Eternally North (Eternally North 1)

Tudor set down his drink, standing slightly so I could catch a glimpse of the left, tattoo-laden cheek of his arse. He sat back down, and his arms dropped under the bubbling water, where I felt fingers grip my feet and move upwards as he grasped my ankles, making me yelp, pulling me forward through the water until I was situated on his lap. "There, that's better." He seemed very pleased with himself.

My eyes pulled tightly into a squint, trying to expel the water. "You could have just asked me to come over to you. You didn't have to dunk me." I scolded.

He intertwined his fingers around my back and answered, "Now where's the fun in that? Now come here, I've missed your lips. And I want to cash in on our seven years of good sex."

I leaned in close, nipping his mouth before allowing him to engulf me. After several heated minutes, I pulled back and stroked his shaved head. "Tudor?”

He smiled in suspicion. “Yes?”

“Since we met, I’ve had these feelings for you, and now, well, I feel a lot more. Having you here, with me, is just..." I stared off towards the sky unable to finish that sentence.

He smiled and kissed the back of my hand. "Me too, gorgeous."

I didn’t look his way, causing him to pull a frown. He put his finger on my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "What is it?"

"Well, we have slept together a couple of times now–”

“And will do so again, soon,” he interrupted.

I play-punched his arm. “… and agreed to be exclusive. But I feel I don't know anything about you really. How bad is that? I'm acting like a right slut!" I pressed my head down on his shoulder, and banged it repeatedly, groaning, “My father would kill me!” like a mantra.

I heard chuckling beneath me. "I for one am glad you are slutty with me, only me, and you're mighty good at it too. But I disagree on you not knowing me. I am more myself with you than I am with my own family. You make me happy, something I haven’t been in such a long time. You make everything better. You make me a better man. Does that sound a bit cheesy?”

I shook my head and hugged him hard as I batted my lashes, acting coy.

He grinned at my playful antics. “And as for not knowing the details, here's your chance."

I raised my head so quickly that I almost got whiplash. "Really?"

"Really," he affirmed.

"Okay. Mmm... let’s start easy. Favourite colour?"

"Blue. Yours?"

"Pink. Favourite movie?"

"Spartacus. Yours?"

"The Breakfast Club. Favourite food?"

"Pizza. Yours?"

"Same, or fish and chips, or a Sunday roast, or pancakes – bugger it, I have a long list!"

He laughed at me and announced that it was his turn. "Biggest turn-on in a man?"

"Monogamy, muscles, shaved heads and tattoos." He smiled and punched a celebratory fist in the air.

I ignored it, "You?"

"Mmm, let me think. I suppose a five o'clock shadow and a defined chest?"

I tweaked one of his ni**les.

“Hey!” he mock cried.

"In a woman, you twat!"

"Oh, okay, I get it! A good sense of humour, curves, brown hair, brown eyes and... 100% trust,"

Yeah for me!

He regarded me intensely. "How many sexual partners have you had?"

"Four, including you. You, Mr. North?" I asked, my heart picking up speed as I awaited his response.

He winced. "More."

"Not good enough. I want numbers!" No you don’t, Tash, why have you asked this question?

He lowered his head. "I'm ashamed to say I don't know. I’m thirty-one. I’ve had two semi-serious relationships, if you can call them that and... considerably more one-night stands. We're not talking hundreds here, but there have been more than is deemed acceptable from someone of my age, put it that way."

I huffed at the fact he wouldn't confess more than this little titbit of information. I folded my arms. "That's all you’re saying?"

Considerably more one night stands? Great!

He nodded sternly, and then shook his head. “Actually, there is one thing.”

I glared back moodily, arms still crossed across my chest. That worked against me, I shouldn’t have pushed the girls in his face. He groaned and had to struggle to tear his lusty gaze away from the view.

He took my face in his large hands. “You’re number one, you’re it. Easily the best sex of my life, and I want you for more than just one night. I’ll take you forever if you’ll have me. With you everything is just… different… it’s just… beyond anything I could have ever imagined,” he whispered swallowing the heart-felt words that hitched in his throat.

I tried to stay in a mood but his words melted my anger, and I moved to kiss his nose. “What’s with all of the tattoos?” I asked while I licked the end of the tribal swirl on his lower neck.

He moved his head further to the side to let me explore. “My good buddy back in Vancouver is an artist and I asked for something one day, I let him decide. After my arm, I kinda got addicted and we kept going. He used me as a showcase for his work. Most people don’t like it, think it’s too much, but I’m happy with it. Tattoo’s are art to me.”

I smiled. “I bloody love it! It’s like you’re all my favourite things put on Earth to tempt me, especially the tats, they’re my weakness. But why the left-hand side?”