Page 107 of You + Me – Against the World

We hit the road with exhilarated smiles on our faces. After only twenty minutes, Vadim pulls up along the curb on Ocean Avenue, facing Santa Monica Bay. I gaze up at our destination.

“Vadim, it’s a palace!”

“Well, I am dating a princess…”

A valet takes charge of parking the pickup, pretending not to notice the stark contrast between the beat-up truck and the hotel’s obvious prestige. The whole thing is slightly comical.

In the grand lobby, towering California palm trees stretch all the way to the ceiling, creating a space that feels both lush and luxurious. After a quick stop at the front desk and a pointed look from the hostess, who clearly thinks we’re too young to be spending a night in such an expensive hotel, the elevator carries us up to our suite.

We step into a spacious, bright, and airy room. A large bed commands the center of the space. Beyond it, a cozy yet elegant sitting area leads to a glass door that opens onto a beautiful, furnished balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In the distance, I can make out the illuminated Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier. The place where we had our second date—the one where everything changed. It’s so romantic that it leaves me speechless.

“Do you remember, Alma?”

He wraps his arms around me.

“How could I forget?”

“Don’t forget the Skittles, too…”

He chuckles softly, and I push him away. He drops onto the nearest couch.

“I give you my heart, the ocean, the whole world, and this is how you treat me, Lancaster,” Vadim sighs, sprawling out with his arms spread wide, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

Feeling amused, touched, thrilled—a little bit of everything at once—I lie down on top of him. I run my hands through his hair and press my lips to his neck.

“The best place in the world is wherever you are, Vadim Arcadi. And your heart is mine. Don’t you dare give it to anyone else.”

I nibble on his earlobe, and he lets out a husky groan.

“Easy there, Princess. Your dad told me to be on my best behavior.”

“You’re sure you want me to stop?”

I start again.

“Damn, daddy’s girls are never as innocent as they look…”

I smile and let myself slide down his body. My mouth stops just above the waistband of his jeans, and my hands lift his white tee a little. I kiss the soft skin of his stomach, and with two fingers, tackle his button.

“What are you doing, Alma Lancaster?” His voice is nothing more than a whisper.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Vadim Arcadi…”

I have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to do—how to do it, how far to go, how long to keep going, whether to be fast or slow. But I find myself enjoying the power I have over him. His sighs quickening with the rhythm of my mouth. His pleasure, which I completely control. His pleasure, which becomes mine, when I see him close his eyes, tremble all over, and moan my name.

***

We order whatever we want from room service. I make Vadim watch episodes from the first season of The Last of Us, and he makes fun of my undying love for Pedro Pascal. We bicker. We kiss. We laze around and enjoy being alone, free, and in love.

Once night falls, we decide to go see the ocean.

On the asphalt, Vadim takes me by the hand and starts running so fast I’m carried along by sheer momentum. I do my best to keep up with him, the cool evening air whipping against my face. It only takes us a few minutes to reach the pier overlooking the ocean. I’m out of breath. He’s barely winded.

“A moment’s silence for the Skittles that met their end that night…”

“Keep it up and you might join them,” I whisper in his ear.

He laughs, and that sound, so pure, so perfect, stirs something deep inside me.