Chapter 42 -  "Happy Valentine's Day."

[[Contains sexual content]]

Valentine's Day: a day of romance, or a day of commercialism?

I'd only ever had two boyfriends, but they'd both had completely differing opinions regarding the purpose of Valentine's Day. I can still remember how I'd felt during my very first Valentine's Day in a relationship. For years, it had been a day I'd dreaded, reinforcing how another year had passed and yet I was still single. I'd watch as boys would shower their girlfriends with gifts and treat them like princesses. Passionate displays of affection would take place in the corridors and nobody would be able to make snide comments because, after all, it was Valentine's Day.

Then Matt and I got together. For the weeks leading up to February 14th, I could barely contain my excitement. Finally I would be able to experience a real Valentine's Day. Knowing that Matt wasn't overly romantic anyway, I was even more excited to see him spoil me, assuming that he'd make an exception and step up to the role of a doting boyfriend. For one day of the year, I'd get to experience true romance and public displays of affection, just like everyone else. In hindsight, the fact that I was so excited to see Matt's romantic side should have been a warning.

When Valentine's Day rolled around, I'd headed to school with a spring in my step. Jess and Alex were fawning all over each other, being more affectionate than usual, so I'd headed straight over to Matt's table. To my dismay, he barely acknowledged me as I sat down beside him. In fact, he didn't even lift his eyes from the card game.

"I bet it sucks to be Matt's girlfriend today, huh?" Jimmy had asked me with an amused smirk.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, just because he doesn't believe in Valentine's Day," Jimmy replied. "He thinks it's a commercial event with the sole purpose of generating money."

"Shut up, you dick." Matt's mouth curled into a smirk, but he didn't deny it.

My heart sank. I'd spent so long looking forward to not just my first Valentine's Day, but also a day where Matt could be more romantic towards me without feeling uncomfortable. Then, as it happened, his attitude towards the most romantic day of the year had turned out to be just as unromantic as him.

Although it broke my heart at the time, it did mean that my next Valentine's Day — with Nathan last year — absolutely blew me away. He pulled out all the stops, knowing that it would be my first proper Valentine's Day and wanting to make it special for me.

After everything that had happened this year, and after realising just how insecure Nathan still was about our relationship, I wanted to be the one who pulled out for the stops for him. I had no doubt that he'd do something romantic for me — he was already treating me to dinner in the evening — but I still wanted to show him just how much he meant to me.

When I thought back to earlier on in the year, when we'd celebrated our anniversary, I could recall how desperate I was to show romance. This time was different, however; I wasn't desperate to prove my worth as a girlfriend, but rather I wanted to make him feel as special as he made me feel.

Knowing that we'd be going out to dinner in London, I'd secretly booked us a hotel room for that night. On the South Bank of the Thames, the suite had a balcony that overlooked the Houses of Parliament as well as a huge king-sized bed and a luxurious marble bathroom. It was extravagant and luxurious, but I'd wanted to make this a Valentine's Day he remembered, just like he'd done for me last year.

"What time are you setting off tonight?" Jack asked me when I got back from lectures on Friday morning.

"He's picking me up at six thirty," I replied. "What are your plans? Did you manage to coerce a girl into going out with you tonight?"

"Nah," he said. "But I'm going out with Shaun and Phil. There will be plenty of desperate girls at the club, hoping to meet their Prince Charming."

"Lucky them..."

"In seriousness, though," he said. "Hayley's given me the heads up that she's holding some kind of party here tonight, so I'd rather not be around."

"What kind of party?" Apprehension spiked in me, my head already spinning with all the possible scenarios. "We're not going to get in trouble, are we?"

As the weeks had gone on, Hayley had only been sucked deeper into the drugs. More and more people were beginning to gather in her room, and we often smelt weed coming from behind the door; they'd obviously been tampering with the smoke detectors.

"Doubt it." Jack shrugged. "You'll be out for the whole night anyway, and I'll be lying in some hot bird's bed. Nothing to worry about."

You had to admire Jack's confidence — both regarding the Hayley situation as well as his ability to pull a girl. Part of me hoped he'd manage to get lucky tonight, but the other part of me longed to see him with a nice girl who'd treat him well and who he'd potentially have a future with.

For the rest of the afternoon, I finished off the remainder of my preparations for tonight. I'd taken extra care with Nathan's card, filling the inside page with a list of reasons why I loved him so much, ranging from his sense of humour to his consistent support. Normally I'd cringe at this level of soppiness, but somehow it seemed appropriate, and I knew Nathan would appreciate it.

He turned up a little before six thirty, looking extra dashing in a crisp white shirt and black tie combination. I loved him in a suit, and somehow he managed to pull off the professional look to make it appear smart rather than work attire.

"You look great." His eyes scanned my body with a blend of hunger and affection.

I'd bought a dress especially for the occasion. Knowing that we were going to an upscale restaurant, I'd wanted it to be classy instead of just sexy; with that in mind, I'd gone for a lacy, red dress that reached mid-thigh, with a collared neckline.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

We said our goodbyes to Jack and then I picked up my bag before we headed out into the car park. It was a relatively big bag for an evening at a restaurant, but Nathan didn't comment on it; he probably assumed it was just a fashion choice, when in actual fact it contained things we'd need for the hotel room.

Nathan splurged on a taxi to get us to the restaurant — I didn't even want to know how much that cost on Valentine's Day in London — as he insisted that this wasn't the time to be slumming it on the Tube.

When we pulled up in front of the restaurant, I almost fainted at the fare, but Nathan handed over the cash without even flinching.

The restaurant really was beautiful, and very busy, but we were soon shown to a table in the far corner, near a window that overlooked the city.

"This is amazing, Nathan," I told him with a smile. "Did you reserve this table specifically? The view is incredible..."

"I just booked early," he replied casually, picking up his menu. "I think it's first-come, first-served with regards to tables. I did request something out of the way, though."

As was usually the case with this type of restaurant, the menu wasn't overly extensive. That didn't matter, though, since I could have eaten pretty much everything on there. With our meals ordered, we began to reminisce.

"Do you remember Valentine's Day last year?" Nathan tipped his head to the side with a smile.

I couldn't help but grin as I recalled the memory. "I don't think I'm ever going to forget it. You treated me like a princess."

"You are a princess in my eyes," he said, taking a small sip of his wine. It was a line that could have come across as very corny, yet he pulled it off and managed to make it sound sweet and romantic instead.

"Your princess." I smiled.

He returned my smile, and it gradually transformed into a grin. During that moment, Nathan looked so incredibly happy that it just warmed my heart. I wanted to make him the happiest guy in the world. He'd been through so much, and I wanted to prove that we were in this together.

The food, as expected, was amazing. The Duck à l'Orange melted in my mouth and, whilst I usually had trouble finishing meals, I could have easily eaten more of it. Nathan's lamb shank apparently went down a treat, too, and he suggested we share a dessert.

As we tucked into the white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake, Nathan began to tell me about a possible promotion on the horizon.

"Nothing's set in stone yet, but my boss has hinted about me taking on extra responsibilities."

"That's exciting!"

"Yeah, I mean I don't know if I'd get much of a pay rise, if any, but it'll look good on my CV."

"Absolutely," I agreed. "And Louisa? How's she getting on?"

"She's got a couple of interviews lined up," Nathan said. "But I think someone within the company is trying to poach her, too."

"Would it be easier for her to transfer within the company?" I asked, slicing off another small chunk of cheesecake before running my spoon across to the plate to collect some of the sauce.

"I imagine so," Nathan replied.

To help everyone move past their insecurities and forward with their lives, Nathan and Louisa had been meeting up outside work to try to resolve their own personal issues. It had been my idea. Nathan truly needed to accept his past rather than running away from it, because it was his reluctance to embrace Louisa's presence that had driven a wedge in our relationship.

When the bill arrived, I averted my eyes out of politeness. Nathan always insisted on paying and, a lot of the time, I'd rather not know how much money he was spending on me.

"Do you want my jacket?" he offered when we stepped into the icy, February air. The food and wine had warmed me to a certain extent, but I was still shivering in my small dress.

"I'm sure a taxi will arrive soon," I said to him, but he removed his jacket anyway and draped it over my shoulders.

I smiled in appreciation and wound my arm around his waist, soaking up his warmth, too. My stomach fluttered with butterflies as I thought about how Nathan would soon discover my sneaky booking of a hotel. I hoped he wouldn't be annoyed at me spending money in that way; I doubted he would be on Valentine's Day.

Like a true gentleman, Nathan opened the taxi door for me and waited for me to get settled before taking a seat on the other side.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

I spoke up before Nathan could open his mouth, and rolled out the name of the hotel. The driver nodded before flicking on his indicator and pulling off.

"Where have you told him to go to?" Nathan frowned, looking genuinely puzzled. Since suspicion wasn't registering on his face, I could only guess that he hadn't realised what I'd done.

"South Bank," I replied.

"Oh," he said lightly, raising his eyebrows in understanding. "You want to take a stroll and look at the lights?"

Why ruin the fun by admitting it in the taxi? I decided to keep up the surprise and wait until we actually got to the hotel, hopefully making it an even bigger shock.

Even when I got out my purse to pay the driver, Nathan batted my hand away and handed over two twenties, telling him to keep the change. His assertiveness tonight was definitely sexy...

"I love South Bank," Nathan said, taking my hand to help me out of the car.

"Yeah, it's really pretty," I agreed, as I began to lead him towards the hotel entrance. It was big and grand, yet Nathan still wasn't putting the pieces together. His naivety was almost endearing.

"Why are we going here?" he asked me. "Is there a nice bar?"

I played along, wondering if we'd actually have to be in the room before Nathan finally tuned into what was going on.

"I hope so," I replied.

Even when we headed to the reception desk, Nathan didn't bat an eyelid — he just assumed I was asking about the aforementioned bar.

"Hi, how may I help?" the receptionist asked me with a cheery smile.

"Hi, we have a room booked under the name of Smith."

Nathan, who'd been staring absentmindedly out across the lobby, jerked his head back round to the desk. The penny had finally dropped...

As the receptionist checked us in, Nathan's eyes landed on me.

"Bella...? What's going on?"

I smiled innocently. "Happy Valentine's Day."

The shock had obviously rendered him speechless and he remained silent as we were given directions to the suite. It wasn't until I actually swiped the key to open the door, that Nathan spluttered some kind of unintelligible sound as his widened eyes scanned the room.

I let the door swing shut behind us and took hold of his hand. Nathan wandered slowly around the suite, taking everything in without saying a word, before stopping at the dining table and lifting a bottle of Champagne out of an ice bucket.

"Veuve Clicquot," he commented. "My favourite."

I smiled, happy that he didn't appear annoyed. After seeing his shocked face, I'd worried that he wouldn't approve of me splashing out on a fancy hotel room; after all, he always insisted that Valentine's Day was my day. I just wanted to do something to make it his day, too.

"Bella, this is...I'm speechless...this is utterly amazing."

"Well, you're utterly amazing." I smiled, winding my arms around his waist. "And I wanted to give you a Valentine's Day that you remember forever, too."

"There's no chance of me forgetting this!" He laughed, still in shock.

At that moment, he noticed the balcony and pulled me along to it. The glass doors easily slid open and we stepped onto the decking to absorb the breath-taking view.

"I love South Bank," Nathan said, for the second time that evening.

"I love you," I told him softly.

Nathan tore his eyes away from the view to look at me. I couldn't single out one particular emotion in them, but it was clear that he was blown away. That's all I'd wanted. In one swift movement, he ducked his head and pressed his mouth against mine. The kiss was sweet and romantic but also laced with desperation as Nathan furiously tried to convey his gratitude through use of his lips. As far as locations went, too, it was pretty damn romantic, on a balcony high above the River Thames.

"Join me for a glass of Champagne?" he asked, raising an invitational eyebrow at me.

"I'd never turn down Champagne..."

As Nathan and I sipped at the Veuve Clicquot on the balcony, we laughed and joked about any topic that came to mind. We could have been having the same conversation on the sofa in his flat, but we weren't. We were overlooking some of London's most famous landmarks, and I couldn't have been happier.

What made me even happier, though, was that Nathan never once made a comment about the room being overly extravagant, or about me making an unnecessary gesture. He didn't even make a comment about how much money I'd spent. He accepted that I'd treated him and that acceptance was what meant the most.

*

I woke up the next morning, blissfully happy yet strangely disorientated. When my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I remembered our perfect evening in the hotel room after I'd successfully surprised my boyfriend.

Rolling over, I saw that Nathan was already awake and lying on his side, watching me.

"Morning." He looped his hand around my hip and pulled me closer to him.

"Morning," I replied, smiling back sleepily. "You're awake."

"Awake and not too hungover!" He grinned. "Thanks for an amazing night, baby. It was so special."

Warmth flooded through me. I'd made him happy and created a Valentine's Day that was just as special for him, too. I'd wanted to show Nathan that our relationship wasn't just about him treating me — it was about us being equal in everything. Like he'd said, we're a team.

"I'm so happy you liked it," I said.

He leaned to my mouth, and we shared one of those lazy good morning kisses that gradually turned more passionate the longer it went on.

"Shall we take a shower?" Nathan murmured against my mouth.

"Definitely."

After hauling myself away from the Egyptian cotton sheets, I rooted through my wash bag for Nathan's shower gel. As he obviously hadn't been aware of the hotel, I'd made sure to bring with me the toiletries that he kept at my flat. When I'd handed over his toothbrush the previous evening, he'd given me such a tender smile and made a comment about how I'd put a lot of thought into the night.

"I love our showers together," Nathan said as he twisted the shower knobs to set the right temperature. The water gushed out at high-power, and Nathan gestured for me to step in first.

"We don't really take that many showers together," I replied, stepping underneath the torrent of water and instantly feeling my body relax as it washed over my body, warming me up.

"That's usually because when I go for my morning shower, you're too lazy to get out of bed and join me." He squirted a dollop of shower gel onto his hands and then palmed my breasts.

The sensual movement caught me off guard and I gasped, water immediately pouring into my open mouth.

Nathan let out a hearty laugh as I spluttered furiously. "You know, it's a real shame we don't share that many showers when you're so sexy in them," he teased.

"Shut up." I finally caught my breath.

He chuckled and passed me the bottle of shower gel, obviously suggesting that I now wash him. I obliged, rubbing the foaming liquid across his defined pecs, along his broad shoulders, and over his tight biceps. When I spread the suds into the smooth ladder of abs climbing up his stomach, then reached around to do his back, his erection prodded my hip.

"I really want to fuck you," he rasped down my ear.

No complaints from me.

I tipped my head back until our lips brushed. "Shower sex?"

Brief indecision flitted through his eyes, before he shook his head. "As much as I'd love to bend you over in here, we can do that at home. It seems a shame to waste such a big bed..."

Bodies dripping wet from the shower, we stumbled towards the bed. As soon as the backs of my thighs hit the firm mattress, Nathan lifted me up and tossed me onto it. Adrenaline spiked in my heart.

One knee at a time, he climbed up to join me, stalking across the rumpled sheets. My pulse raced, thoughts tearing through my mind at the erotic visual of his naked skin shining with water droplets. Something about hotel sex always felt dirtier than home sex, and luckily I'd come prepared.

"Nathan..."

His mouth latched onto one nipple, tongue swirling, teeth gently nipping. My brain clouded with pleasure, and I lost my train of thought. I arched my back as my fingers slipped into his damp hair.

When he started to move south, though, his lips teasing the inside crease of my thigh, clarity returned.

"Nathan," I said again. "I packed the blindfold..."

His mouth paused. Slowly, he raised his head from between my legs, eyeing me with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.

"Really?"

I nodded. "I want to try it."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely. I'll tell you if I don't like it."

Nathan remained kneeling on the bed as I fetched the blindfold from within my bag. This weekend was about me pleasing him in the way that he pleased me. That pleasure extended to a sexual nature, too.

"Sit on the edge of the bed," I said.

Apprehension flickered across his face, but he obliged, shuffling to the edge of the mattress and placing his hands on either side of his muscular thighs. His erection rested against his stomach, thick and hard.

I sank to my knees, not letting my eyes stray from his.

"Fuck, Bella..."

Curling my fingers around the base, I guided his shaft into my mouth. Nathan let out a gasp and then a low, guttural moan. Like always, it took a bit of time for my mouth to adjust to him and work up a rhythm, but his unrestrained sounds of pleasure spurred me on.

His hands twisted in my hair, sometimes massaging me in a comforting way, and other times to alter my rhythm. I was almost getting as much pleasure out of it as him; I loved how my mouth was causing him to moan in that way, and lose control in a manner that he usually caused me to. More than anything, though, I loved that this was all about his pleasure and not my own.

"Stop," he suddenly gasped, pulling my head away.

In a rough yet somehow still graceful movement, Nathan hauled me to my feet and tossed me onto the bed. He picked up the blindfold. Keeping his eyes trained on mine, he delicately caressed the soft material before checking, once more, than I was okay with this.

When I assured him I was, he leaned and slowly fixed the blindfold around my head, plunging me into darkness and immediately putting me at his mercy. While the vulnerability of it used to make me anxious, now it only turned me on.

Warm palms spread my legs wide open. I relaxed back into the pillow and tried to calm my racing heart. With my sight gone, all my other senses intensified. The gentle hum of the ensuite's extractor fan. The lingering scent of shower gel. The whisper of hot breath across the damp patch between my thighs.

I writhed on the mattress, fingertips digging into the duvet, hips lifting to chase the source of heat. The extractor fan clicked off. Blood thumped through my ears instead, replacing the electronic whir with a deafening pounding. Was he even still down there?

Just as I opened my mouth to say his name, his tongue swiped through my folds. Firm hands pinned me to the mattress when my body jerked at the sudden pleasure. Gently at first, he sucked my clit into the wet warmth of his mouth. My nerve-endings pulsed, accelerating as he suctioned harder and harder. Then he released me and smoothed his tongue over the sensitive nub, soft and tender.

Dipping down, he lapped at my entrance, probing inside, then swirling around the soaked flesh. He was somehow frantic yet controlled at the same time. Desperate yet meticulous.

One long finger pushed into me. The second it curled against the patch of nerves that always tipped me over the edge, my orgasm detonated.

I was still coming down from the high when the blindfold was tugged off me and light blinded my eyes.

"Will you tell me if it gets too much?" Nathan nibbled my lobe.

Every time Nathan wanted to explore the boundaries of sex, he always felt the need to deal me that same line. I was touched by his respect, but there had to come a point where he stopped worrying to such a great extent.

This time, I couldn't help but make a comment.

"You're like a game show host," I said. "You've done it hundreds of times and yet you still feel the need to explain the rules every single—"

Nathan slammed into me. I gasped, my nails digging into his back as I adjusted to the sudden invasion.

"Sorry," he said in the same teasing tone that I'd used. "You were saying...?"

"Nothing," I said through gritted teeth, lifting my hips in an attempt to accommodate the whole of him.

The previous evening, after drinking Champagne on the balcony, we'd had romantic sex, slow and sensual. Now, he pounded into me with relentless abandon, arms braced on either side of my shoulders, his breath hot and ragged against my ear. I wrapped my calves around his back, flexing my hips in time with his fast thrusts. A guttural groan vibrated against the side of my throat.

"Turn over."

He pulled out to let me twist onto my stomach. My hands gripped onto the headboard as I clambered onto all fours, bracing as Nathan leaned over me. The hot expanse of smooth skin grazed my back, his fingers teasing me between my legs before they crept up my body to pinch my nipples.

At first, he was careful as my body adjusted to the position. Tentative, slow strokes, gradually becoming deeper. Then faster.

"Harder," I breathed.

His hips snapped back and forth, loud claps bouncing off the pristine walls of the hotel suite. The bed swayed in rhythm with his thrusts. The mattress creaked.

When his hand snaked around to rub my clit, I came apart with an earth-shattering climax. I buried my cry in the pillow, only for Nathan to clutch a fistful of hair and tug my head back.

"No, let me hear you."

I sobbed through the rippling aftershocks as he chased his own release, hips slamming against my backside until he stilled with a loud groan.

As we lay together afterwards, Nathan turned sentimental. Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me closer and nuzzled his face in my hair.

"I love you, Bella. You give me everything."

I tilted my head to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "So do you."

"You're just amazing, everything I could ever dream of and more."

"I guess you got lucky by running into me at the bar that night, then."

*

After eating at the hotel restaurant for breakfast, Nathan and I made our way back across London to my flat. We were both on a high after our romantic weekend together, blissfully unaware of what would be waiting for us at the halls.

As we entered the flat, dead silence greeted us. All the doors were shut. No muffled chatter. No sounds from TVs or laptops. Everyone must have been having a lie in after a big night out.

I unlocked my bedroom door and tossed my keys onto the desk as Nathan headed into the kitchen to pour us both a glass of water.

Sinking into my desk chair, I bent down to take off my shoes. Maybe we could—

"Fuck!" Nathan's panicked curse travelled through the silent flat.

I leapt up and dashed towards the kitchen. Nathan almost collided into me, his eyes wide with panic.

"You need to call nine-nine-nine," he blurted out in a rush.  

Slowly and almost apprehensively, I cast my eyes into the kitchen and, as Nathan moved aside to let me look, I saw Hayley's motionless body lying on the floor.

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Thank you for reading :)xx