As my parents left me at the bottom of the stairwell, I finally allowed the words to sink deep into my bones, causing me to chill ever so slightly. Missions are outside, I seemed to recall from a few of my fragmented memories. I wrapped my arms across my chest, suddenly feeling abnormally cold, in the dimness downstairs. The sun had left, and many of the lights on this floor had been flushed out.
I trudged up the steps, my heels clacking, the back of my ankles already screaming from the blisters I had from walking up and down the stairs earlier on. I tried my best to make it up the stairs as quickly as possibly, not trying to get caught in the darkness downstairs.
Finally, I made it to my room, eyes looking to the floor as I entered, shutting and locking it behind me. I felt someone staring at my back and as I turned, there was James, leaning against the doorframe, staring at his nails on the opposite hand. "You took forever," James stated, barely sparing a glance my way.
"I thought you wanted to stay far far away from me, especially in enclosed spaces," I glanced up at his tall form, dark in the faint moonlight. His curly hair seemed to hide most of his eyes as he turned to face me, putting his arms on either side of my head and looking down.
"Well, I got curious," he shrugged, whispering softly. James was too close, causing my eyes to trail away from him. "As to why you left me to brave everyone by myself tonight, especially after I had already told you not to leave your guests." He ran a thumb gently over the cut against my cheek, "I was forced to deal with Marigold's antics all by myself, how cruel of you Ms. Clark."
I swallowed hard, his voice a raspy whisper as he went on. "Where'd you leave me to go angel?" He asked, demanding honesty. I looked back up to him, our bodies still close together. I felt hot, his brown eyes scarcely visible to me. Although he didn't seem the happiest, his lips were drawn in tightly.
"I thought you wanted nothing to do with me," I said matter of factly. "I was freshening up while you and Marigold were flirting non stop." I shrugged at him.
He ran a finger down the side of my throat as he whispered against my ear. "Did it bother you?" I shivered, his fingertips trailing against skin. "Hm?" He asked as my face gained heat from his touches.
"Yes," I let out, almost in a whine. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, kissing it lightly, feeling him smile.
James kissed my neck again, as I attempted to refrain from digging my fingers into his curls. I felt the cut on my neck throb ever so slightly at my increased heart rate. "But weren't you with Chase?" I stood slightly frozen in place. "If you were, I won't be mad, just be honest." James trailed kisses down to my collar bone, leaning further down.
"I was," I said quickly, my heart picking up its pace. I heard him hum against my throat in acknowledgement. "He asked," James went slightly lower with his kisses. I let out a shaky breath trying to stay focused. "He asked what was wrong, so I told him, nothing else." James made his way back up, staring into my eyes, his eyelashes long enough to almost reach his eyebrows.
"Don't worry, I believe you." He twirled a loose piece of my hair around his finger, his eyes dark. "You should have just asked me to go with you."
"James. You're the one who said that this wasn't a good idea," I swallowed, searching his chocolate eyes.
James slid his calloused hand to my cheek, cupping my jawline with ease. He slid his thumb over my cut, pulling me closer to him, his other hand finding its way down to my hip. I stilled my breath looking at him, his sandy blonde hair framing his face, bringing out the sharpness of his features in the pale moonlight from outside. His pinky trailed along my jaw as he turned my face up at him. "It doesn't mean I want you any less," he breathed out shakily, his violet suit messy, his black tie loosened against the hollow of his throat, the top of his white collar unfastened.
I leaned into his touch ever so slightly, breathing in the smell of his cologne. The smell of the sea, mixed with sandalwood, and a small hint of what seemed to be lavender. His eyes kept flickering from mine to my lips, which were still covered in the remnants of glitter that glinted like starlight. "I don't want you to want Chase," James said quickly, swallowing his words down. "Yet, if he makes you happy, that's all I need. So, Makayla tell me," he lent forward, mouth inches from my ear as he whispered. "Who do you want?"
I felt my heart racing, as though I was dizzy. His voice felt like a melody that had struck all the proper chords in my heart. I swallowed, not sure of how to respond. I wanted James, I did, but there was no way he would be with me if his brother had feelings for me still. Nor was I entirely sure who had fully dug their way into my heart. "James," he brushed his lips against mine, waiting for a reply. "You don't want to-" His soft lips placed themselves against my own, as I took in a sharp breath.
James pushed me harder against the door, deepening the kiss between us. His tongue swished across my bottom lip in a gentle motion, as if beckoning for me to open up. I obliged, placing my hands into his curls, pulling him closer, as our tongues explored one another. He let out a faint groan, causing my knees to falter, ever so slightly.
James, pulled away from my mouth, as breathless as me. Both of us stared at one another, glitter now faintly sparkled against his lips. He dragged his thumb across my bottom lip, staring at me as though I was the prettiest thing he'd seen. My cheeks were burning, my whole body felt like it was on fire as his eyes analyzed me.
"Beautiful," he said so faintly I swore my mind was playing tricks on me, yet before I had time to respond, his lips were on mine once more. This time more desperately than before, I let out a small whimper as he gently bit my bottom lip, pulling me away from the door. He continued to passionately kiss me, not stopping for a moment as he walked backward and plopped onto my bed pulling me onto his lap.
James held tightly onto my waist, ruffling the black fabric of the dress. I placed my hands against his shoulders pushing him backward onto the bed, he stared up at me with a lustful gaze, after I broke the kiss, trying to heave in my breath. "Pushing people is rude you know," a cheshire smile grazed his lips, as his pale hair fell back onto the grey sheets beneath, his face entirely illuminated from the pale rays of the moon.
I laughed a bit, staring at him beneath me. He was beautiful, in the way the sun was beautiful. In the way, the stars lit up the dark of the sky, the light in the darkness. He had placed his hands against my thighs, his darker skin tone vastly different from my pale one. "So is trudging into someone's room past midnight before they've even gotten there themselves." He shrugged, against my sheets, sweetly rubbing his thumbs against my thighs.
"Mmm, I suppose it could be considered rude, however, you locked me in here before I was able to even make an escape," he chuckled. A laugh that rumbled ever so slightly in the back of his throat. I leaned forward, kissing him gently on the jawline. "Makayla," he said quietly, unsure of whether or not he wanted me kissing him there.
"Hmm?" I asked, kissing along his cut as he hitched a breath before letting it out. I made my way across the edges of the wound, and down slightly lower, he let out a small noise, turning his head in the opposite direction, and placing one of his knuckles against his lips.
"You gotta finish your statement James," he just closed his eyes as I continued.
"Fuck," he said quietly as I sucked on a small part of his collar bone, leaving a mark of red that I soothed with my tongue.
"That's not what you wanted to say right?" I asked slowly, pulling myself upright. James's eyes found me, almost black from the darkness of his pupil. His features were slightly flushed as he breathed out a quiet answer.
"Please," James looked at me, breathless, more disheveled than he was earlier. "Don't stop," his hands had moved the edges of my dress further up my thighs, as I stared at him for a painfully long time. I smirked, placing a finger against his chest.
"Beg," I said, sweetly. "Then maybe, I'll forgive you for wanting to stay away from me," I drew small circles against his chest as he breathed in and out, the muscles tensing beneath his suit.
"Please, Makayla," he looked at me, desperate, desperate for anything. I smiled to myself and brushed my lips against his, pressing the full weight of my body against his muscular figure. I could feel his heartbeat through the thin fabric of my dress, it felt like it was about to break down his ribs as though they were a brick wall. I slammed my lips against his once more, as he pulled me against him tighter than before.
James's hands made their way to the hair tie that held up my bun, as he gently pulled it out of the elastic, digging his fingers into the base of my neck, pulling me closer. I grabbed his tie, pulling him upward ever so slightly before my fumbling fingers were able to pull it free. I began to fumble with the buttons on his suit's jacket, trying to get them free, when James took the buttons into his grasp, undoing them himself, before he shrugged off his purple jacket.
I pulled the white long sleeve button up that lay beneath free from his waistline and undid the buttons more quickly this time as James made circles with his hands on my back, still sitting upward. His breath was shaky as my cool hands touched the bare skin of his chest. The speckled white of his scars made him more beautiful. His breath hitched as my lips made contact with his neck once more. James slowly reached a hand around to my back, painstakingly unzipping my dress, flipping me beneath him.
My eyes instantly widened at the surprise, as he shook off his white shirt. He pulled the straps of my dress ever so slightly, before speaking. "May I?" He asked, so desperately I felt it right to my core, as I nodded my head. He began to kiss me down the left side of my neck, then to my collar bone as he pulled the straps over my arms, leaving my chest bare. As he was about to kiss me once more, I heard a faint Tap. Tap.
My eyes immediately shot to the window, where Azura stood perched outside of the shut window, feathers puffed up in distaste. James still towered over me on the bed but took one glance from the window back to me and moved aside after placing the straps of my dress back onto my shoulders. We both looked from one another to Azura's irritated stance and began quietly laughing.
"Guess that bird wants back inside," James chuckled as I walked over to the window, sliding it upward so she could enter the room. My dress still hung open, unzipped from the back, leaving the base of my spine bare. James made his way behind me giving me a hug from behind, his bare skin against my own causing me to shudder as Azura slipped inside.
James gave me a quick kiss on the neck, before moving back to my bed to get his shirts. I looked at him, frowning, "Where are you going?" he laughed as he buttoned the layers back up, leaving the top few undone.
"I think that's enough for one night, we should start preparing for the mission, you need all the sleep you can get angel," he said as he pulled his suit jacket back over the top. He walked over to me, pulling my chin upward, sliding a hand up my spine before zipping up the night sky like dress as he placed a tender kiss upon my lips. "Sleep well," he said as he placed his forehead against mine, then walked a little too quickly, to my door, unlocking it then exiting.