Hello, it's me *sings like Adele*, don't skip this.

I don't usually post lengthy stuff, but here it goes.

As you may know, I started to post chapters of Kitten, the story of Jimmy's brother Brian. You can find it on my profile. It's very different, the updates are slow for now, and I will fully dedicate my time to it once I start posting Jimmy's book, but I would be happy if you checked it out.
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Good stuff ahead 🙈

I waited for Sky while she got changed after our first dance practice, and we left the studio when it was already dark outside.

The sliver of relief that settled in my bones after we talked made everything better — my hangover, my mood, and my day.

I knew I fucked up big time, and I was ready to do whatever it took to fix the mess— I would beg and grovel and be the best fucking guy the beautiful girl next to me had ever met. She was worth it.

As we strolled down the street, I replayed every significant moment with Sky in my head. They were a lot. And I screwed up way too many times for her to consider believing me once more, but hell if I wasn't happy she was willing to give me a chance.

An idea surged in my brain, making me halt on the sidewalk.

"Would you like to take a walk?"

Sky shrugged. "Sure."

I took her hand in mine after looking at her, asking for permission.

I was relieved, Sky, let me do it. The whole keeping the distance thing would be incredibly difficult after I kissed her, touched her, and tasted her. We would be alone in the apartment tonight, and the mere thought of not having her with me in bed disappointed me. I got why she wanted to do it, but it didn't make things easier for me.

Sky cast curious glances around as we walked to one of the bridges. I knew Aiden took Ellie on a boat trip on the Seine once. Maybe it wasn't that original, but I was planning to do the same and hoped Sky liked it.

They had slightly more expensive options in the evening and at night. I got the tickets for a boat ride that would allow us to see beautifully lit up Parisian landmarks. A bottle of champagne was included in the price.

Chuckling when Sky's eyes went wide at the sight of the boat, I pressed my lips to her temple and helped her get on it.

We found our seats on the top deck and made ourselves comfortable. When the boat started moving, I poured champagne in our glasses and gave Sky hers.

She took a sip, blushing as she looked at me.

"Don't move," I said, taking my phone and pulling up the camera app.

I took tons of pictures of Sky with the lit-up landmarks in the background. Sky did the same, making me smile into the camera of her phone.

I looked like shit after the last couple of days, but if she wanted to have my photographs, I wouldn't say no.

"I want to take some with my camera," said Sky, shoving the phone into her purse. "Not today, but soon."

I smiled. "Okay."

Sky's eyes were bright and twinkled in a way I'd never seen before. Hell, maybe we needed that conversation. Perhaps she needed me to say that I was going to fight for her.

Maybe nobody fought for her and put her first before me.

"Can I sit next to you?" I asked Sky.

She nodded, and I grabbed my flute and landed on a seat by her side. I needed to be close to hug her. I hoped hugs were acceptable, even though Sky said we wouldn't be intimate.

My doubts vanished when Sky rested her head on my shoulder, and I pressed my lips to the top of her head. It was time to ask her what I wanted.

"We're going to have a corporate Christmas dinner this year," I began.
"My boss told us to bring our families.
Would you like to go with me? It will be at a nice restaurant in a bit less than two weeks."

Sky looked up at me, grinning, and nodded. "Yes."

"Thank you," I whispered, kissing Sky's cheek.

The rest of the cruise was filled with our small kisses and tentative touches. It felt very much like a real date, one of the first ones on which you test the waters and learn things about a person.

I already knew what Sky liked to eat and drink. I knew that she liked singing in the shower and ate raspberry eclairs when she was distraught. And I knew that there were hundreds of little things I was yet to find out.

Hopefully, she wouldn't run for the hills when she learned every secret of mine. There were not so many left, but some of those things made me who I was, and Sky needed to know.

After our trip on the Seine, we went home. Both of us were tired, and although I wanted us to have dinner somewhere, I didn't insist.

Back in our apartment, Sky halted next to her bedroom door.  Taking me by surprise, she took my face between her palms and pressed her lips to my mouth in a short, barely-there kiss.
"Good night," she whispered and went to her bedroom.

I took a cold shower and hoped that once I was in bed, I wouldn't have trouble sleeping.

I did fall asleep only to wake up a couple of hours later. I had a dream about Sky and me, and there wasn't a single thing I hadn't done to her in it.

I needed water and another cold shower. Throwing the comforter off me, I rolled out of bed with a huff and sauntered to the kitchen.

What I saw in it made me freeze in the doorway.

Sky was sitting on the kitchen counter in those goddamned shorts of hers and a top so thin I could see the outline of her breasts.

She had an orange in one hand and a banana in the other and was furrowing her brow as if she was doing some serious thinking.

"I'm hungry, but I can't decide what I want," Sky said, frowning. "What do you think?"

"Fuck, sweetheart," I muttered. "I'd say go with the orange. Always with the orange. But damn, why not both? Bananas are good, too."

Sky tilted her head to the side. "Maybe I will eat both. Do you want a little?"

I nodded, crossing the distance between us.

Sky peeled the orange and gave me half of it. "I hope it's sweet," she said.

I inched forward and pressed my forehead to hers. "Feeding you oranges isn't intimate, right?"

Sky shook her head.

It was all it took for me to curl an arm around her waist and lift her off the counter. I put Sky down and made her turn around in my arms. Her back was pressed to my front, and I could feel how frantic her heartbeat was.

I took a piece of orange and put it in Sky's mouth. "Sweet?" I asked

Sky hummed, and I didn't wait for her to stop chewing. Pressing my lips to Sky's neck, I kissed her there, licking her warm skin in the dark kitchen while she ate the damn fruit.

I stopped what I was doing and asked, "More?"

It was another piece of orange, and me tugging the fabric of Sky's top down, exposing her breasts. I covered them with my hands and smiled when Sky threw her head back and rested it on my shoulder, letting out a small moan.

"You have to say it, sweetheart. Do you want more?" I whispered in Sky's ear.

She nodded, and I caressed her stomach with one hand and her breast with the other, with my lips on the column of her neck.

My fingers found her wet and ready, and I started the slow, lazy strokes, feeling Sky's moans, and her heat,  and the tentative movements of her hips when I increased the pace of my caresses.

"Here goes your sweet orange, baby," I said when Sky moaned my name, and I felt her tremble under my touch.

I held her in the same position, with my arms wrapped tightly around her and my nose buried in her hair.

"It wasn't intimate, right, sweetheart?" I asked, kissing Sky's neck again. "Just a midnight snack."

Sky giggled as I straightened her clothes, giving her breast one last little squeeze.

"What would happen if I chose the banana?" she asked.

Groaning, I patted her backside, pecked her cheek, and went to eat my half of the orange in my room.

***

The following workday was eventful and busy. Aiden was sad because of not being able to go to our corporate dinner with his girl. Apparently, Ellie had to travel home and there was nothing he could do about it. He would join her later and spend Christmas with her there, but judging by his face, he would rather she stayed in Paris with him.

I didn't blame him. Seeing the rest of the colleagues with their wives and girlfriends when his girl was thousands of miles away would be hard for Aiden. When your family life was fucked up, you cherished those little things way more. I knew it from experience.

It'd been years since I last had a truly happy Christmas. Despite spending it with Tim, I couldn't help missing my parents and the way we used to celebrate, with mom's cooking and a big tree and so much happiness you only started to appreciate it when it was gone. I tried to make it good for my brother, but it wasn't the same.

Tim was at his school soccer practice. I agreed to Andre's offer, and my brother would start with their program after the Christmas holidays.

As I was waiting for the elevator to go home, I mentally went through my long to-do list. December was a busy month at work, and I would likely take work home too. In fact, I had a conference call with a guy from the States this afternoon, in barely fifteen minutes.

I exited the elevator and let myself into the apartment. I knew Sky was home. I heard the shower running in her bathroom.

Not having lots of time, I took off my shoes and the coat and settled on the couch with my laptop and the phone.

The guy called me on time. We started to discuss the project Victor wanted to work on when Sky walked into the living room, wrapped in a towel.

My eyes went wide. I shifted on the couch and struggled to breathe, let alone understand what the guy was saying when Sky let the towel fall to the floor, revealing the same red bra and that set of strings she wore when we got close for the first time.

What the hell was she going to do?

Our prospective customer went on and on about the budget and the planning while my undivided attention was on the girl who stood in the middle of the room, eating a banana in that freaking red lace.

"Could you send me the information by email?" I asked the guy, eager to finish the damn call.

As soon as the guy agreed to do it and we hung up, Sky grabbed her phone, and slow, sensual music started to play from the speakers.

"Only watching, no touching, roomie," Sky said. "It's not intimate, just a little dance I was rehearsing for our practice."

Like an idiot, I nodded with my mouth hanging open.

Sky straddled my legs and started to move to the music, running her hands over her breasts and stomach, watching me and biting her lip.

It was the first lap dance I'd received in my life, except that the purpose of it was solely to tease the hell out of me. 

I was hard by the third line and desperate by the chorus, but every time I tried to touch her or move my hips, Sky changed her movements, not letting me do anything.

"Watch me, baby," she whispered, putting her hands on the clasp of her bra.

I licked my lips, more than ready to see, kiss and touch it all.

But then, Sky edged forward and pecked my lips, whispering, "If you want all of this to be yours, you'd better work for it."

After kissing the tip of my nose and then my forehead, Sky climbed off me, picked up the towel, and left the room, wiggling her perfect ass.

I got ready to google a hundred ways to grovel after taking a cold shower number ten in barely two days.