Page 29 of Wishes for August

How easy it would have been to invite him into the shower with me but in the light of day, last night’s passion took on a dangerous glow. Hope had a way of worming its way in and I wasn’t entertaining that idea right now. We’d agreed to be friends with benefits - it was the perfect solution. Sex with themost incredible man I’d ever met, a man who would happily sink to his knees for me, and all without the emotions and whatnot that comes with a relationship.

Yes, it was the perfect arrangement.

Following a scalding shower, I emerged from my room and wandered down the hallway to find Caleb at the breakfast bar with a croissant and a cup of coffee. He was typing on his phone. He gestured to an area to the right of him on which a tray of pastries and fresh juices stood.

“I ordered up a selection because I wasn't sure what you'd like.”

“Thanks.” I popped a few on my plate, made myself a coffee, and sat on the stool opposite him.

“So,” I started, biting my lip, my cup of coffee firmly grasped in my hand. “Did you mean what you said last night? About being friends?” I asked tentatively.

He looked up from his phone, offering me a tight smile. “You’re my friend August, I think that is pretty obvious.”

“But, I mean, what about you know….” I gestured towards the hallway to the bedrooms.

“Ah,” Caleb said, “You mean, am I taking you up on your suggestion?” I nodded at him, taking a bite of the buttery pain au chocolat.

“I am not going to lie to you August, I’d love so much more but if this is all you are offering then, I’ll take it.”

I let out a heavy breath. This is what I wanted - call me selfish - I wanted to be with him but I couldn’t give him all of me.

“Okay, well I think then, so the lines don’t get blurred, how about we set some ground rules?”

“Fine,” Caleb replied, “One condition from me is that there is no one else. You have sex with me and only me.”

I nodded emphatically, “Yes, totally.” Meeting his gaze, I laid down my conditions, watching as his brow furrowed more with each one.

“No sleep overs, while I enjoyed last night immensely. I don’t think we should spend the night with each other. That’s something couples do and, well, we’re not a couple. Secondly, no talking about feelings. We keep our conversations light and friendly. Thirdly, this stays between us. No need to share anything with others when this is bound to have an expiration date. And lastly, if either of us change our minds, or if things start changing, this ends, straight away.”

I could see his jaw working overtime, clenched and tense. But he nodded nonetheless.

“Am I allowed to kiss you? When no one’s around obviously.” I tensed at this - kissing was so intimate. During sex it just felt like part of the moment but outside that, what would a kiss mean? But I felt I had laid down so many conditions already, that I gave him this.

“Yes, you can kiss me.”

With that, he slid off his seat, and came around to my side of the breakfast bar. Taking my chin between his hands, he tilted my face towards him and pressed his lips to mine. He didn’t deepen the kiss, instead he held his lips there for a beat. They were warm and soft and those butterflies stirred in me again.

Breaking the kiss, he walked towards the lounge where he picked up his coat and started packing his laptop into his bag.

“We’re meeting Noel at nine. A cab is collecting us to take us to the head office. I’ll meet you in the lobby in thirty?” Caleb asked, as he continued to gather up his things.

My head reeling from the sudden topic change, I nodded, before returning to my breakfast.

Chapter 17

Caleb

The next three days in New York were nonstop. We met with Noel and various members of his team during the day. Moving from meeting to meeting, lunch with this person, breakfast with another, reviewing their past and current marketing materials, and running through our proposals for the rebrand. And by night, August and I were unstoppable, our lips and tongues locking as soon as we entered our suite.

Every night, we’d tear off each other’s clothing and lay kisses all over the other’s naked bodies. August would press me over the back of the sofa and fuck me without restraint, biting marks all over my skin, sucking on my earlobes and talking dirty to me until I was writhing and coming all over the furniture. By the time day four of our agreement rolled around, he’d fucked me on pretty much every surface in the suite including the breakfast bar. In the shower, I’d sunk to my knees and swallowed himdown, holding steady as he fucked so deep into my throat, my head went dizzy and tears flowed down my cheeks.

We stuck to his conditions - after we’d thoroughly worn each other out, I’d return to my room or him to his. We made sure never to mess up the beds so we’d have no reason to end up in another one bed situation. Some nights it would be two am before we finally went our separate ways. And I hated it. I hated walking away from him.

To my relief, Noel had remained professional and didn’t make any more suggestive remarks towards August, but I still caught his hungry gaze raking over the younger man from time to time. At one point, he caught me eye fucking August and I levelled him with a glare that could have turned water to ice. I couldn’t tell him August was mine, but I needed him to know nonetheless, and I hoped my icy glare had told him as much.

On our sixth day in New York, we had a lunch meeting and then we were done, our flight home was the following day and so we took the opportunity to explore a little. The day was chilly but dry so we’d bundled up in our coats, scarves and beanies and settled on taking a walk through Central Park.

“I know you haven’t had a chance to see much, but what do you think of New York?” I asked, as we strolled side by side through the park. Most of the trees were bare and leaves crunched beneath our feet as we walked. The park was a litany of yellow, oranges and reds and as stunning as it was, my eyes were constantly taking in the handsome man walking besides me. He was wrapped up in a long black funnel neck coat with a purple scarf and blue striped beanie, from under which a few strands of his dark brown hair escaped. His cheeks were rosy from the cold and his eyes were bright as they scanned our surroundings.

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