Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye, page 37
Fucking HELL! Tarquin groaned and melted into the pillows as her tongue flirted with his tip and teased around the head while her hands worked their magic. “Ohhh, god!”
With one hand, she gathered her hair out of the way and took him deeper, sucking gently at first before increasing the pressure, her eyes smiling, watching him lose it.
Leia isn’t shy about getting me off. Always makes it extra wet and slippery. So fucking hot! His thighs twitched, the wet suction sending shockwaves surging through his body. If she keeps this up, I’m gonna come, but this is supposed to be about her. Fingers digging into the mattress, he fought through a strangled gasp. “Leia…?”
Her lashes fluttered as she popped off, her grin rising into a cheeky dare. “Betcha I’ll come first.” Her hand slid down his shaft and back up again, teasing.
Tarquin met her challenge with a strangled growl. “Come fuck me, gorgeous.”
Raising up on his elbow, he reached over, grabbing a new condom from the bedside table. Tarquin tore open the wrapper with his teeth as Leia added more lubricant to her hands and played with his impressive length gliding up…then down…and up, a wanton glint in her blue eyes.
Minx! She loves torturing me.
With Leia’s help, Tarquin put on the condom and settled back, enjoying the view.
She spread her thighs and clasped the base of his hardness, slowly immersing its thickness inch…by…inch in her tight, wet heat. Tarquin let out a low gasp as he filled her. She closed her eyes, her lips parting with a moan of overdue pleasure. “Ten months…” she mumbled, her lashes peeling open.
Tarquin sucked in a measured breath and caressed the soft skin of her thighs. “You okay, love?”
“I’m great! So great.” She rolled her hips back and forth, the slow sensation of slippery friction pulling a groan from Tarquin’s throat.
She remembers what I like. She’s never forgotten. A surge of love and longing filled his heart as his finger circled soft and slow above her entrance. “Leia, if anything feels uncomfortable, we can stop.”
“Nope. Never stop! This feels SO amazing.” She shifted back slightly, chasing the perfect angle as she upped her pace, rolling and grinding, lifting and lowering.
Being inside her, hot and slick, sliding in and out, Tarquin praised luck, fate, karma—everything and anything that’d helped him find Leia again. Ten months, ten long months of blaming himself, of regretting his choice to lie about his feelings. Would things have been different if he hadn’t? He lifted his head, watching where they were so deliciously connected as tingles grew at the base of his spine, the pressure building and building as Leia bounced and gasped, her soft lips turned up at the corners, breaths ragged, her breasts glistening with perspiration.
She’s not talking. She’s close—but so am I. “Leia, go on,” he groaned, his mind hazy with only one thought. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. “Win your dare!”
Swiveling her hips, she answered with breathy moans and a crinkle of her nose as she lost control and cried out, tumbling into ecstasy, her body’s internal spasms squeezing Tarquin tight.
I can’t wait another second. Tarquin let go, exploding inside her, each pulse shaking him to the core. Chasing breaths after her own climax, Leia gripped his hands, coaxing him through until the trembling subsided and he was completely spent.
I can literally see stars… fuck. His arms flopped down on the bed. Totally. Annihilated. Sex so good you want it with this one person, forever.
Leia leaned forward and pressed a soft, smiling kiss on the hard lines of chest. “I was gonna say I won, but let’s call it a draw.”
Still my Leia, still caring, still giving. He reached up, his hands tenderly cradling her flushed cheeks. God, I love her.
Time hadn’t changed a thing, not for Tarquin.
But what about Leia? They were a couple now, sharing, opening up, being more vulnerable and intimate than ever before.
Does she feel the same as me?
His eyes pored over her blissed-out grin, delightfully messy hair, swollen rosebud lips. In London you told me, ‘I want to love and be loved.’ Well, I’m all in. But are you? He brushed his thumb across her mouth, lips gently parted, breaths calming as she playfully bit his finger. Will your doubts and fears about relationships fade along with your orgasm?
Tarquin could only hope.
With a wistful smile, he slipped his hand into her hair as she swept a lost eyelash off his cheek. I haven’t said ‘I love you’ since New York. I desperately want to tell her again. Actually, I’m dying to shout it to the entire world! But she might feel pressured to say it back, and I don’t know if she’s there yet. I can’t risk scaring her off, not when it’s only been a week since we found each other again.
Leia giggled, her smile carefree and somewhat relieved. “We’ve still got it!”
“We never lost it,” Tarquin whispered breathlessly. God, I love this girl and how she makes me feel. My heart is all yours, Leia, and always will be.
Twenty-Nine
LEIA
“What do you say, Ava?” Fiona swept her eldest daughter’s red curls from her forehead.
“Thank you!” The five-year-old, sat between her mommy and Tarquin, clutched Paddington Bear and the Tessa Virtue doll to her chest, her blue eyes round as saucers and fixed on Leia.
Ava is cute as a button. She has Fiona’s elfin facial features and Rupert’s freckles. Leia grinned, tearing apart a crusty slice of warm baked bread covered with melting Orkney butter. “You’re so welcome! If you’d like, I can make Tessa some extra skating dresses?”
Ava blinked up at her mommy, checking if it was all right. Fiona returned her glass of red Bordeaux to the round farmhouse table and nodded. “It’s okay, Av.”
“Okay!” The little girl burst into a smile, her shyness easing as she brushed against Tarquin, her tiny arms overwhelmed with toys. “I want blue dwess, please!”
“Great choice!” said Leia. “Blue is my sister’s favorite color.”
Tarquin beamed and leaned in, kissing Leia on the temple, his affection igniting a subtle smirk of approval between Fiona and Rupert. Ava was oblivious, babbling full speed ahead in a one-sided conversation with her Tessa doll as the family’s brown border collie, Bert, wandered over, giving her new playmates an approving sniff.
“Leia, it was so sweet of you to sew the tear in Ava’s unicorn,” said Fiona. “Bert got hold of it this morning and had a right ol’ chew.”
“Oh, no problem. I always have a mini sewing kit on me.” She smiled at Tarquin’s niece. “I’m glad I could help.”
“Ava?” Rupert called across the table, cradling a sleepy Poppy sucking on her bottle. “How about two more mouthfuls of dinner?” Russet-haired and slighter in stature than both Tarquin and Nick, the middle Balfour brother wore black eyeglasses and a flush of freckles across his nose and cheeks. His nerdy good looks and family’s connections could’ve landed him on London’s most prestigious catwalks, but his down-to-earth countenance and love of nature had drawn him to Orkney where growing barley, raising prize-winning cattle, and caring for his beautiful young family were his true calling.
“Uncle Talk?” Ava ignored her dad and her half-eaten bowl of hearty beef stew and tugged on Tarquin’s sweater.
“What’s up, Peedie?” He scrunched down and she whispered in his ear, lovingly placing Paddington and Tessa in his lap. “Oh?!” His eyes slid over his empty bowl and curved toward Leia. “Yeah, you’re right.” He smiled. “Ava thinks you look like the princess in the Disney film Brave.”
“Wow, that’s a huge compliment, Ava!” Leia grinned, scratching Bert behind his ears as he sniffed her purse lying on the floor. “Thank you!” Her eyes shifted to Tarquin. “Peedie…such a cute nickname.”
“It’s an Orcadian word, means little.” He helped Ava sit back down on her chair. “How ’bout you eat one more carrot? Or finish your clapshot. You know, Tessa eats all her neeps and tatties. So does Leia.” He winked at his girlfriend.
Her forehead creased. “Neeps and tatties?”
“Swede—sorry, rutabaga—and potatoes,” Tarquin clarified, handing both Paddington Bear and the Tessa doll to Fiona for safe keeping. “The veggies in clapshot.” The Orkney side dish looked like mashed potatoes’ more colorful cousin, its savory, buttery taste gifted with a zingy kick courtesy of onions and a sprinkle of chopped chives and pepper.
“Yep, Uncle Talk is right.” Leia nodded, scooping the last bit of clapshot off her plate. “Vegetables help us twizzle faster!” She happily devoured the spoonful of ‘neeps and tatties’, her new favorite vegetarian dish.
Ava’s eyes widened. With a determined smile, she clutched her spoon and fished for carrots in her stew’s broth.
Rupert mouthed ‘Thank you’ and rested Poppy’s bottle near his own partially eaten meal. He held his youngest firmly against his shoulder over the white burp cloth protecting his plaid flannel shirt. “So, when are you two going sightseeing?” He patted Poppy’s back.
“Might start tomorrow.” Tarquin met Leia’s eyes, warmth in his gaze. “After the baptismal lunch, maybe?”
Really? He’ll cut family time short for me? She nodded, finishing her stew as Tarquin continued.
“It’ll be good to get out, get some sea air.”
Rupert chuckled. “Get away from Mum, more like!”
“Christ, can you blame them?” Fiona winced, weaving her fingers through the ends of her long brown hair. “Kiki is an acquired taste. She scared the crap out of me when I first met her.”
Oh, great. Leia gulped.
“To be fair, Fi, you were seven and scared of everything!” said Rupert.
His wife’s brown eyes widened. “Babe, she was like Cruella de Vil! She swore a blue streak at my Shelties in the middle of Alfred Street! All they did was sniff her boots.”
“I’ve always wondered”—Rupert shook his head—“what the heck was Mum doing in Stromness that day? She rarely leaves the house when she’s here in case she rubs shoulders with Orkney’s great unwashed.”
Tarquin snickered and laid his arm across the back of Leia’s chair. “When Fi met Mum, her hair was dyed half-white, half-black for Equinox Ten. She looked a right state!”
Rupert lifted his hand from little Poppy’s back. “Star-drive to maximum power!’” He mimicked the cult sci-fi show’s iconic salute and resumed burping his baby.
“I’ll have to ask Dad if he and Mom watched it,” said Leia. “Sounds right up their alley.”
“Nick got his first acting role on that show.” Tarquin glanced at his brother. “He would’ve been, what? A little older than Ava?”
The five-year-old looked up from her bowl, chomping through her last mouthful of potato.
Rupert nodded. “Leia, Mum made them give Nico a part, whereas Tarq and I were dumped with our nanny du jour at the craft services table. I was four and ate everything I could get my hands on. Good times!”
“I was two and can’t remember a bloody thing. Probably for the best.” Tarquin swirled his wine around his glass.
“I’m sorry, but the way she raised you boys horrifies me,” said Fiona, smoothing Ava’s wild hair. “I could never love one child more than another or pit them against each other. That’s so damaging.”
Leia nodded. The more she learned about Kiki and her questionable parenting, the worse she felt for Tarquin.
Rupert cocked an eyebrow. “You saying we’re damaged goods, Fi?” He punctuated his question with a chuckle.
“No, it’s just—it’s amazing you two don’t have it in for Nick! A lot of siblings would be jealous, resentful.”
Tarquin shook his head. “It’s not Nico’s fault. Any argument I have is with Mum, not him.” He downed a mouthful of red.
“Yeah…” Rupert paused, checking on Poppy before patting her back again. “Whenever Nick was a spoiled showbiz twat, Tarq and I took the piss.”
“Did we ever!” Tarquin snickered. “Nick hated being teased.”
“Still does!” said Rupert. “Even when he was annoying as hell, I still felt a bit sorry for him. Mum hired a second personal assistant with the sole purpose of dragging Nick from audition to audition. I’d be sat in science class thinking, ‘Glad it’s him, not me.’”
“Me, too.” Tarquin glanced at Ava slurping broth from her spoon. “Can you imagine putting this little one through all that? The public exposure, the pressure? Nick got most of Mum’s attention, but at what price? And she wonders why Nico has issues…”
“See!” Fiona’s voice jumped. “You do think it’s damaging! That’s why I told her flat out when Ava was born: don’t even think of playing favorites with our kids.”
Rupert made a face. “Well, there’s fat chance of that happening.”
What does that mean? Leia stilled, her squint shifting between Fiona, Rupert, and Tarquin.
Rupert paused, ensuring Ava was focused on her food before directing his explanation to Leia in hushed tones. “Turns out, she’s as crap a grandma as she is a mother. If it’s not about Kiki, she’s doesn’t really give a—”
Leia’s phone launched into “Stop.” She grimaced and yanked her purse up from the floor. “Sorry…”
“Mummy!” Ava dropped her spoon in her empty bowl. “That song!”
“I know, sweetie!” Fiona stood up, collecting her daughter’s bowl as Leia sent the caller to voicemail. “We sing along to the Spice Girls in the car all the time. Ava can’t get enough!”
“Is it Sarah?” Tarquin leaned in.
“No, it’s a US area code. It can wait.”
“Leia, feel free to call them back,” said Fiona, stacking bowls and plates. “It’ll give me a minute to get dessert ready.”
“Ice cream!” Ava squealed. “Can I have chocolate and apple cwumble?”
“Yes, but only small scoops, Av.” Fiona gave her daughter a knowing grin and picked up Rupert’s dishes. “Leia, we’ve got strawberry, vanilla honeycomb, chocolate, apple crumble, toffee with Orkney fudge…”
This family loves its ice cream! “Vanilla honeycomb sounds good.”
“It’s incredible. All made locally, too.” Tarquin joined Fiona, gathering bowls and plates. “I’ll help.”
“Oh, sure! You just want to pinch extra fudge!” Fiona laughed, heading for the kitchen.
“Well, Orkney fudge IS the dog’s bollocks!” Hands full with dishes and cutlery, Tarquin kissed Leia on the top of the head and whispered, “Be right back.”
“I come, too!” Ava clambered off her chair and raced after her uncle.
Sat alone with Rupert and the baby, Leia flashed a tight-lipped smile. “I’ll just see who called.” Pressing the phone to her ear, she listened to the rambling message, the voice ducking and diving until it finally revealed its reason for calling. Shit. Disappointment pooled in her stomach. So that’s it, then. She lowered her phone, erasing the recording with a resigned press of her finger.
“Is everything all right?” Rupert kissed Poppy on the top of her head.
Leia rubbed her temple. “It’s a supplier I was checking out. I heard about this amazing vegan leather made from mushrooms. It’s meant to be softer and more breathable than animal leather, plus it’s completely biodegradable—perfect for Frill-Seekers.”
“Sounds great!” said Rupert as the baby’s pudgy hand grabbed hold of his shirt’s collar.
“Yeah, too great, unfortunately. Turns out they’re not as environmentally friendly as I thought.” Leia glanced up. Tarquin carried a plate crowded with fudge of various flavors and homemade cookies from the kitchen. “Their vegan leather is actually made from polyurethane. They said they hope to incorporate mushrooms and other plant-based materials down the road, but they’re not there yet.”
Brows peaked, Tarquin placed the desserts in the middle of the table and sat down. “But that woman at the Institute said…”
Leia shook her head. “She was wrong.”
“And polyurethane leather is…bad?”
“It isn’t as harmful to the environment as animal leathers, but it’s still problematic. It’s plastic-based and doesn’t degrade as easily as true vegan leather,” Leia explained as Bert laid his floofy body by her feet. “I know it’s considered the lesser of two evils, but I can’t incorporate it into my designs with a clear conscience.”
Tarquin rubbed Leia’s back. “So, what will you—”
“Uncle Talk!” Ava barreled into the dining room, giggling loudly and waving an accusatory spoon. “You ate allll the ’nilla fudge!”
“Peedie, that was our secret!” Tarquin’s naughty chuckle sparked a howl of laughter from his niece.
Honestly, she’s the cutest little thing. Leia smiled despite her news.
Fiona followed with five ice cream-filled bowls on a tray. “Ava, shhh! Inside voice.”
“Sorry, Mummy.” Her large blue eyes followed the ice cream coming in for a landing.
Tarquin muted his grin. “Leia, what does this mean for your dresses?”
“Well”—she sighed—“it’s too late to find another supplier. I was at my wit’s end when I stumbled across this one. I’ll have to start from scratch, do something different with those dresses.” A smile broke through her frown. “On the upside, I won’t be flying to New York on December 1st.”
“But don’t you have to sort a few things?” asked Tarquin, helping Fiona hand out the dessert bowls.
“It’s nothing that can’t wait until I’m back in February for Fashion Week. So, it looks like you’ll be stuck with me until then.”
“Brilliant!” Tarquin beamed, kissing her quick on the lips as Ava giggled.
Rupert glanced above his spoonful of toffee ice cream. “Any chance you’ll up sticks and move to the UK full-time?”
“Maybe.” Leia nodded, ogling her boyfriend. “I’m warming to the idea.”
