Chapter Fifteen

I know I need to wake up, I just don't think my mind and body are cooperating just yet. Forcing one heavy eyelid open, I wince at the clock beside my bed. Phew! Plenty of time to get ready for work. My stomach starts to eagerly grumble as the yummy smell of bacon and eggs wafts into my perfectly small and pretty bedroom. Having a cat-like stretch, I am grinning to myself. I am grinning because I know that it is Rhys creating a delicious breakfast for me in my very lucky kitchen. Now, I feel totally awake enough to get myself out of bed to go and see Mr Mega Famous cooking. My happy little feet lightly bounce down the stairs, into the living room, round the corner to my postage stamp sized kitchen. Rhys has the radio on and is happily humming away to himself as the bacon sizzles in my embarrassingly burnt frying pan. With his back to me, I just watch him busily cooking in just his fitted black boxer shorts. Oh my days! That is certainly a sight that I could absolutely get used to. He is just as gorgeous from the back, as he is from the front. Every inch of his sun kissed skin is sculpted to brawn perfection. His thighs and calves are things of muscled joy. His shoulders are firm and robust. Then there's his cute as hell bum, what a tight and rounded pair of squeeze-worthy cheeks he has.

He is nothing short of breathtaking. A defined and contoured thing of masculine beauty that would steal the breath of any red-blooded female. And that defined and contoured thing of masculine beauty is in my kitchen, in only his boxers, cooking me bacon and eggs...could my life be any more surreal?

His appealing toned back begs for it to be held, so with eager strides, I quietly pad my way across the kitchen vinyl and wrap my happy arms firmly around his stomach and cuddle him really hard. He momentarily stiffens at the surprise of my keen hug, relaxing as soon as he realises that it's me with my arms affectionately wrapped tight around him.

"Hey." He warmly says, stroking me with his free hand as he continues cooking the bacon with his other.

My cheek is contently squashed against his back, I answer him in a sleepy dulcet way. "Hey." Squeezing his body just a little tighter, I start groaning with a smile. "Mmmm...something smells nice."

Rhys sweetly rubs my arm. "I hope you're a breakfast person. We have bacon, scrambled eggs, baked tomatoes and mushrooms." He flips the bacon over and it sizzles frantically.

Thoroughly happy and hungry, I rub my cheek against his skin. "If all my breakfasts are like this, I am totally a breakfast person."

Chuckling, he takes the bacon off the hob, puts the tongs down beside the cooker and then turns around to face me. "Mornin', my British beauty." His lips softly press down on mine, giving me the most delicious of morning kisses. His morning cuddle is also pretty amazing, too. "Sleep well?" He asks with a light and buoyant voice.

Stroking his sexy sternum, I nod with a small smile. "Like a log...you?" My eyes slowly move their way back up to his.

Smirking, he shrugs. "Once I got used to the gurgling and the snoring, I slept pretty well." He looks down at me with a cunning smile, his eyes luminous with wickedness.

Whacking him on the top of his arm, I protest with an unrestrained laugh. "I do not snore and I certainly don't gurgle."

Grimacing, he chuckles again. "Honestly, it was like being in bed with a Walrus taking a bath. It sounded just like water going down the drain." With an animated hand, he imitates the water going around and around as it goes down the gurgling drain.

Gasping and laughing, I hit him again. "You'll be wearing that bacon in a minute." I warn him with a smile.

Kissing my neck and cuddling me against him, he says. "Hang on, I stand corrected. It was a spotted Walrus taking a bath." He's laughing again, staring down at my polka dot onesie.

Trying to wriggle from his strong hold, I throw him another warning smile. "You will also be wearing the eggs."

His eyes are full of fun and mischief but also full of sentiment and joy. Slowly, Rhys leans in to placate me with one of his sensually light kisses. It's a kiss so deliciously docile, I close my eyes to savour every second of it. "I like this." He sedately tells me, resting his head against mine with a content smile upon his just-kissed lips. "I like us being like this."

In a dreamy way, I blissfully reply. "I like this, too." I didn't just like it. I loved it. After all the confusion, the doubts, the feeling overwhelmed and refusing to believe that something really was happening between us—this feels right. "I am going to miss you." My feelings suddenly slip through my lips.

Caressing my jawline with his sentimental fingertips, he looks me right in the eye. "Not as much as I'm going to miss you, Clara Thorn." His eyes then lift, studying every angle and curve of my face. "I just want you to know that although miles and miles will separate us, I've never felt more close to anyone." He exhales quietly, needing some time to collate the rest of his words. "Everyone thinks I have everything, but I don't, Clara. I have been waiting for someone like you to come into my life, and now that you have, I'll do everything I can to make this work. I know it's not ideal, it's far from it, but I know that we can do this." His hands cradle my face, imploring for me to listen not just with my ears...but with my heart. "I don't want you to think that I'll be getting on that plane later today, and forgetting you as soon as I am up in the air. I want this. I want us. I want you, God I want you more than I've ever wanted anything before." Closing his glassy eyes, he kisses me with so much need and so much want.

Last night and this morning are our final moments. Who knows when we will get to see each other again? It could be weeks or it could be months. Yet I absolutely and wholeheartedly still want to do this. Every mile and hour apart, won't change how I feel for Rhys. Every hour and mile will simply reinforce those feelings. With patience and commitment, together we can do this. With our lips intimately close, I tell him exactly what is in my heart. "None of this is going to be easy, but I want to be with you as well. If we are doing this, Rhys, we have to be committed and we have to trust each other." My fretful teal eyes blink up at him. "Can I trust you?" I bravely ask. I need to hear him promise. I need the promise to come from his own mouth. I can't be here, worrying about whether there are going to be many more leggy brunettes falling from out of his hotel rooms. His gaze is locked on me; steady and intense. Without actually saying it, he knows exactly what I mean. He knows what I am asking of him.

Stroking the seam of my lips, he simply smiles. "You can trust me, Clara."

Slowly, I blink, feeling so happy inside. "And you can trust me, too." I agreeably say, smiling with the sweetest of satisfaction.

Giving me a quick cuddle, Rhys accepts my promise to him before quickly turning back around to look at the bacon. "I need plates!"

Springing into kitchen assistant action, I open the cupboard and take out two plates. As he's serving up his sweetly made cooked breakfast, I lay the small pine table in my living room. From there, I hear Rhys singing along to a song on the radio. I sing in the kitchen all the time, but I never sound as good as he does. According to SingStar, I am and always will be, just a 'wannabe'. Rhys is nothing but a natural born star. Whether he is singing in a stadium, in a chair or in my kitchen, he is a gifted star. I love how he sings. I love what emotions he can evoke with just the sound of his voice. I love how he can tell stories with beautifully sung words.

Can you fall in love with someone in a matter of days?

Is that even possible?

Love or not, I only know that I have never felt this way about anyone before. Any feelings I have ever felt for past boyfriends, don't even come close to how I feel about Rhys.

He excites me. He thrills me. He wows me. He inspires me. He woos me. He flatters me. He compliments me.

He truly is one of the most wonderful human beings I have ever met.

"Breakfast is served!" In a singsong voice, he breezes out of the kitchen with the two plates balancing on the palms of his hands. Just as we are about to tuck in, his mobile starts ringing from within the depths of his jacket pocket that's still flung over the back of my sofa. Not even attempting to get it, he smiles in my direction. "That's probably one of the guys wondering where I am." Sprinkling a little salt and pepper on his food, his smile broadens. "But first, I'm having breakfast with my girl."

His smile is met with my own. We don't have long left to be together, so just being with him like this feels really special. For as many times as his mobile phone kept ringing, he just kept on ignoring it. His time with me is just as important as mine is with him. So we ate breakfast together. We chatted. We laughed. We kissed. We cuddled. We got emotional. We got overwhelmed.

The only thing we didn't do—was say goodbye.