“So what are we doing here?” I asked Ace, settling on his bed in Indian style.
“Why? Completing your bucket list of course.” He informed smirking and removing a well folded paper from his back pocket.
“Do you keep it with you all the time?” I pressed my lips together, finding it rather amusing.
He simply winked at me and sat beside me, keeping the open paper in front of me.
I glanced through the old and yet immaculate paper.
Joanna’s Bucket list: (If found do not read)
✔1) Scream from the terrace of a high building on why I love Disney movies.
2) Compliment every sad looking person on the road.
✔3) Play a prank on Mrs. Finn.
✔4) Paint a random wall in random colors and designs.
✔5) Go for skinny dipping at midnight.
✔6) Push Alicia in the pool because she doesn’t know to swim.
✔7) Find the perfect boyfriend for Janice and then kick him once. Hard.
8) Change someone’s life.
✔9) Slap any 5 people when I am drunk.
10) Have sex on the beach under moonlight near bonfire.
✔11) Sky dive/ snorkeling / BASE jumping (Any one)
12) Add some more to this.
I blushed uncontrollably at the 10th one, wanting to just wipe it off. Noticing my discomfort Ace smirked even more, pointing at the 10th wish and winking at me. I cleared my throat wanting the pink in my cheeks to disappear.
Now that we were a couple, he knew he was the one I would completing that one with and I was damn sure he wouldn’t leave a single chance to mock me about it.
Curse my stupid 10th grade self.
“Why have you added a heart at the end?” I muttered, staring at the 5th point.
✔5) Go for skinny dipping at midnight.
He smirked. “Because that the best wish in this whole bucket list and I love it, in fact I can even visualize you, walking towards me completely naked in the moonlight that made your boobs look even bigger and oh I can just get a hard-”
“Shut up!” I hissed in mortification, blood gushing to my face like the Niagara Falls.
He blinked at me innocently. “But that’s exactly what I am imagining.”
I gritted my teeth. “Don’t imagine because that’s not happening again and you say about that to any, you can forget about completing the 10th one too. So which are we doing now from the bucket list?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.
He grinned. “What a question. The one I have wanted to do since I first read this list.” He paused dramatically. “Sex on the beach sure sounds fun.”
I felt the colour on my face rise again. I just said we wouldn’t be doing that. “Like you’ll be that lucky.” I snorted.
He raised one eyebrow. “Like you’ll do that with anyone else.”
He was right but I’d rather miss a Disney movie than tell him that. “Oh please, what makes you think I won’t? I am sure many are ready.”
I didn’t miss the little growl that escaped his lips. “I would love to see a guy try to even kiss you, he’ll be losing that unwanted tongue of his within seconds.” Ace swore, his eyes staring challengingly into mine.
I rolled my eyes as I patted his arm. “Don’t get all riled up now.”
“Yeah I’ll tell you that the next time I talk to Anastasia.”
I froze my hand midway from grabbing the paper. My eyes flew to his face and he had the courtesy to look guilty. I swallowed hard. ‘Don’t smack his face. Don’t smack his face.’ I chanted in my mind, my hands forming fists as I fought the urge.
“Cool.” I instead answered. Taking a deep breath I took the paper in my hands trying to read it.
You are being a hypocrite now. My mind taunted me.
And somewhere deep I knew I was but the difference was Anastasia was his psychopathic ex who hated me while I had only Sean who was just a friend. So yes, I had every right to be pissed off.
“Cool?” Bryan asked, shock dripping from his tone. He clearly expected me to throw a fit.
I nodded. “Cool.” I repeated.
“You are not angry?” he asked, blinking at me, his eyes scanning my face for any guidance to my actual thoughts.
I shook my head. “I am furious and I am trying really hard to not bitch slap you right now.”
“Oh.” Was his genius reply. “I-uh am not meeting her again.” He slowly said, his eyes never leaving my face, trying to interpret my reactions.
“Good for you.”
An uncomfortable silence settled and when he didn’t say anything else. I cleared my throat. “Four left, let’s compliment every sad looking person.” I said trying to sound enthusiastic.
He didn’t reply, he slowly took the paper from my hand and ticked off another wish. I looked at the ticked off one.
✔8) Change someone’s life.
“Three left.” He whispered, his face inching closer to mine.
I tried to not get affected by his closeness and instead furrowed my eyebrows. “Whose life did I change?”
“Mine.” Bryan looked at me with such sincerity and honesty that I felt my heartbeat automatically go into an overdrive. The previous anger disappearing into thin air.
“I-I no.” I shook my head. How did I change his life? What did I do? When?
He slowly took my hands into his, rubbing his thumb on my knuckles. “You made me a better person Joanna. A person I never thought I could be. My life was a broken mess before you entered it. You picked up all the pieces and joined them in a way that actually made me complete. You are the reason I get up every day with a smile on my face. You made me see the path that led to my bright future. I have no idea how long I’ll be able to walk on the path but I hope that with every step that I take you will be there besides me, helping me and guiding me. I know it’s a very difficult job but I am trying, I really am. This path will have its own pebbles, rocks and pits but I promise to never leave your hand, just because you are so clumsy.” He paused and then titled his head. “Too cheesy?”
I snorted as I tried to disguise my incoming tears of happiness. I hated cheesy but this – this was definitely different and made my heart almost jump out of the ribs. I felt special, something I never had. And yet I nodded, a giddy smile on my face. “Way too cheesy for a bad boy.”
Ace’s grin widened and he shrugged. “Might as well continue since I have started. You, Joanna Williams changed my life for the better. I asked for a star and I was gifted with a sky full of them. I am so glad that Mrs. Finn asked you to tutor me. This is probably the only good thing that the stuck up oldie might have done.”
I let out a small chuckle, feeling the butterflies in my stomach turn into unicorns. My throat was clogged and I swallowed hard, blinking away the ecstatic tears. “That is probably the best thing anyone has ever said to me.” I said, my voice sounding hoarse from the unshed tears.
“Probably? Are you kidding me? I said that much with so much emotions and you say probably? That has to be the best thing ever.” He insisted cockily but his eyes still sincere.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah whatever.” I took a deep breath. “There’s no one’s hand other than yours that I’d love to hold as I stumble and fall on the path.”
Sometimes all we need is someone to look into our eyes and let us know how important we are to them.
Maybe that’s what life is about, it’s not about money or fame or beauty but the little things that actually matter, those stolen kisses, the feeling of being special to someone, talking endlessly to one person and never getting bored, just-just being happy.
He gave a shy smile making my insides churn. That smile can make a million girls drool. I returned it with my own smile, suddenly feeling shy. A few minutes back we were talking about Anastasia and now about never leaving hands. I couldn’t help but feel that Ace had just indirectly proposed me for marriage but I wisely kept quiet. It was way too soon for that anyways.
We stared at each other, unconsciously leaning towards each other. Just as our lips were about to touch-
He pulled back. “Tell about this to anyone and I’ll murder you Williams. I have a reputation to uphold.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up Cooper.” And then I pulled him for a long, lingering kiss that left us both breathless and craving for more.
We stared into each other’s eyes for a second and in that a silent agreement passed between us. We were going to complete the 10th wish just the beach and bonfire were replaced by a wooden not-so-soft bed.
In the next blink, Bryan’s lips landed on mine and his fingers were tangled in my hair. His lips urging mine to open and give entrance to his tongue, not that I needed much urging. I found myself kissing him back with equal passion and my tongue doing tango with his.
Without leaving my lips, he gently pushed my shoulder back, making me fall on the bed while he twisted and put his legs on both sides of my waists, straddling me. My fingers raised and tousled his soft hair. I felt him groan as I pulled his hair with pleasure.
He slightly leaned back, breaking the kiss and staring into my eyes with promises that made shiver with anticipation. “Numerator or Denominator?”
I blinked, my eyes furrowed at the weird question. It took me a good three seconds to understand it and then I simply arched my back, pressing my center to his crotch. “Denominator for this round.”
His eyes almost budged out before his famous cocky smile greeted me. He pressed his lips on my throat, placing open mouthed kisses until he reached my right ear. He bit the ear lobe gently and I had to fist my hand on the mattress to control a loud moan. “Honey, you wouldn’t be able to walk for a day after this round.”
I turned my face to face his and bit his lower lip. “Why don’t you try me?”
His eyes glistened with desire and lust as he dipped his head to meet my lips. “I plan to do just that.” And with he reached for my top, promptly pulling it off. His eyes scanned my upper body, his eyes darkening even more. “Oh honey, you are definitely not walking.”
I felt shivers down my spine and the sex-deprived part of me actually wished it was true. Without waiting for my reply, his hands cupped my breasts giving it a gentle squeeze, eliciting a moan from me. I lifted my arms and tugged at the end of his shirt, getting the hint, he pulled the shirt off in a second and went back to offering piercing attention my breasts.
I stared at his naked chest and although I had seen it before, it never ceased to amaze me. I trailed my fingers all over his impressive chest, pausing as the tattoos came. Beneath my fingertips his skin was hot and smooth. I rested my palm near his heart felt the unsteady beat of his heart. A smiled made its way on my face knowing I was the one causing that.
He noticed the trail of my thoughts and smiled softly at me. His lips pressed into mine while his hands made quick work of my plain bra, swiftly throwing them in some corner of the room. At this point I didn’t give a fuck about it. He expertly teased a nipple between his finger and I groaned at the pleasure it sent through my body. If I knew foreplay could be this good, I would have done it sooner.
His next stop was the jeans I was wearing, his lips kissed the top of my breasts while his fingers popped the button open and pulled them off completely. As I lay beneath my boyfriend just in my cotton panties, I didn’t feel even a little uncomfortable or nervous. It was probably because Bryan was staring at me like he stared at Pizza, with upmost love and affection.