The One Last Kiss Read online

  I had a feeling the mood was broken and getting it back wasn’t going to happen. I was patient and she was worth the wait. I stopped her at the door to give her something to think about.

  “You have me wrapped around your little finger. I’m pretty complex. This is not going to be a quick fix. You can make me feel like I’m going from frustrated to expectation in a matter of seconds. I’m already kicking myself for what happened last time,” I said chastising myself for not pursuing her after she had run out on me.

  I thought it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.

  Was I barking up the wrong tree?

  What could I possibly expect after all this time?

  “I need to leave.” She said.

  I went behind her and moved her hair away from her neck kissing the back of it. She shivered and those sexual Goosebumps spread across her flesh.

  “You’re definitely taking no chances that I’m going to change my mind.” She stated emphatically.

  “We’ve come too far to go back to the way things were between us. I have no interest in playing the field looking for something that is right in front of me.” I said.

  She gave me a cock of her eyebrow.

  I stopped at the doorway, biting my bottom lip and imagining that dress falling from her shoulders to reveal her alabaster skin. I hungered like the wolf to consume those hot juices building up with pressure in between her legs. I wanted to kiss those lips and to show her my oral expertise.

  I drove her home and she looked so damn beautiful. It was hard to keep my hands to myself. We kept playing this game of looking at each other and then pretending that everything was perfectly normal. The kiss was something I couldn’t stop thinking about.

  “I want to see you again. Think about it. I will be in touch,” I said.

  She didn’t say anything, but she almost stumbled going into her house. I wanted to rush in and take her into my arms. I refrained trying to remember how it felt to deny myself the taste of her lips. I didn’t want to do anything to ruin what we had.

  I drove away with my eyes watching the mirror praying that she was going to come to catch me before I left. Please…let her come out…

  What was I thinking kissing her back? I probably scared her and she won’t want anything to do with me. I’m such an idiot.

  I went upstairs and looked at our secret love nest. The sheets were stripped and replaced with the smoothness of red silk. There were a couple of candles with the balcony doors open with the moonlight streaming into the room.

  I thought I was ready.

  I thought she was ready.

  I was wrong…

  Chapter 8

  ~Grace~

  “I can’t talk right now. I know it has been a few days and I apologize. It had nothing to do with you. I was called away to cover an important story in Colorado.” I said with my bare feet bunched up into the sheet of the hotel room bed.

  I had my laptop in front of me going over the notes that I had made during my meeting with a war criminal trying to get his story out. I’d splurged on something quite extravagant and pricey. There were two floors with the master bedroom overlooking the mountains.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you. That kiss is going to stay with me. I want to see you again. We’ve been talking about this for the past couple of days.” Edward said in a breathless whisper that made me feel that we were carrying on some illicit affair.

  “It’s not a big secret and you don’t have to whisper. I’m still planning on coming back. I’m just not sure when that is going to be. I want the same thing but our schedules are getting in the way.” I said with the phone up to my ear.

  I had a cup of coffee still steaming on the night stand to ward off the Colorado chill in the air. It was a beautiful landscape and it would’ve been nice to share it with somebody special.

  “The distance between us is only getting longer. I want something more than to hear your voice on the other end of the phone. I want to see your beautiful face and the way that your smile lights up a room.” He said with his voice sounding hollow.

  I had my hand twirling my hair and doing two things at the same time wasn’t easy. He made me feel like a giddy schoolgirl being asked out to the prom for the first time. The impersonal tray of food left behind after receiving it from room service was nothing like the meal that he had catered to my every whim.

  “I don’t know what you want me to do. This job makes it necessary to drop everything and be on a flight within minutes of getting the call. There’s nothing that I can do about that.” I said looking at my reflection in the mirror across from me.

  “I would never ask you to give up anything that you love. I admire and appreciate everything you have gone through to make your career a success. You do have a way with words that has me completely spellbound from the moment I start to read one of your articles,” He said feeding my ego.

  “It’s nice to know that my work is something that I can share with you. I’ll let you in on a little secret. This new assignment is going to make me relevant again. This career is all about what have you done for me lately.” I said quite proud of how I had gotten the war criminal to open up about his experiences.

  “I’m not sure that I can wait that long. You might have to give me a sneak peek to whet my appetite for more. You could say what you do with words is exactly what I do in the kitchen. We’re both artists in our own right,” He said.

  I was using one hand to type and another hand to listen to him with my mind swirling with thoughts of that kiss that still lingered on my lips.

  I felt like I could almost reach out and touch him from where he was 1000 miles away. His voice had mimicked the same sentiment that I had been thinking about all night.

  The time spent apart wasn’t making my heart grow fonder. It was making me realize that maybe we were two ships passing in the night. The idea of something long-term considering the circumstances seemed out of reach.

  “I have no disparaging comments about your cooking. It was a pleasure to watch you cook. I didn’t know that it took so much effort. I’ve always taken for granted what chefs do behind closed doors. You have opened my eyes in more ways than one,” I said while putting the finishing touches on the story that was going to become a national sensation.

  “I don’t normally go out of my way for any woman. There’s something about you that has me wishing that I could say these things to your face. I know it seems impossible, but I’ve never believed in that word. When there’s a will…there’s a way,” He said confidently with his words touching me deeply.

  “I don’t know if you are delusional or a diehard romantic. I suppose it really doesn’t matter. If I can’t see you, then the next best thing is hearing your voice. I’m glad that you find time to call me to tell me about your day. It’s the little things that matter the most.” I said.

  I made my way over to the window to look at the lights twinkling in the city. I could see the faint hint of snow in the mountains where I had just come from.

  I held onto the curtain wearing my displeasure on my face. I could tell him that his voice was enough, but it wasn’t. I missed him deeply and getting on the plane was the hardest thing I had ever done.

  The story was hard hitting journalism at its best and I couldn’t afford to let somebody else swoop in and take my glory. I wasn’t running from him or at least, I didn’t think I was. It was possible that the kiss was making me think that I had gone too far. I could tell from his reaction that he wanted to go further. I needed this time to re-evaluate.

  “I’m sure the sunsets in Colorado are beautiful. I hope you get time to do some sightseeing. The world is full of wonders and you only need to open up your eyes,” He replied.

  I picked up the remote control for the television but I didn’t feel like watching anything. Listening to him had me closing my eyes envisioning those very same words being whispered into my ear under the cover of darkness. I was drifting away on a melody of his words. There was not
hing remotely sexual in these lengthy discussions. The hidden meaning was there, but we didn’t voice it.

  “I’ve been around the world and I haven’t really taken the time to smell the roses. It would be different if you were here. Eating at fancy restaurants alone isn’t something that I would recommend. Taking a stroll in the streets to watch love birds kissing make me homesick for those that I have left behind,” I said touching the door and wanting him to be there on the other side with a bouquet of roses and a big smile on his face.

  “You know that I would drop everything and be there with you if I could. We both have obligations and responsibilities. It’s kind of galling to think how much people depend on us. You would think they would be able to get along without us for one day,” He said with his voice cracking with static.

  “I would never presume to ask you to drop everything and come here. It goes without saying that I would enjoy your company. The way you make me feel is something that no man has been able to do.” I remarked with a longing that made me drop down heavy on the bed with a sigh of resignation.

  “You should live it up and have room service bring you a bottle of champagne to prematurely celebrate,” He suggested.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I would swear that you are trying to get me drunk. Don’t even think about turning this conversation into something that would require you to ask me what I’m wearing,” I said with my finger touching one button and biting my bottom lip at the same time.

  The sheer gravity of doing something like that would leave me speechless. I didn’t think that I could muster the words to encourage anything that wasn’t PG rated on the phone. There was silence on the other end of the line and I didn’t even hear him breathing. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know how to tell him how much I missed him without losing a part of myself.

  “I would love to be there to hold you close. I’m losing my mind a little more each day without you. It hurts me and pains me deeply to be this far from you. It bothers me that you have this effect on me, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I believe I already mentioned that,” He said reaffirming my faith that his feelings for me were genuine.

  “You don’t have to keep saying that to make me feel bad.” I said with my heart breaking. I heard the doorbell ringing.

  “I took the liberty of calling your hotel and telling them that you wanted a bottle of champagne. I’ll wait while you go and compensate them for their time. Remember to tip generously. Have a glass on me.” He said.

  I went down the stairs to the door with a $20.00 bill in my hand. I opened it and stumbled back at the revelation of seeing him standing there with the bottle of champagne he had mentioned.

  Chapter 9

  ~Edward~

  It wasn’t easy keeping the secret. I wanted to say it out loud but it would have ruined the surprise expression on her face. Grace was completely at a loss for words and couldn’t even seem to say anything.

  “Are you going to invite me in?” I asked with the bottle of champagne chilled in my hand in the ice bucket. She moved to the side and I brushed past to look at her in her comfortable attire. She wasn’t exactly presentable for company, but it was nice to see her without the trappings of makeup.

  The sky-blue sweatpants weren’t what gave me a second of pause. I smiled when I realized that when she left three years ago that she had taken my shirt with her. I thought I lost it and never thought of it again.

  Seeing her wearing it like a trophy was almost a breath-taking example of what a woman looked like in a man’s shirt. I wasn’t mad and secretly excited that she wanted me next to her in a profound way.

  “You should have given me some notice before coming here. I would have waited for dinner,” She said meekly with her voice slightly lower.

  I put the ice bucket down on the kitchen counter and pulled the bottle out of the ice. I turned and broke the seal before popping the cork and letting it flow freely over my hand. I looked around and found two hotel glasses. It wasn’t the same as expensive stemware from my personal collection, but it was going to have to suffice.

  I poured the bubbles into the glass and handed her one. She clutched it with both hands and held it firmly against her chest. She was still trying to figure out if I was real or some kind of optical illusion.

  “I want to pinch you to find out if you are real or in my overactive imagination. I don’t know how this is possible, but I’ve learned to never underestimate you.” She said while taking a few steps forward until we only had a few inches separating us.

  I took the glass from her hands and placed it against her lips. She sipped and looked at me the entire time with the bubbles, no doubt, tickling her nose. I shared the same glass enjoying the intimacy. I touched her face and the smoothness of her skin made me stare at her.

  I was rather impressed that she had chosen one of the best rooms in the place. There was plenty of space and a full kitchen that was going to come in handy when I made her breakfast in bed.

  I gave her the glass and retrieved one of my own.

  “I’m still trying to believe my own eyes. I had no idea that you were setting me up. I’m usually a better judge of character and can read between the lines. It’s what makes me great at my job but it doesn’t seem to translate into my personal life,” She confessed.

  I could tell from her reaction that her love life lacked that special kind of spontaneity. I was glad that I could be something more than a disembodied voice.

  “You can touch me and find out for yourself,” I said while grabbing her hand and placing it against my chest to let her feel my heart beating against her fingertips.

  “I know this is real, but it feels like a vivid dream that I’m going to wake up from at any moment,” She said.

  “I had to come and tell you how much you mean to me. I’ve been in love with you from the moment that we met and I didn’t even know it. It hurts me when you are no longer around and makes me yearn for that moment when I’m going to see your face again,” I confessed putting my heart on my sleeve and letting the words convey how much having her in my life meant to me.

  I pursued her from across the room until she was up against the door. I didn’t dare do anything to ruin the sexual tension in the air. There was no need to touch her to get my point across.

  I made sure to look at her in my shirt and wonder about the secret thrill lying underneath it. The swell of her breasts and the hint of her cleavage made my clothes feel too tight. She was breathing heavy with no place to go. Our lips were almost touching and I was daring her to cross that invisible line in the sand.

  “Is it hot in here or is it just me?” She asked with her hand fanning her face. I’m going to open up the balcony doors,” She said trying to get around me and not finding any luck.

  I had her up against the door in much the same way that I did the first night. There was nobody to blame for the way that we were feeling about one another. This was our time to forget about everything besides the two of us.

  “I love what you’re wearing. I guess I made more of an impression on you than I thought. You don’t really think that you can hide the fact that is my shirt. It looks better on you than it has ever done on me,” I said with my hand planted on the wall behind her leaving her a virtual prisoner of my eyes travelling down over her body.

  “I’m feeling a little flushed and you wouldn’t want me to pass out,” She said once again trying to get around me and trying to slip underneath my arms.

  “I will catch you if you fall, but there’s no way that I’m going to let you out of my sight,” I said. I kissed her and she allowed my tongue to explore her mouth. She kissed me back and became a great student to the teacher. It was the perfect kiss. I guided her to wrap her legs around my waist and I kissed her again more passionately than it was before.

  I took her to the bathroom and slowly undressed her. I unbuttoned the shirt that had become quite a fascination for me. I moved slowly down, kissing each piece of exposed skin reve
aled.

  She blushed.

  I touched her pink laced bra and I kissed her breasts with the nipples hard enough to cut through glass. I removed her shirt and let it fall to the tile floor.

  I removed the rest of her clothes until she was completely naked. I revelled in the vision of loveliness in front of me. She was like an angel sent down from heaven to grace me with her presence.

  I could tell that she was shy and it made be that much more determined to show her how a woman should be treated. She gave me a moment to explore with my hands down her side and her body pressed up against the counter of the sink behind her.

  She had both hands gripping the counter watching me and waiting for what I was going to do next.

  “I want you to give me a few minutes. Come to the bedroom when you are ready. I think that you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” I said.

  There was this unspoken bond written in the stars. The lights were dimmed and I made sure that the door was locked down stairs. This was the night that I was waiting for.