She smelled like he remembered, her body familiar as he noticed and the sparks she set inside him were there again. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flushed against his body. Her hair was wet, slick and clinging to her back.
When he slid his fingers through them, she burst into tears and strengthened her hold of him.
"What's wrong?" He asked, kissing her hair and then pressing his cheek against her head.
"I did it again. I can't believe I did it again."
"Did what?"
"He doesn't care. I hate him, deeply and indestructibly hate him." Her words were muffled into his shirt.
He looked around on the balcony until he noticed a chair at the other end of it. Joseph motioned her to move with him until her legs touch the frame of it.
"Sit down and tell me," he told her.
She did as he wanted, moving her dress aside before sitting down on the lawn chair.
"I thought this time it was different. I left, didn't look back. I wanted to change my life and I thought I did. Then I met him and my life changed. First, he was sweet. He treated me well, loved me but it was all a charade or something similar to that." She looked up and Joseph kneeled down, cupping her face gently. Leila sunk into his touch, the warmth of him.
"I missed this. This," she covered his hand, pressing it more against her skin. "I missed the care, the love that turns your insides into goo. This is everything I ever wanted."
Leila looked up, her eyes hooded. He saw how much pain she was in, knew it because he had seen that same look on her face four years ago.
She started to shiver and Joseph took the jacket off his back. His eyes roamed over the tore dress on her and then at her wet hair. She must have been outside for a while. He put his jacket on her, closing the hems of it.
"Please, take me away. I want to leave," she said and he nodded. He didn't think of Larissa in the gala room, meeting her father or the contract. His eyes and heart was set only on her and making her feel safe.
Outside at the gala house cars were parked out front with drivers beside them. Leila held on to his arm while walking down the stairs. She kept looking up to him, fascinated how he had changed. His hair was longer, a light stubble on his jaw but the feel of him, the atmosphere he gave out was still the same. She found comfort even being close to him.
Miles, Simon's driver came forward and Leila backed away. She moved to stand behind Joseph and he noticed how the fear in her body transferred to him. So instead of taking the car, he came with, he pulled her with her, going to stop a cab.
"What a night," Joseph said once they both sat in the taxi. "Lexington and Love, please." He told the driver.
There was silence. Leila kept staring out of the car window, fiddling with her fingers. She played with the engagement ring on her finger, sliding it off and on.
"You are engaged?" Joseph asked, his eyes following her nervous actions.
"I was," she took off the ring and opened the car window. Without any hesitation, she threw it out.
Once again, there was silence. A rock song started to play on the radio and the driver turned the volume down, noticing the tense conversation on the backseat.
"Where are we going?" She asked but her gaze was still fixated on the scenery outside.
"My place," he responded," or is there anywhere else you'd like to be?"
"I have nowhere else to go." Leila kept staring out the window, watching the car passing houses after houses, people on the street.
She felt Joseph take her hand and intervene in their fingers. His thumb rubbed circles, holding on strong at the same time. It felt like reinsurance, that all will be ok.
She looked at him, a small smile appearing on her lips.
In the apartment, Joseph turned the lights on. He sat down on the sofa, undoing the laces on his shoes. Leila stood by the door, a little bit afraid. She didn't know what she wanted, feeling empty. She had burnt through, after years of having unhealthy and toxic relationships. But there was one man who had been there on her hardest times, offering to her what she longed.
Joseph combed through his hair with his fingers, making his hair messy. She smiled at his carefreeness like there was no problem he couldn't solve or make disappear.
He caught her staring, rubbing his stubble.
"What?" He asked, his actions freezing.
"I love how you take it so easily." She said, walking down to him.
"Believe me, I don't." He responded, looking up to her, doubt streaking through his voice.
She stood in front of him, her hands on his shoulders. He cupped her waist and held tight.
"What do you want to do when morning comes?" He asked her, basically already knowing the answer. It had happened before and he knew she would bolt before sunrise. Or this is how he thought.
"I don't know what will happen. But I do know what I want tonight and the next night and the next one." She moved her hands to his neck, then up to his face. Bending down, she grazed his lips with hers, slowly and surely doing it again and again.
Pulling back for a second, she licked her lips teasingly and without a warning, she pushed him back on the bed.
"I think I love whatever you want," he smirked, moving further on the bed. Leila slid down the zipper on the back of her dress, letting it pool around her ankles. She wasn't wearing anything underneath, her body completely bare.
She watched as he felt struck, his eyes widened yet there was the familiar look in his eyes and it wasn't just lust. It was care, love, support, desire, emotions. Leila knew how much she had grown to love him, miss him and care for him. She hadn't realized that until she had left him, trying to move on with her life. He was the piece missing from her essence.
"You drive me mad. Insane. Desperate." He told her and she climbed on the bed, then on top of him.
"Frightened, incapable, hungry?" She asked him, bending down to kiss him on his jaw and them up to his lips.
"Oh yes, baby. My God, how you make me feel afraid. All these years and those feelings never abandoned me."
She settled on him, both of her legs on each side of him. Her ass pressed against his crotch and slowly she rubbed against him. She was bare, fully naked on top of him and never had she felt more power over him.
Joseph's manhood hardened, aching against the material of his pants. Every time she moved, his being hurt a little more. He wanted her and not for just some time. He wanted her to be his forever.
Slowly he let his hands explore her body, moving up from her sides and to her neck. Pulling her down to kiss her passionately, he pushed his hips upward, meeting her raging heat. She tasted as he remembered, sweet and warm. Tongues battled for a win, teeth clinking as it got heated even more. She kept biting his lip while he reached down and squeezed her bare behind.
The temperature in the room raised to an incredible level while Joseph started to unbutton his shirt.
Leila unbuckled his belt, dragging his pants down to his ankles and then helping him get out of them. She couldn't wait to have him, not wasting precious time going too easy on him.
He pulled the shirt off his shoulders and threw it behind her. A sweet smile painted her lips when she cupped his dick and gently started stroking him. He moved restlessly under her touch, pulsating in her palm.
