Chapter 5: A Night of Passion

James was illuminated by the soft glow of the bedside lamp. I noticed the door was closed, and something told me that he had locked it. No one would be walking in on us. His gaze met mine, his eyes filled with a hunger that food couldn’t satisfy. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

He was gorgeous.

I admired the way his muscles rippled beneath his skin. I loved the gentle curve of his lips as he smiled at me. At that moment, I felt more alive than ever before. I became aware of the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I felt my heart beat wildly against my ribcage. I felt the butterflies come alive in my stomach. I was aware of the heat between my thighs.

This man drove me crazy in the best way.

With a smile of my own, I crossed the room and stood in front of him.

“Hey there,” he murmured, his voice low and husky. I noticed his fingers drumming against each other, as if he was trying to stop himself from grabbing me and devouring me. He was trying to exercise self-control.

I was going to take that self-control away.

“Hey,” I replied. I tried to keep my voice level, despite how shaky I felt.

I let the towel fall to the floor.

James’s jaw dropped.

He liked what he saw. And I loved that look on his face. Yes, the room was dimly lit, but there was more than enough light for James to see every inch of me. James’s gaze roamed over my curves, his admiration evident in the way his eyes drank me in.

“You're stunning,” he breathed, reaching out to pull me closer.

I melted into his embrace. His warmth enveloped me as our lips met in a passionate kiss. In that moment, nothing else mattered except for the connection we shared.

James reached out and touched me. I let him. His hands traveled my body with a tenderness that sent shivers down my spine. He ignited a hunger that only he could satiate.

The kiss deepened and I feared that I would be the one to lose all self-control. James grabbed my hips and pulled me forward, onto him. Our bodies moved in perfect synchrony. He pulled away from my mouth and began planting kisses down my neck.

I arched into him, craving more of his touch. His fingers traced the curves of my body, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Each caress set my skin ablaze.

With trembling hands, I explored every inch of his skin. I felt his soft hair, his muscled back, his hard abs. I squeezed his biceps. Our breath mingled in the darkness. The air thick with desire.

“Why are your clothes still on?” I breathed.

In one fluid motion, James lifted me and switched positions. I lay on my back, he was on top.

“Because—”

But before he could finish the sentence, I’d ripped his pants off. And from there on, all softness and gentleness vanished. Lost in the moment, we abandoned ourselves to the sensations that consumed us.

A moan escaped my lips.

“Shh,” James murmured against my skin, his breath hot against my ear. “We don’t want to wake the others.”

I stifled a laugh, burying my face in his chest to muffle the sounds of pleasure that threatened to escape me. Despite our efforts to remain quiet, the thrill of his touch only added to the exhilaration of the moment.

“Keily, you’re being too loud!” James warned. His breath was hot in my ear.

“I can’t help it!” I said.

James clasped a hand over my mouth, stifling my moans. I gripped his body harder, pulling him closer to me.

When we were both satisfied, James removed his hand. I couldn’t stop from laughing.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“You might have stifled the moans…” I said. “But, that headboard was pounding pretty hard against the wall…”

James’s jaw dropped and then he began laughing as well. At least we’d tried to be quiet.

***

I stirred awake beside James. Still naked, I stretched lazily. My fingers traced the contours of his sleeping form as I tried to wake him.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” I whispered, nudging him gently. “Time to wake up.”

But James only groaned in response, pulling the covers over his head in a futile attempt to block out the world. My lips curled into a mischievous grin. Leaning over him, I began to tickle his sides. I wasn’t sure if he was as ticklish as I was, but I was about to find out. His laughter filled the room as he squirmed, trying to evade my playful assault.

Okay, he was very ticklish!

In his efforts to escape, James rolled too far and tumbled out of bed with a thud. He landed on the floor with a startled yelp. For a moment, I just stared at him. But once I saw that he was unhurt, I burst into laughter.

“Smooth move, James,” I teased, reaching out to help him up.

He grinned sheepishly, rubbing his backside where he’d landed with a thud.

“I meant to do that,” he joked, and then took my hand.

Together, we laughed off the clumsy mishap. We were both wide awake now. It was time to get up and start the day. After a quick scramble to retrieve our clothes, we dressed and made our way to the dining area where everyone was gathering for breakfast.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted us before our friends did.

“How’d you sleep?” Addison asked me, quirking a brow.

“Good…” I said, thinking about all the things James and I had done.

His hands…

His mouth…

His…

“Really? I had a feeling you didn’t sleep much…” she teased.

Oh no. They had heard the headboard, hadn’t they?

“You do look awfully tired,” Sadhvi chimed in.

“I slept a lot!” I said, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

“Apparently there was a strange banging coming from your room…” Lola added.

That damned headboard.

“Must have been the wind,” James said.

My face was on fire by now! Luckily, the topic quickly changed.

“So, what's the plan for today?” Addison asked as she poured coffee for me and handed me the cup.

“I was thinking we could go shopping at that nearby grocery store,” I suggested, taking the mug from her. “We could stock up and prepare some meals together.”

“How about we team up, and each team is supposed to cook and clean one night? That way the responsibilities will be equally divided,” Addison asked. “Sadhvi and I will be a team.”

“Matt and I!” Lola said.

“Obviously, James and Keily will cook together,” Lucas said. “And I don’t mind cooking solo.”

I wondered if he missed Myra. I kind of wished he had invited her. Were they ever going to make up?

“That sounds like a great idea,” James chimed in. He poured his own coffee and then looked at me. “It’ll be just like we’re going grocery shopping for our own little house.”

I chuckled at the thought, teasing him in return. “Yeah, if we had a bunch of teenage kids to feed, too.”

James sipped his coffee, looking pleased.

“I’d tell you two to get a room,” Matt said. “But we all know what happens when you do.”

I tried to hide my face behind the coffee mug.

With plans set, we divided ourselves into two cars, knowing that one vehicle wouldn’t be enough to accommodate all of us. We arrived at the grocery store, excited and ready. But my excitement was dampened when I spotted the group of obnoxious kids from the rest stop.

What was my luck? I’d really hoped to never see them again.

But there they were. Ethan, Liam, Noah, and Sophia, who looked related to each other, were busy selecting packs of cigarettes from the shelves. I felt a pang of concern as I noticed how young they seemed, too young to legally purchase cigarettes.

James followed my gaze and his expression hardened as he spotted them. Addison, too, caught sight of the group. Her features tightened with frustration.

Sophia looked our way. She nudged Liam and said something. Moments later all four were glaring at us. We glared right back.

I didn’t think the tension could get any worse.

For a moment, it felt like we were on the verge of a confrontation, but neither side made a move to approach the other. I sighed inwardly, my hopes for a peaceful trip faded with each passing second. All I wanted was to enjoy a sunny day out with my friends, free from drama and harassment.

I briefly wondered if those kids also had a cottage nearby.

I hoped not. I hoped that I didn’t see them again and that we’d have a nice and peaceful trip.