Chapter 19

He stared at his hands, trying to find his words. Why was he taking so long to answer? Ann's heart started to beat faster as she realized her prediction to this conversation may have been correct. She got played.

"Can you just say something already?" She said, getting a little impatient.

He sighed and looked up to her. His eyes were wet, a single drop of tear falling from his cheek. He took her hands and gave her a weak smile.

"Whatever it is you want to say, I can take it." She reassured him, while wiping the tear from his cheek.

"I don't want to hurt you." He finally said almost in a whisper.

"Why would you hurt me?"

"I tend to do that. I tend to run away from relationships, when things start to get serious." He looked away, ashamed of his words. "I'm afraid of commitment."

"Are you ready to talk to me about Sophie now?" She put a hand in his curls and rubbed his head gently.

"Your mom?" He frowned.

"Oh my god." She chuckled. "Your ex."

"You know about her?"

"Of course I know, Joe." She rolled her eyes. "You were the it couple. Everyone talked about you."

"She was... She was the first girl I saw myself settling in with. She changed me. She made me fight for her and not run away like I always did. That's why I proposed to her. Because she was different." He sighed. "But while planning the wedding and having conversations about kids I realized that I didn't really want this. I wasn't ready for that."

"So you ran away again?"

"I didn't. I really wanted it to work out, so I did everything I could to fix it. But it was too late. We fought almost every day, shredding everything we built together over the year. And then I caught her talking to a friend next to a ring camera. She said a lot of stuff there that made me realize that it's over. She said that I'm pathetic and that she regrets meeting me." He started to tear up. Those words really hurt him and they still did.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She took his hand and rubbed it with her thumb.

"Hearing those words from a person you love the most was like a knife straight into the heart. So I promised myself I'm done with relationships. I'm done with love. I got lost. I met up with girls, had sex and never talked to them again. It was like a revenge for what she did to me. I wanted to hurt every girl I encountered. It was... destructive. She quickly got into a new relationship and I was stuck, not able to move on."

Ann looked down, trying to comprehend all that he said. So she was right. She was a toy for him in all of this sick revenge act. Tears started to fill her eyes and she was about to say something when he continued his monologue.

„And then I met you." She looked up to him, seeing his face lit up a little. A weak smile formed on his lips. „At first I admit, all I wanted was to get you in my bed. But after our first talk in that conference room... you were something I was looking forward to every day. Someone I felt the need to protect at all cost. To not let anyone or anything hurt you, including me. I realized that you were the missing part of me that I was looking for for so long to close the previous chapter in my life."

Ann let out a little laugh through tears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Joe, I-"

"Let me finish." He grabbed her hands and looked her deep in her eyes. "I need you in my life. Every second without you feels like forever and I can't loose you. That's why I'm so afraid to call this a thing. I'm afraid that if we don't work out I'll just loose you forever."

"No, Joe. I'll always be in your life. No matter what you decide. I feel what you feel. I feel like meeting you was the best thing that could have happened to me. I feel like... we were meant for each other."

He put his hand on her cheek and caressed it softly with his thumb.

"You really want to do this? You know that we can't tell anybody."

"I do. I'm willing to try." She said confidently.

"Promise me I won't loose you." He said studying every inch of her face.

"I promise." She smiled as he smiled back.

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. This one felt different than the other ones. It was like a seal to the promise they just made. She wanted to scream and jump from the joy that filled her body. He was hers.

They pulled apart and Ann rested her forehead on his. She opened her eyes and saw that he was already looking at her, his eyes now with a spark. Ann quickly got up and locked the doors.

"Ready to finish what we started?" She leaned against the door with a smirk.

Joe shifted in his place and smiled. He didn't expect that. The music in the plane was so loud that until someone was eavesdropping, no one would hear them.

"So ready." He bit his lip, looking at her from up and down.

She got up to him and sit astride on him. They smiled at each other, before pulling into a more passionate, long kiss. They breathed hard against their lips as Ann started to slowly move her hips. Between kisses they took off each other jumpers and T-shirts admiring their bodies as they did.

"You're so fucking sexy." He whispered against her lips as he unfastened her bra with only one hand. He was... experienced to say the least.

In a quick move he turned them around and pushed her against the bed, laying now on top of her. He bit into her neck and breasts, making Ann grasp onto the covers. He started to take off his sweatpants in the meantime as Ann did the same with her. She kicked them off and Joe grabbed onto her thighs, pulling her closer to him. Her body warmed up at the feeling of him.

"Do you really want this?" He said between heavy breaths.

"Just fuck me already." She whispered, eager to finally feel him inside of her.

He didn't hesitate for any longer. He slipped inside, making them both gasp and moan. He dropped on her, hiding his face in her neck. They moved in union, fitting perfectly together. She dug her nails into his back so hard that it almost bled. She started to moan even louder, unable to control herself. He put a hand on her mouth and chuckled. He kissed every inch of her face as she bit on his finger, trying to keep quiet.

"Are you okay?" He said between the soft kisses. She just nodded in response.

What even was that question. Of course she was okay. She was more than okay. The feeling of him was even better than she expected. Probably because of how long they awaited this moment. But the fact that he was checking up on her, made her even more turned on. How could a person be this perfect?

She felt her body tremble and she noticed his pace getting faster as he was getting closer himself. She pulled on his curls a little too much, making his head pull back. But he liked that. He dropped himself on her again, moaning now straight into her ear. She moved her hands to his back again and dig in her fingernails, leaving scratch marks all over them.

"I'm so close." She whispered, pulling him by the curls and kissing him eagerly.

"I want you to look at me when you do." She just nodded and felt warmth feeling her body.

She trembled from pleasure and he groaned pushing in her one more time. She felt warmness fill her up as they both came at the same time. They stared at each other while they did, enjoying the ecstasy on their faces.

"Fuck." He dropped on top her, breathing heavily.

She pushed her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. He slid his arms under her and made them turn around on the bed. She squealed and laughed as she was now on top of him. She put her head on his chest and tried to steady her breathing.

"I want to stay in this moment forever." She said as she enjoyed the warmness from his chest, his arms now around her.

"I could get used to this." He said playing with her hair.

"If you want to get back to them, then-"

"No. My place is right here with you." She looked up at him and they shared a kiss.

"I like that." She nodded and moved back to his chest.

They stayed silent like that for a while. She enjoyed the warmness from his body and the smell of his cologne. His hand rubbed her back and she could feel herself drifting off to sleep.

"I think I love you." Joe said in a whisper.