All Areas Accessed - Sequel to Access All Areas

Chapter Thirty Nine

Right now, I'm a little drunk.

The drinks are flowing and the conversations have remained buoyant.

No talk of Maci.

No mom.

No guilt.

No insecurity.

I'm actually feeling pretty good. And it feels good to feel good, if you know what I mean?

"Another Jack and coke, Rhys?" Asks some guy who I can't seem to remember his name. I just know he is with my record company in some capacity. In my line of work, a lot of people cross my famous path. There are four groups of people I regularly encounter—the necessaries, the sometimes necessaries, the unnecessaries and the cling-ons—I think the guy wanting to buy me a drink falls into the unnecessaries group.

"Sure, why not!" I answer with a small smirk, becoming all too aware of the questioning frowns that now tighten Jules and Cam's' faces. "What?" My mouth slackens as my eyes grow wide when I demand to know what's their sudden problem. "Come on, out with it?"

Jules looks at Cam, but Cam's eyes are bluely fixed on only me. "We're just thinking you need to slow things down a bit, that's all." Jules awkwardly explains, trying to keep his explanation discreet in front of the company we are currently keeping.

My eyes narrow on Cam, bypassing Jules altogether. "If I want a drink, I'll have a drink." A single brow stubbornly rises on my forehead, daring Cameron to tell me otherwise.

"If you say so, Rhys." Cam indifferently states.

In order to keep things just between him and I, I quickly change seats so I can sit right beside him. Then with a forced smile spread tautly across my face, I whisper into his ear. "How many times do I have to tell you to just do your job, Cameron? How many times do I have to warn you to stay out of my life? I've lost my sister. My mom is heartbroken and the world is making money from my family's tragedy. So if I want a few drinks, I'll have a few fucking drinks. Is that clear?"

With a deliberately slow turn of his head, Cam looks me unflinchingly hard in the eye. "Crystal." Then he confidently stands, deciding to go and be somewhere else for a bit.

As Cameron suavely moves through the crowd, I pick up my glass and gulp down the last of my too warm drink. "He's just looking out for you." Jules has sidled up close, watching me with his lips pressed displeasingly tight. "Cam isn't your enemy, Rhys."

Trying to get myself back into the party mood, I start focusing on the music that's quietly filling the VIP area, so I don't even bother to reply to Jules. The unnecessaries guy is just coming back with my Jack and coke, the best tunes are funkily being played, and my girl will be here soon...party on!

**

More drinks have come and more conversations have bounced around between our fun-loving gathering. When I see Will, I'm disappointed because I can't see my girl with him. "Where's Clara?"

Will soon smiles. "She's just here." Then he steps sideways, almost like he's presenting some great King with the most exquisite of gifts. And Clara is an exquisite gift to me. In her long satin blue dress and her hair in a sexy and messy low bun—she looks exquisitely edible.

For just a few open-mouthed moments, I just stare at how beautiful she is. Looking lovely and adorably shy with everyone else's eyes now also on her, she remains standing exactly where she is. We have been trying to keep our relationship really low-key, but my entire life is no longer no such thing...ah, to hell with being low-key!

So, from where I am drunkenly seated, I introduce all of my present company to my very perfect girl. "Here's my British beauty! Everyone make some room for my girl." With the biggest smile a guy can wear, I'm now standing and holding out my hand to Clara. As she gracefully scoots past all the legs that sit between myself and her, she soon has her soft fingers clinging onto mine. As soon as I have a firm grip of Clara, I impatiently pull her towards me. "Hey." Is my loving greeting to her as her satin-dressed body presses itself warmly against me. My mouth needs Clara's. My loving lips long for hers. So I kiss her—slow, sensual and savouring—followed by a few cute and playful little ones. "I've missed you." I know I'm a little drunk, but I really have missed her.

Clara's eyes are gorgeously squinting, her just kissed mouth now almost pouting. "I thought we were being discreet?" She asks, her pout now turning to a sideways smirk.

Running my hands very publicly down her sassy blue dress, claiming her body beneath it as my own, I wickedly rest my frolicking fingers on her sweet little ass. "Yeah, about that...discreet just isn't working for me." I then chuck her a cocksure smile. "How about you?" I humorously ask.

Being the feisty and assured woman that I love her to be, Clara drapes her arms around the back of my neck and kisses me in a way that leaves no doubt to all who sees that I am hers and she is mine. As soon as our lips part, she's already grinning. "Discreet isn't working for me either."

Owning my grin, I sit back down and make sure my girl sits deep in my lap as I formally introduce my British beauty to anyone who doesn't already know her. "Some of you may recognise my girl and some of you won't, but this is Clara." I want everyone to know her name. I want the world to know that she is with me and that I am so proudly with her. As she politely smiles, cutely waves or says quick hellos to all the unfamiliar faces within the group, I can't help but whisper into her ear. "You're beautiful." My content smile softly brushes against the warmness of her velvety lobe. "I love you." This isn't the Jack and coke talking, this is my overfilled heart doing all the talking. After all that has happened, I love Clara more than ever.

It actually scares me how much I love her. So tonight is all about celebrating life and love, with maybe a few cocktails thrown in for celebratory measure.