Flicker of Hope Chapter 13

I AM SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE. I AM STILL NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE STORY. I HAVE AN IDEA BUT THAT WILL MAKE THIS STORY REALLY LONG, AND I AM GOING TO BE GONE FOR LIKE A WEEK SO I AM STILL UNCERTAIN. SHOULD I JUST END THE STORY OR WHAT? PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

Tanner had to go out during the day for some unknown business that he had to do. When Emily asked him, he reminded her that he had a job that he had been holding on for a couple of days. He worked in an ad agency, she wasn’t sure what exactly it was all about and she didn’t asked him since she was too busy with the thought of being alone without him, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

The rest of the day was spent by watching T.V., reading books, and waiting for Tanner to be back. True to his word, he was back for dinner. They ate dinner in silence. It wasn’t one of those uncomfortable silences that make you want to make small talk as to make it better; it was a comfortable silence which they both felt suited to.

All too soon it was time for bed. Emily silently wondered if they were going to be sharing the same bed. Just the very thought of that made the heat rouse, and she grew tense. She silently made her way towards the bedroom with Tanner following close behind.

Tanner watched her as she mad her way to the bedroom, and as much as he hated to admit, a part of him wanted to lock the door behind, take her into his arms, and never let go. Her movement was swift, and he found it very difficult to concentrate with her around. Haven’t you ever seen a woman before? Get a grip!

When she reached near the bed, she turned around and faced him. The room seemed very silent, and the air around them was humid. She found him looking at her, and she looked away. Those pair of killer eyes seemed so intent that she caught her breath. She forced herself to act normal. Just because he was in the same room with her didn’t mean there was actually something going to happen between them. If there wasn’t anything going to happen, why was the air so filled with need and desperation? She wanted him to want her just as she did, but he probably wouldn’t…

"Um…. So who gets the bed?" Emily asked, and instantly regretted asking that question. This wasn’t just any guy, this was her husband, but she couldn’t rush their relationship this way when they barely even knew each other.

Like the perfect gentlemen that he was he let her have the bed, but that wasn’t right. It was his place after all. It wasn’t fair if she slept in the bed, and he took the couch. She protested, but he was just as persistent.

"You should keep the bed. I will be fine in the couch." He announced.

She still kept protesting, and he signed. They were both thoughtful for a second, and Emily was glad that he was the one to solve the problem, not her. "We could use the same bed since it’s kind of big. We won’t be, um, touching nor doing anything like that. We can sleep in the same bed without doing anything." Emily agreed, but inside she knew that it was going to be really hard for her to keep her distance knowing that he was right there sleeping beside her.

Tanner felt like he shouldn’t have said anything at all. Having her in the same apartment was hard enough, but sleeping with her the same bed was too much. She had changed into a simple night gown that ended just below her knee. It was a relief that they were using separate blankets, but it was enough for him to smell her scent and want her close to him. She turned to her side restlessly, and it seemed like she was having a hard time sleeping. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and murmur softly into her ears until sleep welcomed her. Her hair looked darker in contrast to the night. Her face shined because of the light reflecting from the moon, and he thought he had never seemed anyone as enchanting before.

After 5 minutes of restlessness, she seemed to calm down, and started breathing slowly. She had the same peaceful look as before, and the sight made his heart warm. After few seconds, the peace seemed to disappear. Her brows seemed to rise in concentration, and she frowned as if something unpleasant had happened. He waited for her to return to her peaceful self again, but when it didn’t happen, he felt the need to do something. Whatever was it that she was thinking that made her frown that way, he thought. I will do anything to take that away from her. He raised his hand, and lightly touched her cheek. Her skin was very soft, and hot.

The heat made strange sensation rouse in his body, and before he could help himself, he kissed her hardly in her cheek. The taste of her skin made him feel something he had never really felt before, or at least he couldn’t remember feeling this way before, and only a matter of few days seem to change this life. He touched her cheek with his palm, and peace seemed to settle back in her face. Her delicious lips formed into a glorious smile, and he watched her in amazement.

He had no idea how long he stood there watching her in the dark, but soon he felt asleep.

In the morning when the sun hit him, he used the pillow to hide his face. He heard someone chuckle, and slowly removed the pillow from his face. Only millimeters separated him from Emily’s smiling face. Her eyes were shining, and her smile was worth million bucks. He couldn’t believe the sight that was watching him. He rubbed his eyes, and made sure that he wasn’t dreaming.

She laughed at his expression. His eyes looked sleepy but it was still enough for her to get lost into them. She silently hoped that she will see this face for the rest of her life. His expression was undeniably cute, and she felt the need to get close to him, but fear kept her away.

He slowly touched her hair, and sure enough she real. She laughed again, and the sound of it was so pleasant that it made him grin in return.

"Not a morning person, are you?" She asked in a soft voice filled with humor.

"Not really," he smiled, a smile that seemed to light his whole face, and his voice was filled with sleep, and it was very seductive. It all seemed like a dream to her, and she knew that she will never get used to seeing with him. One could never get tired of looking into those eyes. And the smile could make any human being want to melt.

"Have you had many lovers?"

"What?" The turn the conversation had taken took Tanner off guard.

Emily turned her gaze from his eyes, and stared straight ahead as if she was seeing something in those white walls. "Someone like you probably did," she murmured to herself but it was loud enough for Tanner to hear.

"What do you mean someone like me?" He wanted to know what she thought of him. Sometimes it felt like she liked him, but other times, it was hard to believe she did. She really doesn’t have a choice, he thought. She has to like me if she wants this to work. He felt guilty for taking that choice from her.

She rolled her eyes. "Are you really that unaware of your impact on other people, or are you playing dumb?"

"What do you mean?" He was curious.

"Look at you," she motioned with her hands to him.

"I don’t get it." Confusion was clear in his eyes, and that was exactly how he felt.

She signed. "You can’t be so oblivious to the fact that you make people……"

"I make people do what?" He asked. He touched his face. "You mean my looks?" He was still a bit confused.

"Kind of," she said. She stared at him for a while and tried to figure how to phase what she wanted to say. She wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to say. "Your eyes are bright, and beautiful," she rolled her eyes at the obvious. "But there is something in there that pulls people towards you. The blue-green pools of your eyes make people lost in its gaze," Unconsciously, she moved closer, and he did the same. "There is something deep that makes me want to……" She didn’t finish the sentence. He was looking straight into her eyes, making her breathless. If he kept doing that, she knew she will never be able to talk again. He was so close, and she could even smell his breath in her skin.

It wasn’t the first time someone had said that his eyes were beautiful, but hearing from her- whose eyes never stopped mesmerizing him- was surprising. She was describing the way he felt for her; did she have any clue what she was doing him? Her smell seemed to fill his senses, and her nearness made him want to press even closer until everything else just disappeared. All sane thought just seemed to disappear from his mind and there was nothing else that seemed to matter. At the moment, she was the only one that existed for him, and he wanted her more than anything he had wanted in a very long time.

He touched his forehead with hers, and they were both breathing very heavily. He had to stop himself from touching her lips. If he kissed her now, he knew that stopping himself was going to be impossible, but the temptation to touch her lips was still too much. He lightly touched her lips, hoping to satisfy himself, and stop it right there. What he hadn’t expected was all the emotion and need that came after the mere touch. It was like the last time he had kissed her. Though he had planned to just touch her lips, it was impossible to pull away from her. Her response to his kiss drove him crazy. She pressed herself to him, and traced his face.

Tanner pulled her close until she was sitting in his lap, and kissed her hardly, and passionately. She fit perfectly into his arms just the way he knew she would. He moved his lips from hers to her throat, and she moaned in delight.

She dragged her nails into his hair and pulled him back, and he kissed her. His kiss was making her feel the things she thought she never could. The power he had over her was making her mad, but she wanted him nonetheless. She couldn’t remember the last time she had kissed someone like this.

Tanner moved his lips back to her neck, nuzzling it softly. He kissed the pulse in her neck and made his way towards the skin below her ear, and she murmured his name pleasantly. He kissed it over and over, giving her pleasure while she kept on moaning his name. While trying to give her pleasure, his needs were arousing, and he didn’t know if he could ever stop himself. He loved the softness of her skin, and the way she responded to his every touch. He loved knowing that she wanted him just the way he wanted her. At that moment, he felt his heart open a door that had been locked for a very long time. A part of him that could love seemed to rouse within, and he pulled her lips towards him and kissed her hardly. His hands were in her hair, feeling the softness of her curls just the way he wanted to. Her response nearly drove him mad. She was making it very hard to think of anything else but her.

They were both breathless when they finally pulled away. Emily put her head into his chest and listened to his heart hammering, and slowing down. He kissed her temple softly and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed into his arms. They stayed that way for a very long time.

***Hope u like this chapter. :)****