"Lil, babe, wake up!" I feel a shake of my shoulder, a grumpy noise leaving me as I nuzzle further into the comforter and pillow. "Lillian!"

Ignoring the voice, I keep my eyes closed until I realise there's a shuffle on the bed, a weight being lifted off from the mattress. Subconsciously, I relax that I'm being left alone to sleep until I feel the comforter being removed from my feet. Another loud groan leaves me but before I can even move my body, hands grasp my knee, making me gasp when I realise where his head's at.

Before I can even utter a word, his hands grasp my thighs, parting them as I feel his presence between my legs, my eyes shooting straight up when his tongue flicks against my core.

"James!" I moan, my eyes closing when such a sudden wave of pleasure hits me. I'm still trying to collect my senses but now all of it seem to be focused at one place, driving me absolutely insane. "What are you doing?"

He doesn't respond, rather he grabs my hips to pull me closer. His tongue moves in circles around my core, teasing me but missing the spot that he knows would bring me relief, a frustrated sound escaping through me. His hands travel up my naked body as his fingers graze my already swollen skin on the breasts.

Holy fuck! Just as his fingers pinch my erect skin, his tongue presses against my bundle of nerves, my back arching off from the mattress as my eyes shoot open while I try to hold in the sounds that are on the tip of my tongue.

James continues the torturous pleasure with his tongue for a while before moving one of his hands move down my belly. His finger draws circles on my nerves before moving down further as it enters me, my hand grabbing his hair in response when he closes his mouth around the most sensitive spot.

"James!" His name leaves my mouth like a chant as I grip deeper on his roots, but he doesn't seem to mind as his mouth and fingers continue to draw me to my end.

When I finish, my breath is almost irregular as I try to catch it and he gives one last flick with his tongue before moving apart and his body tracing mine as he comes face to face with me.

"What was that for?" I ask, now wide awake as I brush his hair through my fingers and realise that he's wearing boxers, resisting my pout at the barrier between us.

"You weren't waking up." He shrugs. "Had to do something."

"Mm, why did you want to wake me up so desperately?" My eyes move around his face as I read his emerald eyes which light up at my question.

"Fuck, I almost forgot." He moves aside a little, coming to lie by my side as he looks up, a huge grin taking over his face. "It's raining."

I frown at him before following his gaze to look up and see the rain hitting the window shed above the bed. I was so lost in my sleep and then in him that I didn't even take in the sound of it hitting the roof. My eyes move to James who looks so incredibly peaceful as he sighs.

"You weren't kidding when you said that you love rain." I turn a little to face him and his eyes meet mine again. "That was one hell of a way to wake me up though."

"Good morning." He grins, leaning forward as he kisses me and I sigh in his mouth before wrapping my legs around his torso, moving closer to him.

His hands move around my waist and my arms go around his neck as I pull my body above his, sitting across his waist as he continues to lie down. My ass moves right above his erection as a low grunt leaves his chest at my movements, his eyes raking down my entire body as he continues to hold my waist.

"What a fucking sight to start my morning with." His voice is so low, his eyes intense as the heat in my belly grows. I feel the need to bring my hands up to cover myself, but like always, I push it back.

This is James, the man who worships my body quite literally and drives me to embrace every extra curve, every stretch mark, every damn flaw there could be. Before him, I was a little embarrassed how my bust didn't let me fit into clothes I desired, but with him and continuous discussions with Dr. Wilson, it has helped me understand that it's my own thoughts which are my worst enemy. I assumed the judgement of others and let it clutter my head, but that's just it, even if it they are true judgement, it shouldn't matter to me — as long as I'm comfortable in my own skin, no one can make me question my body, not even him.

That's the thing with James, he doesn't make me dependent on his reassurances. Rather, he makes me embrace my own positive thoughts by helping me strive for those affirmations. I know we're in love, but there's so much that we learn from each other. 

As I look at him staring at me with that same intense gaze which always reflect his desire so clearly, I can't help but smile as I slide off his lap. He immediately frowns at my actions, a groan leaving him when he watches me stand by the bed.

"Are you seriously leaving me with this?" He points towards his erection and I'm tempted to tease him but just shrug in return.

"Only if you aren't joining me in the shower."

His eyes immediately widen at my response as he processes the words. "Fuck, seriously?"

"Yup." I grin as I move towards the bathroom door and turn around to see him still staring at me in shock. "Coming?"

"Jesus, yes!" He shoots up from the bed before crossing the distance between us and kissing me.

I kiss him back with all my might as our bodies move further in the bathroom, trying not to fall down as we continue to hold onto each other. His hands are all over my body  when we finally reach the shower and he turns it on. A slight shriek leaves me as the water hits my hair and he chuckles in response.

"I have dreamt about this so many times," he breathes and I raise an eyebrow, laughing. I have no idea why he's been so obsessed with the idea of shower sex. I've always felt like it's way too intimate but considering that I woke up today with his face between my legs this morning, I'd say that we're way past intimate. "You're comfortable, right? I don't want you to do this just for my sake."

I shake my head, "Please, if I were doing it for your sake, it would've happened a week after we first had sex."

"You're right." He nods, and I close my mouth around his, my lips further moving down his chest as I continue to press kisses lower down his body before kneeling in front of him, my fingers reaching for the waistband of his boxers before pulling them down. He steps out of it and I look at him, his jaw tense as he anticipates my next move.

My hand wraps around him as I bring my mouth closer to the tip, my tongue circling it as I continue to move my hand up and down. A low moan leaves him and when my eyes meet his, I wrap my mouth around him, and his head falls back as his hands come around to hold my hair.

"Fuck," he moans, my mouth moving along his length as his grip on my hair grows deeper, pushing me further as I move my hand, tongue and lips in sync.

From time to time, my eyes meet his and he moans my name, only making me pick up the speed before he pulls back, making me groan at the loss of contact.

"Nope, this isn't ending like that." He shakes his head and the heat in my body rises up as I get off my knees.

His tongue meets mine in the rough moment as his hand tightly grasps my ass. It doesn't even surprise me when I feel the spank, making the desire in my body rise as I feel the need for him. He turns my body around just as his lips find the nape of my neck with his fingers ending up between my legs as he rubs the throbbing nerves, making a low moan leave me.

His lips leave my skin as he pulls back a little, making me frown but then his lips meet my ear as he slowly leaves a kiss. He bends my body a little further but then I feel his length brushing on my ass before it meets my wanting core. I'm embracing the contact when he thrusts inside me, a loud moan leaving me as I balance myself with my palms on the wall.

"Jesus fuck!" He breathes as he enters again and I wonder if I've felt him so deep, every sense of my body heightening as he picks up the pace.

"Ja—" My moan is cut off with another moan as his hands grip my ass tighter. Fuck, he's driving me insane as his thrusts pick up and a series of pleasing sounds leave me.

When I feel his lips on the back of my shoulder, I try to keep my tongue tied as he moves his mouth across my skin and his hands comes around to grab my breast, my head falling back from the overwhelming pleasure as the heat between my legs almost reaches the edge.

Just when I'm about to meet my end, he pulls out, a whimper leaving me but he turns me around, his eyes blazing with lust and love as he closes his mouth around mine, backing me up against the wall. His hand grabs my thighs as he wraps one of my legs around his waist, and taking the hint, I do the same with the other with his body and the wall on my back supporting my weight.

Our lips meet in heated passion before I feel him entering me again, a groan leaving me in mouth before parting away as I look into his eyes with my hands around his neck and a low rumble leaves him as he starts moving again, my body almost giving in right there at the intensity of feeling him inside me.

"Fucking christ, Lil." He breathes, his forehead resting against mine as he continues to thrust in me and the heat in my body reaches the edge.

The tightening of my legs around him must make him realise the same because he picks up the speed and I bite on his shoulder to swallow the loud moan, aware that this house isn't soundproof even if we're in the middle of nowhere and it's just the two of us inside.

I cry out my end but he doesn't stop. Holy fucking christ. Where the hell is he getting this stamina from?

"James." My voice is too weak as I feel another wave of heat building up, closer and much stronger this time as he continues his movements.

"Want me to stop?" He asks and I shake my head.

"Don't you dare."

He grins, leaning down to take the erect skin of my breast in his mouth and this time, my back arches off the wall, his hands grasping my ass tighter as his tongue and lips suck on the skin, every cell in my body lightening up with need.

While his lips do their work, I feel his thrusts growing shorter and faster, making me cry out his name as he parts away his mouth and kisses me, our moans mixing with one another's as I finally feel him meet his end, his pace going slower as he continues to kiss me, and I follow his lead, meeting my end.

If he left me breathless this morning, that was nothing compared to right now as I try to catch my breath, our foreheads resting against each other as my eyes meet his.

I try so desperately to come up with words to explain how I feel but when no words come up, he leaves a deep kiss before speaking, "I know, love. I know."

We don't say another word as we finish showering, trying not to get distracted again. Afterwards, James dries my hair with the towel as I sit on the chair in front of the dressing mirror, looking at him as he seems lost in his thoughts.

"What's on your mind?" I ask my favourite question and he meets my eyes in the mirror.

He shrugs. "Not much. I don't want to head back, I like it here."

I know he does. The past two days have been the lowest I've seen him, which is why I'm happy to see some light in his eyes. On the day of his mother's death anniversary, he barely spoke. At night when he turned his back to me to sleep, and I couldn't take it anymore so I just wrapped my arms around him, glad when he didn't push me away.

He didn't turn around when I felt him sniff, he just put a peck on my palm and I knew that he needed it, he needed to cry on his own to remember the loss he's suffering since last two decades.

Yesterday was better, he spoke more, smiled a little, laughing at my corny jokes and at night we made it a routine to sit at the roof top under the stars. This morning however, was the most progress I've seen in his mood but now that he's lost in his thoughts again, I begin to worry naturally.

"We can come here more often?" I offer and he laughs, shaking his head.

"It's my mourning place, love."

I nod in return, understanding what he means. This is the place he comes to grieve. He wouldn't turn it into anything else. When he's here, he's in state of mourning. So, I can never argue with that. A little later, we go downstairs to have breakfast, which James makes — scrambled eggs, without my help while I enjoy the sight.

"Did you tell Jeremy that we're coming in a couple of weeks?" James asks me as he eats and I shake my head.

"No, I was thinking maybe we could surprise him?" I offer and he squints his eyes in doubt, making me scowl in return. "You don't think it's a good idea?"

"No, I mean, sure it's a good idea but you know he's just moved over there. He might be exploring stuff, and you don't want to ambush him."

I stand up to clear the plates as I give him a ridiculous look. "How did it go from a surprise to an ambush?"

He thinks about it for a second and I know he's not saying whatever's on his mind which makes me give him a look. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just saying, you don't want to surprise your brother when he's drunk or high out of his mind."

"Hold on, you think he's getting high?" I try to keep my voice balanced but I know how I basically yelled the last word, it's pretty clear from the way James scrunched up his face.

"I'm not saying he is, but he could just be exploring?" He tries to assure me but I shake my head.

"Have you talked to him, James? Did he say something to you?" I ask, crossing my arms across my chest and he holds up his hands in surrender.

"Woah, babe. Calm down, he didn't. I'm just working on an assumption here, that's all. You know him better than anyone."

I rub my temples, shaking my head as I try get rid of the thought he left there. "I know the brother who lived with my parents, I have no idea what he's upto in that huge city."

"Joan's with him." He reminds me and I nod, sighing. "Let's surprise him, alright? It'll be a reassurance and that way, if he's getting high, we can bust his ass."

He's right but I can't believe how thrilled he sounds, making me laugh as I walk over to him. "You're insane, you know that?"

"I know. I can't wait to show you the apartment in New York." He grins, tucking my hair behind my ear and I look at him in surprise. I'm excited to meet my brother, of course but I had no idea James owned a place there.

"You've an apartment in New York?"

He nods, "Yes. You'll love it."

"Is it more like this place or the place back home?" I ask, curious and his face turns into a frown as he thinks about it.

"I take it back, you won't love that as much as you love this place." He corrects himself. "It's more like the one back at home."

"Home." I grin and he sighs, nodding. "I like our home, even though you could've gone way over the top with that place but you didn't, that's why I like it so much."

"Yeah, I didn't want a mansion, you know? I mean, I never thought I'll live there with my wife but that's the thought I bought it with. A place good enough for a couple."

"It is, it's amazing." I kiss his jaw. "Where else do you own property?"

He thinks about it for a second, "Mm. This, Atlanta, New York, the house back at Birmingham was in Mom's name so Dad gave it over to me when I turned eighteen, so that doesn't count. I have a house down in LA too, that's my biggest property after New York."

"Wow, extravagant glassy shit house?" I imagine and he grins, nodding. "Shit, I married a cliche."

"Well, too damn bad. You're stuck."

I laugh at his words. We continue to talk for a while before heading to the backyard where there is an already laid out patio set. This became the place to hang out in the evening but with the rain this morning, the air is chillier. Couple of hours later, I turn to James.

"I know you're dreading it, but we should start packing the stuff. We have to leave in a few hours," I remind him and he offers me a sad smile, nodding.

"Coming here makes me want to give up my phone but as soon as I hold it in my hand, it hits me that there's an entirely different life that always awaits me on the other side."

I sigh, looking at his face as he meets my eyes. "Do you think you'll ever give it up?"

"What, the company?" He asks as if it's the most ridiculous idea but I nod nonetheless. "No, never, Lil. I've worked my ass off to be where I am, and I want to continue that so I can take it to another height. Dad's going to retire from the work some time so I have to be ready to carry the responsibility."

"You do know that if you ever decide to sell it, you can live the rest of your life without working, right? I've seen the numbers, Clark Enterprise has huge market value."

He arches an eyebrow. "Yes, that's not happening. Whatever the value is, I wanna double, or maybe triple it."

"If that means I'm losing the man I love to his company, it's not happening," I warn him, extremely serious and he looks at me like I'm joking but then I continue to give him the look. "I'm serious."

He sighs, pulling my chair towards his. "You're not losing me to anyone or anything, Lil. I promise. Work life balance, right?"

"Good, you're learning." I kiss his forehead before getting up. "C'mon now. Gotta pack."

He complains but eventually our bags are packed as the evening comes over. He calls Cooper an hour before we're supposed to leave and once our bags are in the trunk, Cooper pulls up in his jeep in the driveway.

"Leaving already?" He asks and I nod, looking back at James who steps out of the house.

"Yeah, it's a beautiful place though."

"Yes, it is. Visit sometime soon, Lillian." He smiles at me before walking over to James. They speak for a few minutes before James makes his way to me.

"Ready?"

I nod and look back at Cooper standing at the patio. I wave at him before getting in the car. The drive goes silently with our playlist running. After we cross the highway, I turn to him.

"Can I drive?"

He looks at me, smiling. "Sure you want to? I don't mind."

"Yes, please."

"Alright, I'll pull over."

After we switch seats, James dozes off halfway to home. He must be tired from barely sleeping past few days. I turn off the music and let him sleep until I park our car in the garage an hour later. Honestly, at one point I was tempted to wake him up to ask whether or not I'm on the right way because I questioned the GPS but then I figured at most, we'll end up at some strange place together.

It felt weird to come into the city traffic after spending four days away from the noise and the rush of it. After I park the car, I tap his shoulder, "Morning, sleeping beauty."

He groans, stretching his arms as a yawn leaves him. His eyes squint as he takes in the parking space before looking over at me.

"Did I sleep the entire way?"

"Yes, you needed it." I extend my arm to brush his hair away and he nods. "Was almost tempted to wake you up the same way you woke me this morning."

He laughs, shaking his head as I get out of the car and he does the same, moving for the trunk. "There are cameras here, you know?"

"Yes, the ones we have access to. It isn't like you haven't deleted a footage before." I remind him and he gives me a look. "What?"

"I do bring out the sex-crazed version of you, don't I?" He grins, sounding super proud and earning himself a look as we collect the bags and head for the elevator.

Let's just say that there are a lot of places in the apartment that has hidden cameras installed in case someone decides to break in. It has the entire security system with the alarms too, but cameras are just a step-up from that. That's the reason why James and I have found ourselves deleting footage more than a couple of time.

This one time he offered to watch it, but immediately deleted it when he saw the look on my face. He didn't even try to persuade me for it even for a second, that's how pissed and horrified I looked.

Once we're in the apartment, we leave our bags by the front door and James plops down on the couch.

"I'm surprised you aren't running to get your phone," I say as I stand behind the couch and he looks up at me.

"Not until tomorrow morning."

His words surprise me but also make me happy as I smile at him. I like phone-less and work-free James. "Can we order? I'm too tired to cook, and I'm sure so are you."

"Yes, what do you want to eat?"

"Chinese?"

He nods, "Are you placing the order?"

"Will you, please?" I pout and he shakes his head before getting up from the couch and reaching the foyer table to pick up my phone.

I hear him place the order, grinning that he remembers it. It's the small things that count, honestly. When he walks back in the living area, he's still scrolling through my phone, making me frown until I hear the music blaring from our audio system.

My eyes widen in surprise as I look at him, and he grins at me, keeping my phone on the couch as he extends his arm towards me.

"C'mon." He gestures for me to walk towards him and I slowly do, cautious as I step into his arms, keeping my hand on his shoulder.

"What's the occasion?" I grin as we begin to dance.

"Just want to appreciate you for being there in my life." He smiles at me before taking a step back and twirling me around, a laugh leaving me.

Love and Marriage plays in the background, the song hitting my heart as I can't seem to keep my smile away.

"Did you choose this song on purpose?" I ask and he nods.

"Yes. It's true, being with you has made me realise that. You can't have one without the other." He quotes the last part.

I nod, absolutely agreeing with him as we waltz around the room, his body pulling me closer when the song finishes. I leave a quick peck on his lips and he leans down for more, making me take advantage of the fun mood.

"Do you think we should take a break?" I ask, and he immediately frowns at me, his smile dropping.

"From each other?" He takes a step back, his body parting from mine completely.

"No, not from each other. Just from sex."

He gives me an incredulous look, like he can't seem to process the words I'm saying. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." I nod, and he continues to read my face. "Is it normal to feel the need for it?"

"Shit, you're serious." He curses before looking at me again. "Yes, no, I don't know if it's normal or not, Lil. But if that's what you want."

"Are you sure?"

He nods, looking worried. "Have I done something wrong, anything to make you feel this way?"

"I—" I start, gauging his reaction. "I don't know how to say it."

"Was it this morning, did I push you into it?" The look of worry grows on his face and I suddenly feel extremely guilty. "Then what is it? Where is this coming from?"

"You're really damn good at it." I bite on my lower lip, trying to stifle my laughter.

"What?"

"Yeah, it gets so hard to resist you, to keep my hands off of you."

He must realise the change in my tone because he glares at me, his body immediately relaxing but his eyes turning dark. Shit, have I pissed him off?

"I thought you were serious, that I had done something wrong to make you feel uncomfortable or that you weren't attracted to me anymore."

His words make me scowl at him. "There never will be a day, James. I was just trying to trick you, bad joke, I'm sorry."

"Are you sure you were kidding?" He asks again and I nod.

"Promise."

"Good." He smirks before stepping forward and picking me over his shoulder, a shriek leaving me.

"James, put me down!"

A loud laugh leaves him, "Nope. You deserve your punishment."

"What are you doing?"

"Time to show you better than damn good. That hurt my feelings, love. We shall always aim for the best, Mrs. Clark."

"You are the best." I promise him, but he lightly smacks the back of my thighs.

"Nope. I think you need to sound more convincing, and lucky me, I know the best way to those sounds."

•••
who do you imagine James and Lillian as, any particular famous personality?