Rys and I were going to watch the sunrise on the beach, but exhaustion made us return home. We fell asleep in each other's arms, and although I didn't solve the scholarship problems, I didn't lose sleep over them, maybe because Rys's warm chest pressed to my back and his soft breaths made it hard to focus on anything else.
He didn't seem to have moved at all as I woke up to the blinding sunlight flooding the room. After casting a glance at Rys's handsome face, I slipped from under the covers and grabbed the first dress I found in the closet before heading to the guest bathroom to get ready.
It was too late for breakfast, but not brunch, and for once, I wanted to be the one to cook for us. Rys sleeping in was as weird as not hearing his phone go off every hour. He deserved some rest and a good meal.
I settled for making an omelet and frying some bacon. When the food was ready, he wasn't up yet. Since I didn't want to eat without him, I busied myself with tidying the living room. Besides, the rare mess was mine — the supplies I used to make a collar and the folder full of patterns were on the coffee table Rys hardly ever left things on.
I was only going to look at the pattern I needed to finish a piece I'd started, but somehow, I got caught up in the designs until I reached the last page. There, tucked between others, were four half-done pencil sketches, my attempts at something original. I hadn't drawn in a while, but I remembered how it was done.
"Good morning."
Rys leaned against the doorframe, bare-chested with a half-baked grin on his lips.
I snapped the folder shut and rushed to his side. "Good morning, Mr. Delano."
He smacked my butt. "Rys. I thought we were on the same page about ways of addressing each other."
"I woke up and decided to be a rebel."
"Of course," Rys said, drawing an arm around my shoulders.
I hugged his waist and pressed a kiss to his neck. "I made brunch."
He ran a palm down my back. "Thank you. It smells delicious, and I'm starving."
Rys set the table in the dining room, and we settled to eat by the window. A breeze ruffled the umbrellas on the patio, but the bright blue sky promised a perfect summer day.
"God, this is so good." Rys moaned, chewing on a bite of the omelet. "Is there anything you're bad at? I've just discovered another of your talents, Miss Walton."
"Lyra."
"I decided to be a rebel today." He winked over the rim of his mug. As he set it down, he reached for a napkin and dabbed at the corners of his mouth. The tilt of his head and his attentive gaze told me he was up to something, but I kept eating.
Rys cut a piece of his bacon and forked it. "So... Have you thought about last night's offer?"
"The sex one?"
He sighed. "What am I gonna do with you?"
"Punish me?"
"Might as well," he said, bringing the fork to his lips. Despite the amusement in Rys's eyes, warmth swathed my cheeks, and I squirmed on my chair.
Rys finished eating and pushed his empty plate aside. "The money offer stands. So does the other one."
Playfulness vacated Rys's tone. He curled a palm around the mug and drummed a rhythm on the glass with his free hand. "I meant it, and enough hours have passed for you to have reconsidered."
"Rys..."
"Lyra..."
"I haven't changed my mind. I still want to do this on my own."
If I managed to finish the sketches and make some more during my last week in Marfolk, I might have a shot at a scholarship, but I couldn't tell Rys about the drawings yet. Not before I shaped a thousand random ideas into designs.
Rys's phone buzzed on the table. He reached for it, reluctance stamped across his expression. I sipped my coffee while he read whatever email or message he'd received.
"Did sleeping in for once mean the end of the world?" I asked when the crease between Rys's brows got more prominent, and he typed something.
"Believe it or not, the world is still fine," Rys said, focused on the gadget in his hands. "But there's something I'll need your help with."
He put the cell parallel to his empty mug and leaned back in his chair. His face grew softer as he trailed his gaze over my dress-clad body.
"My help?"
"Yes." Rys seemed to have snapped out of his perusal. "I'm invited to a business thing two days from now, and I want you to be my plus one. I would've said no, but it's an opportunity I've been waiting for."
"What's the event?"
"A business anniversary."
"Hotels?"
Rys slowly moved his head from side to side. "Luxury yachts."
I wasn't a stranger to business events because I'd accompanied my parents to a fair share of them over the years, but mingling with strangers didn't come easy to me. More often than not, I'd find a quiet spot to hide while my parents networked, only emerging if they needed to introduce me to someone.
"I know it might not be the most exciting party to attend," Rys said, probably mistaking my silence for lack of enthusiasm, "but the food will be delicious, and..." He rose to his feet. "It'd make me really happy if you'd come."
Rys walked up to me and crouched down before my chair. I gently slid my fingers through his hair, pushing it back. He bent his head and kissed my thigh, a gesture so sweet my heart swelled.
"I'd love to go," I said, grazing his nape with my fingertips. "What's the dress code?"
"It's a black tie event, but don't worry about the dress. We'll go shopping this afternoon."
"Okay."
Rys stood. A satisfied smile played on his lips as he leaned down. He hooked a thumb under my jaw and lifted it. Our eyes met for a second; then he pressed his mouth to mine in a hot, wet kiss. "Thank you, mi cielo."
***
I'd been to Emerport, the biggest coastal city in the area, a handful of times, but visiting it with Rys was way more exciting than going with anyone else. Vibrant and modern, the metropolis attracted lovers of culture and the beach alike thanks to its unique mix of nature and art.
Shopping was Emerport's other attraction. Rys parked the Tesla in the retail area downtown, and we strolled down the street flanked by fashion boutiques and restaurants. My gaze paused on the display in one of the windows. The golden gown on the mannequin sparkled in the bright sunlight.
"Let's start here," Rys said, gently tugging at my hand. He made his way toward the store entrance and opened the door.
"Mr. Delano," a smiling clerk said as soon as we stepped inside. "It's nice to see you again."
"Likewise, Lynn." The corners of Rys's mouth lifted in a polite smile that was different from the one he usually gave me, but the girl's cheeks acquired a light pink shade. Who'd blame her? A smiling Rys never failed to make my heart skip a beat.
"Can I help you with something?" Lynn asked.
Rys glanced at me. "Yes. We're looking for a dress. Lyra will tell you what she likes."
The soft lights in the store accentuated the shimmer of the evening gowns' fabrics. Although all the dresses were exquisite, I couldn't help but direct my gaze toward the one displayed in the window.
"That one is stunning," Lynn said. "Would you like to try it on?"
"I'd love to."
Lynn led us to a fitting room the size of a decent walk-in closet and left to retrieve the garment. Rys leaned against the wall, crossed arms folded over his chest. "That dress will look amazing on you."
I cocked my head. "How do you know?"
"Because everything does."
Biting back a grin, I twirled in front of the floor-length mirror. "Then I'll wear my shorts and a top with no bra, like the day we met."
Rys dropped his arms and groaned, closing his eyes. "Right. And I'll have to worry about murdering every man in attendance instead of networking and enjoying the night with you."
"Mr. Delano woke up and chose violence."
A low chuckle rumbled in the room. "He woke up and chose to spend the day with you. So far, so good."
Lynn strolled in, carrying the golden dress. "Do you need help putting it on?"
"We got this." Rys took the gown from her. "Thank you."
The girl nodded with a smile and walked out of the room.
"You're using every excuse to see me severely underdressed, Mr. Delano," I said, lowering the straps of my sundress. Rys's gaze lingered on my breasts, and I snapped my fingers in front of his face.
Laughing, Rys caught my hand and pressed it to his lips. "Can't help myself."
"My C cups are flattered."
The sundress fell and pooled around my feet. I stepped out of it and picked it up. After I hung it on a spare hanger, Rys extended the shimmery evening gown toward me.
"I'll risk having you accuse me of wanting to see you underdressed, miss Walton, but my limited fashion knowledge tells me you should try this dress on without a bra."
He was annoyingly right because the gown was backless and dipped low enough in the front to require deciding whether I'd be comfortable wearing it with nothing underneath.
Sighing, I reached behind me to unclasp the white see-through bra, but Rys covered my hand with his before I could take anything off. "Let me."
My body stiffened in anticipation of his touch. When Rys skated his fingertips down the length of my spine, the greedy need for more of his hands on me sent shivers across every inch of my exposed skin.
He slid his finger under the lace of the bra and rubbed the place where the tight garment had left a mark. The seemingly innocent caress had me clenching my thighs, and when Rys moved his hand to the front of my body and yanked the transparent cups of the strapless bra down, my sex throbbed.
He turned me so I'd face the mirror. It reflected a flustered, topless girl who trapped her bottom lip between her teeth without realizing it. Rys took my nipple between his thumb and index and tugged, making me gasp from pleasure with a twinge of pain.
He smoothed his fingertip over the stiff bud and cupped my breast with his palm. The mirror showed Rys lowering his head and pressing his mouth to my neck. "If I push your panties to the side and enter you with two fingers at once," he rasped, warming my skin with his breath, "will you soak my hand, or would I need to add a third?"
"Rys." His name left my throat in a helpless whimper. He shouldn't do this to me here, but he did it anyway, and the lust clouding Rys's blue eyes told me he had no intention of stopping.
He squeezed my breast and bit my neck softly. "Answer, mi cielo. Would that be enough, or would you need something else? Maybe my tongue." He kissed the spot he'd grazed with his teeth. "Or my cock."
The throbbing intensified. I angled my face so I could kiss him and get some sort of relief, but Rys beat me to it, only that his mouth landed on my jaw, not lips, and he glided his palm over my chest before resting it on my back.
"Both offers stand," he whispered, unclasping my bra with ease. "And we should see if the dress fits before Lynn starts wondering."
He couldn't be serious. And although a month ago sex in a public place wouldn't have crossed my mind, now, after the havoc Rys's words wreaked on my body, I wanted him to fuck me against the mirror.
Because I knew he could. And that he didn't do anything only meant one thing. The realization made me flip around, and Rys regarded me with a smirk.
"Yes?"
"You're punishing me."
He pushed a strand behind my ear and caressed my cheek. "It was your suggestion, mi cielo. And in case you didn't notice, I'm always happy to do anything you want."
Lyra asked for it, lol! Part two of their day in Emerport and a special something at home is coming hopefully on Friday. Still writing, guys, so in case I can't have a chapter ready I'll announce it on my board and Instagram. It's alwynk_author. Come hang out with me there, I'll be super happy to see you!
How are you liking the story?
Love,
A.