Meet Me In The Sunflowers Page 6

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The sun is on form today, shining down on us with purpose. I wipe my forehead with my hand to remove the sweat and pull my long, blonde hair into a ponytail. Taking in my surroundings, I’m truly blown away. Hundreds of sunflowers, all tall and wild, basking in the sun. I both admire and envy them. So beautiful and free. How wonderful must that be?

  Tyler interrupts my thoughts, returning with a picnic blanket which he is quick to lay on the floor in front of us. Taking a seat on it, he motions for me to do the same. It was his idea this morning that we should have a picnic amongst the sunflowers.

  “This is gorgeous,” I say, looking around with a smile. The yellows, greens, and oranges are so vibrant, I pull my phone out of my bag to take a photo.

  “Did you know sunflowers don’t follow the sun across the sky? That’s a myth. At least they don’t once they mature, they usually stay facing the east where the sun rises,” I say, thinking back to what Gramps told me.

  “Huh. Didn’t know that. But they do follow the sun when they’re growing?”

  “Yeah. They tilt toward it, it’s called heliotropism. Heliotropic flowers follow the sun across the sky throughout the day.” It’s truly fascinating what nature can do.

  “That’s crazy,” Tyler says as he passes me the thermos of coffee we brought from the hotel and I gratefully take a sip.

  “I know. Nature is so amazing. It blows my mind.” Tyler nods in response.

  “Do you have that picture of your grandad?” he asks, unpacking our picnic we purchased from a shop down the road and setting it all out on the blanket.

  “Of course, why?” I ask, pulling the picture out from between the pages of my notebook.

  He gently takes it from my hand and props it up on the picnic blanket, leaning it against his bag.

  “I thought he might like to join us today. Have a picnic amongst the sunflowers with us.” His smile undoes me. That and his sweet gesture have me internally swooning. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I’m in trouble.

  “What was his name?” Tyler asks, pulling me from my thoughts. He’s studying the picture with curiosity.

  “Barry,” I say, smiling at the picture of Gramps smiling up at me. I feel like I’ve come a long way since he passed away. I feel stronger in myself, and I know that as much as I loathe to admit it, a lot of that has to do with the man sat in front of me.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Barry. I hope you don’t mind that I’m gate-crashing this picnic with your granddaughter, but I’ve heard so much about you, I feel like we’re friends.” Lying on his back, hands behind his head, he looks up to the blue sky and then closes his eyes.

  “He would have liked you,” I find myself saying, after watching Tyler talking to Gramps as if he is here with us.

  “Yeah?” he looks over at me, pleased.

  “Yeah. He would have appreciated your humour. Your drive to follow your dreams. You’re honest and loyal; he liked that in a person.”

  Something in his eyes dims at that point, and only for a fraction of a second. But I catch it and it has me wondering again what he’s not telling me. But now’s not the time to bring it up. I want to enjoy today. This is why we’re here.

  “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like he was a great man,” he says, looking over at the photo again.

  “He was.” Leaning back on my elbows, I look at the beautiful view I have. If I hadn’t taken Tyler up on his crazy idea to travel around Europe together, I would have missed this.

  Some words start to float around in my head and I reach for my notebook and a pen to scribble them down. I have to make the most of when inspiration strikes. Tyler sits up and leans over my shoulder and watches, curiously.

  “What’s that?” he asks, intrigued by my chicken scratch.

  “Just an idea for a poem that came to me,” I say, as I start constructing it using the words that flew into my head a moment ago. It takes a few minutes but it’s not too bad. I lean back and smile. I finally managed to finish one.

  “Can I hear it?” Tyler asks, looking over at me with an excited smile.

  “With vibrant petals,

  And a golden glow,

  I find it fascinating,

  To watch them grow.

  Standing tall,

  Wild and free,

  Basking in the sun,

  Content as can be.

  Their resilient stems,

  And perfect form,

  Help them stand strong,

  To weather any storm.

  How something so fragile,

  Can be so beautiful and bold,

  Eye catching and fearless,

  A sight to behold.

  Nothing phases them,

  They don’t hide from the light,

  I wish I was a sunflower,

  Fearless and bright.”

  “Beautiful,” he says, with a proud look on his face that makes my heart skip a beat. “And you finally finished one!”

  “Yeah, I guess I did,” I smile back. I found my words again. But am I at risk of losing myself to this man? He’s slowly breaking down my walls and I’m at a loss at how to react. Do I protect myself or do I live a little for once?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  After the most amazing day, sitting amongst the sunflowers and talking about everything and anything, we’re back at our hotel relaxing in our room. Something shifted today. As much as I have tried to avoid it, I know that I’m attracted to Tyler. He’s fast becoming someone I can rely on, and that’s dangerous. I’m trying to learn to rely on myself, and no one else. So I have two options. One: I back away. Keep things platonic and enjoy the time we have left as friends. Or two: I make a move and get this attraction out of my system. But then I risk rejection, he might not feel the same. Then things will be awkward. Why is everything so difficult?

  “I can hear you thinking from over here, Belles. What’s up?” Tyler asks, looking over at me from where he’s sitting on his bed. He’s shuffling the playing cards, getting ready to deal.

  “Nothing,” I smile, shaking it off. Grabbing the bottle of wine we bought from the shop, I pour us both some in the hotel mugs.

  “You sure?” he presses, cutting the cards and shuffling again. Trying not to be distracted by the dexterity of his fingers and the way his tongue slips out to lick his lips in concentration, I think about my next move.

  Am I sure? Wasn’t this trip meant to be one for finding my confidence and taking chances? Looking fear in the face and not backing down? Screw it! You only live once. Let’s take a leap out of my comfort zone for once.

  “Fancy playing strip poker?” I ask, praying my voice sounds confident and I don’t blush the colour of a tomato. I take a swig of the wine I just poured and pray it helps with my newfound confidence.

  His eyes shoot up to mine, intrigued, but a sinful smile spreads across his face. It really isn’t fair how attractive this man is. Taking the mug of wine from my outstretched hand, he puts it on the bedside table beside him.

  “I’m up for that. Five card draw?” he asks, dealing us both our cards as I nod in confirmation. I move to his bed and sit cross legged, opposite him, wine firmly in one hand. “Ok, I’ll deal five cards, you can choose to replace and discard any, then that’s your hand. Loser loses an article of clothing of their choice. Ok?”

  “Ok.” I smile, not quite believing I just suggested this but very pleased with myself. The old Isabelle wouldn’t have dreamed of being so forward. But the new Isabelle? She’s reaching for the sun like the flowers her Gramps nicknamed her after.

  Placing my mug between my crossed legs, I look at my hand and smile. I’m happy to see I got lucky. A pair of aces will do nicely. Discarding my other three cards, Tyler deals me another three face down but it’s nothing noteworthy.

  “Ok, let’s see them,” he says, laying his two jacks on the bed for me to see. I lay my pair of aces next to them with a smile. He grins and pulls his t-shirt off, with one hand. I
s it just me or is that one of the hottest things a guy can do? Trying not to drool over his abs, I grab the cards and start shuffling. Dealing us both another hand, I sigh internally when I see my cards. My highest is a five. Discarding a few and replacing them, I wait for Tyler to turn his hand over.

  “Pair of kings,” he says, looking over at my nine high hand and smirking. I roll my eyes and pull my t-shirt over my head. I don’t miss how his eyes linger on my pale blue lace bra.

  “My turn to deal,” he says, taking a swig of his wine before gathering the cards and making quick work of shuffling them.

  Before long we are both down to our underwear, Tyler in his black boxer briefs, and me in my matching bra and knickers. Looking down at my hand, I smile. Two queens, this hand is mine! Once we’ve settled on our hands, we lay them down face up. My smile is quickly wiped from my face when I see Tyler’s royal flush.

  “Read them and weep, baby!” he laughs, looking at me with a smug smile. I place my now empty mug on the floor by the bed and look over at him. Taking a deep breath, I unclip my bra and pull the straps down my arms. Looking up, I see him following my every move. His eyes are hooded and his tongue slips out to lick his lips as the cups fall away from my chest.

  Throwing it on the floor, I look him straight in the eye and say, “Happy now?”

  “You have no fucking idea.” His eyes are glued to my chest. Dropping the cards down on the bed, he rubs a hand over his face. Sighing, he says, “You need to go to the bathroom and put your PJs on.”

  “What, why?” I ask, confused by the sudden change in his demeanour. I thought we were having fun. Is this not what he wants? I wrap my arms around my chest in embarrassment.

  “Because if you don’t then I’m going to touch you.” His voice is strained and the lust shining in his eyes sends heat all over my body. I’m on fire from his gaze alone, God only knows what will happen when he touches me.

  Looking into his bright blue eyes, I unwrap my arms to reveal myself again and say, “I’m not going anywhere.” And I’m not. I’m done pussyfooting around. Time to go after what I want. Time to live.

  That’s all it takes. Tyler is across the bed in a second and his lips are on mine. Moaning into his mouth, I use one hand to trail my way down his muscular chest. He really is too good to be true. When I feel his hand on my breast, all reason flies out of the window and I’m on fire. I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want Tyler in this moment. He manages to turn us and lay me back on the bed, leaning down above me and returning his lips to mine. I let out a sound of protest when he pulls away, but that’s quickly gone when he starts to suck on a hard nipple, while pinching the other one.

  “Oh, fuck!”

  “Is this ok?” he asks, looking up at me through lust filled eyes to make sure we’re on the same page.

  “So much more than ok,” I reassure him, pulling his head back down. I hear him chuckle around my nipple and I moan when he bites down. “Fuck, Tyler!”

  He starts to move his way south down my body, kissing every inch of skin that he encounters. When he reaches my knickers, he makes quick work of pulling them down my legs and letting them drop to the floor.

  “Last chance, Belles. Is this what you want?” He looks up at me from his place between my thighs and I’m a goner.

  “I’ve never wanted anything more,” I whisper, and I mean it. He leans his head down and starts to feast on me. It’s unlike anything I have ever felt before and I let out a groan of pleasure. I fist his hair in one hand and push him further into me, lost in pleasure.

  “Tyler, please,” I beg, so close to a release that only he can give me. He sits up and licks his lips. “What are you doing?!”

  “You’re not finishing on my face, not the first time.”

  It feels like slow motion as I watch him stand and push his boxers down his legs, kicking them away. Staring at his hard length, I can’t help but lick my lips. I catch his gaze and notice that he’s smirking at me, clearly having noticed my reaction to his impressive erection. He grabs his wallet from the dressing table and pulls a condom from it, throwing it onto the bed beside me.

  Kneeling on the bed, he crawls back up until he is hovering above me. Taking my lips, he kisses me like I have never been kissed before. His touch ignites me. I run my hands down his back and grab his arse, trying to pull him onto me.

  “Impatient, much?” he asks, with a chuckle.

  “You have no idea,” I say before kissing him again. I will never tire of the taste of him. He’s addictive.

  Sitting back on his heels, I watch in fascination as he rolls the condom over his impressive erection. He leans back down and claims my mouth once again, sending heat through my body. I lift my legs and wrap them around him, pulling him closer to me in the hope he’ll give me what I desperately need, him. He takes the hint and in one swift thrust, he’s filling me. Throwing my head back, I moan in pleasure.

  “Fuck, Belles. You feel like heaven,” he groans into my mouth as he pulls out and thrusts back into me. Everything leaves my mind. I don’t think about my grief, my fears or our future. All I can think about is how amazing Tyler makes me feel, and how I never want this feeling to end.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Opening my eyes, the first thing that greets me is the sight of Tyler’s chest. Why we didn’t just push the twin beds together last night, instead of squeezing into one, I have no idea. But right now, lying on top of him with his arms wrapped around me, I’m not complaining.

  Reaching over to the bedside table, I grab my phone to check the time. It’s still early but I’m awake now, so I carefully extricate myself and put the kettle on. Grabbing his t-shirt, I pull it over my head to cover myself. Heading to the bathroom, I catch my reflection in the mirror and smile. I look happy. Once I’ve used the toilet and performed my morning ablutions, as my nan would say, I turn to go back to the main room. Hearing Tyler on the phone, I pause.

  “We’ll talk about it when I’m back. Stop calling me.” He sounds mad, and that surprises me. I’ve never seen him lose his cool before. He’s the most calm and collected person I know.

  Opening the door, I make my way to the kettle which has now boiled and make us both a coffee. Looking over my shoulder, I smile as I say, “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” he replies, with that sinful smile that makes me weak at the knees.

  “Everything ok?” I say, nodding to his phone which he’s put back on his bedside table.

  “Yeah, all fine.” Pulling himself into a sitting position, he gratefully accepts the coffee I pass him and he looks over at me with a grin. Clearly he approves of me in his shirt.

  “Who was that? Work?” I ask, curious as to why I think he’s hiding something. His phone has been ringing constantly throughout the trip, yet he always avoids it. Maybe I’m not the only one trying to escape?

  “No one; don’t worry about it. It’s not important.” Taking a slow sip of his coffee, he looks back at me and asks, “You doing ok?” I blush under his heated gaze.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty amazing,” I say with a shy smile. I feel wonderfully used. I perch on the edge of his bed as I take a sip of coffee.

  “Yes, yes you are,” he agrees, leaning over to give me a kiss. I sigh into his mouth and enjoy the feel of his lips on mine.

  Pulling back, I ask, “What’s the plan for today?” I know I should probably press more about the call, but a selfish part of me just wants to stay in this little bubble for as long as I can.

  Swallowing his mouthful of coffee, he says, “I figured we could stop in Barcelona again? We need to head back that way to get to Italy, so I thought we could do some more exploring and find a tattoo shop.”

  Laughing, I say, “You really want to go through with it?”

  “Absolutely,” he says with one of his killer smiles. “You backing out on me, Belles?”

  “No, let’s do it!” I’m excited. I never thought I’d have the guts to get ink permanently etched on my skin. But I know exactly
what design I want.

  Putting my now empty mug down, I stand to start getting dressed when Tyler’s hand shoots out and pulls me onto his lap. I squeal in surprise and he silences me with a kiss so intense, I can feel my body heating from the feel of his lips alone. Sighing into his mouth, I wrap my arms around him and deepen the kiss.

  “Fancy conserving some water before we go?” he asks against my lips.

  Laughing, I say, “I guess that is the responsible thing to do.”

  With a knicker-destroying smile, he lifts me so I’m standing, and grabs my hand, leading me to the bathroom. I try not to be distracted by the fact that he is gloriously naked and that I have a perfect view of his biteable bum. Thankfully, this is one of the nicest showers of the trip. With sliding doors rather than a bath to climb in to, it’s a lot easier to navigate. Turning the water on, Tyler tests it before he nods, satisfied with the temperature and turns to pull the t-shirt over my head. Pulling me with him, he steps into the shower and the feel of the hot water hitting my body has me sighing in relief.

  Squeezing some shampoo into his hand, he turns me so he can massage it into my scalp, and I groan at the feel. His hands really are magical. Rinsing it out, I grab the bodywash and turn to face him. With my hands lathered up, I waste no time in putting my hands on him and soaping him up. He smiles at me and I get an idea. With my newfound confidence, I drop to my knees in front of him and start to lather up his cock. He groans and brings a hand to my hair, gritting his teeth as I slowly massage the body wash into his erect cock, taking my time. Pulling back, I turn him slightly so he can wash the soap off under the water, then I turn him back to me. Looking up at him, I give him a sweet smile before I lean forward and take him into my mouth.