Just One Kiss

Chapter 13

China awoke to the sun shining on her face and an unfamiliar arm wrapped around her torso. She began to reconnect the events last night she turned to find Nicolas, who was holding her tight still fast asleep.

She slowly and softly unwrapped herself from his arms, taking a moment to watch his uncovered chest rise and fall as continue to sleep on the warmth of the carpet. She took the two empty glasses of wine to the kitchen, humming to herself the tunes from the night before.

As she washed the glasses, she thought of how he was everything she ever dreamed of. With his humor matching her own, conversations that never seemed to end, and for some reason no matter how hard they tried, they could not go long without touching each other
, be it a small hand stroke or their lips on one another. It felts like it was the only way she could show him how much she cared.

He opened something up in her that she never knew she had, or wanted...needed. He made her life an adventure, not just for work, but in life. She jumped off a cliff for heavens sake! He made her feel brave, he made her see another side of life she never thought would happen to her.

Back in the living room, Nico sat on the couch scrolling through the TV in front of him, a smile plastered on his face that he couldn't seem to get rid of since last night.

"Good morning" China said smiling, watching him from the doorframe.

"Good morning" he said she came and sat next to him. The shared a quick kiss before she settled into his side, his arm wrapping around her.

"I wish I could do this everyday" she said, looking out the doors of his patio. From the glass, you could see over the city of Barcelona, the red roofs seeming to give a warm glow.

Nicolas said nothing. He didn't want to ruin the moment, so instead, he kissed her forehead and continued scanning the channels.

"What time is it" she asked not bothering to look at her phone, which was in her purse across the floor.

"A couple of minutes to eight" he replied, "we woke up quite early."

"I was not meant to sleep at all" China chuckled to herself, holding head in her hands.

"Don't worry, I'll drop you off at your hotel before anybody notices you were gone." She thank him as he continue to talk, the television long forgotten. Eventually, the conversation began to move up the stairs as he insisted on wanting to take a shower before dropping her back.

"Would you mind if I borrowed a jacket, it's a bit cold out."

"Go right ahead" he said as he walked into the bathroom, grabbing his toothbrush and removing a spare.

China went to the closet, running her fingers through his clothes. She found a large dark blue hoodie, which she pulled out and wore. As the hoodie dropped down to below her waist, she tied her braids up, inhaling the mint and smoky wood scent that covered her body from the hoodie.

She went to join him by the bathroom door, starting their conversation over again as he  finished brushing his teeth.

"It looks good on you" he said pointing to the hoodie.

"I thought so too" she smiled, making her way to the sink.

As they coontinued to talk, as much as they could with China brushing her teeth, he began to undress. Slowly, he removing his shirt and moved down to his trousers before he looked at her. Her eyes did not move from him, as if she was scared to look down.

She continued to watch him, pretending to be in the conversation, but more intrigued on his physique. She could never get used to seeing his inked arm and shoulder, which she has gotten the opportunity to see in full the day before at the cliff. The fruits of his laborious workouts were shown in the abs on his chest, which framed his tall build well. Every part of him screamed perfection to her as she watched him undressed to his briefs.

"We can be adults about this right" he said he switched on the large shower behind him.

"We are adults" she said. They continued  to look at each other directly in the eye as he slowly entered into the shower. China moved back to her position at the door,  refusing to move from his eyes as he got fully nude. From the shading of the shower door, everything from the middle of his chest downwards was covered.

"You know if you take a picture, it will last longer" he said he put his head in the shower. 

"I'm not looking at anything" she said that she laughed.

"You could join me" he said, "as friends of course" he added.

"I think that's pushing it to step too far now" China shook her head. As if they hadn't done that a long time ago, she thought to herself.

"Is it really" he asked, his body now covered in soap. As the room began to fill with the mist and sweet smell of mint, the shower looked more and more inviting.

"I definitely came to Spain for an adventure, but this is not what I had in mind"

"That's the thing about adventures" Nico said, "you don't look for them, they find you."

Thinking through Daisy's words ringing through her head, both of the adventure and the lack of boundaries that their friendship had now seemed to set in.

"Come on Chi, what do you have to lose" Nico asked breaking the silence of her mind. He tried not to sound desperate, but his thoughts were pleading.

"It is an adventure" she whispered to herself as she began to remove the hoodie she had on. Dropping it to the floor, she turned her index finger at him, indicating for him to turn around. Shaking his head and laughing, he turned back and put his head in the shower again, closing his eyes. They continued to talk as she walked in, closing the door behind her.

Still refusing to look down, she tapped him on the shoulder, making him turn around. With no shame, Nicolas opened his eyes and roamed them over her naked body. She was even more magnificent than he imagined. She watched his eyes scan her body, pushing her left arm aside to touch one of the tattoos that ran across her rib. As tempted as he was to move his hands towards her chest, he held off and pulled back.

"Beautiful" he said after a moment. 

Once they had finished in the shower, which was the strongest both of them had ever been when it came to self control, they got changed and headed out.

Nicolas drove with his left hand as he held China's hand with his right. As radio buzzed music through the red convertible, another car she had never seen before, she drummed the fingers of her free hand on her thigh over his sweatpants that she borrowed. He relaxed with his other hand on the wheel, the breeze of the wind around them giving a welcoming chill as the sun began to rise further into the sky. They looked cozy, with both of them in his hoodie, except his was red, and wore basketball shorts instead of the black sweatpants China had.

By the time the clock struck ten, the two were parked outside the hotel not ready to say goodbye.

"I think yesterday was the best day of my life" China said turning to him.

"You know what? Me too" he said smiling back at her. With the privacy of the tinted windows and the roof resorted back up, she pulled him in for a quick kiss before he let go of her hand to come and open her door.

As she stepped out, Nico couldn't take it anymore. Giving into his thoughts and desires, he closed the door of the car and pulled her waist in to kiss her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, his body leaned down to reach her shorter stature.

He walked her into the empty lobby of the hotel, giving her one more quick kiss goodbye and wishing her a safe flight, not wanting to let her go she held him in a hug once more.

"I'll call you as soon as I land, I promise" she said letting him go. 

"I'll see you in three weeks in Monaco" he said.

"In Monaco" she said she entered the elevator,  the doors closing she waved her final goodbye.