Morris and I had made it out of the office building just in time for the charter bus to whip around the corner of the building's entrance. No one had even noticed we had left the convention early.
I sighed as we walked in tandem, him checking his pockets for everything he could need, and me pulling and tugging at my shirt to make all the creases disappear. I smiled, remembering Morris complimenting my silky bra that hid just below the black linen dress shirt. He had done so just before pulling each strap from off my shoulder.
Before joining the group, he eyed me, carefully examining me. He pulled a hankie from his pocket and applied it to my ears, and then my mouth. Dry blood smeared onto the tissue, and I looked at him surprised. His eyes echoed back the expression.
"I think it'd be a good idea to keep your hair down. I did a lot more damage than just make your ear bleed." He took another long look at me. "I would also recommend saying that you bit your own lip," he smirked and laughed, almost like it was an inside joke. "You look terribly good."
I sighed again, my body aching to be close to his. "'Terribly'?" I asked, words failing me.
"I can claim to be the reason why you look so windswept. You haven't stopped blushing since I kissed you," he grinned mischievously. "Isn't it just terrible?" The comment only made me blush more.
As we stood with the rest of the group, our coworkers chattered mindlessly, talking and exerting energy that they had stored from the day.
"I plan on working out as soon as we get back," one male employee stated. "I just couldn't get enough movement in during lunch."
"I'm planning on having fun at the pool," said the girl who sat in front of me at the office. She looked around at the group. "If anyone would like to join, I think we could have a lot of fun," I smirked, thinking back to Morris. I had already gotten the exercise I had needed that day.
My sternum and back ached, and I stood, tired from the exhausting day. There was nothing I had wanted to do more, than go back to the hotel and sleep. Morris caught my eye, and smirked like he knew what I was thinking. Like he was saying 'I won't let you sleep,'.
Suddenly, the girl who had last spoken turned to me and looked at my lip, concerned.
"What happened to you?" She asked, her voice tense.
"I tripped right before the last panel," I lied, trying to stop her cogs from turning anymore than they already had. I felt Morris' eyes on me, watching and I just imagined him grinning. If I looked, however, I would have started to smile as well.
"Bit my lip bad," I muttered. "Luckily Morris saw, and helped me find a first-aid kit." They all turned to face him. I was right in assuming that he would be smirking. While I was able to keep my cool, Morris seemed to break under pressure, blushing immediately. Besides a few comments, the crowd didn't pay any more attention to us.
I sat in an empty aisle on the bus, unsure of not only what to think, but unsure of how committed Morris would be to me. I had barely enough knowledge of men and romance, that I was hesitant to assume how eager I should appear. If I ran, would he follow?
Morris met me halfway. Not looking at me, he sat behind me, seeming to scan the area around me, analyzing what he could say or do. We were much more similar than I had thought.
A piece of paper slid between my seat and the one next to me after a while of silence. It was folded tightly, and the inscription of 'Farmer Girl' appeared on the outside, a callback to my family background. Had he been listening to me more than I had anticipated? I wondered.
Opening the tightly woven piece of paper, I smirked looking at the question.
'Would you like to go swimming, or relax in the hot tub?' it asked. I grinned, pulling out a pen from my stuffed purse. Scribbling a bit, I loosened the ink and wrote back.
'How about something more intimate? I know about something we could do...' I passed it back. People in the bus were quietly chatting, but Morris stayed completely silent. Not like I had known him earlier. The paper slid back to my seat.
'What do you prefer? A view (my room) or something risky (a surprise)' The paper was a surprise in itself. My heart beat faster and I wondered what I could possibly say. I wanted it all. I wanted it all, over a long period of time.
'Why not both?' I wrote back.
'And what about tomorrow?' it read as it slid back into my lap.
'You're mine tomorrow,'
The rest of the ride back to the hotel was silent.
Everyone shuffled off to the elevators, exhausted and unaware of Morris' efforts to be left alone downstairs with me. The elevators stayed crowded, and with each lift full, we stated that we would go on the next rotation. It was just us before we walked on.
I walked on first, slowly and unsure. The sweet fragrance of the hotel seemed to be compact in the elevator especially, the atmosphere ruled by the excessive fluorescent lights. I waited for Morris to step in behind me, and before the doors had even closed his hands wrapped themselves around my waist. He turned me around, as the ding of the elevator signified we were moving up.
He pushed me into the corner, my arms wrapping gently around his neck and into his hair, as he kissed me harder than at the conference center. I kissed him back, my tongue pulling his teeth closer to me, locking him in my embrace. He predictably moved his head to kiss my neck and I couldn't help the sound that I made. His mouth widened in a grin.
"And this is?" I sighed, working on breathing evenly.
"Something risky," he whispered, making his way lower and lower on my body. "I sent us to the highest floor," he exhaled, his voice shaky. "And if we aren't interrupted by the time we get there, we can do it all again." His hand lifted from the front of my hips and he pulled at the top shirt button two inches away from his face. The front of my shirt split open to reveal my busty bra, and he kissed the sternum in the middle, his tongue caressing my skin. I couldn't breathe. "We do it over and over until we get caught," He didn't go any further down my chest, and just began kissing my neck again.
My knees buckled beneath me, and he caught me by the small of my back. Unable to move, he leaned close to my neck, taking a deep breath, smelling my old perfume and warm skin. He smiled, then kissed me again, working hard in one spot, biting, caressing, stroking behind my jaw. All defenses were dropped. My hand gripped onto his thick hair and slipped numbly down the front of his chest.
"Tell me," he asked, breathing shallowly before each kiss. "Are you attracted to me?" I couldn't speak. He continued up toward my chin. "What do you see?" Words failed yet again.
The door to the top floor opened, and Morris turned his head to see if anyone would get on. No one was in sight. He leaned back from me, and pushed the button that led to the basement. The door closed once again.
"So we get to do it again," he mused, turning back towards me with a gleam in his eye.
I didn't hold back. I pushed towards him, shoving my face towards his lips, grasping on to every millisecond. He only pushed back harder, being stronger than me and lifted me to the corner of the elevator, my legs no longer on the floor, and his hands no longer on the front of my hips.
I hung, suspended, feeling the pressure from his body against mine, his hands exploring my legs and mine exploring his chest. I moved them carefully, pulling up his loose shirt, then caressing his love handles. As he stroked the roof of my mouth with his tongue, I felt the front of his chest, longing to pull his shirt clean off. I longed for so much.
The next moments were more than heaven as we fully explored each other's bodies.
Half an hour later the doors opened to the floor of our rooms. No one was around, but Morris just shrugged. "I guess our game is over," he exhaled. Straightening ourselves, we reluctantly released our clutches on each other, not eager to meet a stranger in the hallway.
"Don't leave," I pleaded as he lightened his kiss and the pressure of his body. He smirked as he moved across the elevator and pulled on his dress shirt that I had thrown away in my passion. My thoughts were still on how his arms lifted high above me when I couldn't help myself anymore. I buttoned the top buttons of my shirt, but grimaced a little, noticing the slacked string on my buttons from the days expenditure. I hadn't planned on anyone being so rough with my blouse, although I wasn't devastated.
Morris zipped up his fly, and tucked in his shirt as I rearranged my strewn hair, the pressure of his hands still ingrained on my scalp. Eventually, he dragged me by my hand to my room. "What about the view?" I wondered, pouting.
"Dinner always comes before the view," he smirked, "You'll learn that soon enough,"
I hadn't brought the clothes that were needed to impress. I wasn't totally unprepared, however. It took only a little while for me to pick out my outfit and fix the makeup Morris had licked up. I looked at myself in the mirror.
The blouse I wore had a divine sweetheart's neckline, the instrument I was wearing underneath making my cleavage almost unrecognizable. Everything had come together perfectly, except for the obvious marks Morris had left on me from earlier in the day. I grimaced, the marks on my skin, dark and pungent.
I stood and looked at myself in the mirror confused. Morris wasn't the first person I had known intimately. Not even the first person I had known intimately at Joja, yet he was the most passionate I had known. Deep inside, I felt tortured having to sit through a boring dinner conversation and wait for Morris to allow me into his room. I just wanted to see the wild man who had taken no time to get to know my body. That was who I wanted.
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"You said something about how your family doesn't approve of you working at Joja?" I asked. If Morris wouldn't give me what I wanted, I would make this night a game of my own.
Morris smiled uncomfortably, but didn't look alarmed at the question. "Both my parents are immigrants from the Gotoro Empire. They were actually ecstatic when I got the position I have. They were not so excited about the location, however. It meant that I lived far away from them and our family friends. They're terrified that I'm leaving, because they have no idea what will happen to me in ZuZu City. They never knew what it would be like."
It was a strange answer, but it worked. I had made compassionate comments throughout his explanation, wanting to sound like I cared. I wanted to care, myself, but the thought of him kissing me– It was too much. It made my legs restless. Sighing, I did my best to center in on him. He was my partner, after all. I should listen to him– get to know him. I played with the salad on my plate as he stuffed his face with his alfredo pasta. He cleaned his mouth after the bite, and I watched longingly as his supple lips were patted dry.
"Why did you kiss me?" I asked at last. "Why me? You didn't have to talk to me at all today, and yet you did. You definitely didn't have to kiss me, and yet you did." I leaned in across the table, my legs crossed, and my eyes relaxed. I smirked. "So?" A second passed. His mouth grew into a hungry smile.
"Sure, I kissed you, but you kissed back. I bit you, and you enjoyed it. I knew you were the one because you had to be. Our chemistry just works." he whispered. I bit the lining of my cheek in order to not laugh with excitement. "So," he continued, enjoying my elation. "I think we've had enough for dinner," My heart jumped. "And I think you'll love my view."
Our walk back to the hotel was insightful.
"To be honest, I couldn't answer your question earlier, because I didn't have a full answer just yet. I didn't know what I could tell you." He said as our shadows worked their ways across the pavement, cast from the light post.
"I thought how you answered it was fine," I added and he shook his head.
"It wasn't the whole truth, however, and I wanted to be honest with you."
I stayed silent.
"In all honesty, I've always been interested in you." We stopped along our path. "Seeing you around the office, I've noticed how smart and passionate you are. I've also noticed how misunderstood you are." I looked up into his lovely brown eyes. They analyzed my face, caressing each detail. I hadn't known that he had cared so much for me before today.
"I wanted to get to know every part of you, so that I wouldn't misunderstand a thing you say, or misunderstand any idea you have. I have always wanted to be a part of you, in your head, and listening to what you have to say. You were always right, no matter how crazy you seemed, and I wanted everything about you. I wanted– so much more– than a boring office romance." I moved my body closer to his. "Tell me, farmer girl," I smiled softly at the nickname. "Would you have been interested in me if I hadn't waited? Would you have cared unless there was something exciting about me?"
My eyes closed, my face just under his. He had to crane his neck in order to keep watching me, and noticing my moment of vulnerability, he leaned in to kiss me. Our lips touched softly, and I softly bit his bottom lip, wanting to pull him closer to me. His chest heaved, and he let our mouths connect before pulling away and observing my neckline. He grinned mischievously.
"You look fantastic," was the last thing I needed to hear before I closed the gap between us. He let me lead, as he backed toward the brick wall of the tall apartment building behind us, the light of the street-lamp growing more distant.
Our hands were more familiar with each other, and we stationed ourselves once we felt comfortable with one another, my hands around his back, just how I had when we first kissed. His hands crept from the back of my arms until he lightly touched the curve of my neck, buried underneath my forest of hair. Our eyes gazed into each other, the light from the stars illuminating his soft smile and glinting off of his glasses.
We began kissing once again, just as softly, our mouths now doing the exploring. I let my brain enjoy the endorphins from our attached faces, barely noticing Morris moving his hand down from my neck to my waist, grappling up my waist, touching the skin beneath my blouse with his warm hand. He worked his way higher, till he felt my undergarments and pulled back his head to look at me in surprise. Our eyes met, and I sighed. His hand began to adjust the straps, and I moved to push his arm back, smirking at him the whole time.
"That'll have to wait." I spoke smoothly.
Our night was heavy, but I appreciated every second of it. I was correct about Morris' crazed look earlier in the day. He didn't let me sleep at all. He barely even let me walk into his room before we began. We had too much to do. It was the first time we would fully surrender to each other.
Afterwards, I sat on his chair outlooking the lush mountains. His room really did have a view. Morris walked out from the shower, his hair wet, lightly pressed dry. He hadn't put his glasses back on.
"You should've joined me," he hummed, kneeling at my feet, looking up at me.
"Believe it or not, I did want the view." I smirked. My eyes stayed on the beautiful sky.
Morris' eyes locked onto me.
"It's that farmer in you, isn't it?" he asked. "You just have to acknowledge beauty." My eyes turned to meet his, and he blushed.
"Yes, I do," I said as I kissed his forehead. I turned back. "I was thinking about our time in the elevator, actually. How we were so complete and comfortable together, even in that small space." He nodded, his eyes on the mountains. "You asked me what I saw in you. I don't think it would be fair if you had to answer that question and I didn't." I looked at him. I placed my hand on the jaw of his heart shaped face and pulled it to look at me. The fire between us seemed suffocating.
"You were right in thinking that I wouldn't have been interested in something ordinary. I have been running from that my whole life. You weren't ordinary, though. You were impulsive, and you listened to me. You went where I wanted to, and we didn't need to break any boundaries to get what we wanted." He closed his eyes. I dipped in and kissed him gently on the lips. He grinned toothily, and opened his eyes to see me. "Oh," I sighed. "And I am attracted to you. No question about it."
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This is a flashback from an earlier chapter. Any chapter containing this story is not titled with a date.
Thanks for reading, guys! I'm finding it really fun to write the complexities of each character, especially our main Farmer character! Please let me know what you think and what you want to see! I love to hear your guy's suggestions!