God of Temptation

Chapter 19

~Ariella~

Life is unpredictable as heck. Mom always said, one moment someone's here, kicking it, and the next, they're out of this wild ride we call life. That's why she preached making the absolute most of every tick of the clock.

It's all about seizing those moments, squeezing the love out of every second, cherishing them, and not wasting a single heartbeat. Mom's wisdom wasn't just words; it was a mantra to live by, a reminder to squeeze every ounce of joy and love out of this unpredictable journey we're on.

Why am I fixating on this now? Probably to divert my attention from this heart-pumping, sweat-drenched moment. I'm out here on a hiking trail with Remi, and oh boy, I am breaking a sweat. When Vivian mentioned Remi's fondness for hiking, I thought, 'Ariella, time to shine!'. Little did I know, Remi's an extreme hiker. It's been three grueling hours, and my legs might as well be jelly at this point.

But hey, on the bright side, my heart's bursting with joy. I could happily die right now. Spending time with Remi, alone when we haven't even done the deed yet is so romantic. To me, it's practically a date. If Remi could read my mind, he'd probably freak out and sprint back to his car, bidding me farewell forever. But what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

I'm a seasonal hiker, only doing the mild two hour hike. This extreme challenge caught me off guard. By the third hour, when it hit me that the descent wasn't happening any time soon, I ditched the facade of "I'm totally fine." I plopped down and suggested Remi go ahead without me. Instead, he laughed and pumped me up. Turns out, the struggle was real because guess who decided to show up unannounced, Aunt Flo decided to visit.

Here I am, not even having sex with Remi, and my monthly visitor has shown up unannounced. Oddly enough, I don't mind, because right now, Remi's carrying me up this trail. My sweaty front glued to his back, arms locked around his neck, chin resting on his shoulder, legs wrapped around his well-sculpted waist. And there he is, hands firmly placed under my backside, hoisting me up. It's a bit couple-y, but hey, my lips are sealed. The last thing I need is to become a solo hiker because I spilled the beans.

A laugh bursts out before I can stop it, and Remi shoots me a perplexed glance.

"What's so funny?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I bet I made you reconsider having me as your hiking partner," I reply, squeezing my legs tighter around his waist as cramps start acting up.

"Surprisingly, that thought never crossed my mind," he replies, a smile gracing his lips.

His words fracture something inside me because moments like this with him keep my hope alive. I know that once Remi starts returning my feelings, we'll carve out a blissful life together. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes because I believe it's worth it.

"Well, I must be quite the burden right now, making you carry me up this trail. I'm sure it's exhausting," I quip.

Remi's expression shifts to a serious one. "That's the thing, Jailbait. I don't feel your weight. If it weren't for your breath on my neck, I'd forget I'm even carrying you. How much do you weigh anyway?"

"Why the sudden curiosity?" I quip, dodging the weight question.

"Just curious," he replies casually.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know. Girls aren't really keen on sharing their weight," I retort.

He chuckles, the vibrations felt against my front making me smile just because he's laughing. Just his laughter, having that effect on me.

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me, ma chérie," he reassures.

Playfully, I shove his shoulder, grinning. "By the way, we won't be doing that anytime soon."

"It's fine, it's BJ week this week," he mentions casually.

"REMIII!" I exclaim, feeling a wave of shyness wash over me.

"Alright, alright," he says, laughing it off.

I wrap my arms tighter around him and he hoists me up further, as he continues to carry me up. We engage in light banter, him teasing and me screaming his name.

He pokes fun at my Instagram handle name, "Ariella Jailbait Nash," and I blush profusely.

He reminisces about embarrassing childhood moments, eliciting laughter from me.

He shares snippets of life at the Elites mansion, giving me glimpses into his life.

He talks, I listen.

He walks, and also give me a piggyback ride.

He cracks a joke, and I find myself laughing.

Remington Astor, I love you. But I keep it to myself. In this moment, I find contentment.

As we finally reach the hill's summit, I ask Remi to set me down. He gently places me on my feet, but my legs turn to jelly. His strong arms envelop my shoulders, and I lean into his support. We stand there, the wind doing a number on my hair while cooling my overheated self. Then, of course, my stomach decides to announce its presence with a loud growl, and Remi starts laughing, clearly having heard it. I jab his stomach lightly, and he dramatically howls in response.

Classic Remi!

I pull out a blanket from my bag along with some sandwiches Kaitlyn kindly prepared before shoving me onto this trail.

In blissful silence, Remi and I share the moment, savoring the beauty of nature and devouring the sandwiches. Despite his hunger, Remi insists I eat most of them.

Just when the moment's ripe, Remi decides to sour it with an uncomfortable topic. Honestly, if he hadn't brought it up, I might've blissfully forgotten about it.

"So, Ari, why did you decide to disappear on me for the last few days?"

Because you left me stranded at home instead of letting me crash overnight. But of course, I don't say it out loud. Telling him the truth might trigger a panic attack.

"Because, I wanted to," it's not a lie tho. I was angry at him so I wanted to avoid him.

"Ariella," he says my name in a warning tone.

So I say something that is somewhat believable "Because... I felt embarrassed about fainting," I murmur, avoiding his gaze.

"Jailbait, it's not about being embarrassed; it's about being concerned. Ava mentioned it wasn't the first time," he notes.

Ah, Ava and her tales. "Don't take everything she says seriously. She tends to exaggerate."

Promise me you won't ignore my calls again, Ari. Deal? Deal " he presses.

I nod, fighting back a smirk.

"Good girl," he grins, ruffling my hair.

"Remi, can we head back? I really need to get home," I manage, my hand clutching my waist as the cramps intensify.

"Sure thing, let's get you back," Remi agrees, rising and preparing to hoist me up onto his back. But my legs decide to stage a rebellion, causing me to trip and fall backward. Anticipating the harsh impact, I brace myself, but it never arrives.

I slowly open my eyes to see Remi gazing at me, his expression filled with concern. His hand cradles the back of my head, preventing it from hitting the ground. His arms securely support my back, shielding my spine from a crash landing.

My heart races in my chest, breaths coming out in quick bursts. I had been bracing for the painful fall, but Remi had protected me. My fingers instinctively clutch the fabric of his shirt.

My gaze lands on Remi's lips as desire takes over me. I pull him closer, and touch my lips with him.

His soft lush lips touch my dry ones and a moan leaves my mouth at the contact. Fire courses through my veins instead of blood.

I kiss him slowly, licking, tugging at his lips, teasing when he wants me to thrust my tongue in his mouth. I feel him shudder against me and a dark chuckle leaves my lips and a growl leaves Remi's lips, clearly doesn't like me teasing him so he sweeps His tongue in my mouth without warning.