Underneath It All (23 page)

Holding me still, he teased my sensitive skin with his kisses until his mouth found my sex, and began pleasuring me with his lips and tongue. I gasped; whimpers of delight escaped my throat. He tasted my essence; I began to tremble and shake. His tongue pulsed against my clit until I came and exploded all over his mouth.

“You taste fucking good, Agata,” he whispered, licking his lips.

He did not give me a chance to float back down from ecstasy. He freed himself from his pants and kicked them to the floor with the rest of his clothing, and then immediately aligned himself to enter me.

My legs were spread wide and I was wet with arousal. I was barely coherent, my head thrashing over the pillows.

He flipped me onto my back, lifted up my hips so my face was on the bed and my ass hoisted in the air. He licked the small of my back, and then moved down my ass.

Reeve started penetrating deeper. His thrusts were harder and faster. He moaned, grunted and grabbed onto my shoulder with one hand while his fingers massaged my clit at the same time. Our bodies climbed to a peak. I was screaming into my pillow and my hands were clutching the mattress. My toes curled tightly as I felt a heat rush through every inch of my body. I shuddered and screamed even more until I climaxed with a shriek.

“I love you, Reeve; I love you, I love you,” I panted.

He growled and jerked as he came and collapsed over me. Our heaving breaths were the only sounds to be heard.

Those three magical words I wanted to hear from him remained unspoken, but the emotion he showed in every gesture proved it.

As I lay in a stupor in Reeve’s hold, my body calmed as he soothed my restlessness with kisses and tender words that eventually lulled me to sleep.

***

We managed to get back to Boston to celebrate New Year’s Eve with my family. I’d usually go to First Night Boston with my friends to stroll around, wait until the clock struck twelve, then ring in the New Year. This year though, I stayed home. Dad invited our relatives and close friends around.

It was hard to face the reality that Mom would soon no longer be with us. But as the days went and her Alzheimer’s got worse, I found it easier to talk to her and laugh with her even though she couldn’t talk back. The look of joy on her face when her siblings and other relatives visited was all we needed to keep going. I understood now what Reeve once told me—focusing on the fun times rather than on the inevitable helped a lot.

“Hey I’m glad you could make it,” I said when I opened the door for him.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Reeve kissed my cheek and entered the house. “You take my breath away, lookin’ like you do.”

“You’re rather a dashing figure yourself in that outfit,” I edged closer and put my hands around his neck.

We walked forward hand in hand. Reeve offered his hand to Uncle Heineken and introduced himself.

“Ahh, you must be the one who’s been stealing our little Agata away from us!”

“I must be; I’m sorry,” Reeve replied sheepishly, taking my uncle’s hand.

I looked up to see my cousin Scotch, holding back with his arms crossed over his chest, putting up a tough front.

He started to slowly walk over to us, not extending his hand.

“I hope you have only the best intention when it comes to Agata. She is a magnificent girl who deserves only the best.”

“Scotch!” I gasped in shock.

“What? He needs to know up front what he is dealing with here,” Scotch explained.

“No, Agata. He’s right. You only deserve the best. Which is why I want to let your relatives know that I would do anything for you,” Reeve said in a strong and confident tone.

Scotch gave Reeve a nod of approval, finally extending his hand out in greeting, which Reeve gratefully took.

“Welcome to our clan, Reeve; let’s go get a drink,” Uncle Gin said coolly, leading my boyfriend away.

Very quickly all the guests started to arrive. Half an hour later, my best friends, Tats, Raven, and Apple, made their appearances followed by Aunt Agata and the Secretaries of Juliet from Verona. They also came to celebrate New Year’s with us. The party had been going on since seven and there was still an hour until the countdown to New Year began.

We had been drinking most of the night, dancing, and laughing.

Reeve walked out to the garden where he stood alone.

“Reeve,” I called, walking out the door, closing it behind me.

“Hey,” he replied un-enthusiastically. I stood next to him in silence.

“Why are you here?” I asked smiling at him, but he didn’t smile back; he stayed fixed on the night sky and the music from opposite houses. Sufficient moonlight illuminated the snow-covered landscapes beneath the clear Massachusetts sky. “Reeve!” He snapped out of it and faced me.

“It’s my first time spending New Year’s Eve with…a family. I was just overwhelmed with everything.”

“Reeve, I can promise you that with me you will always have a family.”

Reeve smiled bitterly at that.

“I think that went well. Thank God, I was so nervous.” He inhaled deeply and exhaled.

“You were?” I asked in surprise. “You seemed so calm and collected. Why were you even nervous in the first place? Of course my relatives were going to like you!”

“I was nervous because I really needed them to like me, because I love you,” he murmured the last three words as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

“W-w-wait, what did you just say?”

“I said I was nervous because I really needed your family to like me.”

“No, after that line, I swear I heard you say becau—”

“Ten! Nine!” The countdown started.

He cupped my face in his large hands.

“Eight! Seven!”

Reeve’s gaze drifted from my eyes to my lips and back up.

“Six! Five! Four!”

He pulled me close as they counted down from five.

“Three! Two!”

His lips found mine and didn’t leave till 12:01 A.M. “I love you,” he whispered against my lips. Loud and clear. “Happy New Year, sunshine.”

Fireworks went off and the cheering became louder. “Happy New Year!”

This is going to be a wonderful start of a new year.

Chapter XXV

Spring Semester

Spring Semester began Monday, January 6. By now, all students had returned from holiday break and were starting their spring courses.

I was in the bathroom just getting done when I heard my brother holler, “Agata if you don’t hurry, I am leaving you!” Knowing he would do that, I ran straight down the stairs where I saw Mik with keys in his hands and an irritated look on his face.

“Let’s go.”

Mik and I hopped in the car and started driving to the university. “How are you holding up?” Mik asked casually when we were mile out of Sharon.

“My head is in a hundred different places and all of them are crazy,” a smile of admittance crossed my lips. “But ninety percent of the time, my mind’s on Reeve…” I bit my lip. “He’s frustrating and got me clueless sometimes, but he’s sweet.”

“So you’re serious, then?” he mumbled, eyes straight on the road.

I sat wordless for a moment as things began to align in my mind.

“Well, for the first time, I want to share myself with someone…my whole self; not just the easy parts. That’s proof enough.” I stared out the window for a moment.

“How about him? Did he tell you how he truly feels about you?”

“Reeve is fairly silent in the four-letter-word department. Finally he spilled it on New Year’s Eve,” I giggled. “But there are some subtle, silent ways he’s telling me that he does.”

“Oh yeah?” Mik raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“Do you really wanna know?”

“Not the graphic details please.” Mikael smiled and rolled his eyes at me.

“Well, like passionate, excellent, lengthy kisses, and I always catch him grinning after our kisses. He listens closely when I’m talking, showing how much my words mean to him,” I was grinning like an idiot enumerating the subtle actions that meant “I love you” for me.

“Hmmm.” Mik nodded and eyed me carefully as he changed gears to get off the highway.

“What are the biggest signs he loves you?”

“He sticks around when I need him the most,” I replied. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Things were different with Kyle. I never loved him. I see that now. His silent ways he’s showing he cares really mean a lot to me.” I shook my head and sighed.

“So what’s with that face, Agata?”

“It is…it’s just that nothing is ever easy or smooth with us. I can’t wrap my head around all of that. We’re going through some stuff right now. You know that, family stuff and all that jazz.”

My face scrunched up.

“You think you have a future with him?” Mik inquired. It was an innocent question, but the odd tone of his voice insinuated something else.

“I never thought about the future with Reeve. But I would like to.” He smiled at me as I stared uncertainly at him.

“Promise to me that if he hurts you, in any way possible, you’ll break up with him,” Mik said.

“I promise.” I assured him, and gave him a huge smile.

He nodded and continued to drive in silence. After a few minutes he suddenly broke the silence. “Rogue told me about her heart disease.”

I almost choked in surprise. “She did?”

Mik nodded. His eyes were glued on the road ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel in a steady grip, his lips pursed.

“Sorry,” I muttered, searching his eyes. I touched his shoulder and said, “We will figure things out.”

Mik just gave me a short nod and left my eyes to fixate on the road again.

We reached the university and after we parked, Mik climbed out of the car. He kissed my cheek and hugged me, then we both went our separate ways and headed to class.

I stared down at my boots as small puddles began to form beneath them on the concrete floor. It had snowed an obnoxious amount the night before and of course I wasn’t prepared when I left the house this morning. From my boots, my eyes trailed up to see that my skinny jeans were damp from the sleet that had been falling from the ominous grey sky. The only saving grace that morning was that I wore a thick red pullover hoodie.

I couldn’t believe it was already the first day of the Spring Semester.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about coming back. Part of me was excited for the upcoming semester and catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in a while. Another part of me wasn’t looking forward to the stress of preparing for graduation this year.

As soon as I walked in the classroom, I searched for familiar faces. The girls were waving their hands in the air, gesturing to the seat beside them.

“Someone’s glowing today. Wow! Is that the effect of the L.A. sun?” Apple teased as I approached them.

“Partly yes, partly no,” I told them as I slumped to my chair.

Despite my intentions not to show any emotions, I felt my cheeks begin to heat up under the intense stare of my friends.

“Okay, the ‘no’ part first?” Tats asked.

I sighed deeply. “Mik found out about Rogue’s condition.”

“Well, three things cannot be long hidden—the sun, the moon, and the truth,” stated Raven from the far end.

“Now, the ‘yes’ part,” queried Apple.

“Reeve finally dropped the L-bomb!”

“Oh my gosh!” The girls squealed in unison and Tats gave me a big squishy hug.

“Girls at the back—what are we squealing about?” Professor Prudius asked.

“Nothing, Professor.” Tats stood up and answered, unable to meet our professor’s eyes. Tats giggled and nudged my side when she sat back.

Particularly after discussion began, everyone started making these grand, wonderful observations about life, love, and the pursuit of a professional career.

I felt out of place. It was one of the reasons why I’d avoided talking about “following your passion” lately, as the discussion was much more nuanced.

The professor dismissed the class causing everyone to flee. On the first full day of classes, it would be an exaggeration to say that I was overwhelmed.

After morning classes, we all trooped over to Jady Bar and Grill for lunch that bright, chilly afternoon.

“So tell us, how did he actually spit it out?” Raven asked, using the side of her fork to slice the steak.

“Well, when the clock struck 12:00 on New Year’s Eve, he finally said the magic words, loud and clear,” I answered with a blush growing on my face as I cut up my steak into small pieces.

Tats held up a finger as she chewed, telling me to hold on before she released a loud giggling squeal, jumping up to give me a hug that I gladly returned. “Oh my freakin’ gosh!”

I smiled and picked up my fork again to resume eating. All talk of Reeve and me ended, and we found ourselves laughing about the little things in life, books, movies, and stories of our theses gone wrong.

“Speak of the devil,” uttered Apple. My breath caught as I saw Reeve standing by the window, with his hands in his pocket. He was wearing a black, deep V-neck, slim fitting shirt over light wash jeans.

“God, Dean Gates is hot. Like intimidatingly so,” Raven muttered under her breath.

He suddenly turned, strode forward slowly, and walked into the restaurant. “Hello, girls,” he greeted.

A short silence fell on the group, but Tats was the first to speak.

“Hi, Dean, how’s it like to live with one kidney?” asked Tats. Apple nudged her. Tats and her big mouth.

“Well, you only need one kidney to live and I guess I’m living a healthy, active life with almost no restrictions at all.”

“That’s nice to hear,” Tats bobbed her head and smiled at him. I could tell she marveled at the sight of him, awe in her sparkling brown eyes.

“Would you like to eat something, Dean?” asked Apple.

“No, thank you. Agata and I should be going.”

“To where?” I asked.

“To a couturier. Tonight is the brotherhood’s annual ball, and you’re coming with me.”

“Wait a minute, Dean. If Agata is going to that ball, she should dress to kill. If she would want someone to accompany her and tell her what fits her or not, it’s us,” Apple said.

“It’s time for dress shopping!” Tatiana and Apple announced in glee.

Thirty minutes later, we were walking down the street of Newbury toward the shopping district. The four of us crossed the threshold of a boutique and quickly traversed to the dresses at the end. All of the dresses were simply stunning. There were dresses in every color and every style one could imagine.

Tats quickly picked one, holding it up to her chest, and saying, “Look! This one’s peach!” A cute little dress ruffled at the end, with an empire waist and a small white bow in the middle.

“Ooh! This one’s nice!” Raven pulled a dark blue and white dress from the rack, holding it up to her chest and fanning out the lower part with her other hand. It was very Apple; it looked like something straight out of her closet.

“I’m gonna go try those on!” I said excitedly, rushing into one of the dressing rooms.

“What do you think?” Raven asked as I twirled around, making the bottom of the dress swirl around my legs. The dress, color and size, fit me perfectly, and it stopped just barely above my knees, but for some reason I wasn’t comfortable with it.

“It’s a bit revealing. I want some classy style that will exude a country girl aura with a city girl swag, you know.”

They turned their heads looking at each other, collectively back at me, and said in unison, “Feisty!”

“Eve Cromwell is going down tonight,” Apple said with a devilish grin. “Don’t you know she was the one behind that stop-hookin-up-with-dean-gates writing on the board?”

“I had an inkling,” I said, nodding my head as I kept browsing through the dresses, lifting every hanger.

“Ta-da! How about this one?” asked Tats.

“Wow!” I exclaimed in excitement.

“Now baby, that’s what you call a dress to kick ass,” said Raven.

***

The night had finally come. We stayed at Apple’s house, where they did my hair and make-up. Apple’s ability to throw together stuff and manage to make me look ravishing was so impressive. My hair was swept back in a simple bun and my make-up was soft and flattering, finished with a smoky eye and a red glossy lipstick.

I was wearing a floor-length red gown with a sparkling embellishment on its single shoulder strap, and a subtle side thigh-high slit at the left leg. Standing in front of the mirror, I took a good look at myself and twirled slowly. “Do I look okay?”

Tatiana’s jaw slightly dropped open. “You look amazing, Gats.”

“You’re the girl on fire, dammit,” Raven said.

“But something is missing,” Apple squinted her eyes. “Come here.” She grabbed my hand and sat me down in front of the vanity. She pulled a necklace out of the box and placed it around my neck. It was a Titanic-like pendant made up of diamonds and sapphires. Apple pulled back to admire her work. “There you go. A sure head turner. Innocent but fierce.”

They all looked closer in the mirror, our faces so close to each other and nodding with satisfaction in the look they made me wear.

The doorbell rang loudly throughout the house, making us all jump up in excitement. Obviously, I knew who it was straight away.

Apple and Tats ran downstairs to open the door. Tats went back up and announced, “Oh my God, there he is,” Tats giggled.

“It’s just him, no reason to giggle that much,” I mumbled and took one last look in the mirror before following them downstairs.

He met me at the end of the steps and took my hand, kissing it chastely. I looked at him and was lost for words. I watched him, mesmerized by his looks. He definitely served as inspiration for many of the swoon-worthy fictional boyfriends. He looked so confident and sexy in his timeless black three-piece suit. It gave me chills. My mouth was slightly open; I guess I was drooling a little.

I swallowed hard, stopped briefly in front of Reeve, and gestured to my outfit. “H-how do I look?”

He bit his lower lip and said, “You look insanely hot.” I blushed profusely. “Let’s get this over with so I can have a taste of that fuck-me-already look,” he whispered against my ear.

I chuckled at his statement and lightly punched his arm.

“Enjoy the night, love birds,” bade my ever supportive friends.