"Are you planning on seducing me for my birthday?" I murmured quietly as I watched her lift her shirt over her head. My eyes narrowed as I took in the black lace bra she wore underneath. It was delicate and beautiful, leaving the top half of her perfect breasts bare.
"No." Her eyes were locked with mine and her voice was low as she slid out of her shoes and stood at the end of the bed as she slowly unbuttoned and opened her jeans.
"No?" I asked as my eyes roamed up and down her body. My dick thickened and hardened as I watched her. I wanted her. I was hungry to touch her and taste her. "Brook...”
"No. I want to seduce you for the rest of your life," she whispered as she slid her jeans down her hips and off of her shapely legs. Her translucent skin glowed in the soft light and her eyes never left mine as she stepped out of them and kicked them off, revealing a matching black lace thong underneath. My heart quickened in my chest and my breath came in more shallow rhythm.
"Mmmm... You look good enough to eat. Come here," I whispered as I reached a hand out to her.
She was stunning; her curves perfect. Even though she was small, she was so womanly; her body called to the man inside me, which created strong feelings of protectiveness, selfishness, and filled me with possessiveness like I never felt before with anyone else.
She crawled toward me from the foot of the bed and I watched every move. She was so svelte and firm; my hands ached to touch her, my mouth watered at the thought of her kisses as she came to straddle my lap just above my knees, but she wasn't close enough to suit me. I wanted her closer.
She bent to ghost her lips over mine, licking my top lip before my need overwhelmed me and my hand moved to pull her closer and take her mouth in a passionate kiss. She tasted sweet, luscious like champagne and all Brook. She was completely intoxicating and I was drowning in her. I was losing myself, but more than willing to do so.
My hands moved to her bare ass cheeks to pull her closer, pressing her heat to my hardness. Everywhere I touched her she was on fire, her skin burning mine. "Jesus, Brook, you're so beautiful," I groaned against her mouth as her arms wound around my shoulders, and then one hand fisted in my hair as she pulled my mouth closer to hers. Her breath fanned out on my face in a hot rush before my mouth crushed down on hers, demanding she open to my tongue. She moaned, giving me what I wanted. Always giving me what I wanted; what I needed.
My hands roamed her body, over the little lace strips across the top of her bum and her back as I kissed her again and again. Her hips moved against mine as she ground her softness against my length, eliciting a similar response from me. She was so hot, so wet against me; I worried I'd come before I even entered her; I was so excited. I'd been dreaming of this every second of the day, and her outrageous flirting earlier had wound me tighter than a drum.
My hand released the clasp on her bra and then slid it from her shoulders. I brought one hand up around her breast before dipping my head to take an already erect nipple into my mouth, her gasps as I laved and flicked the nipple driving me mad with desire.
Her head fell back, and she gasped. "God, Cade."
"I love it when you say my name; when I know it's me who drives you to this."
"Feel how my body reacts to yours." She moved against me again and I could feel the slippery wetness as she ground her body into mine. "That's what you do to me. I want you... so much, Cade."
My dick was throbbing, begging for release as I moved the small strip of lace between her legs aside and slid my hand inside. "Oh God, Brook... Jesus," I gasped against her neck as my fingers sank into her softness. I was so hard I felt I would burst. I searched for the little nub that I knew longed for my touch and found it, moving my thumb in gentle circles.
Her head had been buried against my neck and shoulder and suddenly it snapped up so that she could look in my eyes. I knew my eyes were hungry, burning into hers as I took in her expression, the pleasure I was bringing through my touch, her hair wild, her mouth swollen and her eyes so soft with love. It was my undoing.
"I have to have you, babe. Now."
She held my gaze as her hand slid down my chest, across my stomach, and finally her fingers closed around my erection, gently squeezing and pulling. If felt so amazing, I was so turned on, it wasn't going to take much to make me come.
"Cade, you're so gorgeous. I never want to stop looking at you," she said softly. "I never want you to stop touching me, your hands on my body, you inside me, filling me..."
I pulled my hand from her and brought my fingers to my lips as I sucked and licked her wetness from them. "Mmmmm...” I moaned, as I tasted her on my tongue. Her mouth opened and her teeth came out to bite her lip. She was so sexy, I couldn't stand it and I moved my finger to pull her lip from her teeth and then bent my mouth to hers as she moved over me, lifting up to sink around me, clenching around me, drawing me deep into her body. It was heaven on earth.
"Oh, my love... Brook, fuck, I need you." Her hips moved and rocked against me, her muscles squeezing and milking around me as I grasped the back of her head with one hand, bringing her mouth back to mine for a barrage of deep, sucking kisses. Jesus, her body was sucking on my dick at the same time our mouths were sucking on each other and I felt my body start to tighten; the building beginning and I knew I wouldn't be able to stop it.
I moved my other hand back down between us to start the rubbing again, and she gasped.
"Uh, yes, Cade... that feels amazing. You feel so good inside me." The movements of her body increased; her thrusting over me coming faster as she started to come. I held on until I was sure that she was at the point of no return before I let myself fall into my own climax, thrusting faster as I spilled into her body.
"You're mine, Brook... mine," I groaned into her mouth as the twitching of my body subsided. Brook trembled in my arms and her head fell to my shoulder. She kissed and bit at the skin and my arms tightened around her, our breathing heavy as we struggled to come down. I continued to move against her wanting to get every last sensation out of her, bring her the most pleasure I could.
"I love you so much," she whispered against the side of my neck before kissing my jaw and then my lips.
"You better. You just better," I said breathlessly without loosening my hold around her. I didn't want to let go, didn't want to pull out of her as emotion welled in my chest.
"Brook, there are no words... I can't tell you how much I love you. It could never fully explain how I feel." My arms finally moved over her body, up and down her arms, when my fingers came across something around her left forearm, just below her elbow.
I pulled back and brushed the sweat-dampened hair off of her face. I moved us both so that we were lying together side by side, and I pulled her to me. Her head settled to the curve of my shoulder and she snuggled into me, her arm coming around me as my fingers brushed up and down her body.
The soft strains of a piano introduction filled the air around us. I’d heard it before and the lyrics were powerful and fit the moment; we didn't talk as the song played; no words were needed between us as the singer spoke of deep need, separation and loss. My heart fell and swelled at the same time. I let myself get lost in Brook’s body, the song and my emotions. It was overwhelming, painful and amazing. The love we felt covering over us like a blanket, the sadness at the impending months apart. I felt sated, content, yet full of loss and longing. My throat constricted as the words of the song sank into my conscious brain. Brook's arm slid up my chest and around my neck, her hands clenching against me and her face turned into my skin. Our lovemaking was slow and steady, deep and intense, but still sweat began to coat my skin in a light sheen.
Her hand reached for mine, and our fingers threaded together and tightened. I felt my chest constrict and my throat ache. It was evident that we were both dreading the coming months, the weight of it sucking the very life from both of us. I felt Brook's tears fall onto my skin and my throat tightened even more. Neither of us spoke, we just let the song speak for us, the lyrics fal
ling around us, every word such a perfect echo of our feelings.
I could feel her shoulders shaking against me and I fought back the emotion threatening to make my own tears fall. Her free hand moved, and pulled the thing around her forearm down. When I tried to unthread my hand from hers so I could move to see what she was doing, hers tightened around mine in an unspoken request for me not to let go.
She moved the object over our entwined hands and onto my wrist, before turning into my chest and giving into her tears. My free hand moved around her small body to my wrist to investigate the thing she'd placed there. It was a metal mesh band with a solid metal cylinder that slid around on it. The metal still held the warmth from her skin. I knew there must be great meaning to it, similar to the one I'd given her on her birthday, but there would be time to see it more closely later. The fact that she'd pulled it from her arm onto my wrist over our combined hands left me breathless. It was a simple act, but it meant so much.
My hand tightened on hers and the other came to her face and I slid a finger under her chin to lift her mouth to mine, I finally found my voice. It hurt to speak, but she needed to hear the words.
"Brook... I'm always going to love you this much or more. Do you understand me? I need to know you understand. I'll never make it through this if I'm not sure you know how much you mean to me. I literally can't live without you, and I wouldn't want to," I breathed against her mouth.
"I do. I know, Cade, and you're my whole life too. I love you more than anything."
We fell into a desperate kiss that communicated everything that words couldn't come close to describing.
TWO WEEKS LEFT.
Two weeks until Cade would be in New York for the summer. My whole body felt sick at the thought. Time was going much faster than I wanted it to, and it seemed the more we enjoyed it, the faster it flew. It was a cruel consequence of being happy. How ironic.
The past two days since Cade's birthday party had passed in a super-fast blur. Lillian and Carter's visit had been so good for Cade. He adored both of his parents, and they worshiped him. It made me feel great they were so warm and welcoming. Carter was funny, like Cade, and Lillian was very easy to talk with. I could see her and I becoming very close to each other as time passed.
They came to the set again while we filmed the big fight scene but were asked to leave set for one of the most intense love scenes of the entire series. Those had been some tough scenes that left me emotionally wiped out. Lillian even cried from the sidelines during the fight, which was good, because it indicated it felt real. I thanked God again for Martin’s sensitivity when filming the more intimate scenes between Cade and I. This film was going to be even better than the first one.
The remainder of our time in Vancouver would be spent with Martin; Jeff and myself working on any retakes needed and the second unit director was working on some of the scenes focusing on Cade’s character.
Wendy flew back to L.A. yesterday. Jennifer and I were flying to Italy early next week and Cade, Martin, and Dawson were meeting us there for the Italian Film Festival. We were done.
Done. My heart dropped in my chest.
It hadn't been easy for me when Cade left earlier this morning. He was jetting off with his parents and Denise, the four of them taking the same plane to New York and then splitting up. Lillian and Carter would be heading to London and Cade was going with Denise to Cannes.
I let myself think back to our time alone together after Cade's birthday party. It had been so incredible. Painful in part, but incredible.
The song playing on the iPod made it the perfect moment for me to slide the bracelet onto his wrist from mine, and he knew exactly what I was trying to say with the gesture. He held me as I cried and then made slow, tender love to me again. In the morning, he'd seen the bracelet and read the engraving; it was so special. He was so beautiful, his features soft as he looked at it. I'd never get used to how incredibly beautiful he was and how utterly overwhelmed I felt by my love for him.
I had the infinity symbol engraved on the front, echoing the gift he'd given me for my birthday. I wanted to connect him to me the way he had connected to me.
"Brook... this is perfect. Thank you," he'd said softly as he moved to cup my face with his hand and bent to place a soft kiss on my mouth. "I love it."
I crawled onto his lap after the kiss and my fingers ran over the metal cylinder on his wrist. I snuggled in closer and his arm tightened around my back and the one with the bracelet on it began to rub the top of my thigh.
"I'm going to miss you so much. I'm trying to be strong and tough about this, but I'm afraid I'm not doing a very good job. I’m sorry.”
He kissed the side of my temple. "Brook, there is nothing to be sorry about. I'm a bloody wreck myself."
I lifted his hand and turned the cylinder over. "There's more," I continued softly.
His blue eyes met mine before moving so he could read the words engraved underneath.
C- I can see forever when I look into your heart. I love you, -B
His arms tightened around me and he buried his face in my hair.
"Oh, babe. You are my forever, Brook. I love you longer than that," he whispered into my neck, kissing it and then dragging his mouth in a trail of kisses to my mouth where it ended in a deep soul wrenching kiss. His tongue and mine encircled each other and our mouths were sucking and lifting, coming back for more again and again.
"I know you won't be able to wear it very much, but maybe someday...” I said quietly after his lips finally lifted from mine.
"Do you want me to wear it anyway? I don't give a fuck about the paparazzi, you know that."
I thought about it for a minute. "No, I want it to be between us. I don't want speculation about it right now. Maybe something else, though. Something that says up yours to Pinnacle for not letting me go to Cannes with you? The bracelet wouldn't be able to do that anyway, since it has nothing to do with the films." I smiled up at him, trying to lighten the mood.
His hand was holding mine, his thumb rubbing over the engagement ring I wore on my finger as Julia. I had a habit of leaving it on. It seemed easier than remembering to keep putting it on and I didn’t want to risk losing my real one by taking it off and on.
"What about this?" He lifted my hand and nodded toward the ring? "Would that be ostentatious enough for you, sweet?" He flashed me the crooked grin that always made my knees go weak.
"Do you mean you'd wear it? Babe, it won't fit these huge hands of yours, not even the pinkie," I teased as I kissed one of them.
"No, I know, but maybe there's another way. I could wear it around my neck on some sort of chain or something."
"Eh... chain? That's just nasty," I teased and wrinkled my nose. "No, how about a cord of some sort?
"Yeah, whatever. We'll figure it out," he said as his fingers brushed my cheek and he brought his mouth back to mine. The morning ended with another marathon make-out session before meeting his parents for brunch.
Yesterday we ended up asking Cade's production assistant to get a few of the necklace assortment they'd brought in for props on the film, for some of the college students. We picked the most functional one that was a black rawhide cord with a shark tooth on it. I objected to it, thinking that it wasn't really his style, but Cade just shook his head and took it.
"Brook, the necklace isn't the point we're trying to make, so what does it matter?" He yanked the tooth off and tossed it unceremoniously toward the trash can under the desk in the hotel room. It hit the mark with a hollow clank, and then Cade was sliding Julia’s ring onto it and tying it around his neck.
He was right. So now my ring was on its way to Cannes, with Cade, and Julia’s R & J bracelet was firmly in place on my wrist; both pieces from the film and so a subtle hint to the die-hard fans we were together without setting off Pinnacle’s watch dogs.
I let out a big sigh as I remembered the past few days that had become a series of work, having meals with Lillian and Carter and then making lo
ve for long hours every night. Both of us were trying to store up the closeness for the lonely months ahead. Not sleeping much left us both exhausted, but the moments in his arms were worth it.
I felt the now familiar aching in my heart begin again and tried to swallow back the pain. I was going to get my hair done and then spend the day shopping with Jennifer and Noah: something I wasn't particularly enthused about; not because I didn't want to spend time with them, but because I couldn’t shake the sadness. Maybe this would help. Jennifer insisted it was better than moping around my room all day long.
I went into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.
What a mess.
My face was swollen from all of the tears, and there were bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. The tears I did manage to hide from Cade, not giving into them until after he'd gone. It killed me because I could hear his voice crack and feel his pain in the way he held me as he told me goodbye. I knew my crying would make it even worse for him, and I'd shed enough tears over the past week as it was.
I turned on the shower and started to peel off the T-Shirt and sweats I was wearing when my phone vibrated on the nightstand. I ran to get it, and found a message from Cade.
Mum and Dad have just gone, and Denise and I are boarded for Frankfurt, where we make our connection to France. I'll call you when I land. You're always with me, love.
I CLOSED MY EYES and waited for Brook’s response. Denise glanced at me and laid a hand on my arm.
"Aren't you excited? You'll be the biggest attraction at Cannes," she said softly.
Bloody Hell. Who said so?
"Who cares and who wants it, anyway? I hate it. It's completely ridiculous. I feel like a moron on parade." I was exhausted. Brook and I hadn't gotten much sleep lately and then the time difference, once we got to Cannes, was going to kill me.