Burning Heart // CL16

Seventy Five

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty," I hear a familiar voice say, my eyelids fluttering awake in the mostly dark room. I slowly look around, trying to find the location the voice came from, a whine a little as I see Charles in the doorway with limited light flooding in behind him.

A quick analysis let me know that he was wearing his outfit from last night but that was all I could tell as I looked around confused before sitting up. In doing so I felt the sheets slip from around me and I gasp as I quickly clutch at them, bringing them close to my chest as my mind quickly replays the events of last night with painful clarity. Pleasurable clarity also.

"Okay - panic mode activated very quickly... quicker than I thought possible for this time in the morning but we're not going to panic," Charles says, holding his hands out to try and calm me as I look back at him. The expression on my face signals that I was definitely not in agreement with him. I was definitely panicking, not just over the acts from last night but the words as well, so it was a lot to process. "I'm going to switch the light on... and everything is going to be okay," he says calmly before doing exactly as he just threatened and switches the light on, causing me to hiss slightly at the change and cover my eyes with my hand, blocking all light and visuals around us as he steps further into the room.

"How are you not freaking out?!" I ask him as I pull my hand away only to find that he is now no longer in the doorway but sat at the edge of the bed, watching me blink rapidly as I try to figure out what is going. He just shrugs.

"Because there is no reason to?" He says uncertainly and I just look at him warily, relieved when he passes me my cardigan, looking away for a moment as I wrap it around my upper body before looking back to him for an explanation. "We're two adults... we had sex, not for the first time might I add. Does it need to be more complicated?" He asks and I look back at him my eyes wide and surprised that was his response. Out of the two of us, I was sure that this was not going to be his reaction... he'd been crap at compartmentalising after the kiss, I guess I thought after sex he would be as bad if not worse? And after what he had said...

"N-no, but it is..." I tell him, my heart pounding in my chest as I look at him, clutching everything around me for safety and security. "We live together..." I remind him, moving to rest my head on my knees as I run my hands through my hair.

"Yes... but we're on the boat?" Charles tries, his voice slightly higher pitched as he grasps at straws to keep me calm and I look up to the side, a wry smile on my face as I chuckle.

"You mean it?" I ask him, my voice breaking half way through the sentence.

"I mean it... I knew what I was agreeing to last night Alessia. So, stay calm and don't judge me if I try and drag you back here as soon as we get back from France," he tells me, leaning over to press a soft kiss to my cheek and outwardly I laugh at his words. "Last night was amazing... but it stays here," he promises me all over again and I nod as I turn my head to look towards him, resting my head on my knees as I look at him with a smile. I'm doing a good job of not freaking out on the outside... internally, all my thoughts are consumed by those four damn words which are rolling over and over in my head.

"Thank you... I know you must think that I'm insane," I tell him, chuckling at myself as I pull my hands down my face. I'm still very much considering and questioning my decisions over the last twelve hours.

"Not insane... not in the slightest," Charles says as he puts a hand around my shoulders and brings me to his chest, resting his head on top of mine and I can tell he's smiling as I let him. Instead of pushing him away, I wrap my hands around his waist. "However... we need to leave - we still need to drive to the track and you have your call with Australia. Time to get back to reality."