Jenny stood in the middle of the ballroom, just as the note had said. She was a bit early and wasn't expecting to see Zayn for another half and hour. The ballroom was abuzz with activity as people ran around preparing the room for the ball.
In one of the corners an orchestra was setting up for rehearsals, there was so much to see and take in, she hardly noticed Zayn sliding up to her. She felt his arm come around her, and could feel his face by her neck. She turned and came face to face with him. God he was beautiful.
"Come let's get out of here." He leaned into her neck. "I want to kiss you." He whispered in her ear. She didn't need any more of an invitation, and followed him out of the door as she heard the orchestra start tuning their instruments.
Once outside, Zayn pushed her behind a pillar and kissed her. It felt urgent and desperate, as if he needed to get his fix. She opened her mouth for him and he slipped his tongue inside, but as soon as their tongues touched the energy of the kissed changed. It went from hard and passionate to something quite the opposite. It slowed down, it became soft and gentle and he started running his hands through her hair. She did the same, running her fingers through his black and silky hair. The kissing stopped, but they stayed close to each other, their foreheads and noses touching as they held each other there for the longest time until Zayn broke it.
"I'm starved. Let's go for lunch." He took her by the hand and lead her out of the palace and into the massive garden. It was only when they were halfway across the lawn that she noticed the picnic basket in his other hand.
"Are we going for a picnic?" They were almost jogging across the lawn now.
"We are." Zayn suddenly let go of her hand "Are you fast?" he was walking around her now.
"Why?"
"Last one to the end of the garden is IT." He screamed and started running across the lawn taking huge strides.
"You're kidding right?" Jenny shouted after him. But he didn't stop and kept on running. Jenny hadn't played this game since she was a child, it was so silly, it was so childish, and it was so fun she thought as she started running across the lawn.
When last had she'd run like this? Only downside was that she was so unfit and by the time she reached the other side she was totally out of breath. Her hair had fallen out of its pony tale, and beads of sweat were starting to appear on her forehead. This weather was way too hot for jogging.
Zayn stood there waiting for her, making a big show of casually leaning against a railing as if he'd arrived there an hour before her. As she got closer she realized the railing he was leaning against was the only thing stopping him from him from falling down the sheer cliff behind him. The entire island, she'd read, was surrounded by sheer, white cliffs and that had been the reason for building it there. Hundreds of years ago, when the whole area had been at war, this was the safest place to be. Jenny walked up to the railing and looked over, the sea looked very far away.
"Come." Zayn opened a small gate.
"Down there?" She couldn't hide the concern in her voice. She wasn't exactly the biggest fan of heights.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to make you climb." He said, taking her reassuringly by the hand and guiding her through the gate. She was dangerously close to the edge now and she was terrified. Zayn must have sensed this and slipped a large arm around her waist. Attached to the side of the cliff face was a motorized tram, with relief she realized that this was the way down.
The ride down wasn't nearly as terrifying as she'd thought; all the while Zayn had held her, which went a long way in waylaying any fears she had. The tram came to a stop at the foot of the cliff, where the white powdery beach lay.
"It's beautiful here." Jenny had taken her sandals off and was running her foot through the soft white sand. It was warm and had the texture of cotton candy.
"This is nothing." Husain said with a smile, he took her by the hand again and they walked up the beach together.
"Where're we going?" Jenny asked.
Zayn turned to her and smiled. "I'm taking you to my favorite place in the world." His voice sounded soft.
They walked in silence after that, all the while their fingers were wrapped around each other's. Every now and then they would look at each and smile. She wasn't sure how long they walked for, maybe ten minutes, but they finally arrived at the entrance to what looked like a cave built into the Cliffside.
"Are we going in there?" Jenny pointed into the dark.
Zayn reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a torch. "Just follow me and stay close. It's also nice and cool in here." He pressed the button and the torch sprung to life, illuminating some of the cave. The cave was damp and she was trying very hard not to imagine bats. She could handle spiders and even snakes (she'd had to kill a few over the years at the farm) but bats! She'd once heard a horror story as a child about a bad getting stuck in someone's hair, and it had stayed with her. She ran her hand through her hair without thinking, trying to flatten it.
"It's just an urban legend that." Zayn said smiling at her.
"What?"
"That bats get stuck in your hair."
"How did you know I was thinking that?" she asked.
Zayn looked up at the hand on her head and smiled, "Just a guess."
She quickly pulled her hand away and tried to mentally assure herself that flying vermin were not about to make a nest in her hair. The cave seemed to stretch on for ages, the floor was moist and mossy and she was careful not to loose her footing. Finally, in the distance she could see some light.
"Nearly there." Zayn sounded excited.
It took her eyes a second or two to adjust to the sudden change in light, but when they did, she was utterly floored at what she saw in front of her. They had stepped onto a small white beach with an almost electric blue pool in the middle of it. The whole area was surrounded on all sides by the high, white cliffs. It was incredible.
"This is–'" she paused, not sure of what to say. She was searching for the words, but there were none that would adequately describe this. This was the most magical place she'd ever seen. Like a secret garden locked behind a wall, only so much better.
"I know." Zayn said. "I found this place when I was a boy." He turned and smiled at her, the sunlight catching his green eyes. He looked like a poster. Or a model from the pages of a magazine. Or something that was all together not real at all. But he was real. And she was here, with him. Alone.
He took a step closer to her and touched her cheek, "I've never brought anyone else here. You're the first person."
"Not even your sister?"
He shook his head. "Nope."
This touched her. He was showing her a special part of him. One that he'd never shown anyone else before.
The sand under her feet felt like soft, warm, talcum powder. She walked up to the waters edge and stuck her toe in. The water was warm and felt soft- if that was even possible. It was almost completely crystal clear, and you could see all the way to the bottom of the pool in all directions. On the other side of the pool, a waterfall tumbled down from the cliff face, plummeting straight into the water and whipping it up into a frothy, white frenzy.
She turned to find Zayn looking at her with such intensity that it gave her immediate butterflies and strange shivers- despite the blazing heat. This man's looks had the power to defy the weather even.
"What?" she asked, slightly nervously.
"Nothing. You're just beautiful."
"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself." She nervously fiddled with her hair. God this man made her nervous. But in a good way. Delicious-nervous.
"Oh, so you approve?" his tone was playful.
She shrugged in a teasing manner. "Um...I mean, you're okay, I guess." She tried to sound as casual as possible.
"Just okay?" his eyes were wicked, and they hid nothing. She knew exactly what he wanted, and she wanted it too. She was getting a little breathless and hot under her metaphorical collar.
"You're very handsome." Jenny smiled as the words came out. "That sounded silly. What I mean is that–"she looked at him, hungrier than she'd ever been, "–you're gorgeous, okay. You're the hottest man I've ever seen. I bet you all the women say that though."
Zayn took a step forward. "You are the only women I want to hear it from, though."
"Really?" She wasn't entirely sure about that. Although she was currently- and voluntarily- getting swept along by Zayn's many charms, she also needed to remember that this wasn't his first rodeo, and she certainly wasn't his first ride. There had been many before her and many more would probably come.
"You're... you're amazing, Jenny. I've never met anyone like you." Zayn stuttered and his bravado faltered. His words seemed to get stuck in his throat, as if there were as surprising to him.
Jenny couldn't hold back the smile that was spreading across her face and radiating through her entire body. This seemed to please Zayn, because he smiled back at her in a way that made him look even more gorgeous than he did right now, which if you'd asked her a few minutes ago, she would have said was completely impossible.
But she was wrong... again... because just when she was convinced he couldn't get any better, he stated taking his shirt off. She'd seen him without clothes on before, but never in full sunlight. Jenny swallowed hard. Trying not to drool. Trying not to gawk like a total pervert- it was very hard not to.
ZAYN
Zayn knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on her, and he held her gaze while undressing. He liked that she looked at him like this. A lot of girls had looked at him like this over the years, but he'd never cared enough to let it mean anything- until now. Strangely possessive thoughts started running through his mind, he wondered if she'd looked at other guys like this. He didn't want her too. He wanted her eyes all to himself. Not to mention her body.
Next, he pulled down his shorts, letting them fall to the sand. As if he was conducting her, telling her precisely what to do, her eyes drifted down, exactly where he wanted them to go.
"Do you want me to take these off?' he said, threading his finger through the elastic of his underwear. She nodded immediately, which made him very happy.
"Will you take something off for me first though?" She flicked her eyes up to meet his, a mixture of excitement and apprehension glinted in them. God he loved that she was so shy. She wasn't like the other women he'd been with.
"Take off your underwear." His tone was firm now and he wasn't entirely sure how she would respond. But he had a feeling that underneath it all, she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
And he was right. He watched in awe as she obeyed him. She slid her hands up under her dress and started to pull her panties off. She slid them down her thighs, and let them fall on the sand below.
"Now lift your dress and show me." He stepped a little closer, eager to look at her. "I want to see you."