when finally the time came to return to the house, Chloe was so drowsy she could have slept out on the beach. Instead, Josh lifted her up as easily as if she weighed nothing and carried her all the way back.
At least, that’s what must have happened. For by the time he’d safely put her to bed, she was fast asleep, the memory of their lovemaking igniting her dreams and filling her with the sweetest sense of joy.
CHAPTER 16
All through the flight, little was exchanged between Josh and Chloe. It was almost as if last night had never taken place. During the helicopter flight, the noise from the rotors had made speech impossible, but throughout the subsequent flight back to New York, they hadn’t spoken much either.
He’d gotten up that morning with a sense of dread, and looking next to him, he could see that Chloe experienced the same. How do you go from being collaborators to lovers to the real world where everything they’d built up over the course of the past week would inevitably be razed and had to be rebuilt from the ground up?
He’d go back to his life, she to hers. How would they fit together in the harsh light of reality? Once the golden beaches, the azure ocean, and the isolation were taken away, what would be left of ‘them’? If there was indeed a ‘them’ in the first place.
She looked a little sad, he thought, when he glanced over to Chloe for the umpteenth time, and he knew she looked exactly like he was feeling right now.
The flight and subsequent landing went smoothly, and then they were walking side by side out of the airport.
Chloe scanned the waiting cars and taxis with a frown. “Kiki was supposed to pick me up, but it looks like he’s a no-show.”
“Kiki?”
“A friend.”
“Uh-huh.” He realized how little he knew of her personal life. They’d talked for hours, but the name Kiki had never come up. “Do you need a ride?” He felt awkwardly formal all of a sudden.
“That would be nice.” She smiled.
Just then, a car horn hooted and they both looked up. A Golf convertible raced up to the curb and screeched to a halt directly in front of them. Inside, a particularly burly man sat, his torso barely concealed by a minuscule T-shirt, muscles bulging on all sides. He was extremely tan and had the face of a boxer, his nose apparently having been broken several times in the past. He looked… dangerous, Josh decided.
“Kiki!” squealed Chloe, practically hopping up and down.
Josh eyed the expanding he-man darkly. A pang of jealousy shot through him as he wondered how this monster figured in Chloe’s life.
“Hey, babe,” Kiki breathed huskily as he smiled up at the two of them. “I almost forgot about your arrival today. Good thing Mimi’s good at this kind of stuff.”
“Mimi?” murmured Josh.
Chloe looked over to him and whispered, “Another friend. Mimi’s the practical one.”
“She is, is she?” he tried.
“He is,” she corrected, then suddenly her face fell. “I guess this is it, Josh. Our holiday is finally over.”
“I guess it is.” They hadn’t been a moment apart for a whole week, and now she’d be gone.
She leaned up and gave him a gentle peck on the lips. He knew he should have taken the opportunity to grab a hold of her and ravish those cherry lips the way they deserved to be ravished, but he felt the scrutinizing gaze of Kiki drinking in every moment of their parting, and he reluctantly refrained from expressing his true feelings.
“Will I see you again?” she murmured in a whisper.
“Of course.” He managed a crooked smile. “Why don’t you give me a call once you’re settled in?”
She hesitated and seemed disappointed somehow. “Will do,” she said softly, then gave him a tiny wave before she stepped into Kiki’s convertible.
Kiki, who’d been staring at him all the while, suddenly seemed to make up his mind. “Say, aren’t you that writer dude?”
“That’s right.”
Kiki burst out into a raucous laugh and clapped
At least, that’s what must have happened. For by the time he’d safely put her to bed, she was fast asleep, the memory of their lovemaking igniting her dreams and filling her with the sweetest sense of joy.
CHAPTER 16
All through the flight, little was exchanged between Josh and Chloe. It was almost as if last night had never taken place. During the helicopter flight, the noise from the rotors had made speech impossible, but throughout the subsequent flight back to New York, they hadn’t spoken much either.
He’d gotten up that morning with a sense of dread, and looking next to him, he could see that Chloe experienced the same. How do you go from being collaborators to lovers to the real world where everything they’d built up over the course of the past week would inevitably be razed and had to be rebuilt from the ground up?
He’d go back to his life, she to hers. How would they fit together in the harsh light of reality? Once the golden beaches, the azure ocean, and the isolation were taken away, what would be left of ‘them’? If there was indeed a ‘them’ in the first place.
She looked a little sad, he thought, when he glanced over to Chloe for the umpteenth time, and he knew she looked exactly like he was feeling right now.
The flight and subsequent landing went smoothly, and then they were walking side by side out of the airport.
Chloe scanned the waiting cars and taxis with a frown. “Kiki was supposed to pick me up, but it looks like he’s a no-show.”
“Kiki?”
“A friend.”
“Uh-huh.” He realized how little he knew of her personal life. They’d talked for hours, but the name Kiki had never come up. “Do you need a ride?” He felt awkwardly formal all of a sudden.
“That would be nice.” She smiled.
Just then, a car horn hooted and they both looked up. A Golf convertible raced up to the curb and screeched to a halt directly in front of them. Inside, a particularly burly man sat, his torso barely concealed by a minuscule T-shirt, muscles bulging on all sides. He was extremely tan and had the face of a boxer, his nose apparently having been broken several times in the past. He looked… dangerous, Josh decided.
“Kiki!” squealed Chloe, practically hopping up and down.
Josh eyed the expanding he-man darkly. A pang of jealousy shot through him as he wondered how this monster figured in Chloe’s life.
“Hey, babe,” Kiki breathed huskily as he smiled up at the two of them. “I almost forgot about your arrival today. Good thing Mimi’s good at this kind of stuff.”
“Mimi?” murmured Josh.
Chloe looked over to him and whispered, “Another friend. Mimi’s the practical one.”
“She is, is she?” he tried.
“He is,” she corrected, then suddenly her face fell. “I guess this is it, Josh. Our holiday is finally over.”
“I guess it is.” They hadn’t been a moment apart for a whole week, and now she’d be gone.
She leaned up and gave him a gentle peck on the lips. He knew he should have taken the opportunity to grab a hold of her and ravish those cherry lips the way they deserved to be ravished, but he felt the scrutinizing gaze of Kiki drinking in every moment of their parting, and he reluctantly refrained from expressing his true feelings.
“Will I see you again?” she murmured in a whisper.
“Of course.” He managed a crooked smile. “Why don’t you give me a call once you’re settled in?”
She hesitated and seemed disappointed somehow. “Will do,” she said softly, then gave him a tiny wave before she stepped into Kiki’s convertible.
Kiki, who’d been staring at him all the while, suddenly seemed to make up his mind. “Say, aren’t you that writer dude?”
“That’s right.”
Kiki burst out into a raucous laugh and clapped
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