Returning Red

#24: Homburg Street.

yes my dear, we lie sometimes 〰

Isabella

I watch him put on his blazer and a sly smirk simultaneously. I sit on the edge of his bed as I watch this bad boy dress into the most innocently good-looking man. I can't look at the study table or the bed without feeling the heat rising up my cheeks. If he had shown me he was capable of doing this eight years ago, I probably would've never left. 

Katherine, I stand corrected. Physical love is everyone's love language. 

He sits on one of his knees in front of me as he holds my court shoes in his hand. I push my feet inside the shoes, not able to look at him but not able to look away either. He doesn't take his eyes off as he helps me put on my other shoe. What he did ten minutes ago and what he's doing now seem like two completely different people.  

He stands up and buttons the top button of his blazer. He covers the distance between us and kisses my forehead for the longest minute. By the time he pulls away, he's swept me off my feet. Again. 

"Charming," I say when he picks up his bag and his phone. 

He waits for me to walk first and follows behind me. I can feel his eyes on my back. I gulp, trying to stop the reactions he's infusing in me. "Which part are you referring to?"

I fold my lips to stop a smile but he's not holding it back. I try to give him a straight face as he closes the door behind us. "You're a sexual freak." 

He bites the insides of his cheek, looking away before taking a step and whispering in my ear, "Walk, before I get freakier."  

I hate that every time we have the best sex, one of us always has to get on a flight. That's another jinx I want to break before I leave for New York. Speaking of breaking things, I don't think that's all we'll be breaking either. As he had promised, nothing about his ways was as gentle as before. I could feel the sexual frustration lifting off him as if it was the heaviest thing weighing him down. There was life in his face again, a lot more color in those eyes. 

I feel his hands on my lower back as we walk to the elevator again. I loved this side of him and he knew it better. At least the constant popping of his cheekbones and his undying smirk assured me that. He had changed. His ways had changed. And if anything, it was a hundred times hotter and sexier than before. 

He was stripping off layers in my personality that I didn't know existed. I caught myself liking so many things that I, as a person, would never approve of. The only thing bad about this entire one-hour ride, was me realizing how he can wrap me around his finger without any effort.

"I wanted to ask you if I can get my car keys--"

"They're already in your closet." He muttered, his face not smiling anymore. He didn't look at me anymore and I wondered why his emotions switched so quickly.

"Okay," I scoffed confused. 

I turned ahead and my confusion cleared when I saw what he was seeing. Jacob Miles was walking to the elevator from the other direction. 

Austin's hand dropped from my back. He brought it in front of him to glance at his watch and he never put it on me again. I'm guessing it had something to do with the person walking toward us. Jacob had his eyes glued to his phone. He didn't see us and I knew his presence alone killed every bit of enthusiasm in Austin. As soon as I near the elevator, the doors open and I'm surprised. That was quick.