The Best Man's Speech

16: Warm Hospitality

✵ JAMES ✵

Grabbing a bottle of red wine and pouring it into two glasses, I slid myself into the bath, sitting opposite Lyra who turned this into a bubble bath... that was taking place before even dawn. But who was I to judge the weirdness when I was completely okay with it?

"You brushed your hair." I pointing out as I noticed the curls in her hair no longer looking as curly as it was when she woke up, but now looking wavy. Her locks were pulled back into a messy bun to avoid it from soaking wet in the water.

"It looked too crazy for me to casually walk around in it." She calmly replied, pulling my legs to her side so that I could comfortable relax in the bath. "Is this a normal thing to do at two in the morning... with anyone?" She asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"To be honest, I don't know. I have never done this with anyone." I replied, handing her one glass of whine while sipping from the other. She nodded before looking back up at me, now wearing a concerningly sad expression, "What are we?"

I looked at her. I wanted to know too. I wanted us to be more than people who go around fucking each other as a sole mean of finding comfort and company in each other. "What do you want us to be?" I cockily replied, making a part of me want to kill myself.

"Anything but fuck buddies." She said, curling herself into a ball by pulling her knees up and holding onto her legs like she was scared to move in the bubbles. I pushed myself close to her, wrapping both of my arms around her completely naked body, only to be welcomed by her warm skin accepting it and hugging me back.

"I've never asked this to anyone but..." I started off, while pulling us apart in the hug and looking into her eyes, after lifting her chin slightly up. "Will you be my girlfriend?" I managed to muster up enough courage to ask her.

The little frown that had resided on her face had disappeared as a smile crept up and she pushed her body onto mine, hugging me tightly as she happily repeated the word 'yes' in my ear. As I held her close, wrapping my arms around her, I noticed how comfortable we both felt around each other and how badly we both wanted each other to stay so close.

We stayed in the bath for a while with her back against my chest as she leaned against me, wordlessly playing with my fingers. Eventually, she got bored of doing that so rested her head against my arm, holding it as she did. I raised my left hand to her head, stroking the slightly wet strands of curls as we sat in silence. I started to think about our conversation of our tattoos... again, "Would you get another tattoo?"

She looked up at me, "I don't know... if I can find something pretty and elegant, but simple at the same time."

"A big one?" I suggested.

"I guess, but then I won't be able to wear dresses that expose the back without having my mom hate me even more." She jokingly said, laughing at her words as she did. But soon, the laughter died down, "You?"

I nodded slowly while thinking about it, "Maybe. I just don't know what to make it. I feel as if I've been through all the hardships of my life that come with the worst pain." I explained, resting my head back as I stared at the ceiling above us.

"James?" She said my name, almost in a whisper.

"Hmmm?"

"What happens if people find out about us?" She asked, making me sit up straight and look down at her.

"We just accept it and move on. It's fine if people find out about us. I just don't want to lose you." I calmly replied, planting a kiss on her temple, making her blush. This was my reply to her confession yesterday night, the last thing she said to me before falling asleep in my arms. Holding her close against my chest, I realised we both had gotten caught up in our thoughts and created a mute atmosphere. "We should get out soon." I declared, breaking the silence between us. I watched her turn around to face me, "Why?" She asked.

"Because we both need to head to our own houses and change before people realise we were here overnight and start creating rumours." I explained, gulping down the last drops of her glass of red wine, since I finished mine and she wasn't drinking hers, before carrying Lyra out of the tub and walking her to the shower.

Switching the shower on, I pulled back to find her biting her lips while staring at me. I smirked before pulling her against my already dry body to kiss her. What once was a passionate and gentle kiss turned into a hungry one, with the both of us opening our mouths, trying to get a better taste of each other. Sliding my tongue into her mouth, I groaned as she tugged at my hair with her fingers rolled around in them, making me push her back so that her skin rested against the cold, tiled wall around us.

She moaned into the air when I pulled back for a few seconds to kiss her neck, leaving another hickey on her. She tugged at my hair again when I softly grazed my teeth against her shoulder, before sucking on it, making me groan. Without breaking the contact my mouth had with her skin, I pinned her hands above her head as I continued to mark her with my love bites.

Finally pulling away from her skin, I looked at her, meeting her hungry lustful eyes. I shook the thought off and kissed her lips hungrily, pulling her body against mine as my hand snaked around her body, touching anything and everything that they could. My hands lingered by her waist for a while, before sliding down her back and cupping her ass, lifting her up so that I could get a better view of her body. I continued to kiss her as she moaned into the air, at every given chance. Pulling back, I gently dropped her on the ground and watched her snuggle herself into my chest.

"You're so warm," she managed to say in a relaxed tone, making my almost quiet laughter reverberate through the room.