Chapter Eighteen

The view before me is one of stately Georgian decay. Although abandoned, the mansion still stands so magnificently proud within the vast grounds that surround it. "Wow!" Is all I can say at this point in time as I continue to just stare at the impressive derelict stately home.

"It's used by film and TV companies." Rhys confidently informs me, enjoying the fact that I'm loving his surprise. "Let's have a look around." Taking my hand, we start walking towards the uninhabited mansion across its long and unkempt lawns.

"How did you find this place? Where are we?" My eyes still won't drag themselves away from the house, I am totally mesmerised by it as I'm being gently pulled along by Rhys.

Glancing back at me, he wears an uncontainable grin. "We are near North London, not too far from the M25. I had Jules find it for me. It's not open to the public but he managed to sweet talk the owners into letting me bring you." He pleasantly gifts me with yet another one of his dazzling smiles. "Maybe I should have got you to change your shoes first?"

Looking down at my muddied stilettos, I agree with him. "Yes, you should have." I laugh, not actually caring about my shoes at all. As much as they keep hindering me by sinking down into the overgrown grass, I am only interested in getting closer to the house itself. Using Rhys as my handsome support, we are soon standing just outside of it. "Isn't it beautiful?" I ask with my wide eyes roaming over the neglected architecture. The house may stand empty but it's grand presence is full to the brim with long lost memories.

Stroking my fingers with his thumb, Rhys eventually replies. "It's a really cool house. A really big and cool house."

Giggling at how so very American he sounds, I cuddle up against his relaxed and warm arm. "It is cool...and very big."

Smirking, he knows I am teasing him just a little. "Let's get your very British butt to come and see the back of this place." Together, we start walking around the deserted side of the house. I know I probably look just like a big and excited child, all wide-eyed and open-mouthed—but I don't care. To see a house of this stature in such a stunning state of abandonment, is a real joy for me. Some girlies love shoes, sports or horses; I happen to love derelict buildings. "Be careful." Rhys sweetly warns me as we carefully step over some rotten wood that's lying everywhere on the ground. It's a bit of a grim day; damp and overcast skies. There is no sun sitting in the sky on this dull October day, which makes the afternoon seem much later than it actually is. Being at the back of the house, its Georgian exterior now seems darker and colder but no less impressive. It is typically symmetrical, a stylistic characteristic of this type of architecture. The distinct design is modest yet classical, even though its crumbling and wasting away in places.

Wrapping my arms around Rhys for some warmth, I say with a little shiver. "Thank you for bringing me here, it's a gorgeous place."

Holding me against him, Rhys squeezes me affectionately tight. "Ready to go inside?"

Surprised that we can, I shoot him an incredulous look. "Really?"

Smiling down at me, Rhys nods. "Come with me." Letting go of my body but refusing to let go of my hand, he calmly walks up to the large historic back door and opens it wide.

Once inside, my amazed eyes soak up the internal beauty of this once grand and regal house. It's now really just a shell; exposed brickwork, arched doorways, barren rooms and a lonely staircase. It is stripped beautifully bare and long untouched. The dark and quiet rooms are barely lit by the sunless day, so we slowly walk from room to room in respectful silence. Hand in hand, Rhys is by my side and giving me the time to thoroughly enjoy all that I am seeing. At times, I would snuggle up against him or simply give him a grateful smile. I am blown away by this place, and I am blown away by him. Eventually, we make our way to the basement of the property. As soon as Rhys pushes open a heavy and creaking old door, I can feel the warmth of the room blow right across my face and body. Stepping slowly inside, the stone cellar is spectacularly lit up with candles in every shadowed corner of the secluded room and unlike the rest of the house, the cellar has heat coming from a lovely lit fireplace. Then I notice a small table, perfectly laid out with two sets of cutlery, two wine glasses and two plates. Twisting slightly on my mud-covered heels, I turn to Rhys with a surprised smile. "What's this?"

Pulling me nearer to the sweetly laid table, he calmly fills me in. "Dinner for two." He says, guiding me towards one of the chairs.

As I make myself comfortable, I still can't quite believe what is happening. "But I thought we were the only ones here?" I say, taking off my jacket and placing it on the back of the wooden chair.

Taking his seat opposite me, Rhys smiles from across the candlelit table. "Ah, that's where you're wrong, Clara Thorn." His grin is confidently wide; illuminated by the glow of the candlelight as he also removes his coat.

Footsteps are promptly heard behind me. Shifting around in my seat, I turn to see two guys formally dressed as butlers in the most splendid of period attire. "Oh, this is amazing!" I excitedly exclaim, holding my hands together with girly glee. Without thinking, I jump out of my chair, scoot around the table and fall into Rhys's lap as I earnestly hug him hard. "Thank yoooooooou!" I say, squeezing him with the very same excitement that rushes through me.

Laughing, Rhys tries to answer me through my overzealous cuddling of him. "You're welcome."

"I can't believe you've done all of this for me." My arms remain around his neck, my bum remains in his very comfy and warm lap.

Drawing back slightly, wanting to be able to see me, Rhys sweetly says. "Seeing you all excited like this, totally makes it worthwhile." His mouth then softly meets mine, a brief coming together of such full and warm lips. As our lips part, a satisfied grin spreads slowly across his face. "I'm glad you like it."

Absolutely content where I am, I lazily say. "I love it." Cuddling him again because I also love that too. Wrapped up in each other, we watch the butlers bring out our food and drink. The closer I look, the more I smile. We have sushi, tiny sandwiches, bite-sized pineapple, grapes and mango and freshly squeezed orange juice. It's a perfect little picnic for two. "This is just too adorable for words." I coo, staring down at the food now appealingly laid out and ready for us to eat.

Kissing my neck, Rhys answers through his featherlight kisses. "You are too adorable for words. This is the cheapest meal I have ever bought, yet you act like it's an expensive six-course meal." His teasingly light kisses keep on coming.

My neck arches, not wanting his kisses to stop any time soon. "What can I say, I'm a cheap date!" I joke, closing my eyes to the wonderful feel of his cushioned lips.

Rhys moves from my neck, enticingly nearer to my mouth as his lips achingly trace along my jawline. "We had better eat, before I eat you." His voice drowns in sedated desire, in restrained and silent hunger for me.

He isn't the only one struggling to suppress desires and needs, I too, feel unbelievably excited by what his mouth is wonderfully doing to me. Now a little breathless, I try to speak normally through all of my inner horniness. "I think we better had, before I let you eat me." I know I must remove myself from his lap, but reluctantly do so. Being there, feels so deliciously good.

Rhys intensely watches me regretfully return to my seat with such dark and serious eyes; darkened and dilated with a raw and refreshed need for only me. Time seems suspended, silently trying to remove the sexual tension from out of the romantic setting in which we are sat. Without taking his eyes off me, Rhys slowly blinks away whatever he is feeling inside. "Tuck in." He gestures for me to start eating. Picking up a delectable piece of fresh maki, I pop it into my mouth with a flirty little smile. I adore flirting with Rhys. I know I'm the fuel to his fiery fire. I love the effect I have on him and equally love the effect he has on me. It's like he hot-wires my heart. Everything comes alive inside of me because of him. I adore the will he/won't he look that sits within his sage and unpredictable eyes. I love that unpredictability. It thrills me. It excites me. "Stop looking at me like that, Clara." The deep warning rumbles from out of his throat, followed by an edgy swallow. "I've told you before, I want to do things differently with you." He picks up the other piece of maki and slowly starts to eat it. I think he's only doing that because it's something that will distract him from his deep and warring desires.

I smirk, knowing that I'm starting something that may hurriedly need finishing. "What? I'm just enjoying my sushi." Toying with him, I stare back at Rhys with a forced angelic look upon my face.

Shaking his head slightly and frowning with serious frustration, Rhys warns me again. "I mean it, Clara."

There is something truly empowering about having a guy react so strongly to your womanly ways. It makes you feel sexually superior. Supremely in control. I haven't felt this way for a very very long time, so yeah, I'm kind of relishing in things right now. "Rhys Ryan, can't a girl simply enjoy her really lovely picnic?" I don't let up on the flirty looks I keep giving him or the playful replies as I bite into a succulent piece of mango.

Cocking his head and sighing loudly, Rhys looks up at the darkened ceiling of the cellar. "Jesus Christ, you're killing me here, Clara." He seems annoyed. Annoyed with himself. Annoyed with me. Slowly, his eyes fall back down onto mine. "Please stop what you are doing. I'm sat here, trying to convince myself that those grapes will taste sweeter inside of me." He momentarily glances down at them before suddenly flicking his firm stare back onto mine. "Sweeter than you will. So please stop." His brows are furrowed with angst and agitation, his tone encrusted with deep frustration. He's desperately trying to be a gentleman. Trying so damn hard to refrain from crossing a line of intimacy between us. He's trying to be so very gentlemanly, but inside, he's feeling like a pent up animal.

I see it. I see it there in his seething eyes; wild and domineering.

Knowing that my shameless flirtations are beginning to bother him, I take my foot off the flirting—just a little. "I'm sorry. I'll stop playing with you. I'll simply eat." A rebellious smirk dares to sit around the edges of my mouth, kind of wishing that he would stop being such a gent as I slowly place a rounded grape into my parted mouth.

Rhys blows away a long and agitated breath as he leans forward across the table, now sounding almost angry. "Do you know how much I want you, Clara? How much I want to be with you? If it weren't for Maci and other commitments I have, I'd stay a little longer with you...but I can't." His conflicted eyes glare across at me, infused with such tension and regret. "I can't sleep with you and then just leave, I can't." His face is grimacing tight, almost as if the warring thoughts that are inside of his head are causing him pain.

All of my playing and toying with Rhys is deeply bothering him. It stops right now. It stops dead. Here he is, trying to be the most sweetest, most thoughtful, most respectful of men that I have ever known...and here am I, goading him with my brazen and relentless flirting.  Standing up, I guiltily walk towards him and slowly sink down into his welcoming lap. "I understand." I gently tell him as my fingers affectionately run through his sexy mess of hair as I smile back at him. "What you are doing means so much, Rhys. You are showing me that you value me, that you value us. So thank you. Thank you for not wanting to sleep with me."

Rhys rolls his eyes, if he wasn't so frustrated, he would probably smile. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just best I don't." Resting his head against my shoulder, he sighs away another fed up breath. "I wish I could stay with you a little longer, I really do. I'm just trying to do what is right for everyone." Stroking my knee, he blinks with such disappointment. "Sleeping together would just make things so much harder, Clara." Finally, he allows one of his gorgeous smiles to appear. "But I'm warning you, I don't know how long I'll be able to keep my hands off you." His brows rise high, a gleam of wickedness flickering in his eyes as the candlelight reflects within his dark and round pupils.

Sitting taller in his lap and wearing a crude but slight grin, I whisper close against his waiting lips. "Just so you know, I don't know how long I'll be able to keep my hands off you." Still smiling, I kiss his very patient mouth. Not passionately deep, more sympathetically slow. Admitting how hard it is to not give in to the chemistry that erotically exists between us, actually brings us closer together.

We know it's there, silently simmering away.

We know it's something that won't simmer for long.

We know it's something that won't stay confined.

One day, that chemistry will force us to do something about it.

Leaning forward with me comfortably in his lap, Rhys picks up two pieces of nigiri. Putting one inside his mouth, he places the other inside of mine. He seems to be relaxing, the sexual tension is lifting from off his strong shoulders and from off his attractive face. We both relax, realising that there are other ways for us to be intimate. In the candlelit cellar, our bond continues to deepen. With food, laughter, talking, lingering looks and arms so tenderly warm; a relationship is wonderfully forming. I know I am starting to fall for Rhys and it seems to be happening so easily. He may be leaving, but my feelings will stay. I know that even when he is in America, I will still feel the same. Everything is going to change, but my feelings won't. Our precious time together is starting to end.

We finished eating. We looked around the beautiful old house just one more nostalgic time. We made the most of holding hands, kissing and cuddling. Talking could wait. Talking kind of hurt.

In the back of the car, Rhys just held me close against his chest. Bittersweet silence wrapped itself around us because words could never ease what was painfully growing inside of us. I hate 'goodbyes'. They are even worse when you've not long said "hello." In just a few days, I care about someone I barely even know. The strange part about it is, I feel like my heart really does know him. It seems to know everything before my brain does. Which is why it beats hard with an eerie ache as the car slows to a halt just outside of my terraced house.

"Two weeks, okay?" Rhys is cradling my face between his soft hands.

I smile, although desperately wanting to cry. "Two weeks." I repeat, my voice almost as broke as I feel inside.

Bringing our lips together, Rhys kisses me hard; like he doesn't want me to forget how good his mouth feels against mine. The kiss desperately deepens, becoming unrestrained on account of our impending goodbye. I know I am going to cry, but really don't want to. "You had better go." I breathlessly tell him after dragging my mouth away from his, feeling the emotional lump in my throat getting painfully bigger and bigger.

Rubbing our noses gently together, Rhys closes his eyes and breathes in deeply. "Just two weeks." He says it again, because saying it will somehow make this all so much easier. He hasn't even left yet, but it already hurts. He is still by my side, but I already feel lost.

With a sad smile, I nod. "Okay." Then I quickly slide across the seat and open the car door. One final and quick wave, seals our painful goodbye. As I hastily walk towards my front door, I am crying and praying that those two weeks will go by really fast.

In two weeks, we will be reunited.

In two weeks, I will get to laugh again.

In two weeks, I will feel whole again.