Chapter 12: Chapter 12

- Knock

Deila's pov

Relieved.

Relieved was what I felt. I felt relieved now enclosed in the four walls of my room where there was no James to make me feel all hot and bothered with.

Thankful to Eva for choosing to call me at the exact moment she did, though I would've been more thankful if she'd called a bit earlier—before the under table occurrence— I slammed down in my bed. I was more embarrassed than angry I couldn't devour those sumptuous dishes properly after that. Hopefully, there'd be some left in the freezer for when the house was without guests.

Getting to the task at hand that was returning Eva's call, I dialed her number.

Answering the first ring," Hey," She greeted cheerfully.

"Hi, Eva." I couldn't keep the frustration from lacing my voice.

"Is it me, or does it smell tension from your end? Spit it."

"There's no tension on my end. I can assure you that." I felt bad lying to Eva, and knowing that she'd push because she knew I wasn't such a good liar didn't help.

"Shush," she altered. "You know who's on the phone with you, don't you? Talk to me." She paused waiting for my reply, when none came she continued. "You saw him, didn't you?" she asked in a serious tone.

Eva wasn't as playful as I and Lari, not that we played as kids in the mud, but Eva was the serious one when she wanted to be which was practically all the time.

"Who's him?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"You want me to mention names now, right? 'Cause I will." She got me there.

She knew all about my past with James, and how I had never been able to move on from him. I suffered a great deal emotionally when I'd just arrived in LA. I met Eva about a day after in an interview, the break-up was still fresh and painful then. Even though I'd said the words —thinking I was setting him free, I never did set myself free. I'm still caged to him.

"Yes, B. I saw him, we sat right next to each other." I sighed in defeat, rubbing my palm to my forehead.

"What the h–" She paused her half yell, then continued in a lower voice. "You're serious ain't you? Oh, my boot. It must have been hot as hell."

"Mmm..." I trailed not knowing what to reply to that.

"He's still as hot as he was in that picture, right? Or no, hotter? Oh girl," she chimed.

I was going to deny it when a knock came.

"I'll get back to you in a bit," I told her, standing from my bed.

"Okay, you do that."

I hung up, dropped my phone on the bed then proceeded to the door.

I didn't need to ask who it was, I was almost certain it'd be my mum on the other side of the door. I'd been expecting her to come a bit earlier in a mission to persuade me to join them at the table and finish my dessert. I already conjoined all the excuses I was going to give her in my head as I opened the door.

The back I was met with was not my mum's. Although the person had their back turned to me, it was a man's back, and the muscles that bulged in the tuxedo suit that covered it was evidence.

With wavy jet black hair, I could also tell it wasn't my Dad who was bald, neither was it Dawn who kept his hair low. I wasn't finished with my analysis that included gawking at the incredibly muscled body I already knew belonged to James before he turned, facing me.

And blast, I stood there wide-eyed, staring at James Martin's perfectly sculptured face. I was completely bewildered by his person. He didn't only look like a Greek god, he carried the dominating presence of one.

Composing myself, I dragged my eyes from him, immediately reaching for the doorknob to shut myself in but stopped when his hand reached out and seized mine.

Electric.

I felt electric shot through me from the impact of his hands on my skin. I didn't want to welcome the feeling... not at all.

"Not so fast, Deila." He had this smirk that made my head swirl. "Why are you avoiding me? Was I the reason you didn't come back down to finish your desert?" The smirk was still present as he asked this.

The arrogant ass, I thought. Who did he think he was? He thought I was running from him in my own home? What nerves he got there.

But he's right— my annoying subconscious chose that time to raise her head.

"Avoiding you? I'm not avoiding anyone," I said with a surprisingly cool vice that contrasted the turmoil I was battling with inside, then I forced a smile on.

I was going to melt if he kept staring at me the way he was like I was prey he wanted to devour.

"If you say so." He stared at me skeptically, but he didn't push. "I just came up here because your mum wanted me to call you down."

My brow arched involuntarily. "Why?"

"Why what?" he asked mirroring my expression.

Was he serious? He just passed a message and he forgot already?

"Oh, that," he muttered pausing, then continued, "she thought you'd want to say goodbye to my mum and sister." He explained, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Mum and sister? I thought God forbid he stays over, I'd pass out.

"And you? You are leaving too," I said matter of factly, a little harsher than I'd intended.

"Yes, but you won't be saying goodbye to me again. You already did, two years ago if I should refresh your memory." He turned and started to walk away.

He needed to understand I didn't intend to hurt him. I never did. I just couldn't bring myself to tell him the reason, but I did tell him it was for his good. Freedom.

"Wait," I called after him before I could stop myself, and he turned almost immediately like he had been excepting it.

"Yes?" he was walking towards me with that look on his face again.

That look of having a prey you so wanted to devour in front of you. And God did I want him to devour me. He stopped right when he was in front of me, too close. Closer than I would've liked.

With him standing so close to me, I became hazy. I couldn't think straight. His masculine scent was so strong, shooting through my nose and straight up my brain. I couldn't trust myself to not throw my head back and close my eyes to inhale him, so I took two steps back.

I cleared my throat, not trusting my voice to be coherent. "I'm sorry. I know it's stupid apologizing now, but that was a long time ago." I paused to gauge his expression, which didn't give anything away, before continuing. "You have gotten over it already. Let's be cool. No bad vibes?" I forced a laugh, nervously rubbing my palms on the side of my dress.

He glared at me and I shivered from the coldness of his eyes. Same eyes that’d set fire through me and made me sweat countless times.

"Cool? Let's be cool? What nerves you've there Deila." He chuckled, dryly.

He ruffled his hair and wet his lips, something he did when he was nervous. My eyes followed the movement and he saw it. The air changed into an intense atmosphere that almost made it difficult for me to breathe.

"We can't just be cool, Dei," he stated his eyes cast to the ground. He thumped his leg as though he was deep in thought, then he looked up, taking two steps towards me.

I made a silent prayer for the ground to open and swallow me up.

He was right in front of me, so close that I could feel his hot unsteady breath on my face. "We can't be cool because..." he trailed "I still want you." he removed his hands from his pockets.

A strong wave of electricity shot through his declaration. I stopped breathing then swallowed forcefully.

"And it wouldn't be fair if I acted like I was as cool as what? Friends?" He brought his hand up to brush a strand of hair from my face, tucking it beside my ear. I forced my eyes to meet his.

The mistake I made was not bracing myself because the fire that shot through me was so too intense to be desire.

His eyes mirroring mine drew me in, I unconsciously leaned my face forward, still holding his eyes. When I couldn't bear the intensity and proximity anymore my eyes shut on their own as I leaned in, touching my lips to his.

The moment my lips met his, he wasted no time in claiming it, kissing me so feathery at first that I thought it was one of those many wet dreams I had of him. And when he placed his hand at the back of my waist, pressing his lips to mine, I was certain I moaned. I wouldn't have known as I was light-headed.

Then his tongue darted out, licking my bottom lips. I couldn't control the moan that escaped me, like a wanton and he took the opportunity to shove his tongue into my slightly parted mouth. I welcomed him, my tongue battling for dominance with his. My hand found its way to tangle in his soft hair as I deepened the kiss, drowning in him completely. My other hand craved to do something so I placed it on his chest, feeling his muscles ripple underneath and his heart race.

The kiss held so much. It held two years apart. It held unresolved feelings. It held longing. And we hungrily took all that it gave like starving animals, ravaging each other's lips. I yelped as my back touched the wall. I hadn't realized I was no longer standing, but I was sure if I was, I'd be on the ground. I couldn't feel my legs that had turned jelly from his drugging lips.

I was thankful for his hands that wrapped around me. He hopped up me and I moaned, wrapping my jelly legs around his waist. My head flew back —almost hitting the wall. My hands digging into his scalp as he broke the kiss to trail his tongue from the nape of my neck to my ear, and back to my neck where he suckled, sending a jolt of electricity straight to my already throbbing center. His lips felt so right on my body, and I started to grind my wet center into him unconsciously.

Damn was he hard. His grunts and hisses were what I needed to know he was going to lose himself as I’d if I continued. I knew I’d snap any moment, the convulsions already started. My toes were starting to curl and my center throbbed higher each second with uncontrollable pleasure.

"Ewww! Get a damn room you two."

An exclamation was almost out of my mouth from the shock.

We broke away, startled. I almost hit the floor with the way I jerked out of James's hold. My brain slowly started to work again as I stared wide-eyed, more embarrassed than I've ever been in my life.

"Sorry to ruin the party," I heard Dawn say from somewhere inside my rummaging head.

If the ground had opened up for me, I would gladly have jumped into it or if the air had a portal that I could just vanish through, it would've been much better than having to stand there.

"I'm sorry," James muttered, still in front of me, not so close anymore. His eyes were cast to the ground.

I moved away from him, turned, and half-ran into my room. Slamming the door behind me, I twisted the knob to make sure it was locked.

I was a goner now, that I was certain of. Why the hell had I kissed him that way? Like a horny starving wanton—I scolded myself. No, I hadn’t just kissed him, I grounded on him even almost came.

"God," I mumbled face palming myself.

The Deila he knew was supposed to have retreated from the kiss. He was going to think the worse of me now. Damn. I was supposed to retreat from the kiss, instead, I devoured his lips grinding into him.

Only God knew what I'd have done if Dawn hadn't shown up. And I knew too. I would’ve shattered in the climax. There was this angry part of me that wanted to come undone and there was also this relived- and-thankful- to Dawn part.

Even though it was useless worrying about what was already done and couldn’t be changed, I wished I could turn back time to avert my face as he tried to— I became angrier with myself, realizing I kissed him first. And if I was to be honest with myself, I'd do it again.

No, I didn't regret it, and all my rants about regretting it was merely because Dawn saw us. I could die of that embarrassment. How was I going to face my brother when he saw me like that?

"Dei!? Open the hell up! You guys need to resolve this sexual tension between you guys." It was Dawn knocking on my door. There was no doubt amusement dancing in his eyes plus the sarcasm in his words didn't go unnoticed. It was so like Dawn to joke with my mystery.

"Fuck off Dawn!" I yelled.

Sighing in frustration, I made to grab a gum from my nightstand to maybe avert my thoughts from what had just happened outside my room, but then I decided against it. I still wanted the taste of his lips on mine, and I selfishly couldn't deny that.

'Wildflower' by Five Seconds of Summer started on my phone.

"Oh, Eva," I remembered.

Picking up my phone from the bed, I answered immediately on seeing the caller ID.

"Hey."

"Yeah, hey. 'Inna bit' took like forever. I couldn't even sit patiently while I waiting for your call. I need spills!" I laughed out loud at how frantic she sounded.

"I ain't laughing here, girl." I could imagine her glaring daggers at me, and so couldn't help laughing again.

I told her everything, down to the kiss, and Dawn walking in on us.