Party Fifty One
Nate had woken not long later, and the heated tension that passed between them rather than ebbing, just seemed to build. Through dinner in the hotel restaurant, a movie in the hotel room, and Nate's bedtime stories...the sexual heat just increased notch by notch.
In their hotel suite, they couldn't pounce on each other, or devour each other as they both desperately wanted to do, and Oscar knew that he couldn't make Lizzie scream the way that she wanted to, instead, they had to watch a film, share a bottle of wine whilst they waited for Nate's wriggles and sighs to become softer, deeper snores. They'd got a smaller single bed delivered to their suite earlier in the day via the concierge, but Nate was still in the same bedroom as them, so thoughts of prolonged and noisy sex were battling with the conscience of him possibly waking.
But it didn't stop the hot looks, the subtle touches...and that bloody heat. Lizzie collapsed onto a chair, away from Oscar when he went to the bathroom, purely because she was about to explode if he touched her again.
When Oscar emerged he grinned, "putting distance between us, hey?"
It was the first time either of them had referenced what was happening, and she tried to deny it. "Better lighting here to read."
His chuckle was deep, arousing, and she fought the shudder that hit her spine, "reading? Ok."
He poured her a glass of wine then crossed the room to hand it to her, "so you're not trying to keep away from me?"
Lifting her eyes she stared at him, trying desperately to seem in control, "why should I keep away? Are you planning to hurt me?"
His eyes widened, predatorily, "hurt you? Oh no. Quite the opposite, that is unless you want me to hurt you."
That was said with such menace, that she couldn't help but blush.
"Shit, you have no idea what that does to me."
"What?" She asked genuinely confused.
Again that tiger like grin spread across his face, "blushing...makes me think of doing unmentionable things to you!"
She jumped to her feet, needing more air, suddenly she was becoming smothered by tension...but he was standing over her, and climbing to her feet only put her closer to him.
He waggled his eyebrows as he pulled her against his chest, "now this is more like it. I have been dying to get my hands on you since I last had them on you earlier. Remember that?"
It was deliberate, calculated, meant to catapult her back to the moment when she let him pleasure her in the pool. But she didn't blush, instead she shrugged, "I think so."
That made him smile, "ah...I see you may need reminding then."
With that his lips found hers. "Nate," she tried to breathe against his lips. That made him smile.
"He's asleep...you just have to be quiet." He murmured as he swooped down to bite the base of her neck, "if you can."
"I hate you!" she breathed against his jaw as his hands slid under her vest to the smooth, but very sensitive skin of her spine.
"Hate is a very strong word," his lips were at her ear and causing goose bumps to appear all over her body. Stepping back from her, he backed across the room until he was sat on the sofa, then beckoned her with a finger. For a moment she resisted, fought against the urge to run and throw herself on top of him, she still needed to keep something back, needed to retain that hint of control. And it was hard.
Instead she walked slowly to him, making sure she gave her hips an extra sway, lowering her eyelashes, peeping out at him. He growled as he watched her, and that gave her a surge of heat, lust...she wasn't sure she could name it, but it made her want him even more.
When she was a step away, he wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her unforgiving astride his lap. Any teasing, any playing was gone, he was hungry, desperate and controlling...and she loved it. Something tore...she didn't know what, and she didn't care. In fact, it spurred her to claw at him, seemed to release her inner vixen, and within moments she was dragging his t-shirt off and clamping her teeth around his nipple. When he almost screamed, she pulled back and placed a finger across his lips.
"You just have to be quiet," she mocked as his eyes met hers. With a growl, he over powered her, dragging her shorts and underwear off. Before she could reciprocate, he'd ripped at his own shorts, and had a foil packet between his teeth. Within seconds he'd slid it on, then sat back, lowering her in to his lap.
"I fucking love you," he gasped between clenched teeth as he joined them together. But she was incapable of answering, even if she felt she could. Instead, her fist was forced into her mouth to stifle the screams that threatened to explode.
Slumped over his heaving body, Lizzie took a long time to regain control of her breathing, her heart rate and the coordination of her limbs. But, Oscar was in exactly the same situation. It was long sweaty moments, before he untangled their limbs and disposed of the condom. When he returned from the bathroom, she had pulled on his t-shirt and was sipping a glass of water, staring out of the window at the dark night, that anxiety evident in every tense line of her body.
"Hey."
She turned to look at him at the sound of his voice. He was walking towards her, his shorts pulled back up, but still unfastened, so confident in himself, and in her.
"I'm parched." She offered awkwardly.
He watched her drink for a moment, then reached for her, "this is what we need to work on, Lizzie."
As he stepped towards her, she lifted a questioning eyebrow.
"The awkwardness. You running away...you still doubt me, don't you?"
She gave what could only be described as a nervous shrug, "I don't know, Oscar. I see you..." she looked at her reflection in the window and sighed. "...and I see me." She ran a hand through her hair, and then turned to face him, "maybe it's me I doubt."
He nodded, walking towards her, "I'm going to make you see what I see, not the person people have made you believe you are, even it takes me the rest of my life. Just promise me you won't runaway. I can't lose you again."
She took several long breaths, then smiled at him, "I think I'm becoming a little addicted to how you make me feel."
It wasn't enough, he could see the doubt, the worry, the concern in every inch of her face, but it was more than he hoped for. So he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her, in a way he could only hoped reinforced that addiction.
After another day at the beach, where Oscar had spent hours in the sea with Nate, and Lizzie had sat in the sun and watched them, they had dinner at a small food stall facing out onto the beach. Beer, seafood and a great view, Lizzie had to wonder if life got any better than that.
Oscar's phone disturbed their family meal, and licking the garlicky, fishy juices from his fingers, he connected the call. Lizzie could tell it was his sister, his face lit up in a special way when he spoke to her, though she couldn't tell much more from one side of a conversation.
When he hung up, he smiled, "she says hi."
"And? You look excited."
He grinned, "you've spoken to Freya?"
She shook her head, "not for ages."
"Coop's got a job player-coaching a hockey team in Britain. A new one in Liverpool. They're setting one up, and he's been headhunted there." As her face broke into a smile, he filled her in on the details. "They want us...or rather you, help them find somewhere to live. The team have offered something, but you know Frey...anyway. Coop's got a manager running the bar and someone to keep an eye on his home. But I've got to empty my apartment within the next month or I'll get tied into another year's lease."
"So...?"
Oscar's smile could stop traffic, "so, I...or I'm hoping we, can go there on the way home? Tie up the loose ends, ship anything you want, trash the rest."
"Anything I want?"
He laughed, "I am under no illusion that you will accept my furniture choices, or bedding...I'll be lucky to get out of there with two bags full of clothes."
That made her chuckle, "out last trip to their home then?"
He shrugged, "not sure, Coop's lake house is worth visiting every summer."
"Isn't this the wrong time for him to start working with a club? They don't do hockey in the summer?"
"Normally that would be right, but they are starting this club from scratch, they want his knowledge and opinion on the rest of the team, on and off the ice."
She felt her mouth hang open, "wow. This must be everything to Coop."
Nodding he called for the bill, "it is. And Freya is ecstatic that she's going to see more of us, and my folks..."
He didn't mention the second warning about the unstable Krystal; they'd fly in and out of town before anyone knew. That was the best way, under the radar, than the hell out of Dodge.
It wasn't cold in New York State, now compared to the temperatures they'd left in Manchester, but by California standards, it was freezing. They were never more glad, after a long flight than to see Coop's huge SUV pull up to the arrivals doorway.
The man himself leapt out, and it was Nate that crossed the distance to him first.
"Hey Champ! Have we missed YOU!"
As the youngster wrapped his arms around a squatting Coop, he stood lifting Nate with him. The turned to the adults smiling, "and you two look...well."
That was a loaded comment, but he didn't elaborate, instead swung his free arm around Lizzie and kissed her cheek, before bro-hugging his best buddy.
"So, you're coming back to the UK, I think congratulations are in order...not for the job, but for making my sister happy."
Coop laughed as he popped the trunk for their bags, Nate still wrapped around him, "you think that moving is the ONLY thing that I do that makes her happy?"
Lizzie laughed out loud as Oscar blushed, "TMI, friend."
Coop winked at Lizzie, "so is this man looking after you?"
She nodded shyly, "most of the time."
He widened his eyes, "you need me to make him see sense?"
That made her laugh, "I do believe you would."
Coop deposited Nate into a car seat in the back of the car, then nodded at her, "if you even knew the grief that he gave me with Freya...I owe him several black eyes...been looking for the opportunity to return them. Just say the word."
Oscar groaned, "will you give it a rest, old man?" Climbing into the passenger seat beside him, he punched his shoulder, "I'll be more than happy to call this team and tell them that they've got you wrong...that you're a prick."
Coop laughed, "already signed the papers Oscar - my man. Too late."
The banter didn't end until they reached his house. Where Freya stood excitedly on the doorstep waving, Riley in her arms, Elena wrapped around her legs.
Lizzie jumped out of the backseat and was swamped by the other woman, "so good to see you again."
Freya smiled, kissing her cheek, "is he taking care of you? I can still punch him for you?"
Lizzie laughed, "Coop's offered to do the same...what aren't you telling me?"
It was said in jest, but in reality fuelled that nugget of self doubt that sat deep inside her, they didn't think that she was enough either. Would it take threats to keep him in her life?
She hated that she doubted herself so much, but when she looked at him, beautiful, vibrant, funny...he was everything. And she couldn't help the feeling of inadequacy that she felt whenever she was near him, and his perfect world.