Entwine (12 page)

Sarah shrugged. That made a lot of sense, but she wasn’t in the mood to give her father credit at the moment. She sat, wordlessly, in the car while other people went about their own thing. Hands digging through handbags or pockets for keys, people texting while their car warmed up, smiling at their phones. Others tightened their coats around them. She looked at them all, not concentrating on being inside the car, but letting her mind wonder.

She wanted to give Malik time to digest it, but she didn’t want to wait. On the other hand, she wanted to say and do so much to and with him that she didn’t know where to start, and the idea of being in the same place as him made her want to curl up and disappear.

So what did she want?

Sarah flicked through her music playlists and chose “Summer Songs”. The first one on shuffle was “The Boys of Summer”
and, by the time they went past to pick up her car and Sarah followed her mum home, she felt like she could breathe deeper. She hurled her handbag over her shoulder, and left her car in the garage, at the same time as her mum hopped out of her car.

The little things; they helped. Like seeing Nicholas. Or a song, that could bring her back into a moment, or a headspace.

Sarah got back to her bedroom. As per usual, she dropped her bag near her desk and turned on the radio. Seeing both Nicholas and Malik dredged up so many memories for her.

There wasn’t a moment when she considered letting Malik go for good, but remembering how great Nicholas was but how perfectly she and Malik had clicked, she knew a stupid little reunion between the woman who’d ruined his life and her father who’d ruined her life was nothing to worry about. They’d get past it.

Malik made her feel like anything was possible.

LONGING

NOW

Sarah gave herself one whole day. She did not speak to Malik by text, call, or in person. It was excruciating, mostly because she’d only known him for three days. All the memories she could have drawn on to keep her company if she’d known him longer couldn’t keep her company now. They’d kissed and hugged, but it wasn’t enough. Sarah wanted to lose herself in him so far that she wouldn’t be able to remember anything else.

By the fourth day, she was grateful for work. For a few years, she’d been studying and working part-time. Now she was responsible for herself. No leeching from her mum if needed. She hadn’t received her first pay cycle, but she’d calculated, and it was enough to make her eyes pop. She edited faster, skimmed and deleted emails that didn’t seem important. Though not the top of her worries, she was glad for the distraction.

But that night she decided she couldn’t take waiting any longer. She’d had one-sided contact with Malik, and was fed up of it. She wasn’t going to torture herself that badly by trying to bury his memory. Internet searching found he had a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. It was so pointless, all her stalking and gawking, that she had to wonder if she was falling for this almost stranger. He posted something about a footy club, then again about a deal on a bunch of hardware, yet still, Sarah kept scrolling through his accounts, waiting for something. What did she expect to find? “I met the girl of my dreams yesterday, and I’m excited to tell the whole world?”

No she didn’t expect that, but coming across something like it would have been nice.

Sarah was on the couch with a television show on in the background. She didn’t know what her mum was watching because she didn’t look up once. She had been having some back and forth with Malik, finally messaging each other.

Sarah:
Here’s what you’ve done to me.

She texted a shot of her finger.

Malik:
I helped you grow an extra finger?

Sarah:
No, dummy. I stubbed it because I was dreaming of you making out with me on the bonnet of your car again.

Malik:
It’s not even red. Or lumpy. You just couldn’t think of a better excuse to chat to me.

Sarah:
Guilty ;)

Malik:
Fuck

Sarah:
What?

Malik:
I’m having a hard time right now.

Sarah:
Sounds like it’s my fault?

Malik:
It is. I’m hard thinking about you laid out over my bonnet. Thinking what it’d be like to touch you again.

Sarah’s hands shook too much to text back, so she jumped up and went to her room where she dialled him. He answered within one ring.

“Hey.”

“I couldn’t type. I’m ruined for the night now, Malik.”

“How can I help?”

Sarah gulped. She had to say it now. She closed her eyes, and it gave her more confidence. “I need to see you.”

“I don’t …” his end was all breathy for a moment. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Aw, yeah, nah, that’s totally fine. Sorry, I shouldn’t have just suggested that. You’ve only just met me, and yeah.”

“No, you don’t get what I’m saying. I am so wound up right now, I don’t want to scare you or hurt you. I’m unbelievably wound tight, like a fucking corkscrew.”

“Just promise you won’t punch me and I’ll help. I want to be there for you.”

Sarah’s chest constricted at the knowledge she was the reason for him feeling this way. She tried to imagine marrying the man of her dreams and having a baby together, only to find out all the time you’d been faithful, hopeful, and trustworthy, he’d been lying and sleeping with another woman instead. Her lips were dry, and she had to lean over to her bedside table to have a gulp of water to moisten them and her throat. How did she dry up that quickly? It was like sandpaper.

“Okay, um, you’re not getting it. Are you okay if I’m blunt?”

“Sure.”

“Sarah Langham, you won’t leave my house tonight until I fuck you senseless and come inside you. I don’t know if you’re only human, but you’ve lit up my life and my mind like something out of this world, and it’s torture not being with you.”

“What about Lucy?”

“She doesn’t sleep here weeknights.”

Right
. Sarah knew a lot about not seeing your father when your parents had split up. She’d only gotten every other weekend with her dad. Now, it was the perfect situation for her, but her heart ached for Malik.

Except for tonight. Sarah was going to rock his world, and help him have a good night.

“Should I leave now?”

“Please. You don’t have to change your clothes. It’s hot knowing you’re wearing whatever you feel comfortable in, what you’re wearing talking to me right now.”

Sarah picked up her handbag, told her mum she’d be back late, and told her not to wait up as she ran to her car.

• • •

NOW

She knocked at his door at a little past eight. As she stood waiting, she finally took stock of what she looked like. This morning, she’d applied eyeliner and smoky eye shadow to offset her light eyes, on top of her usual mascara and blush. She didn’t think it had smudged yet, and she hoped that was true. She looked over her clothes. She was in leggings, ballet flats, and a slouch sweater that hung off one shoulder.

Malik opened the door with a spatula in one hand. He pressed his weight against the open door. He grinned, looking her over, and Sarah knew no matter what she thought she seemed like, Malik loved all of it, and that’s all that mattered in the end.

“Do you like chocolate?”

“I’m sorry?”

Sarah’s forehead wrinkled while she stood there. Thinking. Pondering. Was chocolate a secret code for his come? No, that sounded too dirty for Malik to say straight out like that. Maybe he was asking if she liked to play dirty?

“Milk chocolate. Do you like eating it?”

“Oh.” She dropped her gaze to her shoes. She never wanted to look up again.
Calm
, she told herself,
Act cool and be calm, damn it
!

She felt his finger draw her chin up, so she reluctantly looked back at him. He was drunk on desire, licking his lips, and she thought he was probably imagining all the things he could do to hers. That made a smile appear at the corner of her mouth. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, and with her last thought in mind, she gently bit on his bottom lip, sucked it into her mouth and pulled, until it flopped back. He grunted and, with his free hand, pulled her body to his. The moment they touched, she knew their bodies were made to fit. It was an instant heat, calm, and desire that filled her.

Malik’s lips were against the side of her mouth and edge of her cheek when he whispered to her skin, “You don’t think I’m too old for you, do you?”

Sarah looked up at him, blinking. That was random to say. Though thirty-four, he hadn’t the hint of a wrinkle at the sides of his eyes, his skin was only rugged in a manly way, with ever-slight hair sprinkled under his lip; it was far from saggy or dull. When he stared into her eyes and swallowed, she looked right to his jaw, and the way it worked.

Her development of thoughts made her realise the flip side; maybe he saw beauty in her youth, and yet would one day leave her because she was too immature in the same way he feared she’d leave him because he was too old.

Kissing his lips, she couldn’t help but smile as she mumbled, “No way.” She kissed him again. “Well, yes, but not in a bad way. You’re perfect for me, Malik.”

He growled a sound of relief, filling her with a passion that gravitated between her legs.

She pulled away from him, remembering the spatula, and pulled the handle up to her mouth, drawing her mouth around the tip, licking off the melted chocolate and sliding her mouth slowly off the end for his benefit.

“Shit,” he gasped, and ran back in the direction he came from.

She followed him to the kitchen and saw him with his hands linked behind his neck and his chin tilted up. Sarah was about to ask what was the matter before she realised the chocolate was fine, but saw that he’d also been making custard and that … well, that was a brown and yellow blob. Several blobs.

Smirking to herself, she turned to see he was still in the same position. Wanting to surprise him, she didn’t say a word as she went to him. She even held her breath, fearing she’d make a sound. Sarah slipped her hands into his back jeans pockets and leant up and at an angle so their hips almost met. She felt his belt buckle at her belly button.

“Sarah?”

“The chocolate is still fine.”

He nodded in the direction of the stove. “It’s all messed up. I had the recipe out and all the ingredients …”

She looked to the table where a red pillar candle stood, place mats and spoons opposing and a can of whipped cream near the candle.

“And then I came in, distracted you and ruined it.” Sarah gave him a look that suggested they should do something about the situation.

And he got it. Yeah, she thought he was adorable for setting up a romantic dessert, but it was the thought that counted, not so much the taste of the meal.

Now that she had his attention she backed up to the counter, sat atop it and beckoned him closer. He looked her up and down and then came forward to settle between her legs. Like a few nights ago at his car, she wrapped her legs around his, hooking him close with her heels. He put his hands on each side of her and pulled her flush against him. She could feel he’d already grown hard for her.

He stared at her neck, dropped his gaze to her chest, and then kissed from behind her ear and down her jawline so she tilted her head up and clenched his shirt, feeling it stretch over the hard muscles of his torso. God, he felt better each time she touched him: hard and lean. He continued kissing down her chest, so she edged him back, to a look of confusion and disappointment marked in the wrinkle of his eyebrows and the frown on his lips.

But then she smirked, and his frown grew into a smirk, too. She wrapped her arms around her waist, and pulled her sweater off, clean in one go, tossing it somewhere far away from them. Clothes were not going to be needed.

She didn’t look down to acknowledge what she was doing, just flicked her bra and singlet straps to her arms, allowing her top to slide down a bit and reveal the black lace underneath.

He was back between her legs in less than a second, and latched his mouth onto her breast. He held her side in one hand, and kneaded her breast into his mouth with the other. With every passing second, more of her bra was stripped away until her breast popped out and the look in Malik’s eyes appeared hungrier for her than ever.

Sarah didn’t like waiting. Greedy, ravenous, she slipped her hand down between them. Caught up sucking and flicking her nipple with his tongue, he mustn’t have realised what she was doing—but once she cupped his hard bulge tented in his jeans, he stilled, then groaned into her nipple, and the hot air mixed with his arousal sent a sensation so sharp between her legs, she moaned, too.

“Bedroom,” he mumbled breathlessly, still trying to lap up her breast while feeling her side.

She leaned into his ear, knowing the blinds were mostly shut and said, “I can’t wait that long.”

His hands undid his buckle. “Me neither.”

“Malik …” she said breathlessly, throbbing between her legs.

He’d barely undone his zipper by the time she grabbed his fingers and drew them to where she needed them. She kissed along his ear, then dipped down and pushed her hand between the elastic of his briefs and his skin. He shuddered into her ear as she stroked his length for the first time.

“I need you so bad. I can’t wait.”

“Then don’t. I’m on the pill.”

He looked into her eyes, and she held his gaze back. She needed him to know she was serious. She wanted him, like, days ago. She was so hot for him, she wanted more, anything, just to receive the release she craved.

She knew how he liked her so she slipped her arms out from her bra straps, removed it and flung them off somewhere far behind her too. He took stock of the situation and stepped back to take off his jeans, which were already bunched at his calves. She peeled off her leggings and she watched his erection as he slipped the elastic of his boxers over it at the same time as she bucked her hips to slip her panties from under her.