Page 79 of Mistletoe Mistake
~Gemma~
By the time I left the office on Monday evening, the church bells had already rung for nine o’ clock. I still had work to catch up on, which kept me busy, but the main reason I stayed so long was that the idea of going back to Cole's room without him there didn’t appeal to me very much at all. Seeing his clothes in the closet or his things in the bathroom only made me more aware of the fact that he had gone and that we were missing out on time we were supposed to have together.
I had been planning for us to visit another museum that evening, one that showed the evolution of Christmas celebrations and decorations in England over the last few centuries. I had also been hoping to convince Cole to wear a Santa hat with me while we went, so I could win the bet we made the previous week. With all the excitement of the sex shop and the drama of running into my father at Wilby Park over the weekend, I had nearly forgotten about the bet, and I suspected Cole had too. I was still determined to win it, though, and my chances to do so were getting fewer.
On my way out the door of the office, I glanced at the calendar on the wall, and as I saw in black-and-white just how quickly Friday would arrive and how few days I had left with Cole, an uncomfortable, gnawing feeling settled in my stomach. As I locked the office door behind me and made my way back through the nighttime streets to the Lytton, beneath all the coloured Christmas lights, I remembered what Jackson said to me the day before: I needed to really think about what I wanted and talk to Cole about it. It felt like he was suggesting that Cole would be open to something more than what we had originally agreed on.
But was that just Jackson being his usual optimistic, cheery self? Cole himself hadn't done anything to suggest to me that he considered it an option. The closest he had come was the text he sent earlier that day to say he was thinking of me. It really surprised me, but I appreciated it too. It made me feel warm and safe and protected, despite him being a continent away from me. Somehow, just knowing that I was on his mind made a world of difference.
Back at the hotel, I let myself into the empty hotel suite, and everywhere I looked, I could imagine Cole there. Sitting on the couch working on his laptop when he pretended to be my stepfather. Naked and dripping wet in the shower when he had me cuffed to the wall. Holding an ice cube between his fingers in the bedroom as he walked over to me, my body restrained and at his mercy.
Just thinking about it started to turn me on, and I hadn’t forgotten what Cole had asked me to do for him. Feeling the same tingles of anticipation I felt whenever he was involved, I headed for the bedroom, quickly stripped down and took my place in the centre of the bed, just as he'd instructed, keeping my phone nearby.
My mind wandered back over all the different encounters we'd had and all the different things we'd done together as my hands explored my body. I imagined he could see me, that he was somehow watching me at that very moment, and a shiver of excitement ran through me. In my mind, the fingers playing with my clit and pressing into me weren't mine at all. They were Cole's fingers, or his tongue. I could almost feel the scratch of his stubble against my thighs and hear the low rumble of his laugh.
Getting close to my peak, I imagined him telling me to come, ordering me to, and that was enough to make it actually happen as pleasure and release flooded over me. As quickly as possible, I grabbed the phone and snapped a photo of myself from the neck up.
When I had fully recovered, I took a closer look at the picture. My eyes were half-closed, my lips parted and my cheeks flushed, and I had a feeling he'd be pleased with it. He would certainly be able to tell I hadn’t faked it.
It would be early Tuesday morning in Tokyo by that time, and I couldn’t be sure what time Cole would be up or when his press conference started, but I sent the photo to him anyway with a quick message.
I imagined you were here, but it doesn't compare to the real thing. G
I left the phone on the bed as I threw on my pajamas and went through my nightly routine in the bathroom. By the time I got back to the bedroom, Cole had already replied.
I agree. The picture is beautiful but the real thing is so much better. Press conference starts in an hour. Will update you when I can. C
The fact that he took the time to write to me even when he obviously had a lot going on filled me with warmth. It must mean he considered me important enough to devote his time to. If our relationship still hung entirely on our deal, he wouldn’t need to keep in touch with me while he was away. That must mean he felt something more too, didn't it?
I sent him another short goodnight text and went straight to bed. The faster I fell asleep, the quicker morning would come, and hopefully, the next day would bring Cole's return with it.
When I woke in the morning, I grabbed my phone off the bedside table eagerly, hoping for the message that would tell me that Cole was on his way, but instead my spirits sank as I read his latest text.
New complications. Some of the affected parties are suing the company, need to meet with lawyers and do a further public appearance. Hope to fly out this evening but will confirm to you when I can. I'm sorry I'll miss the gardens tonight. C
Despite the bad news, the ending of his text made me smile. The whole time we’d been in our arrangement, he'd never paid attention to the things I put in his calendar. He appeared to be content to just go along with me to whatever I had planned without question, but he had obviously looked to see what I had planned that night, which was the lights at Kew Gardens. I took that to mean he really did feel bad about missing it, or that maybe he just missed me too.
Teasing him felt like the best response, and hopefully it would give him something to smile about during what sounded like a stressful day for him.
Sorry to hear that. Guess I will find myself another handsome American billionaire to go with me tonight. ;) G
Cole's reply was nearly instantaneous.
You're still mine until Friday.
That response left me more confused than ever. On the one hand, his quick reply and the fact that he called me ‘his’ made me think that he didn't like the idea of me being with someone else. However, he also mentioned our Friday deadline again, which suggested he still intended to end things on Friday as planned.
What was I supposed to make of that?
Since I still wanted to go to Kew Gardens that evening, I invited Holly and Jackson to go with me. We had a good time, but it definitely felt like something was missing. Someonewas missing. Everything felt a little less vibrant, a little less special without Cole there to share it with. More than once, I caught myself about to turn to him to tell him something that had crossed my mind, only to remember that he wasn't there.
Finally, as I got back to the hotel on Tuesday evening, the text that I’d been waiting for came in.
On the plane now. Should arrive in London around 10 am Wednesday. Will probably try to get some sleep when I arrive, but will be available when you're off work. Can't wait to see you. C
The whole text made me happy, but the last sentence really elevated my mood. He couldn't wait to see me, and I couldn't wait to see him either. Those two days without him had made things a lot clearer to me: I didn't want whatever was happening between us to end. I didn't know how it would work in the long term, but I would be willing to put in the effort to find out.
I just had to figure out how to tell him that, and hope that he felt the same way too.
