Cuffed by Will

XXIV. Gestures

Tuesday, 22nd May. Day 22.

Ezra moaned as I trailed kisses from his jaw, to his neck, down his bare, sculpted chest and then back up.

"Good morning, sleepy pants." I grinned from where I was straddling him.

"Morning," he said gruffly as he squinted his eyes against the light.

"I brought in breakfast for you." I said and pointed to the tray at his bedside table. Ezra looked at it and then at me and back at the tray filled with delicious goodness.

"Uh... what's going on?" He asked and I got off of him so he could sit against the headboard.

"Nothing. Can't I get you breakfast for no reason?" I put the tray on his lap and sat next to him. Ezra gave me a pointed look, telling me to spill and I grinned in return.

"Is the food poisoned? Is that it?" He asked when he couldn't get me to budge and I chuckled. I took his face in my hands and leaned in close, our shallow breaths mixing in the small space between us.

"I wouldn't do that to someone I love." I looked meaningfully into his grey eyes as I said the words. Closing the space between us, I trailed feather light kisses on the edge of his mouth but not on his lips. I wanted him to reciprocate. Today, I didn't need the words from him but a few sweet gestures would be enough. He had already opened up to me with his secrets but he was still keeping me at an arm's length. All I wanted today was for him to be comfortable with me. Hopefully, I could accomplish that if I made a move first.

Ezra's hand came to the back of my neck and held me close as he shifted his lips to come on mine. The tip of his tongue drew a line on my bottom lip, coaxing me to open up. When I did, his tongue delved into my mouth and danced with my tongue. God, I couldn't possibly care less about that tray with breakfast anymore. His minty scent coupled with his taste short-circuited my senses and I couldn't help but fall deeper; harder.

"Liefje," he said breathlessly when he pulled back.

"What does that mean?" I asked in a whisper and sought his lips once again. He gave me a heart melting smile and raised his other hand, his cuffed hand, to stroke my cheek.

"Beminde," he then said and kissed me softly, sweetly, and my eyes fluttered close once again while my heart skipped a beat.  "Ik hou ook van jou."

"You are one heck of a Dutch tease, you know?" I replied grimly and he chuckled.

"Soon, liefje," he replied and gave me a quick peck on the lips before focusing his attention on the meal on his lap. "But first, some breakfast." He fed me a healthy serving as he ate his part. Soon, huh? How soon exactly?

***

"This can't be right." I said and examined the sheet closely.

"What isn't?" Ezra looked into the sheet I was checking. We were at his office and Ezra, being the angel that he is, gave me some files to sort through as a pass time.

"The numbers don't add up."

"Count it again, you must have made a mistake," He said and went back to his laptop. I huffed in response.

"Ezra, just because I didn't attend college doesn't mean I don't know how to count." I narrowed my eyes at him and he did the same. When he lost the staring contest, he rummaged through the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a calculator. I crossed my arms but then gave up and took the calculator from him. This better make me look good...

I added up all the figures on the accounts sheet and the total proved that there was $200,000 less compared to what the status report said. I had a victorious grin on my mouth as I handed him the calculator, the accounts and report sheet. Ezra scanned everything with shrewd eyes and then something struck him.

"Clara, I think you deserve a break. Take the timeout." His voice was tight and he took on an angry expression.

"But it's only-"

"Clara, I said take. The. Time. Out." He punctuated each word and looked at me sharply. I was about to ask if everything was alright but then decided against it. I quietly texted David and left the building. Tension built up with each step I took. Did I do something wrong? Maybe he was angry because I did and I wasted his time because of it. Or maybe something else was going on? I turned to look at the building and thought about going back in. Should I or shouldn't I? Maybe I should just give him his space. I took in a breath and went to a nearby café.

I stared at the pattern of a heart in my coffee like it had the answers to all of life's questions. What was I supposed to do damnit? If he couldn't handle some business thing in front of me, how the hell was I supposed to be let into any part of his life? I sighed and stirred my coffee, the heart shaped cream spiralling and disappearing in the sea of brown. I couldn't imagine my life without him anymore. If things didn't work out and I went back to my lonely existence again, what was I supposed to do? And worse, I couldn't entertain the thought of him with any other woman. Ugh, Clara, you screwed up so bad. I ran the fingers of one hand through my hair and twirled the ends.

I got a text from Ezra forty-five minutes later saying I could come back to the Copper House. Leaving my half filled now cold coffee behind, I grabbed my purse and quickly made my way back. Just before I could open the glass door myself, one of two police officers did and marched away with a man dressed in a suit. Huh, I wondered if Ezra knew anything about that... oh, the money. Realization dawned on me and I mentally kicked myself for being so stupid. I quickly went up to Ezra's floor and entered his office just as a crowd of five were leaving. Before I could open my mouth, Ezra grabbed me in a tight hug in the middle of the room.

I immediately went limp in his arms and hugged him back, feeling a bit happy at being in his arms. Even though it was a tight one, I never felt more loved or cared for in that moment. I lost the heat when he pulled back but only so he could kiss me.

"Thank you, Clara." He said and hugged me tight. "If it wasn't for you... God, just... thank you." He kissed my forehead and then pulled me to his desk and cuffed us back together.

"The man they arrested, did he launder the money?" I asked when we sat down in our respective seats. He nodded.

"He was my financial advisor. That bastard. He's been laundering money for a long time now. I can't believe I didn't see it earlier." He kissed the knuckles of my cuffed hand and looked at me with a soft expression. "Thank you so much, Clara. If it wasn't for you, I'd have been the one in trouble instead of him."

"You're welcome," I responded shyly and felt my cheeks heat up. "Next time though, believe me when I say something is wrong." We both laughed and he leaned in to kiss me again.

"Liefje."

"Since I did you a great favour, can I get the meaning of the word in return?" I fluttered my eyelashes at him in an openly flirty way. He simply chuckled and shook his head.

"Soon. But I sure as hell am going to return that favour." I went giddy at the prospect and leaned in close.

"I love you, Ezra." I whispered and his smile became a strained one and he swallowed.

"I know." He replied tightly and I rubbed my thumb across his cheek.

"It's okay, you don't have to say it back." Yet. I wanted to say yet but I held my tongue and swallowed the word back down.

He didn't say the words but that night, we made sweet love. I told him I loved him again and he simply kissed my forehead in response and hugged me tightly against him when we went to sleep after. I did feel a pang of sadness in my heart but I told myself that for now, his gestures would have to do. As awesome as it was, I just hoped that gestures wouldn't be the only form of love he would make for the next seven days.