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Chapter 26: 159 Days

"As if you could pick in love as if it were not a lightning bolt that splits your bones and leaves you staked out in the middle of the courtyard.."

Hopscotch - Julio Cortázar

AT THAT MOMENT, with Harry standing in front of me, time stood still.  I couldn't even feel the breeze on my face or the murmur of the people surrounding me. I took one last deep gasp of air trying to gather courage from within me. I was out of my element, big gestures had never been my love language before.

We locked eyes and I could sense he was ready to answer whatever I had in my mind. His serenity gave me the resolution I so desperately needed.

"Do you still think we could?" I asked lowering my voice, trying to avoid more curious glances.

His whole demeanor shifted, his face brightened and a slow smile curved his lips, "Of course I do, Liv," he assured confirming he still remembered our last conversation in Paris. 'We could be enough', he promised back then and those words replayed in my mind since that night.

Relief washed over me, "Good," I said nodding, "because I feel the same way."

"Could I come out of the pool now?" he timidly asked.

"Oh, God! Yes please, please!" I giggled in distress.

He moved to the edge of the pool and pressed his hands on the floor to boost himself up and out, gracefully managing to get on his feet and walk towards me. I sighed as his hand caressed my cheek ever so softly.

He licked his lips and whispered, "I'm dying to kiss you right now."

"Me too," I bit my lip at the realization that we couldn't give a public display of affection.

"Wait here," he indicated before trotting towards the loungers where Niall and J sat gazing at us expectantly. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hips as he walked back to where I stood unable to take my eyes off of him.

"Let's go," he said guiding me back inside with his hand on the small of my back, my skin burning under his touch.

We reached the elevators and both huffed, bothered to find other people also waiting there.  We hadn't kissed for months but at the moment waiting a few minutes was unbearable.

As soon as we entered his room, I was more than willingly pinned to the wall next to the door as we hungrily kissed. His lips plumper and pinker than usual moved from my mouth to my neck randomly. No matter how close we were, it wasn't enough to make up for the lost time.

He pulled away panting, "Wait, I'm getting you all wet," and I smirked at the double meaning of his words, "I'm going to change into something dry."

He casually took off his swimsuit opening his suitcase to grab a pair of boxers. I couldn't stop staring at him, my mouth gaping as I slowly sat on the sofa. So much time had gone by since the last time I saw him naked that I had nearly forgotten how perfect he was. He walked around the room completely bare, tanned, and soft. He always felt so comfortable in his own body oblivious of the effect he had on me.

Once changed he sat beside me and in what seemed like one movement I was straddling him. I couldn't stop myself from kissing, touching, and feeling the heat of his body against mine. I silently gave myself a high five for choosing to wear a dress that morning. He was growing and tightening below me and I took it as a green light to start lowering my kisses down his body.

"Baby..." he panted.

"Mmhmm," I hummed, my lips pressed against his neck, the vibration causing him to groan and unwittingly thrust his hips up.