Paradise Is Where You Find It

At the entrance, Lilly dismissed her Limousine, but not before the driver advised her that there could be a summer storm on the way. Ignoring his advice, she chose instead to cross over and walk home along the promenade. She needed space, time to clear her head, and to make sense of what was happening to her emotions. After stopping to remove her shoes which had not been designed for extensive walking, she strode along the pavement. She had no idea that Scott had watched her leave. Small droplets of water began to land on her skin, and then the sea was lit by a flash of white lightning. ”Damn, that will just finish off my evening perfectly,” she muttered as she began to walk faster, wishing that she had taken the driver’s advice after all. Quickening her steps, she headed toward the hotel, with the rain coming down much heavier now. She guessed that laundry service would be getting another call from room 2307 when she returned. “Lilly!” a voice behind her shouted, but it was swept away by the wind that had also picked up and was blowing in from the ocean. “Lilly, wait!” Scott came up behind her and put his jacket around her shoulders. She turned on him and stared into his eyes. “Tell me, Scott; what gives you the damn right to play with my emotions? Why do I have to second guess your moods all the time?” Her voice was raised, and she was in no mood for chivalry, attempting to jerk his jacket from her shoulders, and turning toward the beach to escape his suffocating closeness. She managed but a few steps before he had tackled her to the ground. His arms held onto her tightly, and she knew that even if she wanted to free herself, he was strong enough to hold her. The rain was heavy now, and it grazed against her face, bear arms and legs that had been exposed as her dress had ridden above her thighs. She didn’t care; she suddenly realized that she was with a man that she now knew she truly loved. “Kiss me, Scott.” Her bravery retuning like a shock wave. Scott’s full weight was on her, and she was feeling a warm glow around her, even though her skin was now soaking wet. “I can’t; it’s wrong.” “Why, why is it wrong? We are both adults, and we both have needs.” He moved his face toward hers, and she expected his kiss to be heavy, angry even, but when it came, it was soft, just as it had been the day before. He moved slowly over her mouth, and she was grateful that she was lying on the ground; otherwise her legs would have buckled. He moved his hands gently and oh so slowly along the side of her body and up towards her breasts, both of them now completely oblivious to the rain and wind blowing and increasing in energy around them, the lighting was dimmed by the electricity that they felt pass between them. Again, in the slowest of motions, he moved his hand and moulded them around her breasts sending her to a heightened state of arousal. She could feel Scott’s excitement too, as he pressed his lean body against hers. The rain and the environment they found themselves in just made the whole scene more erotic to Lilly, and she returned his kiss hungrily, pushing herself against his body, daring him to give her more. Fireworks were popping and fizzing in her head as the realisation came to her that he was equally attracted to her; after all she would doubt that even the most strong willed man could pretend to be as excited as she knew he was. The lighting struck again, sending shards of white light into the sky and illuminating Scott’s face, what she saw saddened her; in that brief instant, she knew that the ghosts of his past were still in his eyes, still holding him prisoner. She suddenly felt the weight lift from her body, and realised that he was going to do exactly what he had done the day before, abandon her when she most craved his nearness. After sitting up, she could feel his awkwardness. He stood against the wind and offered her his hand to pull her up. Knowing that she would gain nothing from remaining on the wet sand, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her upwards and towards him. She put her hands on either side of his face. “Don’t do this to me, Scott, not again, please! Let me help release you from your demons.” She moved her chin upwards to kiss him, but he pulled away. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted from the ground. Scott held her securely and carried her up towards the beach front. The wind was howling, and the rain came sheeting down, but the silence between them was unbearable. Within minutes, he had carried her safely to the entrance of the hotel. He placed her gently on the marble steps, and lowering his head, kissed her passionately, pulling her to him so tightly that she thought he would squeeze every last breath from her. If she had died from lack of oxygen right then it would have been at one of the happiest moments of her life, if this was paradise then she had found it. She put her arms around his waist, holding tightly onto him, fearing that he would let her go; she needed him, and she wanted to wake up in the morning and see his face on the pillow next to her. As he released his tight grip on her and moved his mouth from hers, he put his lips to her ear. “Please don’t hate me, Lilly,” he whispered softly, “and please remember that what I do is for you.” Scott took hold of her hands that were still holding him tightly, and he pulled them from him. Looking up at him now, she could see the tears rolling down from his eyes; it wasn’t the rain, of that she was sure. He held her hand briefly, only releasing it when he moved away from her. He never looked back, and she just watched helplessly as he disappeared into the darkness and driving rain. Silently, Lilly stood where he had left her. Not that she had ever experienced a broken heart before, but at that moment she felt that her whole world had just finally fallen apart. How in the space of seconds had she gone from heaven to hell? It was only the doorman insisting that she come in from the weather that made her move. He escorted her to her room and offered to have Scott’s jacket dry cleaned and a warming drink from the bar sent up to her. She had forgotten that Scott had put it around her when she had stood up. She thanked him and declined the offer of a drink. Shutting the door behind her, she sat on the bed and pulled the damp jacket tightly around her. The sobs started slowly from the pit of her stomach rising and pulling and suffocating her until they released from her mouth with large gulps of air, but very quickly they were wracking her whole being. She realised at that point that she might never see that man again.