocket. She couldn’t help looking around again, fearing that anytime now there’d be a helicopter carrying reporters swooping in on them and getting them arrested for lewd acts in public.

But there was none.

It was serenely silent, with the quiet only punctured by her breathless little pants as Luuk took his time caressing her legs. Around them, the sky was the perfect shade of blue, the sun warm but not scorching.
 

She stiffened when she saw that the cable car opposite them was occupied, and all of them were looking at her. “People are staring!” The lower half of the cable car’s walls were made of steel, hiding Luuk from view. She knew they were wondering what she was doing, renting a cable car all on her own.
 

Luuk said calmly, “Just act natural. They won’t be able to see me.”
 

Even if his words made sense, she still couldn’t help flushing with embarrassment. “Please come out of theeeeere.” She ended up moaning the words when she felt him kissing his way up from her ankles.

“Don’t look down or they’d know.”

She quickly lifted her head up since she had indeed been about to do that.
 

“Enjoy the surroundings while I enjoy you.” He said it as he cupped her sensitive knees, forcing her to gasp and clutch the rails more tightly.
 

“Don’t do that!” He was so damnably wicked, and how she loved it about him!

A good distance away, she could see the familiar shape of the Giant Buddha of Lantau Island and Ayah blushed harder, a part of her praying that the good Buddha would not know what she was doing in the cable car.

Below them were emerald green mountains, its peaks high enough to seem like they were within touching distance. Stone steps had been carved into the mountains, and she spied a couple of senior-aged hikers climbing them at a slow but steady pace. Further below were the dark blue waters separating the mainland from Lantau Island. A lone fishing boat stood out in the azure scenery, its owner busily casting off his net.

The occupied cable car was gone now, and she sagged back against the glass walls in relief.

It was the cue Nic was waiting for, and he parted her folds and began fucking Ayah with his tongue.

“AAAH!” Her knuckles turned white at how hard she was gripping the rails as Luuk’s tongue went in and out of her, going faster and deeper with each stroke.
Please no. Please don’t. Please yes. Please more.
She wanted to say all of it, but all she managed to do was moan and whimper.
 

“Scream for me, lieverd.” He moved up and sucked on her clit.

She obeyed, easily. His mouth on her clit was a moment made for screaming, and she didn’t stop crying out her pleasure until the very end. He bit, nipped, sucked, and sometimes he would go soft, other times he would go rough. She couldn’t guess what he’d do next and that made it even more exciting.
 

“Luuk…” She gasped when he slid three fingers in, all at the same time, making her feel so beautifully penetrated and full.

He fucked her with his fingers as he continued suckling on her clit. It was the sweetest and dirtiest kind of loving, and she wanted more of it – forever.
 

“I’m…”

“Not until I tell you,” he growled.

She moaned in protest. “But…”

“NOT until I tell you.”

She whimpered but did what he said, her head falling back against the glass wall as she tried to control her body’s urge to climax. The wind serenaded her, the sun caressing her skin, and all the while Luuk continued doing his best to make Ayah lose her sanity with his touches and kisses.

His fingers were shoving in and out of her like a rampaging cock and all she could do was move her hips up as fast as she could, wanting to meet his thrusts. Her clit was throbbing painfully, and she was hoarse from crying. “Please…”

Biting her clit, Nic said, “Now, lieverd.”

She came not a second later, a force so great shaking her body as a rush of hot wet come flowed out of her and into his mouth. He lapped it all up, making Ayah’s body shudder anew.

When she surfaced, it was to his murmured words that they had arrived and he was gently helping her up to her feet. She looked at him in a daze, her eyes still blurry with desire.

It was a very sexy look, but it was the kind of look he wanted for himself alone. Aware of the many men looking at them with interest – Ayah had the air of a sexually satisfied woman about her, and it was triggering everyone’s testosterone levels – Nic bent close and whispered in her ear, “I still have your panties, by the way.”

She squeaked in shock.

There. That cornered-mouse-look was a lot better. He swiftly walked them out of the cable car terminal and at her urging, he returned her underwear and waited for her to put them back on.

“You’re so wicked,” she told him when she emerged from the ladies’ room a few moments after.