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The hurt and the angst faded to leave only elation and triumph. Niall walked around with a swagger and a smile at every turn. From thinking he had to move on from Chantelle to being in an official relationship with her in the space of a few days felt surreal. It felt incredible. Colleagues at work would comment on the spring in his step while his manager, Rob, guessed within five seconds of being in his presence that he’d ‘got himself a new squeeze’.
Things returned to the way they were before everything got all awkward in light of her family issues. The outings with myriad friends reduced in number; each preferring to be in the company of just one another. They would go out on at least a couple of dates a week and really enjoyed their time together.
One evening, they went for a bite to eat and a few glasses of wine in a bar. They sat across from each other and shared stories about their past situations and relationships.
“I spent a little time living on an army base with my ex,” Chantelle recounted.
“I didn’t know that was allowed,” Niall replied; genuinely confused.
“It wasn’t quite on the base, but it was so nearby that I might as well have been living there. Squaddies were around me all the time.”
“Oh, aye?” Niall asked suggestively.
“Oh, aye,” Chantelle came back with an arched eyebrow before a sip of her wine.
“Do I even want to know the kind of shit you got up to while you were there?”
“Probably not.”
Niall leaned back in his seat with a smirk. He knew that she had enjoyed her share of company with other males, though he wasn’t quite aware just how much she’d enjoyed their company until that moment. “Been a bit of a naughty girl, have we?”
“Just a bit,” she admitted. “I was young and adventurous.”
“You still seem pretty adventurous to me.”
“I’ve calmed down a lot. I went through a period of sleeping with women too.”
The wine Niall had just taken a drink of caught in his throat and he nearly spat it out. It was all coming out now! “Well you definitely kept that tidbit quiet!”
“It’s not exactly the sort of thing a person leads with when they meet somebody, is it? ‘Hi, I’m Chantelle and I like to go down on other women’. You’d have run a mile.”
“I actually think I’d have found such honesty refreshing,” Niall came back coolly.
“Well, I’m being honest now. I can also honestly say that no guy has ever made me come as intensely as a woman has.”
Niall felt a sudden surge of jealousy rush through him. Her words actually hurt and made him feel inferior. There was honesty and then there was being plain hurtful. While he could see that hadn’t been her intention, he still felt that what she’d said was somewhat uncouth. He wracked his brain for something to say that wasn’t in some way chastising. Nothing came to him so he kept quiet.
“Did I ever tell you how good you are in bed?” Chantelle asked; breaking the long and awkward silence.
“No, you didn’t,” Niall replied. He knew the ball had dropped and she was now trying to dig herself out of the hole she’d inadvertently dug.
“You’re damned good! You’re amazing with your hands,” she muttered with a faraway look as if imagining a scenario where he was using them.
“They’re all yours to do with as you wish.”
Chantelle shot him a devious look. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to leave all of a sudden.”
“I do believe I’ve grown bored of this place too,” Niall responded with a knowing smile.
The car stopped outside Chantelle’s house. They both climbed out and began fervently kissing as though they weren’t prepared to wait until they were in the house. They made it to the front door where Niall dominantly pushed Chantelle up against the wall; the pair still kissing, Niall’s hands searching her body with desperate desire.
“Wait a second,” Chantelle mumbled breathlessly. “I need to check that nobody’s in.”
“They best hadn’t,” Niall said between kisses to her neck.
Chantelle managed to push him away for long enough to turn and put the key in the door. She smacked his hand away when he went to feel up her backside then opened the door. “Wait here a minute while I check to see if the coast is clear.”
“Hurry up!”
She closed the door gently behind her, leaving a frustrated Niall eagerly awaiting her return on the doorstep. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down and checked his phone for any messages he might have missed. He was somewhat disappointed there were none as it would have taken his mind off the thought of being in between Chantelle’s thighs for a minute.
The door opened seconds later. The look on Chantelle’s face told all Niall needed to know—he wasn’t going to be getting lucky tonight!
“I’m sorry, babe,” Chantelle whispered regretfully.
“Not as sorry as I am!”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Niall said with a smirk. He pulled Chantelle towards him and held her tightly to him. “You’re more than worth the wait.”
They kissed passionately for many minutes before Niall finally, regretfully, walked away and back to his car. He turned to look at Chantelle one last time as he went and she blew him a kiss. He smiled. Things were going so well that he could hardly believe his luck. So well, in fact, that he was quickly falling head over heels in love with her.
TO BE CONTINUED
Title image from Shine Aloud.
The Adventures of an Average, White Man...© 