It Begins With Us

20.

"We should go." I say quietly.

"Hmm, it'll be okay for us to be late. The party is for us after all." Ryle says his lips rubbing against my bruised skin.

"Really?" I ask louder and more solid than before. "For us?"

"Yeah, Marshall's crazy with joy-" he stops to blow on my neck making me shiver, "-that you're here."

"Awww." I coo softly.

'Marshall's such a sweetheart.' I think.

"Come on let's go. I'm excited to see him now." I say excitedly and Ryle pulls back with a scowl.

"He only did it to get a front row seat on the drama, Alyssa and Lily are gonna be there too."

"Emmy?" I ask excitedly and he shakes his head. "Oh." I pout with disappointment and he laughs.

"You want to see her that bad?"

"Of course! She's so cute and sweet and adorable." I gush and he watches me with a certain glow in his eyes. "Plus, she looks just like you." I add.

"Thanks." He says softly and presses another kiss to my neck, then pulls away.

"Awww!" I squeal grabbing my heels, and throwing my arms around him. "You're so cute!"

Ryle:

"What?" I scowl and I pull her closer, moving us out of the room and into the living room.

Leaving behind her open suitcase and notebook full of petals on the ground.

"Don't get me wrong. I definitely am cute, but you could have used a number of much better words than that specific one."

"I agree, let's see." She pretends to think as she pulls on a tan heel, doing the straps up her leg. "Adorable, nope! That's pretty much the same thing...... I got it! You're gorgeous! Beautiful! Hot! Sexy!" She laughs as she finishes strapping up her first leg and I pull on my shoes.

"That's right," I smirk. "Keep going."

"SCORCHING-! Nah, nevermind. I'm good." She says blandly and a laugh trickles out of me as I pull on my black blazer.

"Shall we?" I ask opening the door and pressing my back to it.

I hold out a hand to her and she reaches up and takes it. I help her stand up and once she does, she's gained an inch.

"We shall." She says and I walk her out and she walks on to the elevator wrapping her jacket around herself as I lock the door.

I turn and walk over to the elevator, that's when I notice just how gorgeous she looks. Her long tan leg peeking out from between the slit. Her skin coloured heels only make her look even more appealing, adding to the length and the straps adding to the curve of her leg.

"You like?" She grins and I grin back, stepping into the elevator.

"Yes, ma'am, but let's be sure not to let any stockings rip tonight." I answer making her giggle about how she isn't wearing stockings.

I wrap my arms around her hips and she shifts in my embrace, trying to get as close a possible. Holding hands, we walk to my car and I open the door for her. I watch, not being able to tear my eyes away as she climbs in, her leg rising from the between the slit, waves of pink fabric sliding around her. I groan and bend down to press my lips to the back of her hand that's still gripping tightly onto mine.

"I want to go home." I grunt and she laughs, a big head tossing, hearty laugh completely warming me up against the cold.

"Let's go! Marshall's waiting." She buckles herself in and I close her door carefully. I stock over to my side and get in turning the car on.

"Fine, let's go." I grunt turning on the heater. "But the moment we get home-" I stop and turn to her pressing my hand firmly to her thigh, "-I'm gonna be the one to rip your stockings."

That really set her off, Alba's hearty laugh filling the car with a different kind of warmth. A home kind of warmth, the same way she'd done the first time she'd sat in my passenger seat. Pulling her boots off and curling up on the seat. Leave it to a woman to make a husk of metal, with a heart that pumps oil, feel like home within seconds.

My woman, Alba DeTamble.