Clouded Judgement. NICHOLA HARVEY
I firmly stated, dismissing her.
Giving me a dazzling smile, she immediately spun on the soles of her black Vans and efficiently returned a few minutes later with our drinks, placing them alongside the menus in front of us.
I glanced upwards, politely thanking her.
“No worries. Enjoy.” Clutching the tray to her side, she bounced around the rest of the tables collecting several empty glasses before heading back inside.
Lifting the Peroni to my lips, my gaze darted across the table to predominantly watch Teddy as she welcomingly sipped on her ginger beer. The only remedy it seemed that eased the constant bouts of morning sickness, and likewise, she’d be a lot happier once that stage had passed. As it stood, she was far too thin and needed to regain a few kilos, a concern I had stressed during our most recent therapy session. According to Teddy, though, my worry was unwarranted, a flippant response I found somewhat alarming.
“Look at the sky, Ari,” she suddenly said, ripping me away from my musings. “That sunset’s glorious.” Her excited gaze honed in on the colourfully warm hues of oranges and reds streaking across the evening sky. “It’s a pity you don’t see them like that in the city.”
My lips quirked mockingly. “They’re the same sunsets you know.”
With a roll of the eyes, she huffed, “I know... What I meant was smart arse, we don’t usually experience them the same because of the city skyline poking well above its measure.”
Another adjustment had been the caustic attitude due to her ever-changing moods. In addition to the teary and irritable manner during that last session, she had duly informed me: “It’s not my fault! It’s these damned hormones making me cranky!” To a certain degree, yes, they were at fault, but my rebuttal only sent me back to the doghouse yet again, as in my house for the night.
“I knew that’s what you meant; I was just checking.”
“Don’t be an arse.”
“And the list grows, from a caveman to an arse.” I chuckled, lifting the beer to my lips. “I’m moving up in the world.”
∞
Teddy
I BEGAN TO STIR as another glorious sunrise slowly crept out from behind the parting of white, fluffy clouds, indicating yet another resplendent day. What a pity we weren’t sticking around to enjoy it. But as I snuggled into my pillow and looked out, smiling to myself, my thoughts drifted to what had been a rather enjoyable weekend away anyway.
From the rejuvenating couple’s massages at the spa, relaxing us, the ferry ride across the bay, and the locally caught fish with crunchy deep-fried chips on the beach, every aspect we had relished in. Local galleries also piqued our interest with Ari indulging me in one of my favourite past times – shopping.
Taking me to Cote Salt, a store that sold exclusively bespoke and ethical interior pieces, he spoilt me rotten, spending a pretty penny on whatever I fancied. Our beautiful day had then drifted into the evening with a romantic dinner at one of Sorrento’s best-kept secrets, The Three Palms, where we indulged in the pleasure of feeding one another from our shared tapas plate. During which Ari had led me to the dancefloor, our limbs fluidly moving together in a sensuous display to the guitarists' acoustic take on Enrique Iglesias’ Only a Woman, attracting the attention of the staff and patrons. It was a dance that seamlessly flowed well into the deep of night.
Overall, my favourite part had been our lovemaking, mostly due to the shift in sexual dynamics. I let out quite the gratified sigh: Ari had shown me time and time again over the weekend his natural ability to dominate, falling nothing short of exceptional. And not once was I left disappointed. But that was last night, meaning a little more pleasure before heading home wouldn’t go astray. Someone else appeared to be just as eager for more as a warm hand curled over my hip and Ari shuffled across the mattress, fitting his well-shaped physique along the length of my body. The corners of my lips quirking the second he flexed his hips, pushing his rock hard cock against my behind. I hummed appreciatively. “Well, good morning to you too big boy.”
“Good morning, gorgeous,” he pleasantly rasped, gliding his equally warm hand up my torso to cup my breast, tweaking a sensitive nipple in the process. “Up for a little more fun?” Just as I croaked out a yes, he thrust his hand between my thighs, parting them widely for his probing fingers while softly instructing me, “Remain on your stomach and put that pretty arse high in the air for me. But leave your head on the pillow.”
Quivering in anticipation, I swiftly did as he requested and clung to the edges of the pillow as he rose off the mattress and proceeded to kneel behind me. My hips writhed as Ari’s fingers deftly and shamelessly explored, trailing along my aching cleft. A resounding slap to both cheeks promptly followed triggering another scolding as I squirmed once again.
“Stay still,” Ari enunciated growling lowly. My mouth curled into a satisfied smile; my dominant lover had surfaced – the stars had truly and positively aligned.
Then as the broad head of his lubricated cock slowly and gently nudged inside of me, I buried my face into my pillow and groaned. The intensity and the nirvana I felt as Ari sank deeper was unbelievable. I deliberately pushed back knowing it would earn me another spanking, only it was harsher, rapidly reminding me who was in charge.
I smiled; perfect.
“I know you don’t want to go either, but we must. I have work to complete as do you.”
Ari had sensed my gloomy mood the moment we left the bed. It hadn’t improved by the time we started packing our bags either; in fact, it was worse. He tried whatever it took to appease me, including a promise of another round of deliciously raw fucking when we got home.
“Besides Miss Pouty, we shall soon have an entire month off to enjoy each other with the Christmas break.”
“Hmm, yeah you’re right, as always,” I acquiesced, sighing as I watched Ari neatly place the last item off the bed into his leather overnight bag and zip it up. “This weekend has just been so good…and I hate the thought that we have to leave our little bubble.” In all honestly, I sounded more like a whiny brat than a grown woman in her mid-twenties, but then I was too busy crawling up the bed and snaking my arms around Ari’s waist to care.
“We can revisit this magical place another time, okay?” He bent down, kissing my pouting mouth chastely. “I had a lot of fun also. Let’s go.”
Chapter Five
Ari
WITH AN UNEXPECTED PREGNANCY sprung upon us, it necessitated having a serious chat with Teddy regarding our current living situation. Living between two houses was no longer logical nor was sharing a home with our impetuous sisters. An arrangement that was hellish enough without adding an innocent child to the equation, and with Poppy sharing as well, it wasn’t exactly leaving enough room for a nursery either.
During my pursuit to find that appropriate home, I discovered two that possibly suited our needs: a block with nearly six acres at Mickleham, and a five-bedroom house directly opposite the beach in the lovely suburb of Hampton. Each naturally had their pro’s and con’s; one required an entirely new build, whereas the other was outdated and in dire need of renovating, top to bottom by the looks of the photos on the website. My intuition told me Teddy would take one look at the amount of work required to reach her standards and simply suggest we demolish it. On the upside though, both were only a twenty-minute drive to the city, on a good day.
I had barely completed my enquiry to the real estate agent in a brief email when as usual, Asher barged into my office, unannounced and munching on an apple as if he were a Highland cow chewing on a patch of grass in the green fields of the English countryside.
“Hey boss, whatcha looking at?”