CHAPTER 6

Elizabeth had already settled on her bed, the feeling of the soft mattress on her back making her feel relaxed from the long dinner night.

She had changed into her comfortable pajamas and had just finished her nighttime routine. The events of the evening swirled through her mind like a sweet, intoxicating melody, but one particular note stood out — the unexpected kiss she had shared with Arduous.

As she lay in bed, her thoughts kept returning to that moment. She could still feel the warmth of his lips against hers, how he kissed her like she never had been before. The movement of his lips and the work of his tongue on her mouth made something in her so alive that moment, the taste of his lips was like a wine she would always want to get drunk upon.

Elizabeth didn't know if she was exaggerating the taste of his lips, or perhaps it was because of the expensive wine from the dinner, or maybe… his lips were really tasteful. She didn't know, really, but one thing she was sure of was that the kiss was intoxicating.

Her fingers traced her lips, a gentle smile forming on her face. It had taken her by surprise, but the kiss had awakened something inside her, a desire she hadn't felt before. Arduous had ignited a spark within her, and now she found herself suddenly longing for more and wanting to be kissed again.

"Oh, Eli, what are you thinking?" she asked herself when the image of Arduous lips came into her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and tried to shake that thought off of her head and picked her pink plushie on the side of the bed which she wouldn't be able to sleep if it wasn't with her. Elizabeth was planning to sleep but just when she was about to close her eyes, her phone vibrated from the night stand and from the notification tone she specified for certain applications on her phone, she knew it was a text message..

It was almost midnight already so she was wondering who might have messaged her at that time. She rarely receives Skype messages during midnights unless it was an emergency.

Getting her phone from the night stand, she checked to see who it was and it made her more curious when she saw a message from an unknown number.

"Hey, pretty, Still awake?"

With her brows furrowed, she replied, "Who is this?"

"It's Arduous."

Elizabeth's heart skipped a bit when she read the name and instantly, she typed, suddenly feeling excited.

"Oh, hey."

"So, you're still awake, I see."

"Yea, I was just about to sleep when I saw your message."

But now that we're talking, I don't think I'll be able and would still want to sleep.

She wanted to add that but bit her lips instead. It sounded as if she was having a crush on him and it was obviously because of the kiss and how she felt with it. But of course, she wouldn't want him to know that. She was in America for heaven's sake and the culture here might be different from how things were in Europe.

Unbeknownst to her, Arduous who was in the other line and was just in the same hotel as hers has more than that.

Arduous who was just on a suite on the floor above Elizabeth's lay naked on the bed. He had just gotten out of the shower and Liliene had just left after several rounds of steamy sex. But Liliene wasn't on her mind while they were fucking. Elizabeth naked was the only thing on his mind the whole time.

Seeing her last reply, he could only blow a loud breath.

"Seems like I'm not in a good timing," he mumbled.

He glanced at the top of the screen to see what time it was already.

2:24 am.

Sighing, he typed, "Oh, sorry to disturb you then."

But the truth was he wasn't sorry. He wanted to talk to her more or better yet, go to her suite and maybe fuck her there.

Whilst Elizabeth who saw his reply bit her lips. He wasn't disturbing anything. She would be more than glad to be disturbed if it was him. But just when she was about to reply, there was another message that made her heart feel like it just sank.

"I'll let you sleep now."

"Goodnight."

At that moment, she regretted saying that she was about to sleep. She should have said she was wide awake!

But then, he already said goodnight which left her no choice but to type and reply the same.

"Good night, Arduous."

She could only sigh when he didn't reply anymore. Of course.

Blowing a loud breath, she put her phone back on the nightstand and turned off the lamp, then closed her eyes to sleep. But then it took her almost an hour after that she was just rolling on the bed and switching sleeping positions but sleep proved elusive.

Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, her imagination vividly replaying the kiss.

"Urgh!" she groaned. "What the hell!"

There was a voice in her head that kept telling her to open up about the kiss. After all, she didn't know what it meant and why he suddenly just kissed her. Though obviously, it was probably because he was attracted to her but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep.

Elizabeth tossed and turned in her bed, unable to quell the desire that had awakened within her. In the quiet of her hotel room, she could almost feel Arduous' presence beside her.

Unable to resist the temptation any longer, she picked up her phone again and looked for the recent text on her phone. His number wasn't still registered on her contacts and after quickly saving it, she typed.

"I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about you and that kiss."

Almost immediately, her phone buzzed with a response.

"Neither can I. It was a moment I won't soon forget."

The message made her heart race, and she bit her lip, pondering her next move. She didn't know he would respond that fast, she didn't even know that he was still awake. It was almost four in the morning.

For some reason, there was something in her that wanted to try initiating something, something she hadn't done before and to her past relationship. It was also one of the main reasons why they broke up. She was so scared and overthinking things that made Rafael, her ex-boyfriend, think that she was boring.

Mustering her courage, she thought of something that could start what was on her mind. And after a moment of hesitation, she typed out her reply.

"Care to make more of it?"

Elizabeth bit her lips to wait for a reply, nervous. But what she didn't know was Arduous was already as hard as rock and he was just really waiting for the right moment to strike. Reading her initiation just made him snapped.

The response was swift and filled with anticipation.

"Fuck it, I'm coming to you now."

Elizabeth's eyes widened reading his response, unable to believe what she was reading. Her hands were suddenly trembling as she started to feel hot. And before she could even type another response, Arduous' name registered on the caller id.

And with her lips now trembling as well, she answered, "H-hello—"

"I'm at your door. Open up."