The Pawns that Gleam [Bk 3]

ch.11 Lesson 1: Gravity

***I recommend listening to "lessons in love" by neon trees for this chapter. Link's on right.

Harry chased me down for about another half a mile before I started to get slightly winded and just wanted to enjoy the beach instead of running away from it. But he kept running and getting faster and faster, focusing on my underwear as if that would give him more motivation.

I glanced over at him and his red boxers that hugged his hips and were just low enough to make out a very tempting v-line. He gave me a devilish smirk when I winked at him.

I jumped over sand dunes and ponds and other little additions kids had made to the sand. But my legs grew heavy and I started to slow down. Harry started to pick up even more speed.

My legs felt stiff and sore, wanting Harry to carry me down to the shore to rest. Harry caught up with me and he grinned, knowing he had 'won.'

"I thought your legs were light as feathers?" he teased. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me down under a palm tree. 

I shook my head and caught my breath.

Harry laughed and took advantage of my soreness by massaging my legs and squeezing along my thigh more for his own pleasure than for my comfort.

He continued a more controlled version of his antics from our room and lay me down softly under him but hardened his grip around my waist, leaning down over me to make sure I didn't escape like I did in the hotel.

"Afraid I'll fly away. Harry?" I teased as I squirmed underneath him, pretending to try to escape.

"Terrified" he winked and he started to plant moist kisses along my neck.

He held my arms down in the sand and moved lower, down to the lace of my bra, which he tugged at with his teeth, and to my stomach. He stopped just about my navel and kissed it for good luck.

We lay there, in the sand, for a while, not bothering to check what time it was. Not caring if we were falling asleep while cuddled together, legs entangled, arms holding one another close.

It was getting hotter with each breath we took, but the sweat glistening on our bodies only made us more determined to relax, to enjoy the sun as if made us 'golden.'

I glanced over at Harry and saw that he was watching my face.

"Maybe they knew you from their sick little dreams" he mumbled tersely as he recalled the men that had looked at me as though shocked that I was alive and moving and standing before them.

Harry traced along my face, following the curve of my nose and eyes and down to my lips.

"Maybe" I mumbled, but I knew it wasn't true. I didn't know what the truth was, but I had a feeling Becky and Gemma had something to do with it more so than my mom. 

I glanced up at Harry as he continued to gently press his fingers around my face and neck, as if sculpting me out of clay. I took his hands in mine and kissed them.

Then, I pressed up slightly on my elbows and Harry leaned down over me, resting his arms under my back so that I could rest on them wile he rested his head against my chest. I touched only a single curl and he immediately jerked back, afraid I might turn him into a real princess- dress and tiara, too.

I almost laughed out loud at the image of Harry in a pink dress with his back muscles bulging and his biceps tearing the sleeves.

But the tiara, the tiara, I could imagine. I had given him a flower crown on the plane beacuse he was a knight and maybe, one day soon, he could be a king and I could be a queen with tiny pawns scurrying around us.