Getting Through Italy

|04| Orecchiette

|04| - "Let's just improvise." -

When we arrived back at the flat, I could see a strip of light illuminating the crack beneath Jasmine's door. She'd obviously gone to bed but wasn't yet asleep. Nathan poured us both some water while I pulled down my shutter before turning to look at my bed. Our tiny disagreement earlier came back to mind, and I briefly wondered whether sex would be different tonight — that's if we even went ahead and had it after the previous discussion. Three weeks, although hardly a lifetime, was the longest we'd gone without seeing one another and I knew what Nathan was like when he'd not got laid in a while...

"Here," he said, placing my glass of water on my bedside table.

I wriggled out of my jeans, but kept my eyes on him as he undressed. He was very nonchalant about it, examining all the photos blue tacked to my wardrobe door while simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt.

"I can tell it's been a while since I've seen you," I told him as he draped his shirt over the back of a chair. "Your body is much more toned than I remember."

He chuckled. "No, it's not that. I've been going to the gym a lot."

"Oh. You never mentioned."

"I'm glad it's paying off anyway." He grinned with pride, kicking off his jeans before climbing into bed.

Joining him, I twisted on my side and delicately ran my fingers over his biceps. Three weeks at the gym wasn't enough to make a drastic change, especially when that could easily be confused with just a poor memory, but his muscles were undeniably bigger now.

"How come you've been going there, then?"

He shrugged and brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes. "I find the evenings really long without you at the flat. Going to the gym easily kills an hour or two. Plus, you don't see me as much these days... Might as well try to look my best for when you do." He winked, the smile returning.

I rolled my eyes but smiled back. Before I could reply, though, he'd slid his hand beneath my hair to grip the back of my neck and pushed my head towards him.

Our lips collided in that same familiar, instinctive way — but the kissing felt new and unusual. Long distance was a dreadful thing for a relationship in a lot of ways, but that renewed feeling of chemistry, through lack of intimacy during the last few weeks, was definitely a positive. Nathan's body was simply a bonus to that — whether coincidental or not — and heightened those sensual feelings of rekindled desire.

"I've missed you so much," Nathan murmured against my mouth. "I can't describe it..."

"Then show me," I murmured back, sliding my hand down his athletic body until my fingers were tracing the prominent V-shape that disappeared into his boxers.

He mumbled something incoherent in response before flipping me onto my back and climbing on top in the same speedy movement. Of course, the sudden change in position caused the bed to creak and I winced, distracted momentarily from Nathan's mouth that was showering my neck in kisses.

"Let's move to floor," I said, keeping my voice as quiet as I could.

Despite his reluctance earlier, Nathan was more than happy to comply, throwing the duvet into the space between the bed and desk. It shouldn't have surprised me; he wanted sex, and he wasn't going to do anything that could potentially jeopardise his chances of getting it.