Chapter 24

He listened to her and only sighed when she had stopped talking. She didn't know why she thought talking with him was the best thing to do, giving that she wanted to get as much distance from him as she could get.
He'd looked at her small quavering lips and her eyes which had darkened from mild fear as she spoke and moved to her. He'd abandoned the stuff he was assembling unto his hand and he now held her hands in his.
"No one's going to hurt you. You see, you are bound to experience occurrences like this in the light of your new fame and very soon , you won't be able to keep your head up in the streets for fear of being surrounded by over zealous fans who might not grant you access to leave their sight".
He spoke calmly but the confidence with which he pronounced more occurrences like the one she'd just experienced amused and scared her.
"I didn't exactly want to hear how worse it would be in the next few months or years ".
She said skeptically. Lennox grinned before shifting on his seat, but never leaving her hands.
"The first thing you need is a car. You won't have to jump into public transport everytime, ma'am. And, you have my words. As long as I can see you, I'll ensure you're safe".
She felt her heart sink at the mention of her being within his sight. And now he was going to saddle himself with the responsibility of making sure she was safe, which she knew, he would abide to. She hadn't meant to bother him but he'd accepted to be bothered on her account even without her offering it.
"Lennox, you really shouldn't bother about me. I've been safe for as long as I can remember...besides, I just wanted to talk to someone but my girlfriend, Tess is too busy to take her calls so I figured I could just come up here and talk to you. Funny how you're the only person on this block that I really do speak with".
She hadn't wanted to say that. She hadn't wanted to make it seem they were lovers spilling their fears before each other and seeking comfort in each other's arms, but somehow, she'd successfully created the atmosphere and now she tried to pull back her hands and clasp them on her thighs clamped shut but Lennox's hold was firm and reassuring and she refused to make a fuss trying to get her hands free. She was the one who'd stopped talking with Lennox, the one who didn't take his call or reply the few texts she sent. She was the one who desperately wanted to get away from him and all that she felt for him ; the one who wanted a good distance away from him but, she'd also been the one who'd made this hasty trip down to his apartment just when he'd decided to oblige her and keep out of her way.
He was staring at her now and it made her blush. Kimberly knew above everything that she was not a timid or coy woman. There was only something about Lennox Mccurdy that made her always nervously aware of her feminity and the heat pooling in her innards where never of help. In the beginning, when what she felt for him was purely lust and and a desire to always have him, she'd been confident, her words and actions projecting her desires but, as she grew fond of him and found that the happiness he brought her was thrilling and she felt terrible going days without seeing or speaking with him, she'd decided to start building her walls of defense immediately, hoping, that perhaps, he won't be able to infiltrate her heart, come what may.
"I'm only looking innocently at you, now don't get all red on me ".
He cautioned amusedly which made her blush all the more. The word 'innocently' had only reminded her of what could be the opposite.
"Fine." She said gritting her teeth
"Maybe I won't be so red if you let go of my hands".
He smiled lazily.
" And hold you by the waist? Is that what you want?. Come on now, you're not the coy one".
He was flirting with her and he enjoyed, more than anything, her discomfiture.
"Kimberly".
He said softly, suddenly serious and formal, but still holding her hands.
"You can always talk to me. You didn't even give our friendship a chance. Perhaps, I was too much in a hurry to have you and I thought I could escape the normal procedures of asking and being accepted. I thought maybe we'd jump from being fuck buddies to real lovers ".
He said the word " fuck buddies " so easily that she could have eaten her hair in embarrassment had there been anyone else present to hear it. He was watching her face and she pretended to be staring at something in the distance while her mind processed his words and she began to speak.
"We had a taste of each other. I think it'd be best if we stayed just friends. Platonic friends...no strings attached ".
She said. She was still staring ahead but her mind was so alert that she knew when he did as much as roll his eyes.
"I want the strings, Kim. The strings are what I've always wanted with you.."
She began to shake her head but he continued to speak, nonetheless
"I've been in this town a while. I didn't really trust Hector Travis when he first started talking to me about relocating here. In all sincerity, I had no hopes of returning home with an American woman, I wanted to face my job and maybe in the right time, I'd let Max matchmake me with whoever he had in mind even though my relationship with Fiona Cameron was not the best. I was on the verge of giving up the chase for a woman when I met you. I didn't want to only satisfy my desires with a beautiful young woman who was equally willing but as the days grew by, I thought maybe I could make Max stop all the Naggings and incessant ramblings about my lack of a woman in my life by taking you home, first, as a player, merely playing a role...."
Kimberly had lost herself in his words and for the moment, she despised herself for coming up there to hear the exact same thing she'd wanted to dodge. He was admitting his feelings for her. Telling her things about him that she didn't know and slowly, she felt the indebtedness to tell him about her creep up but he was still talking.
"... I've had good and unsavory relationships In the past like every adult even if i've not always been the guy to go for virtually every interested and available woman."
He stopped and took a deep breath
"...I do want you Kimberly Foster".
He said at last. The words came out laden with a wealth of emotions and she'd feared just that. She'd been exasperated yet at peace when he was formal with her and didn't talk of his feelings and his love life with her, but now, she only felt she had a duty in all of it. Like she owed him what he wanted; and he wanted her .
"I_ Lennox, I didn't exactly prepare for this. I don't know how I'm supposed to respond to your wanting me".
" You mustn't reply right now. I'll show you how to reply and then you can reply later".
He turned her face gently toward him and engulfed her in a Passionate kiss. She kissed him back, still unsure of what to reply.
She felt him let go of her hand and provocatively cupped a breast in his hands while the other hand tugged her closer. She gave in, letting tiny delicious moans that fueled the passion even more escape her lips. He broke the kiss suddenly.
"You want this, right?"
He asked, knowing fully that she would be honest in her reply.
"Yes, I've been celibate since I broke up with Austin Lancelot ten months ago, the only times I ever had sex were the times I did with you and I want to, right now, more than anything".
" Then maybe that's a sign that you want me too".
He kissed her again. His mind rushed back to the time in Scotland when he'd wanted to make love to her in the lake and she'd almost started her weak protests but had later been more than willing to have him thrust into her, non stop.
She was kissing him back now without any trace of hesitation and it was a relief on his part. A woman would not melt to a man's every touch If she had no real feelings for him. Perhaps, this woman preferred to keep her feelings to herself for the meantime.
He carried her steadily to his bedroom, all caution on her part thrown to the winds. He'd abandoned the task of moving his work tools back into his home office because the warm body rubbing against him was a good distraction and he would gladly give a teeth to have her writing beneath him all night long in his bed.
He set her down in his room and they began to undress immediately. She'd forgotten why she came up to talk to him. All she could feel was the reeling of her head and the intense need that blurred her senses.
She wanted him, so badly that she'd give her precious left feet just to have his member pound against her pussy again. They stumbled in bed and there was no room for any form of abashment. She was enthusiastic and ebullient in bed as he remembered and she clung to him dearly. He was inside her the next moment, her limbs wrapped around his waist and her lips parted to make loud moans which only drove him to be even fiercer, thrusting in and out of her quickly than he ever recalled but she matched his rythm anyways, begging for more and getting more.
Minutes later, they laid side by side in his vast bed. He'd casually draped a hand around her and she looked sated as she glared at the ceilings.
"How about you make a comment?"
He offered.
" Truth is, I don't even know how I'm here with you on this vast bed again. Lennox, I didn't think I'd ever get to a point in my life where I'd berate myself for not wanting to be __"
She trailed off. too embarrassed to continue. Lennox did not probe, he let her lie there, her breathing even, as she carefully let her hands rest on his arms draped around her. She would spend the night in the warmth of his arms and the generous folds of his thick Bedsheets.
He cast one longing look at her again and decided that he'd make love to her again, twice before it was dawn. But she started to talk again.
" I don't want the commitments that comes with being in love. I'm not prepared for the sacrifices and everything".
She was distressed. She tried to sound mild but her words were laden with so much intensity that Lennox laid there for minutes before speaking.
"Wanting me, falling in love with me and being with me like this won't demand huge sacrifices like you allow your self to think. I don't want much, Kim. Leave the sacrifices for me to make. I want you for a wife, ma'am".
She certainly didn't want to hear anything about marriage but here, she'd had it. She rolled to the other side of the huge bed and turned her back to him.
"Why don't you try taking one step before another, Lennox. You're talking about marriage already!".
She said. He laughed. So heartily that she was almost angry.
"It doesn't disgust you that I want marriage, does it?".
He turned her to face him slowly and he carried her chin in his hands.
"You might think this is happening too fast, miss, but I'm in love with you. I fell for you sooner than I thought possible. I love you".
She stared at him, mouth open until he began to kiss her tenderly.
"You're not even in a relationship but you're having great sex with someone you really like. That's a lot".
Tessy was saying on the phone Kim held to her ears, her coffee cup in hand.
"I honestly wanted casual sex with this guy, Tess. Right now, I don't even know what we're doing ".
" I'm envious of you. You literally spent last night cuddled with some hot Scotsman"
" What's your point exactly, bitch?"
"Kim was getting exasperated at Tessy making jokes of what she was telling her.
"I'm only it's good fortune to have a young fine who's into you so much that he wants marriage".
Kim sighed. There might be no use talking to Tessy.
"Anyways, I spoke to an agent yesterday and I'll be moving to New York in the next two weeks. I'll have everything settled by then".
" That's too soon, don't you think?"
Kim sighed. They were not seeing eye to eye on the issue, she was sure.
"It's not, Tess. I got a call earlier today....I'm going to be featuring In another of Hollywood's Epic sci-fi movies and I need to be in new york...for my own good.
"That's it girl! You're the star. I got a few calls too. I'm going to LA tomorrow for an audition... I'm so happy. These guys have seen what we can do and now they're the ones coming for us, Kim".
She said feelingly.
" That's true. We deserve it"
"Joe's moved to LA. I'll see him there. You know, he called and explained everything to me, Kim.. it was such a grand story that I wouldn't bore you with".
Kim was a bit a taken aback but she said
"Wow,that's nice. I'll look forward to the story and, be safe out there. Don't let anyone mess with your heart okay?"
Tessy laughed.
" More like a big sister uhn? Thanks hun.".
Kim hung up and sighed. She thought Tessy's small friendship with Joe Hamilton was already dead but little did she know. She wanted Tessy to be happy, genuinely.
Her small talk with Tessy hadn't been the best but she was relieved that she'd spoken to someone about Lennox. She wasn't certain what she'd do with him. Last night had been laden with so much emotions, the same kind she hadn't planned to face.